James Dean, the 1950s film icon, died 60 years ago Wednesday at 24.
The UCLA dropout only starred in three major films — “East of Eden,” “Rebel Without a Cause” and “Giant” — but his tragic death in a car crash cemented his bad boy persona as a permanent part of pop culture.
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That was in 1955, yet six decades later his legacy still endures. Dean pops up in poetry, films, cartoons and a plethora of hit songs.
In homage to his life, here’s a list of seven James Dean references in pop culture:
1. “Pulp Fiction”
In one scene of Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 cult classic, John Travolta’s character visits a diner staffed by waiters who look like 1950s stars, including Eric Clark as James Dean.
As it happens, Clark also makes a brief appearance as Dean in another film, 1992’s “Death Becomes Her.”
2. “Family Guy”
In a typically Seth MacFarlane reference to a reference, a 2008 episode of “Family Guy” features the Griffin family walking into a diner with waiters who look like 1950s icons.
In a typically MacFarlane twist, the Dean character is shown post-accident, trying to take orders with a snapped neck.
3. Don McLean’s “American Pie”
Though most of the 1971 song details the history of rock, it also includes a reference to the “East of Eden” star:
“When the jester sang for the king and queen/ In a coat he borrowed from James Dean/ And a voice that came from you and me.”
4. Bob Dylan’s “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” cover
The cover image of Dylan’s 1963 album mimics an iconic photograph of Dean. In fact, that’s what the McLean lyrics reference; the jester is Bob Dylan and in the image he’s wearing a coat similar to Dean’s.
5. “Two Friendly Ghosts”
This 2011 short follows a meeting between the ghosts of James Dean and the driver of the other car involved in the accident that killed him.
Inexplicably, despite some acting that probably made James Dean roll over in his grave, the short has 7 1/2 stars on IMDb.
6. The poetry of Frank O’Hara
In the aftermath of Dean’s death, O’Hara wrote a number of poems about the film star: “Thinking of James Dean,” “For James Dean” and four elegies.
7. “Style” by Taylor Swift
From Swift’s most recent album, “1989,” the top ten hit about lovers who “never go out of style” includes a brief reference to James Dean in the chorus: “You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye/ And I got that red lip, classic thing that you like.”
