East of Eden [Blu-ray]

Director: Elia Kazan

Overview

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.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/11/2014
UPC:	0883929280377
Original Release:	1955
Rating:	PG
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:57:00
Sales rank:	1,877

Special Features

Commentary by Richard Schickel; Forever James Dean documentary; Featurette: East of Eden: Art in Search of Life; 1955 New York City premiere; Actors' screen tests; Wardrobe tests; Deleted scenes; Theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

James Dean	Cal Trask
Julie Harris	Abra
Jo Van Fleet	Kate
Raymond Massey	Adam Trask
Burl Ives	Sam
Albert Dekker	Will
Richard Davalos	Aron Trask
Harold Gordon	Mr. Albrecht
Timothy Carey	Joe
Mario Siletti	Piscora
Lonny Chapman	Roy
Nick Dennis	Rantani
Richard Garrick	Dr. Edwards
Lois Smith	Ann
Bette Treadville	Madam
Barbara Baxley	Nurse
Tex Mooney	Bartender
Loretta Rush	Card Dealer
Harry Cording	Bouncer
Bill Phillips	Coalman
Jonathan Haze	Piscora's Son
John George	Photographer
Earle Hodgins	Shooting Gallery Attendant
C. Ramsay Hill	English Officer
Edward McNally	Soldier
Jack Carr	Carnival Person
Roger Creed	Carnival Person
Effie Laird	Carnival Person
Wheaton Chambers	Carnival Person
Ed Clark	Carnival Person,Draft Board Member
Al Ferguson	Carnival Person
Franklyn Farnum	Carnival Person
Rose Plummer	Carnival Person
Abdullah Abbas	Townsman at Carnival
Rose Allen	Townswoman at Carnival
John Beradino	Coalman at Lettuce Field
Nora Bush	Townswoman at Carnival
George Church	Townsman at Carnival
Bryn Davis	Townswoman at Carnival
Ray Dawe	Workman
Anna Dewey	Townswoman at Carnival
Lester Dorr	City Official at Parade
Frank Mazzola	Student
Leonard Rosenman	Composer

Technical Credits

Paul Osborn

John Steinbeck

Paul Osborn	Screenwriter
Elia Kazan	Producer
Mushy Callahan	Stunts
Stanley Jones	Sound Effects
John Steinbeck	Screenwriter
Stan Jones	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

A grand, visually remarkable adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel, East of Eden was one of the films responsible for the cult that grew up around James Dean. Released in 1955, the same year as Dean's Rebel Without a Cause, Eden featured the actor in his sullen, troubled prime, rolling his eyes, mumbling his words, and stuffing his hands into his pockets as only he knew how. At once angry and vulnerable, Dean's performances in both movies established him as an icon of youthful discontent for decades to come. Aside from its place in the Dean iconography, East of Eden remains remarkable for Elia Kazan's use of CinemaScope, capturing with harsh vibrancy the expanse and breathtaking desolation of the California farmlands. The landscape crackles with a moody intensity that mirrors the conflicts among the film's central characters. In this respect, East of Eden earned its place in Hollywood legend: it featured great performances from its human principals, while the scenery gave a spellbinding performance in its own right.