Yesterday while having lunch I caught a bit of the classic, Rebel Without A Cause on television. It was in high def so it was great to watch some of it. After about ten minutes I realized how many of the film's stars died tragic deaths at an early age. It's one thing to watch an old movie and realize that the actors have all passed on, but I was really taken aback to realize that four of the movie's actors had died so young and tragically. 
James Dean of course died in a car crash at the age of 24 after having made only 3 pictures - his last being, Giant which oddly enough starred Rock Hudson who also died prematurely from AIDs years later (Dean died near the completion of Giant. Ironically in his last scene in which he gave a drunken speech a voice over was done by his pal Nick Adams one of the cast in Rebel. If you listen close you can hear the voice change). Nice Adams himself died of unknown causes - though many Hollywood insiders believed he was murdered - at the age of 36. Natalie Wood was just 17 when she played opposite Dean in Rebel. She would go on to have a huge career as an actress until she drowned at the age of 43 (though there remains doubt as to exactly how she drowned). The young actor, Sal Mineo who played Dean's simpering pal in Rebel was murdered in Los Angeles, and like Adams was also 36 years old. The crime was never solved.
It all just seemed a little spooky to me and confirmed my choice of being a writer - who is forever poor and without fame - instead of an actor.
Now for some more stuff that happened on this day in History.
Pedro Cabral discovered Brazil in 1500, although the natives who lived there claimed it was never lost.
Author Miguel Cervantes died in Madrid (probably figuring he could never write another book that would top Don Quixote).
The Oklahoma Land Rush began. Nine out of ten lined up at the starting line jumped the gun, and were come to be called Sooners. Those suckers who waited, playing by the rules, became known as Laters, I suppose.
Richard Nixon died of a stroke in 1994 - he was 81 and still muttering he wasn't a crook.
Babe Ruth played in his first pro game as a pitcher and gave up 6 hits and went on to be a fat man on bandy legs who could hit homers like nobody's business.
Today is Arbor Day in Nebraska, Oklahoma Day in Oklahoma, and the birthdays of actor, Jack Nicholson (71) and singer Glen Cambell (72) - combined they are 143 years old - same age as the earth, according to certain religious fanatics.
A poem from my vault:
A Glass of Cold Water
Hold on for a moment while
I watch the war go by, while I
Pull up my socks, while I re-
Assess my plight and wonder
Who my parents were and if
I’ve any right to be here at
All. Hold on for a moment
While sunshine fills the room
And spills upon the bed of
Flowers you’ve chosen to lie
On waiting for me to come
Up from the kitchen with a
Cold glass of water, the birds
Singing love songs to one
Another unafraid of wars so
Far away, and not concerned
At all that I am coming up
The stairs naked except for
My socks and a glass of cold water.
http://www.authorbillbrooks.com/
James Dean of course died in a car crash at the age of 24 after having made only 3 pictures - his last being, Giant which oddly enough starred Rock Hudson who also died prematurely from AIDs years later (Dean died near the completion of Giant. Ironically in his last scene in which he gave a drunken speech a voice over was done by his pal Nick Adams one of the cast in Rebel. If you listen close you can hear the voice change). Nice Adams himself died of unknown causes - though many Hollywood insiders believed he was murdered - at the age of 36. Natalie Wood was just 17 when she played opposite Dean in Rebel. She would go on to have a huge career as an actress until she drowned at the age of 43 (though there remains doubt as to exactly how she drowned). The young actor, Sal Mineo who played Dean's simpering pal in Rebel was murdered in Los Angeles, and like Adams was also 36 years old. The crime was never solved.
It all just seemed a little spooky to me and confirmed my choice of being a writer - who is forever poor and without fame - instead of an actor.
Now for some more stuff that happened on this day in History.
Pedro Cabral discovered Brazil in 1500, although the natives who lived there claimed it was never lost.
Author Miguel Cervantes died in Madrid (probably figuring he could never write another book that would top Don Quixote).
The Oklahoma Land Rush began. Nine out of ten lined up at the starting line jumped the gun, and were come to be called Sooners. Those suckers who waited, playing by the rules, became known as Laters, I suppose.
Richard Nixon died of a stroke in 1994 - he was 81 and still muttering he wasn't a crook.
Babe Ruth played in his first pro game as a pitcher and gave up 6 hits and went on to be a fat man on bandy legs who could hit homers like nobody's business.
Today is Arbor Day in Nebraska, Oklahoma Day in Oklahoma, and the birthdays of actor, Jack Nicholson (71) and singer Glen Cambell (72) - combined they are 143 years old - same age as the earth, according to certain religious fanatics.
A poem from my vault:
A Glass of Cold Water
Hold on for a moment while
I watch the war go by, while I
Pull up my socks, while I re-
Assess my plight and wonder
Who my parents were and if
I’ve any right to be here at
All. Hold on for a moment
While sunshine fills the room
And spills upon the bed of
Flowers you’ve chosen to lie
On waiting for me to come
Up from the kitchen with a
Cold glass of water, the birds
Singing love songs to one
Another unafraid of wars so
Far away, and not concerned
At all that I am coming up
The stairs naked except for
My socks and a glass of cold water.
http://www.authorbillbrooks.com/
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