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Indiana
Museums Remember 50th Anniversary of James Dean's Death September 2005 --
Although he met his untimely end 50 years ago as the evening sun
began to meld into the horizon on an isolated stretch of highway
near Cholame, California, the road goes on forever for the spirit
of James Dean, who lives on in the love displayed by his devoted
fans who feel a connection to the actor's restless heart. It is easy to feel
a sense of kinship with the cinematic icon upon walking into the
James Dean Gallery, a 7,400-square-foot venue in Gas City,
Indiana which houses the largest amassed collection of Dean memorabilia
the world has ever seen. An exhibit of his early days, which features
black and white snapshots of smiling relatives, a high school
annual displaying the beaming faces of youths standing on the
brink of adulthood and peering out from the yellowed pages, a
violin borrowed from a family friend, now silently resting in
its case but once painfully squeaking out the ill-formed notes
of a tune during young Jimmy's music lessons -- all are objects
which evoke familiar memories in the collective conscious of all
who tour the facility. Dean's meteoric rise to stardom is captured in three rooms, each dedicated to one of his cinematic achievements. The "East of Eden" room houses clothes Dean wore to incarnate the character of Cal Trask, while the actor's own artwork is prominently displayed on the walls. Original movie posters from around the globe vye for space beside the myriad of Dean collectibles in the "Rebel Without A Cause" room, while the "Giant" room displays props from the movie, including a fence from the Marfa set and a pair of faded Lee jeans, propped up as though waiting for the owner to slip back into the worn demin. Those who never knew
the thrill of seeing their idol on the big screen can watch movie
snippets and rare footage in a 35-seat screening room, and a well
stocked gift shop offers a wide array of Dean items so fans can
add to their personal collection. Fairmount, Gas City's
neighbor just a few miles down the road, is a mecca for Dean afficionados.
Seemingly unscathed by the passage of years, the area is a time
capsule filled with small town memories. Although both sites are
on private property, fans can drive past the Winslow farm where
Jimmy spent his formative years and the high school where his
love of theater developed before taking a tour of the Fairmount
Historical Museum, which is home to a variety of James Dean
memorabilia, all donated by members of the actor's family. The memory of Fairmount's favorite son is honored annually in September during Museum Days, four days of fun in which rockabilly romantics dance to '50s music and fans of all ages watch free screening of the three movies which cast the actor into legendary status while the world renowned James Dean Look-Alike contest is underway. Once the festivities have concluded, a band of die-hard followers convene at The Back Creek Friends Church, a small house of worship where family and friends had said their last good-byes to Jimmy one October day five decades before. Each September 30th, the church rings out once again with the reverential echo of hymns and the voices of those who played a role in the actor's life, regaling the crowd with tales of happy times with their friend. As the sun begins its descent in the sky, the congregation of fans begin the short walk to Park Cemetery, the quiet of the evening broken by the roar of a motorcycle which leads the way. As the clock strikes 5:45, the people whose lives have been touched by James Dean gather around his flower-bedecked gravesite, each holding a candle which battles the oncoming darkness while the thin trails of smoke create a winding road toward heaven. For
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