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Jimmy's bio in his own words
BIRTH NAME:
BIRTHDAY:
BIRTHPLACE:
PARENTS:
1930's
At the age of 4, James moved with the family to Santa Monica, CA, where he started elementary school. There, he took violin and tap lessons. When Jimmy was 9, his mother was diagnosed with uteruan cancer.
Early 1940's
On July 14, 1940, Mildred Dean died at home, with Winton and James at her side. Young James was sent back to Fairmount, Indiana to live with his aunt and unlce, Marcus and Ortense Winslow, where he enrolled in the fifth grade.
At age 12, Ortense encouraged Jimmy to do a performace reading of "Bars" for the Women's Temperance Union, where he won a prize. When the performance for the Pearl Medal conflicted with a track meet and the contest committee took away Jimmy's chair prop, Jimmy stood on stage in silence, refusing to perform his piece. Already, Jimmy is a rebel.
For his thirteenth birthday, Uncle Marcus bought Jimmy his first motorcycle, a Czech. Jimmy drove his "sickle" recklessly, but never got injured.
In 1946, Jimmy entered high school, where he performed in many school plays and musicals. At the beginning of his senior year, he broke the Grant County pole vaulting record. During that same time, Jimmy met Dr. James DeWeerd, pastor of the Wesleyan Church, who introduced Jimmy to culture, allowing him to read books and listen to music. He is credited as introducing Dean to bullfighting.
1949
On his eighteenth birthday, Jimmy registered for the draft. Some say he wasn't drafted due to poor eyesight; some claim that Jimmy stated he was a conciencious objector due to his religion (Quaker).
On April 9, Jimmy wins state level competition, National Forensic League, performing "The Madman" from Dickens' "Pickwick Papers."
On April 22, Jimmy attends his class prom, held in the school gymnasium, reportedly alone.
On April 29 - 30, Jimmy was in Colorado attending the National Forensic League Finals performing "The Madman." Places in sixth place. His performance ran too long, in violation of the rules of the competition.
Jimmy graduated from Fairmount High School on May 19, 1949. He read the benediction during the graduation ceremonies, and graduated in a class of 49 students.
In June of 1949, Jimmy moved in with his father and stepmother, Ethel, in Santa Monica, CA. There, he joined the Miller Playhouse Theatre Guild as a headStage Manager and had a bit role in the musical The Romance of Scarlet Gulch, using the stage name Byron James. In the fall, he began clases at Santa Monica City College, majoring in physical education on the advice of his father, but also taking theatre courses.
1950
Early in 1950, Jimmy became an announcer at the Santa Monica City College's FM radio station.
That summer, in order to make money so that he could attend UCLA in the Fall (against his father's wishes), Jimmy worked as a movie house usher and as an athletic instructer at a boys summer camp in Glendora, CA. In the fall, Jimmy Moved out of the Dean home and transfered to UCLA, majoring in theatre arts and pre-law.
Upon enrolling at UCLA, Jimmy pledged to the Epsilon Pi chapter of Sigma Nu fraternity. His anti-social behavior and interest in theatre earned the scorn of his brothers, who gave him a "special" initiation rite.
In the fall of 1950, Jimmy appeared in a school production of Macbeth as King Malcolm, but with bad reviews.
In December, friend Jim Bellah, son of novelist James Warner Bellah, refered Jimmy to agent Isabelle Draesmer, who, as a favor to Bellah, signed Jimmy and becomes his first agent.
On Dec. 13, Draesmer gets Jimmy his first professional acting gig - a Pepsi commercial, handing out Pepsi's in Griffith Park (where he later worked for Rebel planetarium scenes). He is paid $30 for his work.
1951
In early 1951, a fight with one of his frat brothers resulted in Jimmy's expulsion from the frat. He left owing them $45 in unpaid housing bills. Shortly after being thrown out of the frat house, Dean reunited with Bill Bast after saying to Bill they would make a great team. They searched for an apartment together and moved into a small penthouse.
In January, Jimmy dropped out of college to persue his acting career full-time.
In March, Jimmy studied the Stanislavski Method with James Whitmore, a member of New York's Actors Studio, who influenced Dean's decision to study and work in NY.
On April 1, Jerry Fairbanks, producer of the Pepsi commercial, liked Jimmy's performance and hired him for Jimmy's first television episode - "Hill Number One" for Father Peyton's TV Theatre as John the Apostle, earning $150. "Hill Number One" lead to his fist fan club, The Immaculate Heart James Dean Appreciation Society.
In the spring, Jimmy worked with Bill at CBS (then a radio production studio) as a part-time usher but was soon fired because he refused to conform to the dress code or take orders. He got a new job as a car parker on the CBS lot. Again, Jimmy's rebel face shows itself.
That same spring, Jimmy moved out of the apartment he shared with Bill after revealing that he was having an affair with Bill's girlfriend, Beverly Wills, daughter of commediane Joan Davis. He took Beverly to her high school prom.
James Byron Dean (after his father's boss & best friend)
February 8, 1931
Marion, Indiana (weighing in at 8lbs, 10oz)
Winton and Mildred Dean (Wilson). Winton worked for the government as a dental technician
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