James Dean was one of those rare stars whose persona became more famous than any of his films. In fact, he would only see one more release of these films. It seemed as if James Dean’s fame was just beginning to rise when he himself was already dead. He died under mysterious circumstances at just 24 years old, cementing his status as a pop culture icon.
James Byron Dean was born on February 8, 1931 in Indiana, where he lived for several years before his father’s work moved the small family to California. His mother died when he was nine years old. Dean always exuded artistry and talent. His parents as well as his teachers and classmates observed a gifted boy who sometimes walked through the world in a somewhat dreamy manner. He played the violin, tap danced and pursued sculpture. He also told his principal early on about what would ultimately cost him his life: speed.
““My hobby, or what I do in my free time, is motorcycling. I know a lot about mechanics and I love driving. I did a few races and did well.”“
Off to New York
Dean enrolled in junior college at the University of California in 1949 and, on the advice of his acting teacher, soon went to New York to seek his fortune. The metropolis on the east coast increasingly flourished after the privations of the Second World War. People longed for entertainment, for escapism and for idols in the nation that had now finally become a world power.
After a few years in supporting roles and commercials, James Dean moved to the famous actor director Lee Strasberg in 1951. In the following years he developed his characteristic and then unconventional acting technique. He stood out, encouraged the usual industry gossip, and landed roles in several television shows and Broadway plays. Everyone wanted to see him, the boy from Indiana.
The breakthrough
His big break finally came in 1955 in East of Eden, the adaptation of John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel. Dean’s largely improvised performance and his portrayal of the restless American youth of the 1950s were widely praised, and his path to stardom seemed set. Although he worked steadily in acting jobs throughout his twenties, James Dean never gave up his other lifelong passion: auto racing.
The same year East of Eden premiered, Dean competed in both the Palms Springs Road Races and the Santa Barbara Road Races. He bought a brand new Porsche Spyder, which he nicknamed “Little Bastard.” Soon after, he wanted to drive it in the Salinas road race in California. Dean had initially thought about having the Porsche brought to Salinas on a trailer. At the last second, however, he decided to drive it himself. The car had not yet had enough driving hours, which in the eyes of the engineers from James Dean’s team could be a significant disadvantage. The trip to Salinas was also intended to introduce the driver and car to each other.
The accident on the highway
On September 30, 1955, the Hollywood star in “Little Bastard” set off for Salinas, accompanied by his mechanic Rolf Wütherich. Dean was pulled over for speeding around 3:30 p.m., ate at a diner around 4:45 p.m., then got back on the road. At approximately 5:45 p.m., Dean noticed a Ford heading toward his car and preparing to turn left at the intersection ahead. After Dean supposedly calmed down Wütherich – “The guy has to stop, he can still see us” – the two cars collided head-on.
Wütherich was catapulted from the car and suffered several broken bones. The Ford was sent into a skid before finally coming to a stop. The driver, 23-year-old Donald Turnupseed, escaped with only minor injuries. The Porsche spun in the air on impact before falling back to the ground with a terrible crunch and rolling to the side of the road. James Dean was inside the car the whole time.
Witnesses rushed to free him from the crushed metal carcass. They were horrified when they saw him. How torn up he was from the accident pushed the first responders to the limit. The actor’s death was officially confirmed upon arrival at the hospital. The injuries on the death certificate attested to a broken neck, numerous jaw fractures, fractures in both arms and several internal injuries. To this day, the exact details of how the accident occurred have not been clarified, which has led to numerous speculations and theories. Turnupseed was never charged and eyewitnesses claim that Dean was not speeding despite his previous ticket.
The Curse of “Little Bastard”
The death of James Dean manifested the legend surrounding him for decades to come. Another legend quickly arose around the event, involving his beloved Porsche. Fans soon pointed out that Dean had previously filmed a safe driving information film in which he warned viewers: “drive carefully, the life you could save could be mine”. This coincidence alone was eerie enough, but soon strange incidents began to be reported about Little Bastard.
Although the car itself was completely dismantled, some of its parts were salvaged and sold individually. Strange things subsequently happened to the people who bought them. The engine was sold to a doctor who died in an accident while using it for the first time. Another driver was injured when two tires he had purchased from the car burst at the same time. The driver of the truck that was transporting the body after the accident ran off the road and was killed.
Another first-hand case comes from Sir Alec Guinness, who told the strange story of his first and only encounter with James Dean in an interview in 1977. The British actor met the American rebel one evening in Hollywood. Dean proudly showed Guinness his newly purchased Porsche, which was absolutely state-of-the-art for the time. He explained that the car could travel up to 150 mph, although he admitted that he had not yet had the opportunity to test the speed limits of his new toy. Guinness remembered how it was back then “a strange thing came over me. I said, ‘Please don’t get in this car because if you do, you’ll be dead in a week.'”
Back to Indiana
James Dean’s funeral was held on October 8, 1955 at the Fairmount Friends Church in Fairmount, Indiana. The coffin remained closed to hide the severe injuries to his upper body and face. An estimated 600 mourners were in attendance, while another 2,400 fans gathered outside the church during the procession. Dean’s body is buried in Park Cemetery in Fairmount, less than a mile from where he grew up on his aunt and uncle’s farm.
Although he was not charged with any crime, Donald Turnupseed was exposed to the consequences of the accident throughout his life. Immediately after September 30, 1955, he granted an interview to the Tulare Advance-Register newspaper, but thereafter refused to speak publicly about the fateful day. James Dean’s fans repeatedly attacked him and accused him of being responsible for the death of their idol. Turnupseed retired, went into business for himself and ran a very successful electrical business in Tulare. He died of lung cancer in 1995 at the age of 63.
After several complicated operations on his hip and femur, Wütherich returned to West Germany in 1957 with psychological and legal problems. In the 1960s he worked for the Porsche testing department and for international rally and racing teams. In July 1981 he died in another car accident in Kupferzell when he lost control of his car and crashed into a residential building. Like Dean, Wütherich also had to be rescued from the wreck and died at the scene of the accident. He was 53 years old.