East of Eden (1955)
Theatrical Release Information | See Details About All Versions
This truncated screen version of John Steinbeck's best-seller was the first starring vehicle for explosive 1950s screen personality James Dean, who plays Cal Trask, the "bad" son of taciturn Salinas valley lettuce farmer Adam Trask (Raymond Massey). Although he means well, Cal can't stay out of trouble, nor is he able to match the esteem in which his father holds his "good" brother Aron (Richard Davalos). Only Aron's girlfriend Abra (Julie Harris) and kindly old sheriff Sam Burl Ives) can see the essential goodness in the troublesome Cal.
When Adam invests in a chancy and wholly unsuccessful method of shipping his crops east, his wealth plummets. In an effort to save the business, Cal obtains money from his estranged mother (the proprietor of a whorehouse) and invests it in a risky new bean crop. The gamble pays off (thanks in no small part to the war), but Adam refuses to take the money from Cal, and the resultant quarrel causes Adam to have a stroke. Released the same year as Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden provided Dean with his first Oscar nomination, for Best Actor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 118 mins
Complete Cast:
- Julie Harris - Abra
- Raymond Massey - Adam Trask
- Dick Davalos - Aron Trask
- Albert Dekker - Will Hamilton
- Harold Gordon - Mr. Albrecht
- Mario Siletti - Piscora
- Nick Dennis - Rantani
- Barbara Baxley - Nurse
- James Dean - Cal Trask
- Burl Ives - Sam, the Sheriff
- Jo Van Fleet - Kate
- Lois Smith - Ann
- Timothy Carey - Joe
- Lonny Chapman - Roy
- Jonathan Haze - Piscora's Son
- Frank Mazzola - Student
- Director(s):
- Elia Kazan
- Writer(s):
- Paul Osborn
- Producer(s):
- Elia Kazan
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- Subtitles:
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- 1955 - East of Eden - Cannes Film Festival - International Prize For Best Dramatic Film
- 1955 - East of Eden - Golden Globe - Best Picture - Drama
- 1955 - East of Eden - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Special Achievement
- 1955 - East of Eden - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Picture - Drama
