The short life of James Dean

The defiant look and messy hair are a now well-established part of modern fashion and pop culture. 1950s youth looked up to James Dean as an idol. The charismatic actor played the rebel in life as well as on the big screen. The pain caused by his death was felt across the world by an entire generation.

As a child, James Byron Dean — named after the famous poet by his mother — loved dancing, music and art. When his mother died, his whole world came crumbling down. Dean was sent to live with relatives in the countryside and grew up in a difficult familial situation. His father, strict and unapproachable, lived far away in Los Angeles.

The agony and repressed rage that he embodied in his first movie "East of Eden," were authentic. He had learned his craft in the legendary Actors Studio in New York. But his success wasn't immediate. Dean initially took on bit parts while making ends meet as a table cleaner, parking attendant and cinema usher.

… was his first movie. In 1954, Elia Kazan, Oscar-winning director and one of the hottest names in Hollywood at the time, offered Dean the main role in his upcoming picture — it was the beginning of a promising career. Kazan had discovered the future star in a small theater on Broadway. Dean's character represented an alternative to the rough-edged masculinity often seen in westerns.

It was his leading role in "Rebel Without A Cause" (1955) that gave Dean his breakthrough as an actor (here seen with co-star Natalie Wood). His penchant for improvisation drove the director and his fellow actors crazy but it drove his female audience wild.

The new Hollywood star had more to offer than just his highly authentic style. Privately, he was a keen boxer, had a passion for racing cars and took care of his physical and nutritional health. He could also let his fists do the talking on set when the situation called for it, as seen here in a scene from "Rebel Without A Cause" (1955).

The American epic "Giant" — the third and last movie Dean would appear in — solidified his position as the epitome of cool — and the immortal rebel on the big screen. The movie appeared in cinemas in 1956 after its leading man had already passed away. The picture brought him a posthumous Oscar nomination for best actor.

In 1955, the avid sports car driver bought a new silver Porsche. He had his nickname, given to him by his co-workers, painted on the back of the car — "Little Bastard." Only five such cars of this German brand existed in the USA. But the car's speed would be his downfall — on his way to a car race, James Dean crashed his new vehicle and died.

A cult-like following built up around the deceased actor in the months after his tragic accident. Objects associated with the star, such as his jeans and cigarette box, shot up in value. During the memorial service for him in 1956, fans stormed his grave and took the floral arrangements that had been laid there. Warner Brother's management was inundated with fan mail and love letters for years.

James Dean's image has long been a staple of pop and protest culture. Posters, photos, songs and documentaries about the young rebel are key additions to cultural history. In the 1950s, actor Horst Buchholz was referred to as the "German James Dean." Photographer Anton Corbijn dedicated his movie "Life" (2015) to Dean, which tells the story of a legendary photo reportage.