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Heyne Filmbibliothek
James Dean: The Mutant King: A Biography
This is the book that restarted the James Dean cult by celebrating him as the cool, defiant visionary of pop culture who made adolescence seem heroic instead of awkward and who defined the style of rock ’n’ roll’s politics of delinquency. The only book to fully show how deliberately and carefully Dean crafted his own image and performances, and the product of still unequalled research, vivid writing, intimate photographs, and profound meditation, James Dean: The Mutant King has become almost as legendary as its subject.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
April 15, 2013
I loved this book. I have been a huge James Dean fan since I stumbled upon "Rebel Without a Cause" playing on the television one day after school must have been about a whole 12 years of age.
I thought : what an intriguing actor. I had never seen anyone quite like him.
My Mother gave me the book, it must have been just released? (1974 ? I think.)
My Mother had the author sign it for me. He wrote on the first empty page: "From one earthling to another".
I adored that book, then one of the hardest lessons I had to learn at a young age was when I loaned it to a friend of mine... when I asked her for it back she said without a care "I don't know where it is, I cannot find it". I persisted asking her again and again for about a year, if she has found it. I was always given the same answer, no I haven't found it. I don't think she was a mean person she was quite a few years older than me so I expected her to be a little bit more mature about the matter of borrowing books and not returning them. During the next 10 years or so I had loaned out other books to friends of mine without ever having them returned. So, now, to this day I have never loaned another book to anyone, unless I didn't expect to have it returned in other words it would be a gift.
The fact that I love this book so much from cover to cover. That it had been signed by the author meant the world to me. I can still remember it was a wonderfully written book with wonderful photographs it was a book that I adored with all my heart. If any of you should come across the book with a writing on the front page that says: from one earthling to another. Please please please get ahold of me I would deeply appreciate it. With my overall review it was a great fantastic book .
I thought : what an intriguing actor. I had never seen anyone quite like him.
My Mother gave me the book, it must have been just released? (1974 ? I think.)
My Mother had the author sign it for me. He wrote on the first empty page: "From one earthling to another".
I adored that book, then one of the hardest lessons I had to learn at a young age was when I loaned it to a friend of mine... when I asked her for it back she said without a care "I don't know where it is, I cannot find it". I persisted asking her again and again for about a year, if she has found it. I was always given the same answer, no I haven't found it. I don't think she was a mean person she was quite a few years older than me so I expected her to be a little bit more mature about the matter of borrowing books and not returning them. During the next 10 years or so I had loaned out other books to friends of mine without ever having them returned. So, now, to this day I have never loaned another book to anyone, unless I didn't expect to have it returned in other words it would be a gift.
The fact that I love this book so much from cover to cover. That it had been signed by the author meant the world to me. I can still remember it was a wonderfully written book with wonderful photographs it was a book that I adored with all my heart. If any of you should come across the book with a writing on the front page that says: from one earthling to another. Please please please get ahold of me I would deeply appreciate it. With my overall review it was a great fantastic book .
April 1, 2012
Been wanting to read this for a long time, esp. since I am planning a trip over to Fairmount to visit Dean's grave this summer. It's only fifteen minutes from where I live.
I've taught REBEL and admired EDEN and GIANT for years, and now I do feel I understand Dean and the films much better. Despite the author's dated '70's lingo, etc., the book is authoritative and nearly exhaustive. Especially fascinating are the interviews in the latter part of the book with Dennis Hopper, and also George Stevens (director of GIANT), who admits he didn't understand Dean's genius and used him badly in the film.
Anyway, James Dean was and is many things that interest me, an essential part of American mythology and a native Hoosier being two of them. Totally worth reading.
I've taught REBEL and admired EDEN and GIANT for years, and now I do feel I understand Dean and the films much better. Despite the author's dated '70's lingo, etc., the book is authoritative and nearly exhaustive. Especially fascinating are the interviews in the latter part of the book with Dennis Hopper, and also George Stevens (director of GIANT), who admits he didn't understand Dean's genius and used him badly in the film.
Anyway, James Dean was and is many things that interest me, an essential part of American mythology and a native Hoosier being two of them. Totally worth reading.
August 6, 2008
while walking the hallways of my junior high school, i found this book (with no covers), pages yellowed on the ground. i picked it up and read. probably more than i can count throughout my life. this book probably did more for my angst-ridden teen butt than any other book during that time. and i became a film history buff and studied the art of acting (book only) because of it.
April 7, 2014
Fabulous. Beautifully written. Gets you a little under the skin of this enigmatic force who flared out way too early. The chapter on rebel without a cause is gold taking you on a deep dive of the writers intent and how jimmy dean went way beyond that imagination in his stark portrayal of troubled youth. One that became a battle cry for change in the hearts and minds of kids around the world. There is a killer bit in here where jimmy gets pissed for being left to sit on set all day and his retort to the producers bringing in the idea of releasing 'emotional memories'. Pure craft.
November 13, 2007
I'm a ridiculously obsessed James Dean fan and I've read a lot of stuff about his life, but this is quite simply the very best biography that has ever been written about him. I repeat: the very best. If you're just getting interested in James Dean and you want a respected, reliable, beautifully-written account of his life, this should be your first read.
January 27, 2015
James Dean was a legend, going through life how he chose. This was such a fun read. I actually was sitting in the farmers market at the grove in LA and they started speaking about how he used to go there! Was so cool
March 17, 2021
I found inspiration in this from how he overcame much tragedy. This brings forth a wonderful exploration of this legends all too short life.
June 8, 2014
I became interested in the life of James Dean because of the many "nods" to him in popular music. I ran across this paperback (actually a 1974 Dell paperback edition) and decided to read about the person, James Dean. This account is very in depth, poetic and personal. It provides a LOT of detail about his life and about filming and production of the three movies in which he played. (I got a little bogged down in the production details of the movies and laid it aside for a while.) It also gives some different theories about the cult following that developed after his early death on September 30, 1955. I grew up familiar with the name and image of James Dean, so it is interesting now to be more acquainted with the person that he was and to learn where he came from and how he accomplished what he did in a short lifetime. To quote Mr. Dalton in the final pages of "James Dean, the Mutant King", "The Depression and two World Wars had bred an oppressive anxiety for security. The country was driven to reach its industrial apex and the Fat Dream had come true. At precisely this point, James Dean appeared as Cal Trask as Jim Stark as Jett Rink, the inevitable Cain in America's Garden of Eden--the destroyer of illusion, the destructive adolescent, the violent agent of change and herald of a new era." Describing the adolescents of the day as "invisible" Dalton goes on to say, "The idols of their parents were lifeless symbols of the status quo. James Dean gave adolescents a face, his face, and with this communal image they could define and defend themselves." He gave his generation an identity that they desperately needed and so.....Dean became an American legend. Quite an interesting phenomena, to say the least. I think he would be pleased to know that he made such an indelible mark.
February 28, 2021
This was so special. One of those books that you want to keep reading and devouring but also at the same time something you want to stretch out and savour for as long as possible. It may sound strange but I feel like James Dean became my friend whilst reading this, the book is so beautifully written and put together than you truly just get wrapped up in everything James Dean. I’ve had a kind of fascination with him for a long time, I remember my grandma had a picture of the iconic Boulevard Of Broken Dreams shot of him and I used to to just sit there and stare at it as a young child. As I got older and started to love movies I of course devoured his 3 films over and over, Rebel being my favourite, and then with even more maturity and life experience and learning more about him I really connected to all things James Dean.
As a fan of James, I have to say that having a book as good as this is a real treat. It’s been written with such care, such a passionate approach to a figure that deserves nothing less. I can’t say anything bad about it, I think that this is the ultimate book on James, after reading this all other book become redundant.
If only all film star biographies were as good as this is. 11/10.
As a fan of James, I have to say that having a book as good as this is a real treat. It’s been written with such care, such a passionate approach to a figure that deserves nothing less. I can’t say anything bad about it, I think that this is the ultimate book on James, after reading this all other book become redundant.
If only all film star biographies were as good as this is. 11/10.
October 28, 2007
I hear this book is full of suspect facts, but I really enjoyed it despite (or maybe because of) that.
January 25, 2025
I bought this book at a very small antique store during a road trip down to Oregon last summer. It was a great day of long, empty roads with the windows rolled down and old 50s rock & roll playing loud, it was perfect. I have always known of James Dean as the cool & classic American icon, and for some reason I never looked into him, he was always just someone I knew about. After years of watching dozens & dozens of classic Hollywood films with legends like Bogart, Mitchum, and Brando, I knew it was time to check out Dean's work. I never knew Dean was playing such emotionally charged roles, I had no idea I'd understand him and his movies the way I do now. James Dean was essentially the first counter culture icon, he was expressing emotions adolescents & young adults were not supposed to express at that time, he dressed and styled his hair in ways that were rebellious, people thought he was a bum, yet his style is normal to everyone now. He spoke to every post depression & WW2 child, they identified with Dean to a near religious level, James Dean was a god to these kids, and in a way he still is for many people. The timeless and universal emotions of teenagers feeling they don't belong in the world, being rejected by every adult around them because they're just dumb kids who don't understand, not finding comfort in the same order and traditions your parents were raised with, trying to make a life with your passions rather than being stuck in a suit and tie, all of this was expressed by James Dean. This was a very big deal to teenagers all over the entire world, from Europe to the Middle East & Indonesia, Dean's acting helped millions of adolescents understand themselves just a little more, and this stays with people for their entire lives, he was their hero.
James Dean only lived long enough to see one of his films released, his sudden death after speaking to so many young people nearly caused hysteria among many groups. They say you couldn't drive past a single high school in America and not see teenagers wearing that red jacket and some blue jeans. He appeared and then disappeared out of nowhere. James Dean is one of, if not the, the greatest "what if" in cinema & pop culture history. It makes me feel really great to have read this, he is such a timeless and important figure it really can not be underestimated.
"East of Eden", "Rebel Without A Cause", and "Giant", are all really great films, but beyond that, they are monolith for youth and American culture, they speak loudly to this day.
Here is a timeless quote from Rebel that every teenager has felt. Does this feeling ever go away?
"If I had one day when I didn't have to be all confused and I didn't have to feel that I was ashamed of everything. If I felt that I belonged someplace. You know?"
James Dean only lived long enough to see one of his films released, his sudden death after speaking to so many young people nearly caused hysteria among many groups. They say you couldn't drive past a single high school in America and not see teenagers wearing that red jacket and some blue jeans. He appeared and then disappeared out of nowhere. James Dean is one of, if not the, the greatest "what if" in cinema & pop culture history. It makes me feel really great to have read this, he is such a timeless and important figure it really can not be underestimated.
"East of Eden", "Rebel Without A Cause", and "Giant", are all really great films, but beyond that, they are monolith for youth and American culture, they speak loudly to this day.
Here is a timeless quote from Rebel that every teenager has felt. Does this feeling ever go away?
"If I had one day when I didn't have to be all confused and I didn't have to feel that I was ashamed of everything. If I felt that I belonged someplace. You know?"
August 27, 2016
I've never bought into the whole James Dean myth. Truth be told, he left me cold. I hadn't seen any of his films until a few years ago, and I although I could look at him and see that he was handsome, it wasn't my kind of handsome. It's not because he was before my time. So were Elvis and Marilyn, and I've always liked them. It's not because he wasn't a household name when I grew up, neither was Montgomery Clift, and I adore him. No, it's just something about James Dean that just doesn't do it for me.
So why did I choose to read a book about him? Well, aside from the fact that I'll read just about anything, and I'm always trying to expand my horizons, I figured maybe I just needed to get to know this great American icon a little better to appreciate him. This book does allow one to get to know Jimmy Dean, the legend, and the troubled young man behind it. But why was he so troubled? True, he was basically an orphan at a young age, but he did have kind and loving people to raise him. You see that maybe James Dean was a bit of an arsehole. That's okay, lots of famous people are. That isn't something to make me think anything more or less of him.
Without getting too much more into a critique of James Dean the actor, the man, or the myth, I'd like to focus on the book. It's very well written, for even a Dean ignoramus such as myself, it's very clear and has very clear explanations. Not just about Dean and his background, but about the times he lived in, the American psyche at the time, and 1950's attitudes and ideals. It goes on to explain how the James Dean myth began, and why... Although perhaps no one can really explain how our heroes are chosen.
Did this book make me understand the James Dean myth and why he has such an important place in American culture? It most certainly did. But, did it make me buy into the myth myself? No, it did not. But at least I can know I tried.
So why did I choose to read a book about him? Well, aside from the fact that I'll read just about anything, and I'm always trying to expand my horizons, I figured maybe I just needed to get to know this great American icon a little better to appreciate him. This book does allow one to get to know Jimmy Dean, the legend, and the troubled young man behind it. But why was he so troubled? True, he was basically an orphan at a young age, but he did have kind and loving people to raise him. You see that maybe James Dean was a bit of an arsehole. That's okay, lots of famous people are. That isn't something to make me think anything more or less of him.
Without getting too much more into a critique of James Dean the actor, the man, or the myth, I'd like to focus on the book. It's very well written, for even a Dean ignoramus such as myself, it's very clear and has very clear explanations. Not just about Dean and his background, but about the times he lived in, the American psyche at the time, and 1950's attitudes and ideals. It goes on to explain how the James Dean myth began, and why... Although perhaps no one can really explain how our heroes are chosen.
Did this book make me understand the James Dean myth and why he has such an important place in American culture? It most certainly did. But, did it make me buy into the myth myself? No, it did not. But at least I can know I tried.
November 30, 2021
It gives a lot of information. Dalton makes a clear time-line of when things happend in Jimmy's life and how it affected him and his work. It does leave things out and tells things different from the truth. I would advise all fans not to just read this book but also watch interviews of people who actually knew him. They provide a more clearer sense of what he was like.
November 27, 2024
If you are a huge James Dean fan like me then you will love this book. The author really dives into the psyche and asking important questions while honoring our beloved James Dean. Another great biography to add to my collection. It is passionately written and as with all Dean bios you get new bits of information here and there. Loved every bit of it. If you’re a Deaner like me, get a copy! ❤️
November 6, 2008
good stuff, james dean was such a homo!!
May 6, 2013
I just love you so much <3
February 10, 2014
Second copy of this book that I own!
October 12, 2019
as much as i LOVE james dean, i couldn't get myself to love this book-still appreciate it though.
December 5, 2020
Gone too soon.
September 26, 2023
Very researched bio on film star James Dean the author has really done his work in my opinion this is the best bio ever done on James Dean
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2018
Four and a half stars for the authors' down-to-earth factual research into the life and enigma of James Dean. The author did tireless research, interviews with family and friends, visited James Dean's hometown and other landmarks of this amazing personality's life journey from farm boy to film star and leader of a new generation of adolescence.
Four stars for detailing the movie themes, plots, back stories, production details, and how the evolution of James Dean's life and personal identity meshed with the three movies he starred in: "East of Eden," "Rebel Without a Cause," and "Giant." At age twenty-four, Dean was dead before the last two movies were released.
Three stars for the esoteric and somewhat off-the-wall followup explaining James Dean's fame and cults that he inspired after death.
The title subtitle "Mutant King" was somewhat offputting at first. The word 'mutant' connotes freakishness; I would have preferred "Hybrid" for a personality that was somewhat this and somewhat that. The polar opposites of his environments from farm boy in an Indiana Quaker town to New York and Hollywood required an effort for Dean to assimilate and assemble his own personality. Much of his identity seemed to be based on trying on roles as a 'Method' actor.
But "Mutant" eventually becomes more fitting when the author explains that during evolution, a species must change and adapt in order to survive. Dalton writes that the pain of Dean's mutation was intensely expressed in the movie "Rebel without a Cause." It was the "pain of the new being who is neither one thing nor the other, yet stretches itself recklessly over the space in between."
I applaud the many wonderful photographs throughout the book and the helpful index.
Four stars for detailing the movie themes, plots, back stories, production details, and how the evolution of James Dean's life and personal identity meshed with the three movies he starred in: "East of Eden," "Rebel Without a Cause," and "Giant." At age twenty-four, Dean was dead before the last two movies were released.
Three stars for the esoteric and somewhat off-the-wall followup explaining James Dean's fame and cults that he inspired after death.
The title subtitle "Mutant King" was somewhat offputting at first. The word 'mutant' connotes freakishness; I would have preferred "Hybrid" for a personality that was somewhat this and somewhat that. The polar opposites of his environments from farm boy in an Indiana Quaker town to New York and Hollywood required an effort for Dean to assimilate and assemble his own personality. Much of his identity seemed to be based on trying on roles as a 'Method' actor.
But "Mutant" eventually becomes more fitting when the author explains that during evolution, a species must change and adapt in order to survive. Dalton writes that the pain of Dean's mutation was intensely expressed in the movie "Rebel without a Cause." It was the "pain of the new being who is neither one thing nor the other, yet stretches itself recklessly over the space in between."
I applaud the many wonderful photographs throughout the book and the helpful index.
May 27, 2020
In-depth analysis of Dean's life, both his virtues and flaws. Really portrays him as an ordinary guy, who was more interested in acting as a craft than being in any way famous. I didn't know if I'd enjoy it at the beginning as the author was using lines from biopics that actors portraying Dean said and it left me a bit confused as to whether this guy was analysing Jimmy the person or Jimmy as portrayed by actors in biopics. However, Dalton quickly abandoned this...thankfully.
Overall, a very satisfying and insightful biography of Dean, that touches all the important points in his life without being over-indulgent.
Overall, a very satisfying and insightful biography of Dean, that touches all the important points in his life without being over-indulgent.
June 1, 2021
Pompous literary connections for connections sake , coupled with insignificant isosteric, mysticism in the extreme.
For a man with the intellect and research skills Dalton obviously has, in the end he presents a vision of Dean that iss nothing more than pretentious fanboy twaddle.
If you want a book that lauds and elevates Dean into the myth of a God or tries to psychoanalysis Dean to the point of farcical, then this is the book for you.
For a man with the intellect and research skills Dalton obviously has, in the end he presents a vision of Dean that iss nothing more than pretentious fanboy twaddle.
If you want a book that lauds and elevates Dean into the myth of a God or tries to psychoanalysis Dean to the point of farcical, then this is the book for you.
June 18, 2022
I wanted to read this book simply because I knew nothing about James Dean except he was an actor and passed away. This book gave a lot of insight to the person he was and where he came from. After finishing this book, I would have to say reading about how the family was bothered for years after his passing was the most hurtful part. When celebrities pass away we become selfish and don’t think about the families of these people and make mourning even harder for them. This book is a must read.
November 21, 2022
I am from his hometown in Indiana and the Dad of my two neighbor buddies grew up with Dean, they were first cousins. I'm from the county seat, where Dean was born. Born in 1955.
Must say I confused him with sausage king Jimmy Dean til I read this book while a student at Purdue.
The village bookstore sold cigs for 37 cents a pack in the early 1970s.
I think he was a good actor, but how great can someone be at age 24?
Great visits now in Fairmount. Not much pertaining back then.
Must say I confused him with sausage king Jimmy Dean til I read this book while a student at Purdue.
The village bookstore sold cigs for 37 cents a pack in the early 1970s.
I think he was a good actor, but how great can someone be at age 24?
Great visits now in Fairmount. Not much pertaining back then.
May 26, 2025
did not finish (about 80% through)-- felt at times like an opportunity for the author to talk about james dean almost as a god. I feel like focus was unevenly distributed and there was a fair bit of rambling. if you really like james dean you might like it, but as someone who had never actively looked into his life it was a bit too detailed, sometimes unnecessarily so, and too praise-heavy to fully feel like an objective book.
January 9, 2022
An excellent review of his life and legacy written close to the time of death.
October 8, 2025
te amo james dean. una de las mejores biografías que he leído en mi vida. vale 100% la pena.
May 8, 2016
One of my hobbies is to find inexpensive old classics in Goodwill stores. Since I enjoy biographies, this one on James Dean intrigued me from the first glance. Since the actor, James Dean, is exactly my mother's age, I wanted to read more about the social nuances of her generation. David Dalton goes above and beyond chronicling the life of this meteoric actor, whose star exploded after he made the movie, "East of Eden." Mr. Dalton dissects the myths surrounding this iconic actor and holds a mirror up to society. He asks us the question, "Why do we need to deify the famous when they meet untimely deaths?" James Dean's short life on this planet came in the 1950's when America was undergoing much change. Because he died at age 24, James was only able to give us three movie classics: East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, and Giant. However, those classics define the times and categorize a shift in America: namely, a new social class called 'adolescence.' James Dean's life pushed open the doors and introduced America to the Youth Movement; and, all that came after in the 1960's Age of Aquarius.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews