East of Eden (1955)

Popularity:

Down 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Elia Kazan

Writers:

John Steinbeck (novel)
Paul Osborn (screen play)

Release Date:

10 April 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Of what a girl did . . . what a boy did ... of ecstasy and revenge!

Plot:

A wilful young man contends against his brother for the attention of their religious father while reconnecting with his estranged mother and falling for his brother's girlfriend.

Plot Keywords:

Lettuce | Birthday | Beans | Money | Monterey California

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 11 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Julie Harris	...	Abra
James Dean	...	Cal Trask
Raymond Massey	...	Adam Trask
Burl Ives	...	Sam the Sheriff
Richard Davalos	...	Aron Trask
Jo Van Fleet	...	Kate
Albert Dekker	...	Will Hamilton
Lois Smith	...	Anne
Harold Gordon	...	Gustav Albrecht
Nick Dennis	...	Rantani
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Abdullah Abbas	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Rose Allen	...	Townswoman at Carnival (uncredited)
José Arias	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Frank Baker	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Barbara Baxley	...	Nurse (uncredited)
John Beradino	...	Coalman at Lettuce Field (uncredited)
Joe Brooks	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Timothy Carey	...	Joe (uncredited)
Jack Carr	...	Charlie - Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Wheaton Chambers	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Lonny Chapman	...	Roy Turner - Automobile Mechanic (uncredited)
George Church	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Edward Clark	...	Draft Board Member (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Bouncer (uncredited)
Roger Creed	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Bryn Davis	...	Townswoman at Carnival (uncredited)
Ray Dawe	...	Workman (uncredited)
Anna Dewey	...	Townswoman at Carnival (uncredited)
Lester Dorr	...	City Official at Parade (uncredited)
Joe Dougherty	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Darren Dublin	...	Student (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Al Ferguson	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Cliff Fields	...	Student (uncredited)
Lloyd Ford	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Robert Foulk	...	Man at Boxcar (uncredited)
Nick Franke	...	Student (uncredited)
Robert Gardett	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Richard Garrick	...	Dr. Edwards (uncredited)
Chief Leonard George	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
John George	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Ruth Gillis	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Lydia Guerrero	...	The Mexican Girl (uncredited)
John Halloran	...	City Official at Parade (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Official at Parade (uncredited)
Jonathan Haze	...	Piscora's Son (uncredited)
Ramsay Hill	...	English Officer (uncredited)
Earle Hodgins	...	Shooting Gallery Concessionaire (uncredited)
Tex Holden	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Diane Howe	...	Student (uncredited)
Charles Anthony Hughes	...	City Official at Parade (uncredited)
Gail Kobe	...	Student (uncredited)
Effie Laird	...	Townswoman at Carnival (uncredited)
Billy Mahan	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Lou Marcelle	...	Trailer Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Mike Marienthal	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Frank Mazzola	...	Student (uncredited)
Edward McNally	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Ken Miller	...	Student (uncredited)
Tex Mooney	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Ralph Moratz	...	Soldier in Train (uncredited)
Robert Morris	...	Student (uncredited)
Paul Nichols	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Lettuce Truck Worker (uncredited)
William 'Bill' Phillips	...	Coalman at Lettuce Fields / Man at Exercise Class (uncredited)
Rose Plumer	...	Rose - Townswoman at Carnival (uncredited)
Patricia Prest	...	Student (uncredited)
Julian Rivero	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Mickey Roth	...	Student (uncredited)
Henry Rowland	...	Helper at Boxcar (uncredited)
Loretta Rush	...	Card Dealer (uncredited)
Scott Seaton	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Milk Bottle Concessionaire at Carnival (uncredited)
Mario Siletti	...	Mr. Piscora (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	City Official at Parade (uncredited)
Bette Treadville	...	Madame (uncredited)
Sid Troy	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Sailor Vincent	...	Townsman in Parade / Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)
Max Wagner	...	Workman (uncredited)
Lillian West	...	Townswoman at Carnival (uncredited)
Chalky Williams	...	Townsman at Carnival (uncredited)

Directed by
Elia Kazan

Writing credits
John Steinbeck		(novel "East of Eden")
Paul Osborn		(screen play)

Produced by
Elia Kazan	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Leonard Rosenman

Cinematography by
Ted D. McCord		(director of photography) (as Ted McCord)

Film Editing by
Owen Marks		(film editor)

Casting by
Harvey Clermont		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
James Basevi
Malcolm C. Bert		(as Malcolm Bert)

Set Decoration by
George James Hopkins
William Wallace		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone		(wardrobe designed by)

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup artist
Robert Ewing	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Tillie Starriett	....	hairdresser (uncredited)

Production Management
Don Alvarado	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Don Alvarado	....	assistant director (as Don Page)
Horace Hough	....	assistant director
Claude Archer	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
C. Carter Gibson	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
George Sweeney	....	assistant props (uncredited)
Red Turner	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Stanley Jones	....	sound
Everett A. Hughes	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Ed McDonald	....	recordist (uncredited)

Stunts
Mushy Callahan	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jack Albin	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Andy Anderson	....	camera operator (uncredited)
William Classen	....	grip (uncredited)
Conrad L. Hall	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Ernest Long	....	best boy (uncredited)
Charles O'Bannon	....	gaffer (uncredited)
William John Ranaldi	....	camera assistant (uncredited)
Fred Terso	....	camera assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Oral Johnson	....	wardrobe: women (uncredited)
Leon Roberts	....	wardrobe: men (uncredited)

Editorial Department
John Hambleton	....	color consultant

Music Department
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Guy Thomajan	....	dialogue director
Rhea Burakoff	....	secretary: Mr. Kazan (uncredited)
Irva Mae Ross	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. (presents) (A Warner Bros.-First National Picture) (An Elia Kazan Production)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1955) (USA) (theatrical) (A Warner Communications Company) (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.)
• Warner Bros. (1955) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1955) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1955) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1955) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Films (1955) (1968) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1956) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1981) (Finland) (theatrical)
• AFEX (1955) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (2006) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Fazer Musiikki Oy/Fazer Video (1989) (Finland) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1997) (Finland) (TV) (1998)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (2005) (Finland) (DVD) (2-disc edition)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland (2005) (Finland) (DVD) (6-disc James Dean Collection)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2013) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1995) (2011) (2013) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

"John Steinbeck's East of Eden" - USA (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements and some violent content (2005 re-issue)

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (WarnerColor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Perspecta Sound encoding) (35 mm optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-12 (2013) | Finland:K-16 (1955) | Iceland:L | Japan:PG12 (2009) | Netherlands:14 (original rating) (1955) | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Sweden:11 (re-release) (1962) | Switzerland:16 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | UK:AA (1976) (cut) | USA:TV-PG | USA:PG (DVD/Blu-Ray Rating) | USA:PG (Digital Streaming) | USA:Approved (PCA #17086) | USA:PG (certificate #41629) (2005 re-issue) | West Germany:16 (nf)

Filming Locations:

Denslow-Morgan-Preston Mansion - 45200 Little Lake Street, Mendocino, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros.

Trivia:

This is the first color film directed by Elia Kazan.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: During WWI, a band organ at the carnival plays "Ain't We Got Fun", which is from 1921.

Quotes:

Aron Trask:Staying out again tonight?
Cal Trask:What difference does it make? You're here, aren't you? You're the one he wants!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: James Franco/Muse (#35.10)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Cuddle Up a Little Closer, Lovey Mine

James Dean embodied the confused attitudes of a generation...

James Dean plays Cal, a son of Adam Trask (Raymond Massey) who feels unloved and unwanted by his stern father, a situation not helped by Adam's apparent acceptance of Cal's brother... Cal suspects that his mother, long believed dead, is the madame of a local brothel, and when this is confirmed, the young man is convinced that he has found the reason why he is bad...

His awkward, unhelpful attempts to find himself and come to terms with his situation led young audiences to identify with him immediately, an identification that was compounded by his role in 'Rebel Without a Cause' where again, only with more violence, he rebelled against his middle class family...

The impact he had made on the anxious, unhappy youth of that time was confirmed as much by his death as by the style and abandon of his life..

Dean was a youth who rebelled against the riches of the American Dream, though he finally denounced it all in a reckless moment... Dean therefore embodied the confused attitudes of a generation who had never suffered through the Depression and rejected the acquisitive attitudes of their parents, while at the same time they hankered after the American Dream... Dean gave physical form to the perplexing confusion of ideals, that haunted the majority of postwar American youth...