History Trivia / RebelWithoutACause

* ValuesDissonance:
** The reviewers at the Production Code Administration decided that the film has a "mostly happy" ending. This is because Plato, a juvenile delinquent, gets killed by the cops and, for them, that's what he deserved.
** Jim's parents are portrayed as flouting established gender norms; his mother is far more dominant and his father at one point wears one of his mother's aprons while doing housework. The implication is that much of Jim's troubles stem from his parents not providing him a good, standard moral foundation with strong gender roles, or at least that Jim sees it that way. Judy praising him for having the strength to be a compassionate friend to Plato, rather than a tough guy like Buzz, indicates the film itself sees things quite differently and is criticizing the standard view.

* ValuesDissonance: The reviewers at the Production Code Administration decided that the film has a "mostly happy" ending. This is because Plato, a juvenile delinquent, gets killed by the cops and, for them, that's what he deserved.

* RealitySubtext: Creator/NicholasRay's interest in generation gap came out of a spectacular personal trauma. He had been married twice before, had a son from his first marriage and had a terrible second marriage with actress Creator/GloriaGrahame. Then, one day, he arrived home and found out that Creator/GloriaGrahame ''[[OedipalComplex was engaged in an affair with his 13-year-old son]] from his first marriage''. Ray [[BrainBleach understandably flipped out]], and after the inevitable divorce, Ray felt guilty about the entire situation, and a lot of the themes of the film (the ParentalIncest, sexual confusion, generation gap) came from his attempt to come to terms with his own failure as a father.[[note]]His son Anthony Ray became a character actor, and appeared most notably in Creator/JohnCassavetes' ''Film/{{Shadows}}''. Despite his father's attempts to rehabilitate their relationship, Anthony Ray ''married'' Gloria Grahame in 1958, and had two children with her. Grahame also had a child with Nick Ray. RealityIsUnrealistic folks. [[/note]]

** The Danish title of the film is ''Wild Blood'' if directly translated.

* TheProductionCurse: All three lead actors died prematurely under tragic circumstances; Creator/JamesDean died in an automobile accident in September 30, 1955 at 24, Sal Mineo was stabbed to death on February 12, 1976 at 37, and Creator/NatalieWood drowned on November 29, 1981 at 43. In addition, Nick Adams died of an overdose in February 7, 1968 at 36, and Creator/EdwardPlatt committed suicide in March 19, 1974 at 58.
* RealitySubtext: Creator/NicholasRay's interest in generation gap came out of a spectacular personal trauma. He had been married twice before and had a son from his first marriage and had a terrible second marriage with actress Creator/GloriaGrahame. Then one day, he arrived home and found out that Creator/GloriaGrahame [[OedipalComplex was engaged in an affair with his 13-year-old son]] from his first marriage. Ray [[BrainBleach understandably flipped out]] and after the inevitable divorce, Ray felt guilty about the entire situation and a lot of the themes of the film (the ParentalIncest, sexual confusion, generation gap) came from his attempt to come to terms with his own failure as a father.[[note]]His son Anthony Ray became a character actor, and appeared most notably in Creator/JohnCassavetes' ''Film/{{Shadows}}''. Despite his father's attempts to rehabilitate their relationship, Anthony Ray ''married'' Gloria Grahame in 1958 and had two children with her. Grahame also had a child with Nick Ray. RealityIsUnrealistic folks. [[/note]]

* TheProductionCurse: All three lead actors died prematurely under tragic circumstances; Creator/JamesDean died in an automobile accident in September 1955, Sal Mineo was stabbed to death on February 12, 1976, and Creator/NatalieWood drowned on November 29, 1981. In addition, Creator/EdwardPlatt committed suicide in 1974.

* TheProductionCurse: All three lead actors died prematurely under tragic circumstances; Creator/JamesDean died in an automobile accident in September 1955, Sal Mineo was stabbed to death on February 12, 1976, and Creator/NatalieWood drowned on November 29, 1981. In addition, Edward Platt committed suicide in 1974.

** Creator/PaulNewman and Creator/RobertWagner were considered for Jim.

** Real switchblades were used in the knife fight. James Dean and Corey Allen wore chainmail under their clothes. Even so, Dean was injured several times while shooting the scene.

* CompletelyDifferentTitle: The Danish title of the film is ''Wild Blood'' if directly translated.

* TheProductionCurse: All three lead actors died prematurely under tragic circumstances; Creator/JamesDean died in an automobile accident in September 1955, Sal Mineo was stabbed to death on February 12, 1976, and Creator/NatalieWood drowned in the late autumn of 1981. In addition, Edward Platt committed suicide in 1974.

** Creator/AnthonyPerkins was considered for Plato.

* TheProductionCurse: All three lead actors died prematurely under tragic circumstances; Creator/JamesDean died in an automobile accident in September 1955, Sal Mineo was stabbed to death on February 12, 1976, and Creator/NatalieWood drowned in the late autumn of 1981. In addition, Edward Platt committed suicide in 1974 and Creator/DennisHopper fell ill suddenly in the fall of 2009 and died five months later.

* AFIS100Years100Movies: #59

* RomanceOnTheSet: The film's set was kind of legendary for all kinds of wild stories. Creator/DennisHopper and Creator/NatalieWood were engaged in a relationship, yet Wood also hooked up with Creator/NicholasRay, who also engaged in a relationship with Creator/SalMineo.

** In 2010, a ''New York Times'' article about Creator/NicholasRay's widow Susan said she had in her archives an original, unused treatment for "Rebel" in which the ending was very different: Plato was going to shoot Jim and then blow himself up with a grenade. But another Times report in 2011 says the archive contains a Ray storyboard which shows it's Plato himself who is shot from the top of the planetarium. (A treatment is a preliminary synopsis of the story for a proposed movie that either gets written before the script is started [as in this case] or afterward so that executives at a potential producer's or investor's company won't have to read the whole script.) Further back, a 1999 interview with screenwriter Stewart Stern also mentioned the "Plato shot from the top of the planetarium" ending, as well as yet another alternate ending where the police shot first Plato, then Jim as he ran to Plato's side. This was Stern's preferred ending, but Nicholas Ray insisted on less of a DownerEnding and more of a [[BittersweetEnding bittersweet]] one.

** Creator/PaulNewman was considered for Jim.
** Creator/DebbieReynolds was considered for Judy.

* RealitySubtext: Creator/NicholasRay's interest in generation gap came out of a spectacular personal trauma. He had been married twice before and had a son from his first marriage and had a terrible second marriage with actress Creator/GloriaGrahame. Then one day, he arrived home and found out that Creator/GloriaGrahame [[OedipalComplex was engaged in an affair with his 13 year old son]] from his first marriage. Ray [[BrainBleach understandably flipped out]] and after the inevitable divorce, Ray felt guilty about the entire stiuation and a lot of the themes of the film (the ParentalIncest, sexual confusion, generation gap) came from his attempt to come to terms with his own failure as a father.[[note]]His son Anthony Ray became a character actor, and appeared most notably in Creator/JohnCassavetes' ''Film/{{Shadows}}''. Despite his father's attempts to rehabilitate their relationship, Anthony Ray ''married'' Gloria Grahame in 1958 and had two children with her. Grahame also had a child with Nick Ray. RealityIsUnrealistic folks. [[/note]]

* RomanceOnTheSet: The film's set was kind of legendary for all kinds of wild stories. Creator/DennisHopper and Creator/NatalieWood were engaged in a relationship, yet she Wood also hooked up with Creator/NicholasRay, who also engaged in a relationship with Creator/SalMineo.

** Some of the earlier drafts for the movie had the three main kids named Jim, Eve and Demo. Demo was later changed to a 13-year-old boy named The Professor.

* RealitySubtext: Creator/NicholasRay's interest in generation gap came out of a spectacular personal trauma. He had been married twice before and had a son from his first marriage and had a terrible second marriage with actress Creator/GloriaGrahame. Then one day, he arrived home and found out that Gloria Grahame [[OedipalComplex was engaged in an affair with his 13 year old son]] from his first marriage. Ray [[BrainBleach understandably flipped out]] and after the inevitable divorce, Ray felt guilty about the entire stiuation and a lot of the themes of the film (the ParentalIncest, sexual confusion, generation gap) came from his attempt to come to terms with his own failure as a father.[[note]]His son Anthony Ray became a character actor, and appeared most notably in Creator/JohnCassavetes' ''Film/{{Shadows}}''. Despite his father's attempts to rehabilitate their relationship, Anthony Ray ''married'' Gloria Grahame in 1958 and had two children with her. Grahame also had a child with Nick Ray. RealityIsUnrealistic folks. [[/note]]

* RomanceOnTheSet: The film's set was kind of legendary for all kinds of wild stories. Creator/DennisHopper and Creator/NatalieWood were engaged in a relationship, yet Natalie Wood also hooked up with director Nicholas Ray, who also engaged in a relationship with Creator/SalMineo.

** The film was originally going to contain a kiss between Creator/JamesDean and Creator/SalMineo.

** In 2010, a 'New York Times' article about Creator/NicholasRay's widow Susan said she had in her archives an original, unused treatment for "Rebel" in which the ending was very different: Plato was going to shoot Jim and then blow himself up with a grenade. But another Times report in 2011 says the archive contains a Ray storyboard which shows it's Plato himself who is shot from the top of the planetarium. (A treatment is a preliminary synopsis of the story for a proposed movie that either gets written before the script is started [as in this case] or afterward so that executives at a potential producer's or investor's company won't have to read the whole script.) Further back, a 1999 interview with screenwriter Stewart Stern also mentioned the "Plato shot from the top of the planetarium" ending, as well as yet another alternate ending where the police shot first Plato, then Jim as he ran to Plato's side. This was Stern's preferred ending, but Nicholas Ray insisted on less of a DownerEnding and more of a [[BittersweetEnding bittersweet]] one.

* WordOfGay: Plato is supposed to be gay (his actor Sal Mineo was bisexual), but the censors at the time wouldn't let them say it, so it's only implied. Creator/NicholasRay ([[BiTheWay himself bisexual]]) confirmed that Plato was gay in later interviews. He and Creator/JamesDean told Creator/SalMineo to "look at Jim like Natalie does".

** In 2010, a 'New York Times' article about Creator/NicholasRay's widow Susan said she had in her archives an original, unused treatment for "Rebel" in which the ending was very different: Plato was going to shoot Jim and then blow himself up with a grenade. But another Times report in 2011 says the archive contains a Ray storyboard which shows it's Plato himself who is shot from the top of the planetarium. (A treatment is a preliminary synopsis of the story for a proposed movie that either gets written before the script is started [as in this case] or afterward so that executives at a potential producer's or investor's company won't have to read the whole script.)

* PlayingAgainstType: Jim Backus.

** ''Rebel'' was originally supposed to be in black-and-white. The decision to shoot the film in color meant less pay for extras, which is why there were few of them in the knife fight scene.

* TheRedStapler: T-shirt sales soared after Creator/JamesDean wore one in this film. At the time, they were mostly considered underwear, to keep sweat stains off a collared dress shirt; this gave Dean's outfit an offensive quality [[GetTheeToANunnery totally lost on later audiences]] precisely because Dean wore it ''so very well''.

* AFIS100YearsSeries:
** AFIS100Years100Movies: #59

* ActorAllusion:
** In one scene, Jim Stark mutters at his father in a WesternAnimation/MrMagoo-like voice. His father was played by Mr. Magoo's voice actor, Jim Backus.
** Creator/JamesDean played Cal [[SignificantAnagram Trask]] in ''Film/EastOfEden''.

** Rod Cameron, Creator/WalterMatthau, and [[Series/PerryMason Raymond Burr]] were considered for Jim's father.
** James Whitmore, Peter Gray, Richard Crane, [[Series/TheAdventuresOfSuperman George Reeves]], and Walter Reed were considered for the role of Ray Framek.

* RealitySubtext: Creator/NicholasRay's interest in generation gap came out of a spectacular personal trauma. He had been married twice before and had a son from his first marriage and had a terrible second marriage with actress Creator/GloriaGrahame. Then one day, he arrived home and found out that Gloria Grahame [[OedipalComplex was engaged in an affair with his 13 year old son]] from his first marriage. Ray [[BrainBleach understandably flipped out]] and after the inevitable divorce, Ray felt guilty about the entire stiuation and a lot of the themes of the film (the ParentalIncest, sexual confusion, generation gap) came from his attempt to come to terms with his own failure as a father.[[note]]His son Anthony Ray became a character actor, and appeared most notably in Creator/JohnCassavetes' ''Shadows''. Despite his father's attempts to rehabilitate their relationship, Anthony Ray ''married'' Gloria Grahame in 1958 and had two children with her. Grahame also had a child with Nick Ray. RealityIsUnrealistic folks. [[/note]]