This article is from page 60 of the 2005-10-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 60 JPG
FRIDAY marked the 50th anniversary of James Dean’s death — the screen idol was killed in a car crash on that date in 1955.
Although he appeared in just three films Dean re- mains one of the most fa- mous actors in Hollywood history personifying the rebellious nature of young people in the 1950s.
The stretch of motorway on which he died is to be renamed “The James Dean Memorial Junction’ and a plaque will be unveiled at the exact spot where he died.
California State Highway 46 streaks eastward from the city of Paso Robles, near the northern edge of San
Luis Obispo County, and cuts across the gentle roll- ing hills. It’s a desolate and windblown vista.
Almost twenty-five miles from Paso Robles, and less than a mile east of Cholame, the highway cuts through a gap in the Temblor Moun- tains.
Here the highway splits: 46 continues eastward to Bakersfield, and its branch, Highway 41, turns northeast toward Fresno.
James Dean met his gris- ly end at this junction near Cholame.
Dean had just wrapped up shooting on the Warner Bros. film “Giant” and was set to compete in an automo- bile race held at the Salinas Airport.
Racing down the Grape-
vine grade on Route 99 north of Los Angeles, Dean was even stopped by a Cali- fornia Highway patrolman and given a citation.
Approaching the famous intersection from the op- posite direction was a large black-and-white 1950 Ford Custom Tudor coupé.
Dean’s Porsche accelerated to a reported estimate of 85 mph and as the two cars con- verged on the junction, the Ford veered over the centre line. The Ford and Dean’s Porsche hit almost head-on. The impact of the crash was terrific. Dean’s car ended up in a ditch by the roadside and “looking like a crum- pled pack of cigarettes.”
Dean was dead on arrival at Paso Robles War Memo- rial Hospital.