Next year, on September 30, fans in many countries will mark the seventieth anniversary of the death of James Dean, who was killed in an automobile crash in 1955. The legend is undying, based on his three films and the enormous mythology that sprang up from the moment of his death.
He had a large fan base before his untimely end, although nothing to compare with the millions in later years. His ghost became a superstar.
The Hollywood agent for James Dean’s ghost was Maila Nurmi, who, as “horror hostess” of a 1950s Los Angeles TV show, became cult-famous as Vampira. She worked overtime at propagation of the creepy tale that the late actor was somehow a frequent visitor to her otherworldly domain. America, of course, fell for her shtick.
So much for cheap thrills. Now read Leigh W. Rutledge’s level-headed homage to James Dean, which appeared in Mandate in September, 1983.