Customer Reviews (1)

Great book for the Dean fan!
A nice collection of James Dean's quotes thru the years (before his death). Read all about James Dean's outlook on: Romance, Acting, Cars & Bikes, Death & Glory, himself and lots more! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

A Review of The Master and the Dean
"Consistently intelligent, thoroughly researched, gracefully written.... This is an excellent study, probably the definitive study of the criticism of James and Howells."
--John W. Crowley, author of The Dean of American Letters: The Late Career of William Dean Howells ... Read more

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There have been many books written on the Hollywood legend, James Dean, but never before have we had a chance to hear from the real Jimmy Dean. Now, for the first time, Dean speaks in his own words as he is channeled through Patricia A. Leone, a long-time admirer of the motion picture star and metaphysical practitioner. James Dean/ The Lost Memoirs is an incredibly realistic look into Dean's life, transporting the reader to another place and time. As you read each entry in his journal you become closer than ever before to the man behind the legend. Five decades ago this farm boy took the world by storm, and the fascination with Dean continues to this very day. Now, through this book, we are privy not only to this legendary actor's own words, but also his own most private and innermost thoughts. He writes with intensity about his insecurity concerning acting, his stormy relationship with Pier Angeli, his broken heart over the death of his mother, his constant flirtation with death, and encounters with Hollywood stars like Marilyn Monroe, Shelly Winters, Rock Hudson, Martin Landau, Elizabeth Taylor and Sal Mineo. He also divulges intimate details about others who had the opportunity to be called his friends. The author, in a remarkable series of channeled sessions with Dean that were conducted over the course of several months, was able to break through to the other side and give Dean this opportunity on the 50th anniversary of his death to share with us his own epilogue to his life. It is the real and intimate side of Jimmy Dean, one that has never been presented to the public before. This remarkable book is must reading for Dean fans. It is written in journal form just as the star, himself, might have written it, and it includes his thoughts, memories, and and opinions beginning with the death of his mother at age nine until the day just before his fatal automobile accident on September 30, 1955. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Nothing metaphysical here...
Being interested in James Dean and also the paranormal I have wanted to read this book for sometime.I recently had the opportunity and must say I was not at all impressed.There is no new or original information here that can't be found in the many bio's that have already been written about the late actor. In fact the wording of the "channeled" information is very similar to to the already written word of these bio's.Oddly, the timeline of the events and significate people in Dean's life were so "off" that it was laughable!The 2 positive reviews are most likely friends..note they were posted on the same day!There had been no reviews for years which was one of the reasons I hesitated buying this book. Again, nothing new, original or metaphysical here...just more nonsense!

A Personal Encounter With the Author
I was the person fortunate enough to be in the room when the author went into a deep trance in order to contact James Dean -- and I was there for subsequent channeling sessions as well.

Let me tell you something, I am a skeptic -- which comes from years of having worked for various newspapers across the country.But my skepticism ended on those evenings when I witnessed with my very own eyes this young woman transform not only in features -- but also in voice -- into that of a male spirit who was none other than Dean.I can also say that the atmosphere in the room seemed to change during these channeling sessions -- there was an other-worldly feeling all about me.

So if you really want to know about James Dean's life -- from the original source -- I can only recommendthat you read this remarkable book.

An Incredible Channeling of James Dean
This book is mind-boggling.The author has contacted the spirit of James Dean and, wow, does he have a lot to say -- about Marilyn, Rock, Sal Mineo and many others he interfaced with during his acting career --thoughts and opinions that can not be found in any other book about this late, great actor.It's eerie how Patricia A. Leone during her channeling session captures the tone and cadence of Dean, and how much information comes through.If you're into spirit contact, Hollywood celebrities, and behind-the-scenes goings on never before revealed, then this book is for you.A great and fascinating read.Edita

A MOTORCYCLE Accident?
I don't think your channeling was working correctly if you believe he was killed while riding a motorcycle.

Does the name PORSCHE SPYDER ring a bell?

You could have saved countless hours of channeling by picking up a newspaper to read the accident details. ... Read more

Product Description
Though he appeared in only six films, James Dean is still frequently discussed some 30 years after his death in an accident at the age of 24. This book provides full production information, plot synopses, review excerpts, and critical commentary for Dean's roles in Fixed Bayonets (1951), Sailor Beware (1951), Has Anybody Seen My Gal? (1952), East of Eden (1955), Rebel Without a Cause (1955), and Giant (1956). It also details his stage, radio, and television work, and includes an extensive annotated bibliography. ... Read more

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They called him America's first teenager. James Deanstarred in just three films, but his death at 24 made him an icon ofthe rebellious youth culture that he had symbolized in "Rebel Withouta Cause." This biography explores the myth that build up around a trueacting genius, and unravels the truth behind it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good, but lacking.
I concur with the other reviewer on most points stated. It's an easy, simple read, and unobtrusive mentally as well as physically. However...I feel that some subjects ARE danced around, rather than dealt with. Issues of sex/sexuality are, at best, skimmed. I have no interest in minute by minute detailing of sexual encounters. But to bypass whole realms of sexual exploration of such a dynamic young man is unfair to the curious reader. I also disagree with the notion that this IS OK for a first time reader. I'm of the mind that your first venture into someones life (especially Dean!) should be commited and enlightening. Here you will find little more than could be learned from a 30 minute t.v. blurb on Dean. I voraciously consume all Dean bios, hence I bought this regardless of my suspicions (and later confirmations) about its shortcomings. I 'liked' the book, but can see no REAL NEED for this book in a serious collection. It's fantastic for someone doing an essay or report on Dean-it might even make them a true fan. But please buy a book that will not only draw you in completely, but leave you with a full knowledge of all sides of James Dean. Buy "Little Boy Lost" by Joe Hyams,"James Dean-Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Paul Alexander, and "James Dean-Mutant King" by David Dalton. These are of a worthy caliber to display proudly in a personal collection of LITERATURE.

Short and to the Point: James Dean by William Hall
The editor describes the Sutton Pocket Biographies as "Highly readable brief lives of those who have played a significant part in history, and whose contributions still influence contemporary culture".This phrase neatly summarizes "James Dean" by William Hall very well.

It is a short book, about 100 small pages.Almost 50 years since his death, James Dean still has a substantial influence on contemporary culture.The book covers the principal facts and chronology of James Dean's short life.There is no whitewashing of gay issues, no unsubstantiated unsavory speculations and no new material.As such it is a useful and inexpensive book for someone who wants "Just give me the facts, m'am".It is a useful introduction to the life of James Dean if this is the first biography that you are reading.True die-hard fans will want more. ... Read more

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A must for any fan of the charismatic star of Rebel Without a Cause and East of Eden, this nostalgic biography looks at the near-mythical actor whose life was tragically cut short at age twenty-four. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

James Dean by Bill Bast
Excellent book written by someone who knew him well (also a movie based on it)Great product to own!

A Seminal Work
In November 1951, Bill Bast was a fellow theater arts student with James Dean at UCLA. When Dean was booted out of his college fraternity, he proposed to Bast that they rent an apartment together, which they soon did.A friendship developed which lasted until Dean's death. Bast's book is a sensitive memoir of Dean, was the first book published about the actor, and has been a vital source for other biographers since then. ... Read more

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A Hollywood Curse?

Los Angeles newspaper columnist Neil Gulliver and his ex-wife Stevie Marriner, the "sex queen of the soaps," uncover a pattern in the supposed accidental deaths of movie icon James Dean's Rebel Without a Cause co-stars Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo and Nick Adams. Were they and others associated with Dean, in fact, murdered? Was Dean's tragic death in a fiery highway crash forty-five years ago also no accident, or is it possible that--as millions of his fans continue to believe--James Dean survived the crash and is still alive today?

Neil and Stevie escape threats on their own lives while tracking those answers and a solution to a series of new murders on a trail that takes them over the same death route the star drove in his Porsche and, finally, to hisboyhood home in Fairmount, Indiana, where nothing is as it seems about James Dean, not the truth and, for certain, not the lies. But--which is which?Amazon.com Review
The James Dean Affair may not be an affair to remember, but it's a pleasant enough romp through a contemporary Los Angeles that's even morehaunted by ghosts of movie stars than you already think it is. The plot ofthe story turns on a James Dean impersonator--or is he the real thing?--whoshows up at a party marking the release of the James Dean commemorative stamp. This impersonator kills one Nico Mercouri, who is one more link inthe chain of bizarre deaths visited upon costars of Mr. Dean, includingNatalie Wood and Sal Mineo. So reasons the detective team of Neil Gulliver,an L.A. Daily columnist, and Stevie Marriner, an aging but sexy soapopera queen. Ex-spouses and best friends (anything's possible in fiction,right?), they set out on a goose chase around the Southland, hunting downthe true identity of the killer and getting into enough scrapes to fill a1950s B movie.

It's their pal Augie, AKA Brother Kalman, a one-eyed Brother of the Orderof the Rhyming Heart, who first sets them thinking that the Dean look-alikemay be the real McCoy. "I'm sent packing to Santa Catalina to find Jesusand instead I find Jimmy Dean," he declares over doughnuts at Fred's 62, a'50s diner. "The man has been dead for going on 30 years, yet herehe is, and now I know the truth: Santa Catalina is heaven." Part heroworship, part talk-show confessional, The James Dean Affair rompsthrough a pop culture mausoleum with gleeful abandon. Robert Levinson has mixed in references to many '50s movies and sprinkled The Great Gatsby overthe top for a little temporal texture. (In the course of hearing aboutpudgy, preteen Stevie's rape--an episode that is tonally dissonant with therest of the novel--we learn she named her imaginary friends Zelda, Daisy,and Jordan.)

The meager plot of The James Dean Affair gets a big kick out of theSecond Amendment: Neil and Stevie pack heat, and without those weapons,thrills would be scarce, along the lines ofI-remember-Nat-during-her-Miracle-on-34th-Street-days. But nomatter. Too much nostalgia, too many characters, and way too many carchases only make for a fairly likable if fluffy regional mystery thatshould appeal to fans of Hollywood glam. --Kathi Inman Berens ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Campy Nostalgia Interspaced with Violence
I enjoyed The Elvis and Marilyn Affair because of its interesting insights into the relationship between those two icons.Always having been fascinated with James Dean, naturally I looked forward to new insights from this book.Having only found a few pages like that, I was disappointed.If that's your reason for wanting to read this book, I suggest you go elsewhere.

Having committed to the book, I found that The James Dean Affair turns out to be a fantasy along the lines of Elvis still being alive . . . except this James Dean isn't anyone you'd want to meet.If you are a James Dean fan, you may actually find this story to be offensive.

If you decide to take the whole story with tongue in cheek, the book is an average satirical comedy about Hollywood.I'll review the book from that perspective.

Since James Dean died, his fellow actors haven't fared much better.Is it a curse?Or is someone out to get them?That's the book's premise.

The premise is defined when sexy soap opera star Stephanie ("Stevie") Marriner invites her ex-husband, Los Angeles columnist, Neil Gulliver, to a post office event to launch a new James Dean commemorative stamp.A murderous James Dean look-alike terrorizes the celebrities there and kills another actor from the Dean films.To smoke out the murderer, Neil writes an incendiary column about Dean that he doesn't intend to publish . . . but his nemesis editor, the Spider Woman, does so anyway.With a death threat on the voice mail, bullets are soon whizzing around Neil and Stevie.

As in The Elvis and Marilyn Affair, the couple finds more comfort in one another in the face of danger than they did during the last days of their kaput marriage.Much of the ironical humor comes from the development of their "can't live with each other, can't live without each other" relationship.

Much of the humor in the book is undercut by the extreme violence in the story.It's mostly pretty grisly and frightening, but it's annoying rather than compelling.

As for nostalgia, I enjoyed thinking about Rebel without a Cause and Giant again, as well as James Dean, Nick Adams, Sal Mineo, Natalie Wood, Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando.That was the most rewarding part of the book.

Be sure to heed this last piece of advice.Unless you really love this book, skip The John Lennon Affair (the next in the series) and go on to Hot Paint instead.Everything that's not to like in this book is even less lovable in The John Lennon Affair.

not worth the time
I thought the book was truley horrible. Although the summery seems exiting the book is terribly dull and makes James Dean out as a phsyco murderer.
Save your money, I wish i had

Not bad
While reading this novel, I found it intensifying. It had few flaws (such as the fact that the story would have been better off if it was based on a fictional Hollywood star rather than James Dean). However, it is funny, witty, and most of all thrilling. Everyones entitled to there own opinion however. But to me it is a pretty great book.

Please, No Sequel
"The James Dean Affair" is awful -- truly awful.Let me count the ways:

1) The plot is contrived.Its premise that James Dean is apparently alive and well and psychotic with a family of demented and murderous offspring home-based in Fairmount, Indiana is too preposterous to cause even dimwit readers to suspend their collective belief.Mr. Levinson tries to spice this tepid mess with frequent red herring climaxes and idiotic sidebars, such as a robery-rape attempt and a subsequent chase scene which have little bearing on anything, though the scene does give Stevie, the female protagonist, an opportunity to talk a bit slutty and titillate the reader.

2) In general, the prose is flat and repetitive.Mr. Levinson attempts to drape his deadwood in tinsel with frequent figures of speech which are supposed to convey showbiz glitz and glitter.For example, there is, "My heart was doing a rumba," and two or three pages later, "...my heart and head pounding like a drum duet by Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich."Oh please!

3)The stars of the show, Stevie and Neil, who are, of course, supposed to recall Nick and Nora Charles, are totally unappealing, as they hash and rehash the terms of their long-term dysfunctional relationship.Their IQs seem to be somewhere in the vicinity of 85 or 90, and they banter and coo in the most annoying ways.Their exchanges are filled with non-sequiturs and imbecilic illogic.In real life, I'd hate to do lunch with them.

4)The female lead, Stevie, is particularly loathsome.She's supposed to be a smart, independent woman, but throughout most of the novel she continually shows herself as totally vain, utterly stupid, and desperately clinging.In short, she's a real bimbo.Her quick wit is demonstrated early in the novel when, in a stoke of true Hollywood genius, she whips out her knockers in order to prevent further mayhem at a murder scene. Good thinking!One of her most annoying habits is her frequent mewing of the word "Daddy" to her paramour Neil.It appears that his bleating is supposed to indicate her need to be protected by her guy -- a very subtle psychological touch.

5) And, finally there is the obviously irritating intent of the novel to produce a sequel -- whether there is a demand or not.Maybe, Dennis Hopper will surface in the next one.He was conspicuously absent from the Dean clan's "A" list of film cronies-in-need-of-killing.Please spare Mr. Hopper the indignity.

Decent Follow-Up
I've read all three books in this series, and while this is not my favorite of the three, it is still a far better read than much of what attempts to pass for reading material in today's throw-it-together publishing world.

Stevie and Neil remain fun, and the never ending action kept me turning the pages so that I wouldn't have to go to sleep without finding out what really happened.

You'll want to know too, I think, and like all series with developing characters it is a lot of fun to get to know them from the beginning. ... Read more