Natalie Wood in ‘Rebel Without a Cause’

Natalie Wood (in yellow coat) clings to James Dean in a scene from the 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause. The film, a sort of Breakfast Club with car racing, explored the teen angst and terrible parenting habits of the 1950s. There is death and unhappiness before a marginally happy ending. The film made stars out of Natalie Wood and James Dean; she was nominated for an Academy Award as best supporting actress. Born in 1938, Natalie Wood turned 17 the year that Rebel Without a Cause was released; James Dean, born in 1931, turned 24.