James Dean
Little Boy Lost
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James Dean
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Narrated by:
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Christopher Lane
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Written by:
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Joe Hyams
About this listen
He made only three movies - East of Eden, Rebel without a Cause, and Giant - and became an international icon after his tragic death at the age of 24. He was James Dean, and no one has told the real story of the man, the actor, or the myth as fully, as powerfully, and as intimately as the authors of James Dean: Little Boy Lost . This is the book drawn from extensive interviews with Dean's friends and colleagues, many of whom speak out for the first time. It is the book written by one of Dean's confidants: noted celebrity biographer Joe Hyams.
This book follows its fascinating subject from the Indiana farm where he spent an active but troubled boyhood to the crucial, early training ground of the New York theater world to his meteoric rise to international stardom in the movies. It shows how postwar Hollywood was still a charmed, leisurely community, yet one ripe for the explosive ascension of a dynamic new presence like James Dean. It reveals details of the making of his three landmark films and candidly explores Dean's many love affairs, discussing with great insight the surprising truth about Dean's much-talked-about bisexuality. It exposes, as only an insider's book can, the true story of Dean and actress Pier Angeli - his one real love - and the shocking outcome of their liaison. James Dean: Little Boy Lost is the definitive story of a stunning young talent who lived too fast and died far too soon but whose memory will live on as long as the youth of the world dare to hope, love, and dream.
©2014 Joe Hyams (P)2014 Blackstone AudioWhat listeners say about James Dean
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Langer MD
- 2024-01-15
Fascinating - Albeit Heavily-Opinionated - Insight
Hollywood Journalist Joe Hyams (along with co-author Jay Hyams) offers his take on twenty-something actor & friend James Dean. The book is well-researched, well-written, and dripping with contextual detail. Unfortunately, Hyams also chooses to focus on the confused psychological elements in the man (with selective letters/interviews for example), drills down on the actor's ambiguous sexuality (relating every conceivable homosexual encounter in Dean's history), and unapologetically namedrops like a 'TMV' Paparazzo (while heavily dramatizing meetings between stars).
Luckily for audiobook afficianados, Christopher Lane turns in a quality reading performance. His diction, timbre, cadence, pacing, and tone are all more than creditable. The commendable narration reveals that Blackstone Audio Inc. did a fine job casting the project.. but it also feels like any professional voice-actor could have been similarly effective. It's an unspectacular listen overall.
Altogether, 'James Dean: Little Boy Lost' merits 5.5 stars out of 10. It's a little too agenda-driven for my tastes (the author clearly wants to paint a picture for the reader), but it was a serviceable distraction for free. Should they ask for a Credit, however, better options beckon.
[Note: Chapter 8, where Hyams describes day-to-day life for Hollywood actors in the early 50s (where they ate, what they did for fun, how the studios treated employees, etc), is almost worth the price of admission for anyone interested in the era by itself ]
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