Search - James Dean - Classic Television Collection on DVD

James Dean in 1950's TV dramas

Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 10/03/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"ALPHA VIDEO's JAMES DEAN: CLASSIC TELEVISION COLLECTION features two hour-length and two half-hour dramas that Dean participated in during the early 1950s. The less-than-great sound and audio quality of these vintage unrestored 16mm prints detracts only a little from some fine performances.

In the religious allegory "Hill Number One," Dean has a minor role (John).
Dean portrays an accused killer in the highly regarded "Sentence of Death." Betsy Palmer is the socialite who believes him innocent.
"I'm a Fool" concerns a young Ohio man (Dean); his lie meant to impress a girl (Natalie Wood) has serious consequences. Adapted from a short story in Sherwood Anderson's "Horses and Men" anthology.
A young stockroom worker (Dean) in "Bells of Cockaigne" has a sick child. He's befriended by the company janitor (Gene Lockhart)-- an older man who dreams of hitting the lottery so he can visit his native Ireland once before dying.


PASSPORT's THE GOLDEN AGE OF TV DRAMA box set features Dean, plus Paul Newman, Jack Palance, Edward G. Robinson, Mickey Rooney and many other stars.


Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website.

(8.6) Sentence of Death ("Studio One") (TV-1953) - Gene Lyons/Betsy Palmer/Ralph Dunn/James Dean
(7.7) Hill Number One ("Family Theatre") (TV-1951) - Roddy MacDowall/William Schallart/Ruth Hussey/Leif Erickson/Jeanne Cagney/Gene Lockhart/Michael Ansara/James Dean
(7.4) I'm A Fool ("General Electric Theater") (TV-1954) - James Dean/Natalie Wood/Roy Glenn/Eve March (Eddie Albert: narrator)
(6.8) The Bells OF Cockaigne ("Armstrong Circle Theatre") (TV-1953) - Gene Lockhart/James Dean/Vaughn Taylor/Tige Andrews"

TV Gold

Mark A. Smiddy | Benton, Kentucky United States | 03/25/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These are great little gems that show James Dean working his craft in the budding new medium of Television. I'm glad to add this to the all too small collection of James Dean's works."