For our money, Rock Hudson walked off with Giant, handily out performing Dean. Taking a hard nosed look at Eden and Rebel today prompts the notion that dying early might have been a terrific career move.
Disagreeing with us is first-time email contributor, Belmondo, who in responding to our 2013 blog, eloquently pleads this case:
Most artists who achieve an almost profound level of success are left wide open to be dissected.
Dean’s “legend” has very little to do with his talent and artistry. He became a poster boy for teenage rebellion and Hollywood cool. Most of his so-called fans have probably never seen his films.
Still, opinion is opinion. James Dean was not and is not everyone’s cup of tea. The legend and hype may be too much to live up to in many viewers eyes. But…to say that Rock Hudson walks away with ‘Giant,’ I have to question your sanity, let alone your criteria on acceptable film acting.
I’ll agree, Dean’s performance in ‘East of Eden’ is a bit over indulgent. But it has been well documented that Kazan pushed Dean to that level, allowing him to run rampant.
‘Rebel Without A Cause,’ as a film, is hopelessly dated, but his performance is solid. Yet these films just re-enforce the “misunderstood youth” tag that still is attached to him.
Which makes his performance in ‘Giant’ so relevant. Not only is it an adult role, he doesn’t have that much screen time. He dominates the movie.
Hudson is a stiff, a good looking mannequin with a manufactured voice. He was part of the old system that busts (sic) looks foolish next to Dean’s textured, layered characterization. Hudson came into his own with the Doris Day comedies of the 60’s, but here he’s left in the dirt.
The scene after Dean’s character strikes oil, he comes to flaunt his new-found wealth to Hudson’s character (whom he loathed). The sense of danger and menace is palpable, and Hudson can only watch with confusion and clenched teeth.
Look no further than this scene to determine why Dean the actor was so damn good and why Rock Hudson, sadly, was not.
Thanks, much, Belmondo. It’s e-mails like yours that make us love hearing from readers. But, alas, we disagree. George Stevens was able to draw from Rock the best performance he had ever given, writes the actor’s biographer Sara Davidson. Amen.
By the way, Hudson did not like Dean personally. He was a little guy and he thought little, Hudson is quoted as saying. On time and always prepared, he regarded Dean as “unprofessional.”
Love your blog. I just wanted to add a bit to the Hudson/Dean debate. A few years ago, I was proposing a book on Hudson in collaboration with his former (controversial) flame, the late Marc Christian. He always loved James Dean and he couldn’t help but ask Rock about him. Rock told him that he actually admired him as an actor, but found him insufferably affected off-screen. He recalled one afternoon when Dean went into a long-winded rapture about a cloud formation on the Giant location. Rock said it was laughable, but Dean took himself very seriously, so Rock didn’t dare say anything. Of course, both actors took their performances seriously, with one being the personification of the (then dying) studio system, the other a Brando acolyte steeped in the Method. I always felt they both contributed importantly to the success of Giant, but their roles and hence their performances are wildly different. Comparing them is pointless. I do agree that Hudson found his true calling in comedy.