IMDb > September 30, 1955 (1977)

September 30, 1955 (1977) More at IMDbPro »


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Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   151 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 48% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
James Bridges (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for September 30, 1955 on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
6 January 1978 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
The day it all came apart... more
Plot:
When Jimmy's idol, James Dean, dies on September 30, 1955, the small-town Arkansas college undergraduate goes berserk... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
User Comments:
One of the very few films to examine the power of movie stars more (9 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Richard Thomas ... Jimmy J.
Susan Tyrrell ... Melba Lou Turner

Deborah Benson ... Charlotte
Lisa Blount ... Billie Jean Turner

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
Michael Lovell Farris ... Edgar (as Mike Farris)
Tom Bonner ... Radio Announcer
Glen Irby ... Band Director
Bryan Scott ... Dickie
Bush Satterfield ... Charlotte's Father
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
24 Hours of the Rebel
9/30/55 (USA) (alternative spelling)
more
Runtime:
101 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Canada:14+ (Ontario) | USA:PG
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Though Tom Hulce's character, Hanley, owns and drives a car throughout the film, Tom hadn't yet gotten his own driver's license when he did this movie! more
Movie Connections:
References Giant (1956) more

FAQ

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5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful.
One of the very few films to examine the power of movie stars, 5 September 2005
10/10
Author: nataloff from Los Angeles

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.

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Melodrama SadEyedLadyoftheLowlands
DVD? tk_doucopy
Coming to Sundance in April !!! sirleucelot
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