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,...
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Title: September 30, 1955 (1977)
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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) | |
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Ben Fuhrman | ... | Coach Haynes |
|
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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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Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
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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. Written by Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords:
celebrity death | arkansas | death | reference to james dean | year 1955 |Taglines:
In twenty-four hours, a nice college kid named Jimmy J. robbed a liquor store, got drunk, held a séance, crawled through a cemetery, raided lovers' lane, dropped the Homecoming Queen, and went to jail. It happened on September 30, 1955, the day that shook up a generation! See more »Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
6 January 1978 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
9/30/55 See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Frank: We're just havin' a little picnic. Just havin' a little weenie roast.
Mr. Phillips: Looks to me like you're trespassin'.
[Frank recognizes Mr Phillips, and talks his way out of the situation by offering him a cold beer]
Hanley: We're not trespassin' any more.
Pat: Wish we had some weiners.
Hanley: I got one, Pat. Big, nice, fat one.
Pat: Did you buy some? Where'd you get some?
Pat: [Hanley giggles, and she realizes just what he's saying] ... nasty. You know that's nasty!
See more »
Written by Don Robertson and Jack Rollins (as Walter E. Rollins)
Sung by Red Foley
Courtesy of MCA Records, Inc.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Film production shut down for five months after Richard Thomas fractured his ankle, resumed filming in September 1976. See more »Quotes
Mr. Phillips: Hey, what you kids doin' down there?Frank: We're just havin' a little picnic. Just havin' a little weenie roast.
Mr. Phillips: Looks to me like you're trespassin'.
[Frank recognizes Mr Phillips, and talks his way out of the situation by offering him a cold beer]
Hanley: We're not trespassin' any more.
Pat: Wish we had some weiners.
Hanley: I got one, Pat. Big, nice, fat one.
Pat: Did you buy some? Where'd you get some?
Pat: [Hanley giggles, and she realizes just what he's saying] ... nasty. You know that's nasty!
See more »
Soundtracks
I Don't Hurt AnymoreWritten by Don Robertson and Jack Rollins (as Walter E. Rollins)
Sung by Red Foley
Courtesy of MCA Records, Inc.
See more »
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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.