Comments on: “Giant”– (1956) http://tomzone.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/giant-1956/ Flotsam and jetsam from a disturbed mind Sun, 12 May 2013 04:52:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: tomzone http://tomzone.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/giant-1956/#comment-7171 Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:57:56 +0000 https://tomzone.wordpress.com/?p=2121#comment-7171 You make a good point. Brando was 27 when he did the film of “Streetcar,” and Dean never made it to 27 (Brando was 24 when he created the role on Broadway). He may have grown as an actor. Brando studied extensively. Hell, his mom taught acting, and helped Henry Fonda.

To understand the phenomenon, I’d have had to be a moviegoer at the time. Same with the Beatles: they’ve just always been.

One thing that surprised me is that “Giant” was Warner Bros’ highest-grossing film till “Superman”, which starred middle-aged Marlon Brando. :-)

]]> By: Hangaku Gozen http://tomzone.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/giant-1956/#comment-7170 Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:44:14 +0000 https://tomzone.wordpress.com/?p=2121#comment-7170 The problem with comparing James Dean to Marlon Brando or Montgomery Clift is that Dean died when he was 24 and still maturing as an actor. It’s possible he might have flamed out by the time he was 30, but we’ll never know that. I mostly give him credit for starting the “Live fast, die young” credo that powered the punk rock and later youth movements. Though now that I’ve managed to live past 50, I think an early death is overrated. ;-)

Nice review, tom. I haven’t watched “Giant” in years, but now I want to find an online version and spend an evening with Rock and Liz.

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