James Dean Home - New York City

James Dean's home is on West 68th Street in New York City.  He lived in a small, top floor apartment from late 1953 until April 1954.  From 1951 to 1953 Dean had been mainly acting in televesion programs and working on his acting skills at the prestigious Actors Studio.  While living here he found his big break.  Director Elia Kazan was scouting for an actor to play the role of Cal Trask in his upcoming production of East of Eden when screenwriter Paul Osborn suggested Dean.  The young actor met with the approval of Kazan and the novel's author John Steinbeck and was cast in the role.  He left in April of 1954 for Hollywood and movie stardom.  He kept his Upper West Side apartment and last visited here in January 1955 before returning to California, where he was killed in an automobile accident on September 30 of that same year.

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