While there’s no question Dean ensued a great deal of
torment in his personal life, in part accountable to his poor relationship with
his father, the loss of his mom at a tender nine years of age, not to mention
the disallowance to marry the love of his life because of belief differences, if
it weren’t for THREE distinct breaks he was handed, I can assure you that at
least TWO of the aforementioned terms would have NEVER come to be associated
with his namesake…nor would the posthumous
Academy Award nominations.
As told by the film, after being disowned and ejected by his
pops for dropping out of business school, break
numero uno came when Dean set up an informal meeting with broadway-acclaimed
actor James Whitmore. Despite having no money to pay for tuition nor formal training
beyond appearing in minor roles for his highschool’s drama club, Whitmore, then
the headmaster of a prestigious acting academy, took Dean under his wing
concluding that those who aspire to be “great” rarely come from fortunate
social situations.
Break two: wishing
to pursue in the footsteps of his idol, Marlon Brando, Dean submitted himself
for roster consideration to the acting agency famed for representing the former.
While the agency’s frontrunner felt that Dean’s unconventional character (ie:
he refused to audition for anything other than lead roles) and
free-spiritedness (ie: he smoke, drank, and made a habit of street racing)
could make him a potential risk to their reputation, the individual granted
with “second-in-command” status willingly (AND successfully) took on Dean as a
side project, in her spare time, for which she did NOT receive any compensation
from the company.
Finally, and most importantly…When offered the opportunity to
audition for a key role in the play, “The Immoralist”, which would prove to be
instrumental in both launching him onto the big screen and landing him an
exclusive contract with premier movie studio, Warner Brothers, Dean initially
showed up unprepared and with broken glasses (due to a drunken haze the night
prior) which prevented him from being able to read the script.
Taking an inexplicable liking to
Dean, the lead casting director offered him up $10 to have his specs replaced,
and instructed him to return later that afternoon for a “do over”. Dean, instead,
used the money to eat and memorized the script by running lines with the food
vendor. Hours later, Dean waltzed back into the theatre and nailed the part.
When asked why his glasses remained cracked, Dean begrudgingly admitted to
using the money for grub. As for the casting director’s reaction to the “slap
in the face” his generosity had just received? He was nothing more than amused!
Now, I’m reciting this tale to you all in hopes of
demonstrating something very important
about the entertainment industry: just how much it has changed in the past
60 or so years…and I’m NOT just talking technology (though it plays a major
part).
Anyone who has attempted to single-handedly work themselves
from the bottom up in this biz is all too acquainted with the reality that you
can only get so far, without having an “in.” While this is old news, the
expression “no unsolicited materials” is something entirely new, and said
expression already is or will become the nemesis of any true contemporary aspiring
talent.
Agreed, because of reality T.V., because of Youtube, because
of the emphasis on celebrity culture, because of the ever-expanding plethora of
social networking sites AND even more largely because of enabling technology,
everyone from my neighbour’s grandma to “the crazy cat lady” has somehow
convinced themselves they are worthy of their “15 minutes of fame.” While I
believe that ALL persons of the world do have something to offer, whether big
or small, I do NOT believe that everyone is equipped with the same abilities.
In a nutshell, leave “the arts” to those who have proven themselves “artists”.
Given this “over-saturation”, I understand the necessity and
desire on the part of industry representatives to choose to exclusively work
with fellow companies and individuals who’ve proven themselves in the past.
However, as they say, “without risk, there’s no reward”. Don’t kid yourself,
economics, anymore, play a major role in this “decision-making process”.
What I’m trying to get at is this: the difference between
was happened with Dean (someone unquestionably worthy of his acclaim) and the
reality of our current industry can be summated by a simple comparison between
his talent/originality and that which is brought to the table by the popstar
currently “in vogue” who’s been allotted iconic status who is, in reality,
nothing more than a mere amalgamation of the most controversial aspects of
Alice Cooper & Madonna…minus the talent. In another nutshell, marketability
(and who you’re either sleeping or doing lines with) has come to supersede all
else.
Find me contemporary society’s on-screen equivalents of the
brooding, yet suave Humphrey Bogart and the sexy without letting it all
hang-out Lauren Bacall. Show me a current songwriter who deserves to be
recognized among the likes of Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin or Otis Redding. Show me
a television program that is able to compel its audiences without having to
rely on massive CGI explosions, petty drama, digital enhancements, explicit
scenes of “viewer discretion” and the like. Oh wait, you CAN’T…and if you can, I bet my bottom dollar the talents
responsible for delivering said real, genuine, and admirable ability likely
struggle to get representation.
