rebelwithoutacause

Where is did the rumors start from about Brando not liking Jimmy?
I read in a Brando biography that he stated in his autobiography that he wouldnt call Jimmy back and didnt like him. But I've read Brandos autobiography and he says no such thing. In fact he speaks quite nicely about him and writes more about Jimmy than many people he mentions in his book, with the exception of his family and some directors like Kazan.

I've just found my copy of his autobiography and thought I'd give you some quotes in case you havent read it.

When they met on set of Eden

"Before introducing us, Gadg [kazan] told me that his new star was constantly asking about me and seemed bent on patterning his acting technique and life after me - or at least the person he thought I was after seeing 'The Wild One'
Jimmy was about twenty then, seven years younger than me, and had a simplicity that I found endearing. When we met I sensed some of the same aspects, of the midwestern farmboy who had suddenly been transplanted to the big city that I had when I went to New York - as well as the same anxieties I had felt after being thrust into the status of a celebrity at a young age. He was nervous when we met and made it clear that he was not only mimicking my acting but also what he believed was my lifestyle. He said he was learning to play the conga drums and had taken up motorcycling, and he obviously wanted my approval of his work"

So Jimmy actually admitted that he was trying to be a bit like Brando. Kazan realised it too.

Some more quotes:

"Jimmy Dean,who only made three pictures, East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant, had everything going for him, he was not only on his way to becoming a great actor, but he had a personality and presence that made audiences curious about him, as well as looks and a vulnerability that women found especially appealing. They wanted to take care of him. He was sensitive and there were elements of surprise in his personality. He wasn't volcanic or dynamic, but he had a subtle energy and an intangible injured quality that had a tremendous impact on audiences"

I think Brando got most of that right, it seems pretty honest.

Here is where I think it is lies that Jimmy used to call Brando but Brando would ignore his calls.

"After we met on the set of East of Eden, Jimy began calling me for advice or to suggest a night out. We talked to each other on the phone and ran into each other at partiesbut we never became close. I think he regarded me as a kind of brother or mentor, and I suppose I responded to him as if he was. I felt a kinship with him and was sorry for him. He was hypersensitive, and I could see in his eyes and in the way he moved and spoke that he had suffered a lot. He was tortured by insecurities, the origin of which I never determined although he said he had a difficult childhood and a lot of problems with his father. I urged him to seek assistance, perhaps go into therapy. I have no idea if he ever did, but I did know it can be hard for a troubled kid like him to live up to sudden fame and the ballyhoo Hollywood created around him. I saw it happen to Marilyn and I knew from my own experience. In trying to copy me I think Jimmy was only attempting to deal with these insecurities but I told him it was a mistake. Once he showed up at a party and I saw him take off his jacket, roll it into a ball and throw it on the floor. It struck me that he was imitating something I had done and I took him aside and said 'Don't do that, Jimmy. Just hand your coat up like everyone else. You don't have to throw your coat in the corner, its much easier to hang it up and pick it up of the floor'
Another time I told him I thought it was foolish to copy me as an actor. 'Jimmy, you have to be who you are, not who I am. You mustnt try and copy me. Emulate the best aspects of yourself' I said it was a dead end street to try to be someone else. In retrospect, I realise it is not unusual for people to borrow someone elses form until they find their own, and in time Jimmy did. He was still developing when I first met him but by the time he made Giant he was no longer trying to imitate me. He still had his insecurities but he had become his own man. He was awfully good in that last picture and people identified with his pain and made him a cult hero. We can only guess what kind of actor he was to become in another twenty years. I think he could have became a great one. Instead he died and was forever entombed in his myth."

That was the last he mentioned Jimmy but I think he just wanted to help Jimmy. After reading the rest of Brandos autobiography, it was easy to see that he just liked helping people and even ran into some seriously disturbed people but he never judged them and always helped them. That's why I seriously doubt he hated Jimmy at all.

If you have read all that I applaud you, haha that was a seriously long post.

Back to the 'Hound Dog' point, Elvis Presley based his song on one originally recorded by Big Mama Thornton, a black south-american artist. Her song was also called 'Hound Dog', but the lyrics and musical arrangement were quite different from the explosive recording Elvis made in 1956.

It could be possible that Jimmy had heard and liked the song but at that time of course, the racial segregation was very promenent. To listen to black radio stations and so forth was not a thing someone from Indiana was supposed to do. That was one of the reasons that white america found Elvis so threatening. However, as we all know, Jimmy did not care what he was supposed to do - he did what he wanted to do. He was in no way a believer of the racial seggregation. He was a friend of Sammy Davis jnr after all. And incidently, just for fun, Sammy Davis jnr was also a friend of Elvis'. Wink

Plus, thank you for the long post, Cause Worthy Rebel. As long as it was, it has indicated (quite comprehensively!) that Brando's caring nature conflicts with the speculation that he did not like Jimmy.

It seems I'm in need of applause! Cool

You know, I heard (and what is probably true) is that Jimmy listened to the record of Hound Dog by Big Mama Thornton. She was the original singer of the song, not Elvis as most people think! I know Elvis was very obsessed with Jimmy though. About Brando and Jimmy - I know Jimmy really admired Marlon's work, but I think there is nothing similiar at all about their acting. If you watch Montgomery Clift, though, there is enough about him that will remind you of Jimmy. Like in Place In THe Sun, when Montgomery lays his head in Elizabeth Taylor's lap he says , "Hi." a la Jim Stark, you know? But really, no matter how many people are a little similiar, Jimmy stands alone!!!!!!

i dont think james dean copied marlon brando...he acted lik tht even before he knew who marlon brando was...he said that he doesnt copy ppl...