# Who was/is the "James Dean" of other decades?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-is-the-james-dean-of-other-decades/649244>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 3, 2013, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-is-the-james-dean-of-other-decades/649244 "2013-02-03T18:58:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-is-the-james-dean-of-other-decades/649244/21 "2013-02-04T16:49:40Z")

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If I had to pick one celebrity who was the symbol of the 1950s it would be Elvis Presley. Others on the short list would be James Dean and Marilyn Monroe.

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**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-is-the-james-dean-of-other-decades/649244/22 "2013-02-04T17:33:39Z")

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'40’s - John Garfield anti-hero in most roles, great actor, died relatively young

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-is-the-james-dean-of-other-decades/649244/23 "2013-02-08T03:00:59Z")

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Rather than starting a Happy Birthday thread I’ll just mention that [James Dean](http://www.biography.com/people/james-dean-9268866) would have been 82 tomorrow (Feb/8).

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