"The James Dean Story" on Night Lights

[ghost of miles]

This week on Night Lights it's "The James Dean Story," in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the actor's death on September 30, 1955. In 1957 a young Robert Altman (future director of Nashville, MASH, and The Player) co-directed a documentary about Dean, with a soundtrack written by Leith Stevens (who also scored The Wild One, subject of a previous Night Lights program). The score was recorded by a group of West Coast jazz musicians led by trumpeter Chet Baker and alto saxophonist/flutist Bud Shank; we'll hear selections from it, as well as dialogue clips from Altman's film.

More information about the death of James Dean can be found at James Dean in death.

"The James Dean Story" airs on WFIU at 11:05 p.m. (9:05 p.m. California time, 12:05 a.m. NYC time) on Saturday, September 24. It also airs an hour earlier on WNIN-Evansville, and will be archived by Monday afternoon on the Night Lights website.

(Item not in the program: Robert Altman was initially wary of doing a film about James Dean because of his negative experiences with a young actor while making the movie The Delinquents. The actor was in awe of Dean and imitated the bad-boy stories he'd heard about Dean's behavior on the set of East of Eden, maddening Altman. The actor? In his debut role, Tom Laughton--the once and future Billy Jack.)

Next week: "The Victor Young Songbook."

Edited May 26, 2007 by ghost of miles

[ghost of miles]

"The James Dean Story" is now archived.

[graaspiano]

I just clicked on the link for this and Frank Sinatra's 9/17 is playing instead of the James Dean.

[ghost of miles]

I just clicked on the link for this and Frank Sinatra's 9/17 is playing instead of the James Dean.

←

Arrgghhh! I just had the webmaster fix the "Perfectly Frank" link... sigh. Thanks much, graaspiano, I'll pass it along.

[ghost of miles]

Up in memory of 9/30/55.

[ghost of miles]

We'll be re-airing this show tonight at 11:05 p.m. EST on WFIU, at 9 p.m. Central Time on WNIN-Evansville, and tomorrow night at 10 p.m. EST on Michigan's Blue Lake Public Radio. It's already available for online listening in the archives under the date of Sept. 24, 2005.

Best wishes for lots of jazz listening and leisure in your Memorial Day weekend.