September 30, 1955 (1977)

When Jimmy's idol, James Dean, dies on September 30, 1955, the small-town Arkansas college undergraduate goes berserk. He and his friends hold a vigil which turns into a drunk and, finally,... See full summary »

Director:

James Bridges

Writer:

James Bridges

Stars:

Richard Thomas, Susan Tyrrell, Deborah Benson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Thomas	...	Jimmy J.
Susan Tyrrell	...	Melba Lou
Deborah Benson	...	Charlotte
Lisa Blount	...	Billie Jean
Tom Hulce	...	Hanley (as Thomas Hulce)
Dennis Quaid	...	Frank
Mary Kai Clark	...	Pat
Dennis Christopher	...	Eugene
Collin Wilcox Paxton	...	Jimmy J.'s Mother (as Collin Wilcox)
Ben Fuhrman	...	Coach Haynes
Michael Lovell Farris	...	Edgar (as Mike Farris)
Tom Bonner	...	Radio Announcer
Glen Irby	...	Band Director
Bryan Scott	...	Dickie
Bush Satterfield	...	Charlotte's Father

Storyline

When Jimmy's idol, James Dean, dies on September 30, 1955, the small-town Arkansas college undergraduate goes berserk. He and his friends hold a vigil which turns into a drunk and, finally, a tragedy.

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Plot Keywords:

fandom | 1950s | actor | number in title

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Taglines:

The day it all came apart...

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 January 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

24 Hours of the Rebel

Filming Locations:

Conway, Arkansas, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Richard Thomas broke his leg when he drove his character's motorcycle under a parade float while filming a homecoming parade scene.

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Connections

References Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

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Soundtracks

"I Don't Hurt Anymore"
Sung by Red Foley
Courtesy of MCA Records, Inc.

User Reviews

One of the very few films to examine the power of movie stars

This autobiographical film is one of the rare American motion pictures to examine the effect that movie stars have on audiences, particularly young audiences yearning for role models during times of emotional isolation. Writer-director James Bridges ("The Paper Chase," "The China Syndrome") recalls his youth in Paris, Arkansas (called Conway here) to create a heartfelt work of escalating intensity as its impressionable hero, Jimmy J (Richard Thomas), leads his friends over the edge as they mourn James Dean. "September 30, 1955" integrates images, themes, and even the music (also by Leonard Rosenmann) from "East of Eden" and "Rebel Without a Cause," and adds resonances to both films. This little, unheralded picture needs to be seen -- as does Richard Thomas's utterly brave performance. The key to understanding this film is not to think of it as a "youth picture" but as a deconstruction of the movie star mythos.