# September 30, 1955 (James Dean died) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2025, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-30-1955-james-dean-died/1023531 "2025-09-30T16:30:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-30-1955-james-dean-died/1023531/1 "2025-09-30T16:30:41Z")
James Dean died seventy years ago today. Just thought I’d mention it. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-30-1955-james-dean-died/1023531/2 "2025-09-30T16:32:31Z")
**Rilchiam** , I’m sorry, this is too cryptic of a title for the Cafe. I’m going to add the James Dean part. Did you want to add any sort of tribute to him? ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-30-1955-james-dean-died/1023531/3 "2025-09-30T17:14:20Z")
Yeah, you’re right; thank you. I’d like to post a tribute later, when I’ve had time to reflect. Just wanted to get the thread started now! ETA: I will say, for the record, that the driver of the other car was Donald TurnUPseed. Not TurnIPseed. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-30-1955-james-dean-died/1023531/4 "2025-09-30T19:04:52Z")
I have the opportunity to drive past the accident site several times a year. Attached to a nearby gas station featuring large cut-outs of James Dean are the “James Dean’s Last Stop Nut Shop” and the “East of Eden Fudge” store. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-30-1955-james-dean-died/1023531/5 "2025-09-30T19:35:50Z")
I just want to know why Mr Turnupseed was not vilified by the public in perpetuity. He was at fault in the accident. And the public are a mean and vindictive crowd. Also, if Dean had lived, he’d have aged into Brando. It is up to the reader to say if that is a compliment or not. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-30-1955-james-dean-died/1023531/6 "2025-09-30T20:06:42Z")
Not a fan of Mr. Dean, his movies or the celebrity death cult that grew around him, but he did have some fine taste in automobiles, most especially the Porsche 550 Spyder – one of only 90 ever made – in which he was killed. > **[Death of James Dean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_James_Dean)** > > Hollywood actor James Dean was killed at the age of 24 in an auto accident on September 30, 1955, near Cholame, California. He had previously competed in several auto racing events, and was traveling to a sports car racing competition when he was involved in a car crash at the junction of U.S. Route 466 (later SR 46) and SR 41. > In April 1954, after securing the co-starring role of Cal Trask in East of Eden, James Dean purchased a 1955 Triumph Tiger T110 650 cc motorcycle and, later, a used red... ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2025, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-30-1955-james-dean-died/1023531/7 "2025-10-01T01:04:30Z")
Yeah, that is a mystery. Personal opinion, based on no evidence, is that despite the fact that Turnupseed was at fault, the public perception of Dean might have seemed that he should have been the person at fault. I remember reading someone asked Turnupseed’s son about the accident some years after Turnupseed’s death. The son curtly replied, “I don’t know. I wasn’t there, and Dad never talked about it.” ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2025, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-30-1955-james-dean-died/1023531/8 "2025-10-01T09:34:16Z")
I actually mentioned this (JD’s death) to my wife right around the exact time of the crash, which was approx 5:45pm — 80 years to the day, 80 years to the hour. I’m a fan of his Porsches, both his 1955 356 and his fateful 1955 550 Spyder. About 30 years ago I was passing through Blackwells Corner, CA and stopped for gas. For $1 the gas station sold a photocopy of his speeding ticket he got the day he died. I still have it, somewhere. At least I hope I still do! That was the last autograph he ever signed. He died about 2½ hours later. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2025, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-30-1955-james-dean-died/1023531/9 "2025-10-01T14:26:52Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > 80 years 1. I’m sorry, but this _is_ the 'dope. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2025, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-30-1955-james-dean-died/1023531/10 "2025-10-01T15:26:33Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I’m sorry, but this _is_ the 'dope. Ignorance fought! Or rather, more like, stupidity fought! And believe it or not my degree was a BSci in Applied Mathematics, and I actually did quite well in school. In my defense that was (double checks my maths) nearly 40 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2025, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-30-1955-james-dean-died/1023531/11 "2025-10-01T15:50:52Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > (double checks my maths) I used a calculator, just to be sure. The only 'dope thing worse than acting like a pedant and correcting someone over a minor thing, is being _wrong_ when you correct someone over a minor thing! If Dean survived the crash he’d most likely be dead now anyway. 94! I wonder if he would have had more good films, or simply leveled out into overacting in a lot of average-to-bad films. “James Dean in _The Island of Dr Moreau_” ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-30-1955-james-dean-died/1023531/12 "2025-10-01T16:42:04Z")
Sometimes the best thing a person can ‘do’ for their legendary status is to die, and especially to die very young. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2025, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-30-1955-james-dean-died/1023531/13 "2025-10-01T16:56:07Z")
> [@Dropo](#): > > …most especially the Porsche 550 Spyder… _Along came a Spyder And picked up a rider_ _Took him down the road to eternity_ _James Dean_ _You bought it, sight unseen_ _You were too fast to live_ _Too young to die, bye bye_ –Eagles ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2025, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-30-1955-james-dean-died/1023531/14 "2025-10-01T17:00:04Z")
Don’t think I’d heard that one before. ➜ [James Dean (song) - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Dean_(song)) ■ ➜ [https://youtu.be/tU\_rnam0TJk](https://youtu.be/tU_rnam0TJk) ■ ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2025, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-30-1955-james-dean-died/1023531/15 "2025-10-01T17:02:09Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > _Along came a Spyder > And picked up a rider_ > _Took him down the road to eternity_ There’s a car museum I like, which is really not a formal museum so much as “this is all my stuff, everywhere. Enjoy!” No signs describing anything. Well, sitting next to a bunch of other stuff, was a little silver open top pedal car, that was dented to hell. I asked the owner if it was the “James Dean Memorial Pedal Car.”