Death can do wonders for one's reputation. James Dean was a hot young actor with one hit -- "East of Eden" -- when he crashed his Porsche on a California back road and became an instant legend.Would his admirers have become so devoted -- and in some unfortunate cases, suicidally deranged -- if he had survived the wreck and gone on to make 30 movies instead of three? Probably not.
He might well have gone on to a brilliant career, but his early end gives his performances in "Rebel Without a Cause" and "Giant" an extra poignancy. This, we know, is all we're ever going to get of Jimmy.
Though not a Dean-like icon, Masaji Kaneko had a Dean-like career: short, intense and fruitful, though in his case the fruit was only one film, the 1983 film "Ryuji."
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.