History Film / RebelWithoutACause

* ParentalAbandonment: Plato's father left when he was still an infant, and his mother is always going on out-of-town trips, leaving him in a black housekeeper's care.

* DisappearedDad: Plato's father abandoned him and his mother when he was still an infant.

* InNameOnly: Has nothing to do with the earlier book ''Rebel Without a Cause: The Hypnoanalysis of a Criminal Psychopath''.

* TheDanza: James Dean plays James "Jim" Stark.
* DawsonCasting: Mineo and Wood are the right age; Dean is 24 and looks it, enough that his romances with the other two feel a bit {{squick}}y.

* PlayingAgainstType: Jim Backus.

* WordOfGay: Plato is supposed to be gay, but the censors at the time wouldn't let them say it, so it's only implied.

* ActorAllusion: In one scene, Jim Stark mutters at his father (played by Jim Backus) in a WesternAnimation/MrMagoo-like voice. (Backus being, of course, the voice of Magoo.)
** James Dean played Cal [[SignificantAnagram Trask]] in ''Film/EastOfEden''.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Keep an eye out for an eighteen-year-old Dennis Hopper.
** And Ray Fremick is [[Series/GetSmart The Chief]].
*** Don't forget Frank Stark is [[Series/GilligansIsland Thurston Howell III]].

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: ''Rebel'' was supposed to be black & white. The decision to shoot the film in color meant less pay for extras which is why there were few extras in the knife fight scene.
** MarlonBrando did a screen test for the part of Jim in the 1940s. The script was later rewritten and Brando was not offered the part, with JamesDean cast instead.

* ActorAllusion: In one scene, Jim Stark mutters at his father (played by Jim Backus) in a Mr. Magoo-like voice. (Backus being, of course, the voice of Magoo.)
** James Dean played Cal [[SignificantAnagram Trask]] in EastOfEden.

* PrettyInMink: Ann and her mother wear mink wraps.

* PrettyInMink

* ColorMotif: Red is a reoccuring color throughout the movie. Jim's iconic red jacket and Judy's red lipstick both represent their disconnection with society and lack of strong role models. Theres even a subtle case with Buzz right before the game of chicken that [spoiler:leads to his death.] Before they do it, Jim asks Buzz something the lines of "Why are we doing this?" and Buzz, responding with something along the lines of "What else is there to do?" opens his jacket up while shrugging, and you can see the inside is red showing they are NotSoDifferent.

Teen drama from TheFifties in which JamesDean, NatalieWood and Sal Mineo deal with {{Angst}}. Notably averts the TeensAreMonsters mindset of the era.

* NiceGuy: In stark contrast to how to promotions made him out to be, Jim is a decent, gentle, sensitive and kindhearted boy who unhesitantly befriends and stands up for the meek Plato on his first day of school, takes care of people who have shown him kindness, and has a conscience so solid he practically LEAPT to take responsibility for the death of his drag-race opponent. Now if only his loser HenpeckedHusband of a father was strong enough to stand by him when he needs him, he is MORE than capable of becoming a respectable member of adult society.

----

Dean is Jim Stark, a TroubledButCute 17-year-old with a messed-up home life. His mother (Ann Doran) prefers to move whenever a problem comes up rather than confront it and his father (Jim Backus) is a HenpeckedHusband who lets her do as she pleases. As a result, the Starks are constantly moving around and have just arrived in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles as the film opens. At his new HighSchool, Jim befriends Plato (Mineo), an AmbiguouslyGay innocent. Jim immediately finds himself up against Buzz (Corey Allen), the local JerkJock, but takes somewhat more kindly to Buzz's girlfriend Judy (Wood). Needless to say, she later becomes Jim's girlfriend. Most of the movie takes place on a night after a chicken race gone horribly wrong.

There is a "''Rebel Without A Cause'' curse". The film's three main stars (Dean, Wood and Mineo) all met tragic deaths at a young age, Dean before the film even opened.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Possibly of teen delinquency films of the 50's.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Keep an eye out for an eighteen year old Dennis Hopper.

*** Don't forget Frank Stark is [[GilligansIsland Thurston Howell III]].
* InNameOnly: Has nothing to do with the earlier book ''Rebel Without A Cause: The Hypnoanalysis of a Criminal Psychopath''.

* NiceGuy: In stark conrast to how to promotions made him out to be, Jim is a decent, gentle, sensitive and kind-hearted boy who unhesitantly befriends and stands up for the meek Plato on his first day of school, takes care of people who have shown him kindness, and has a conscience so solid he practically LEAPT to take responsibility for the death of his drag-race opponent. Now if only his loser HenpeckedHusband of a father was strong enough to stand by him when he needs him, he is MORE than capable of becoming a respectable member of adult society.

** MarlonBrando did a screen test for the part of Jim in the 1940's. The script was later re-written and Brando was not offered the part, with JamesDean cast instead.

** BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Plato is dead, But Jim's dad vows to be a stronger dad from now on and Jim's parents seem to be on the road to being better parents.]]

-->-- '''Jim Stark'''

Dean is Jim Stark, a TroubledButCute 17-year-old with a messed-up home life. His mother (Ann Doran) prefers to move whenever a problem comes up rather than confront it and his father (Jim Backus) is a HenpeckedHusband who lets her do as she pleases. As a result, the Starks are constantly moving around and have just arrived in LosAngeles as the film opens. At his new HighSchool, Jim befriends Plato (Mineo), an AmbiguouslyGay innocent. Jim immediately finds himself up against Buzz (Corey Allen), the local JerkJock, but takes somewhat more kindly to Buzz's girlfriend Judy (Wood). Needless to say, she later becomes Jim's girlfriend. Most of the movie takes place on a night after a chicken race gone horribly wrong.

* ActorAllusion: In one scene, Jim Stark mutters at his father (played by Jim Backus) in a Mr. Magoo-like voice. (Backus being, of course, the voice of Magoo.)
** James Dean played Cal [[{{SignificantAnagram}} Trask]] in EastOfEden.

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* ChewingTheScenery: "You're tearing me ''apart!''"; "I got the bullets!" Everyone else occasionally chips in as well. Of note is Judy's reaction when [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome the phone rings]].

'''Tropes include:'''

** MarlonBrando did a screen test for the part of Jim in the 1940's. The script was later re-written and Brando was not offered the part, with JamesDead cast instead.