What do you think?
Rate this book
Live Fast, Die Young: The Wild Ride of Making Rebel Without a Cause
When it was released in 1955, the film Rebel Without a Cause had a revolutionary impact on moviemaking and youth culture, virtually giving birth to our concept of the American teenager. For the first time, Live Fast, Die Young tells the complete story of the explosive making of Rebel, a film that has rocked every generation since its release. Set against a backdrop of the Atomic Age and an old Hollywood studio system on the verge of collapse, it evokes the cataclysmic, immensely influential meeting of four of Hollywood's most passionate artists.
When James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, and director Nicholas Ray converged, each was at a crucial point in his or her career. The young actors were grappling with fame, their burgeoning sexuality, and increasingly reckless behavior. As Ray engaged his cast in physical melees and psychosexual seductions of startling intensity, the on- and off-set relationships between his ambitious young actors ignited, sending a shock wave through the film.
Through interviews with the surviving members of the cast and crew and firsthand access to both personal and studio archives, Lawrence Frascella and Al Weisel reveal Rebel's true drama - the director's affair with sixteen-year-old Wood, his tempestuous "spiritual marriage" with Dean, and his role in awakening the latent homosexuality of Mineo, who would become the first gay teenager to appear on film.
Complete with thirty photographs, including ten never-before-seen photos by famed Dean photographer Dennis Stock, Live Fast, Die Young tells the inside story of an essential American film - a story that is, in many ways, as provocative as the film itself.
When James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, and director Nicholas Ray converged, each was at a crucial point in his or her career. The young actors were grappling with fame, their burgeoning sexuality, and increasingly reckless behavior. As Ray engaged his cast in physical melees and psychosexual seductions of startling intensity, the on- and off-set relationships between his ambitious young actors ignited, sending a shock wave through the film.
Through interviews with the surviving members of the cast and crew and firsthand access to both personal and studio archives, Lawrence Frascella and Al Weisel reveal Rebel's true drama - the director's affair with sixteen-year-old Wood, his tempestuous "spiritual marriage" with Dean, and his role in awakening the latent homosexuality of Mineo, who would become the first gay teenager to appear on film.
Complete with thirty photographs, including ten never-before-seen photos by famed Dean photographer Dennis Stock, Live Fast, Die Young tells the inside story of an essential American film - a story that is, in many ways, as provocative as the film itself.
Hardcover
First published September 20, 2005
9 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 3, 2021
4.5 stars
"Writer David Dalton said '[James Dean was the] Abraham Lincoln of adolescence. He freed the teens. He portrayed a teenager so realistically the he became the model for all of the pop culture that followed.' Although teen movies were relatively rare before Rebel Without a Cause, a flood of [so-called] teensploitation films followed hot on its heels . . . " -- the authors, on pages 289-290
Co-authored by Frascella and Weisel (both experienced entertainment journalists), Live Fast, Die Young is one of those wonderfully detailed and exhaustive accounts on the genesis, troubled making-of, and after-effects of a classic movie. In this instance this the film involved is the 1955 teen melodrama Rebel Without a Cause, which became James Dean's signature starring role in his regrettably brief time as a silver-screen leading man, transitioned fledgling child actor Natalie Wood's standing into the more serious grown-up status, established rookie performer Sal Mineo as a name actor, and was the biggest hit of director-auteur Nicholas Ray's scattershot but prolific career. This talented quartet - all of whom would perish relatively young and/or under tragic circumstances, leading some folks to believe there was a 'curse' hovering over this production - receives the lion's share of in-depth coverage / attention in the narrative about their dysfunctional lives. However, the book benefits greatly from the opinionated interviews of those involved in the making of the film, such as screenwriter Stewart Stern (arguably the other key person - next to actor Dean and director Ray - in the unofficial trinity responsible for the film's success), and the 'gang member' supporting players Dennis Hopper (soon to carve out a successful acting / directing movie career of his own), Corey Allen (who later became a long-running respected director of American episodic television), and Frank Mazzola (an actual switchblade-wielding L.A. gang leader hired as a technical advisor), among many others. That, and the interesting trivia - like the origin of the red windbreaker famously worn by Dean's character in the latter half of the film - help make this quite the informative book.
"Writer David Dalton said '[James Dean was the] Abraham Lincoln of adolescence. He freed the teens. He portrayed a teenager so realistically the he became the model for all of the pop culture that followed.' Although teen movies were relatively rare before Rebel Without a Cause, a flood of [so-called] teensploitation films followed hot on its heels . . . " -- the authors, on pages 289-290
Co-authored by Frascella and Weisel (both experienced entertainment journalists), Live Fast, Die Young is one of those wonderfully detailed and exhaustive accounts on the genesis, troubled making-of, and after-effects of a classic movie. In this instance this the film involved is the 1955 teen melodrama Rebel Without a Cause, which became James Dean's signature starring role in his regrettably brief time as a silver-screen leading man, transitioned fledgling child actor Natalie Wood's standing into the more serious grown-up status, established rookie performer Sal Mineo as a name actor, and was the biggest hit of director-auteur Nicholas Ray's scattershot but prolific career. This talented quartet - all of whom would perish relatively young and/or under tragic circumstances, leading some folks to believe there was a 'curse' hovering over this production - receives the lion's share of in-depth coverage / attention in the narrative about their dysfunctional lives. However, the book benefits greatly from the opinionated interviews of those involved in the making of the film, such as screenwriter Stewart Stern (arguably the other key person - next to actor Dean and director Ray - in the unofficial trinity responsible for the film's success), and the 'gang member' supporting players Dennis Hopper (soon to carve out a successful acting / directing movie career of his own), Corey Allen (who later became a long-running respected director of American episodic television), and Frank Mazzola (an actual switchblade-wielding L.A. gang leader hired as a technical advisor), among many others. That, and the interesting trivia - like the origin of the red windbreaker famously worn by Dean's character in the latter half of the film - help make this quite the informative book.
October 21, 2010
Great book! Like the title says, this book looks at the making of Rebel Without A Cause - and it is fascinating. There's drama between the director and the studio, drama between the director and the writers, drama between the actors, drama between the director and the leading actress...just drama everywhere. You'll see the participants bared, warts and all, and yet sympathetically portrayed. The authors (Frascella and Weisel) love this movie and everyone involved, and, if you don't already, you will, too.
Word of warning: The book will also tell you what happens to the major players afterward...The authors are adamant that There Is No Curse but by the time you're done you may be screaming at the book, OMG There really IS a freakin' curse! So. Sort of a downer there. Be warned.
You also get a good summary of the James Dean Death Car Curse, as seen on Supernatural. And because I am a fangirl, I have to mention that just so I can work Supernatural into a review that has nothing to do with the TV show. You know how it is. :)
Word of warning: The book will also tell you what happens to the major players afterward...The authors are adamant that There Is No Curse but by the time you're done you may be screaming at the book, OMG There really IS a freakin' curse! So. Sort of a downer there. Be warned.
You also get a good summary of the James Dean Death Car Curse, as seen on Supernatural. And because I am a fangirl, I have to mention that just so I can work Supernatural into a review that has nothing to do with the TV show. You know how it is. :)
March 20, 2021
I borrowed this book from someone who knew I loved ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ (1955), and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The beginning is very technical, and quite hard and boring to follow at times, but once the book starts to talk about filming and post-production of the film, then it becomes very very interesting, with loads of fun facts about both the film and the actors in it. Definitely worth a read!
November 28, 2022
James Dean was a strange and not especially likable guy. Just. Sayin.
June 9, 2025
A must read for any Deaner. An incredibly well-written and fun book packed with special behind the scenes and making of stories from the cast. One of my favorite movies of all time!
July 25, 2020
Second book finished for the 2020 Reading Rush.
I thought it was very interesting, it certainly makes me want to watch Rebel Without A Cause and buy a red jacket.
I thought it was very interesting, it certainly makes me want to watch Rebel Without A Cause and buy a red jacket.
September 12, 2024
This was a very interesting book to read. Quite a wild ride. It was nice to learn about Nicholas Ray, the actors and the crew. With all of the technology we have today, movies will never be made like this again. And let's not forget about the curse of James Dean.
July 8, 2022
I couldn't get enough of this tale, and then like anything great it was over.
We were all teenagers once or still are and are reading this book at that age now.
Because the authors make the story feel personal, this style and approach involve and include the reader like you're in every moment, and there are many unforgettable moments. Throughout the history they offer the authors bring light to how a film becomes infused with greatness and magnifies a new culture. It makes you want to be there and you don't want it to end.
We were all teenagers once or still are and are reading this book at that age now.
Because the authors make the story feel personal, this style and approach involve and include the reader like you're in every moment, and there are many unforgettable moments. Throughout the history they offer the authors bring light to how a film becomes infused with greatness and magnifies a new culture. It makes you want to be there and you don't want it to end.
February 20, 2022
Rebel Without A Cause is one of my favorite movies ever. Not only did it expose me to classic cinema as a teen, it also exposed me to James Dean, Natalie Wood, and Sal Mineo. Although removed by several decades, these people felt so real to me. They were tangible. I felt that they were otherworldly, but also possessed the ability to relate to me like a normal person would.
While reading the making of the movie, I found out that this is because the actors brought so much of themselves to the screen. Jimmy was a rebel without a cause in real life, so it’s no surprise that he would bring such a force to Jim Stark, the sensitive and cool tough guy. Natalie had a lot to prove, but just wanted to be loved, a lot like Judy. And last, but certainly not least, Sal brought a level of naivety and vulnerability that men of the time were not allowed to show.
His sexuality (along with Dean and Nicholas Ray’s) was very interesting to me as well. As a young gay man who hadn’t quite come to terms with my own sexuality, this movie seemed to speak to me in a language I didn’t quite understand how to articulate yet, but it was all so clear watching on the screen. There’s definitely a love triangle that exists in Rebel. Whether it is explicitly stated or not, I knew the yearning Plato had for Jim. He did want him to be his father, but he also wanted so much more. The chapter titled “Jim Kisses Plato?” confirmed everything I felt as a gay man finding myself and yearning for those same connections.
The Rebel story was always about exploring the connections we make as human beings in our youth. Reading this superbly written and constantly fascinating biography, I realized this. That’s what I was subconsciously drawn to while watching the film. Jim accepts Plato and he accepts Judy for who they are because he yearns for the same thing. They all just want to be loved. I really enjoyed how the authors touched on this facet of each character. The same goes for Rebel’s director Nicholas Ray as well. He just wanted to tell stories that showed the good or bad human connections in his own life. You could tell he generally cared about the human experience, especially when we’re young and so impressionable.
The authors did a great job at showing how each main player in Rebel wanted to be loved in their own way and it was very much a situation of life imitating art for all four of them. I will say it’s hard not to be harsh on Nicholas Ray after the Me Too movement, considering his extremely inappropriate relationship with the underage Natalie Wood. Even the book, written before the movement, nonchalantly moves on from this shocking fact like it’s an acceptable standard. That bugged me, but this is the golden age of Hollywood that we’re talking about. I will say that I loved the agency Wood took with her own career though, despite the affair with Ray. She fought for that role and worked behind and in front of the camera to make it happen.
Dean’s death also becomes a huge point of interest in the Rebel legacy for obvious reasons. It not only cemented the films place in history, but it raised Dean from great actor to icon status. Despite the loss of such a great talent, his work and spirit live on in the celluloid. I don’t know if the film was cursed as the book discusses. All three stars died far too young, but it’s definitely a highlight in all their careers and I’m glad we have it. I highly recommend this book if you love film, old school Hollywood, subvert gay themes, scandalous gossip, and a good coming of age story. The book covers it all and it was such a fun ride. Live Fast, Die Young tells an amazing story that will awaken the youth in anyone.
While reading the making of the movie, I found out that this is because the actors brought so much of themselves to the screen. Jimmy was a rebel without a cause in real life, so it’s no surprise that he would bring such a force to Jim Stark, the sensitive and cool tough guy. Natalie had a lot to prove, but just wanted to be loved, a lot like Judy. And last, but certainly not least, Sal brought a level of naivety and vulnerability that men of the time were not allowed to show.
His sexuality (along with Dean and Nicholas Ray’s) was very interesting to me as well. As a young gay man who hadn’t quite come to terms with my own sexuality, this movie seemed to speak to me in a language I didn’t quite understand how to articulate yet, but it was all so clear watching on the screen. There’s definitely a love triangle that exists in Rebel. Whether it is explicitly stated or not, I knew the yearning Plato had for Jim. He did want him to be his father, but he also wanted so much more. The chapter titled “Jim Kisses Plato?” confirmed everything I felt as a gay man finding myself and yearning for those same connections.
The Rebel story was always about exploring the connections we make as human beings in our youth. Reading this superbly written and constantly fascinating biography, I realized this. That’s what I was subconsciously drawn to while watching the film. Jim accepts Plato and he accepts Judy for who they are because he yearns for the same thing. They all just want to be loved. I really enjoyed how the authors touched on this facet of each character. The same goes for Rebel’s director Nicholas Ray as well. He just wanted to tell stories that showed the good or bad human connections in his own life. You could tell he generally cared about the human experience, especially when we’re young and so impressionable.
The authors did a great job at showing how each main player in Rebel wanted to be loved in their own way and it was very much a situation of life imitating art for all four of them. I will say it’s hard not to be harsh on Nicholas Ray after the Me Too movement, considering his extremely inappropriate relationship with the underage Natalie Wood. Even the book, written before the movement, nonchalantly moves on from this shocking fact like it’s an acceptable standard. That bugged me, but this is the golden age of Hollywood that we’re talking about. I will say that I loved the agency Wood took with her own career though, despite the affair with Ray. She fought for that role and worked behind and in front of the camera to make it happen.
Dean’s death also becomes a huge point of interest in the Rebel legacy for obvious reasons. It not only cemented the films place in history, but it raised Dean from great actor to icon status. Despite the loss of such a great talent, his work and spirit live on in the celluloid. I don’t know if the film was cursed as the book discusses. All three stars died far too young, but it’s definitely a highlight in all their careers and I’m glad we have it. I highly recommend this book if you love film, old school Hollywood, subvert gay themes, scandalous gossip, and a good coming of age story. The book covers it all and it was such a fun ride. Live Fast, Die Young tells an amazing story that will awaken the youth in anyone.
April 12, 2023
Detailed analysis of one of the greatest movies in history. Of particular interest to me as my grandmother played Dean's mom in the film. I learned so much about the situation and, even better, about her. Anyone interested, should read this very well researched and thorough book.
November 14, 2019
A great book. Not a fluff piece at all. I learned an awful lot about how films are made.
April 20, 2020
A great Hollywood history book.
August 13, 2016
This expertly researched tale of the classic, influential film Rebel Without a Cause is completely engaging and almost impossible to put down. It does not focus on any one aspect of the movie that helped to change our culture, but touches all of the bases, one after another, from the development of the story by Nicholas Ray, the iconoclastic director, through creation of the script, casting (James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo), technical development, filming, looping, editing, critical review, and lasting impact.
One of the aspects of the film that I did not know or understand at all was the shift in sexual orientation brought about because Ray and Dean were bi-sexual and Mineo was homosexual. While this might be downplayed, the authors demonstrate the effect that the film had on the gay rights movement.
The authors also demonstrate the effect the film had on our entire culture--and still has to this day, marking it as one of the most important movies in film history. Even the title, "Live Fast, Die Young" carries deep implications pulled from the lives of the three overpowering stars. Dean died weeks before the film was released, just after finishing shooting Giant in an accident with his Porsche Spyder, Mineo was murdered several years later, and Wood died mysteriously at the age of 43 when she drowned near Catalina Island on a drunken Thanksgiving weekend with her husband, Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken.
This is a book that tells a complete story and it is fascinating reading. I highly recommend it for both teens and adults.
One of the aspects of the film that I did not know or understand at all was the shift in sexual orientation brought about because Ray and Dean were bi-sexual and Mineo was homosexual. While this might be downplayed, the authors demonstrate the effect that the film had on the gay rights movement.
The authors also demonstrate the effect the film had on our entire culture--and still has to this day, marking it as one of the most important movies in film history. Even the title, "Live Fast, Die Young" carries deep implications pulled from the lives of the three overpowering stars. Dean died weeks before the film was released, just after finishing shooting Giant in an accident with his Porsche Spyder, Mineo was murdered several years later, and Wood died mysteriously at the age of 43 when she drowned near Catalina Island on a drunken Thanksgiving weekend with her husband, Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken.
This is a book that tells a complete story and it is fascinating reading. I highly recommend it for both teens and adults.
June 9, 2008
Really interesting to read the history of this film: the before/during and after of the impacts it had socially. But I could have lived forever without knowing that James Dean was gay or bi or whatever. I think that makes every gorgeous man. Ever. Couldn't I have James Dean? Even in my dreams? Damn.
August 15, 2007
The behind the scenes stories about the characters and the movie that defined a generation and those to come. I heart James Dean and really enjoyed reading it and then watching the movie again to look for the things that were mentioned in the book.
May 21, 2008
The only thing more dysfunctional than the families portrayed in "Rebel Without A Cause" is the group of folks who made the classic film. A juicy behind-the-scenes look at the personality clashes, histrionics and occasional brilliance that went into making an iconic film.
June 25, 2008
I like books like this, that take apart an iconic movie or record album piece by piece and let you see how it came to be, and why it turned out the way it did. In this case, the classic James Dean film is given the full treatment and it is a revelation of 1950s Hollywood.
March 7, 2008
You don't have to be obsessed with James Dean to like this book, but it probably helps. I wouldn't know. I loved it.
November 14, 2008
Really interesting book about the making of Rebel Without a Cause - makes me want to rent it now that I better understand its cultural significance
August 2, 2009
My daughter gave me this book and I liked it very much. Fun to read about the beginnings of some of the actors I grew up watching besides learning more about James Dean.
July 25, 2010
Very detailed and well researched, but at times lurid and tabloid-y, but I guess that is the nature of the beast. It espouses the cult of Nicholas Ray more so than the cult of Dean.
April 7, 2011
A good mix of film history and Hollywood gossip.
March 26, 2011
Great story and quickly paced. Read this in less than a weeks time. Plenty of twists and turns that is typical in a Dan Brown thriller. I would definitely suggest this to everyone.
January 9, 2014
Well researched, fascinating book. The writing was pretty basic but the facts are riveting.
March 23, 2017
too much drama
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews