The Bells of Cockaigne is an early appearance from Dean's days in television in New York. He plays the father of a sick child who gambles his week's pay to try to earn enough to take his son "somewhere warm and dry." Gene Lockhart is the stubborn old Irishman who ultimately gives up his own dreams to help Dean. This half-hour program (complete with ads) was live TV; the kinescope is of questionable quality, but already Dean shows some of the talent and charisma of his later work.--Geof Miller

Product Description
A portrait of James Dean presented by famed producer/director Robert Altman (NASHVILLE, SHORT CUTS.) Recognizing his worldwide fame, Altman explores the personal life, moments between the films, never before seen footage from "East of Eden," the famous highway public safety message made for television, and rare film from the Hollywood premiere of "Giant." Based on the memoirs of Dean's close friend, William Blast, this film follows Dean from his early college experiences to the car crash that took his life. Actors: Martin Gabel, Clark Gable, Ronald Nelson, Jayne Mansfield, Emma Dean (II), George Ross, Ortense Winslow, Lew Bracker, Lili Kardell, Jerry Luce, Arlene Martel, James Dean, Dennis Hopper, Marvin Carter, Arnie Langer, Marcus Winslow Jr., Louis de Liso, Bing

Peace..
rj


Vintage Film   February 20, 2004
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This film is a must-see for anyone wanting to know more about James Dean. It was released in 1957, over a year after Dean died, and we get to see and listen to family members who are no longer living. We hear from other citizens of Fairmount, Indiana, who knew "Jimmy." We also see and hear show business friends and acquaintances. It also includes alot of great still photographs.

Please remember this film was made in the late 50s, and its dated. It sort of depressed me watching it because it really brought home the fact that "Jimmy" has been dead almost 50 years. But I would think this film would be a necessary part of anyone's collection of James Dean films.


invaluable to anyone who wants to know more about James Dean   September 24, 2003
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

the information from this documentary is invaluable and the insight from his family and the people who saw him on a regular basis gives a glimpse of Jimmy that not many people saw. it is one more facet of a brilliant diamond that shone for too brief a time.one word of caution to anyone with asthma,high blood pressure,heart disese,or tramatic stress disorder,the reenactment of his fatal car crash combined with pictures from the actual crash site are a little too graphic for some.watch at your own risk.


For all of us who love Jimmy   July 19, 2003
Candace Scott (Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Everything the other reviewers have written is true: this documentary of Dean's life is slow-paced, dry, old-fashioned and dated. If you're one of those people who prefer the colorized versions of classic Black and White films, then this film will probably not be to your liking. But I look at it another way: where else can you view interviews with people who actually knew Jim and knew him well? Most of these were filmed shortly in the aftermath of Dean's death, and therefore, their recolections were contemporary. Time hadn't faded their recollections of this amazing young man. You also get to see a many scenes of Dean's childhood in Indiana: his home, High School, roads he traveled, places he visited. If you're a fan of James Dean, you eat this sort of stuff up; I know I do!

A weakness is that the entire production is in black and white, so the clips they show of his color movies are not in color. It's a little disconcerting to see various scenes of "East of Eden" shown in black and white, but you'll grow accustomed to it. As for the second half of the movie, the short TV drama Jimmy made in 1954, "The Bells of Cockaigne," it is excellent and showcases yet again his amazing talent and his beautiful ability to rivet an audience. The quality of this movie is poor, and it does detract from the viewing experience. The quality of the documentary portion is excellent.

If you love James Dean, this is a must have DVD for your collection. Despite its flaws, it's still riveting because of the interviews with intimates who really knew him.