James Dean plays nouveau oil barron Jett Rink in George Stevens’ all American epic. A sprawling saga of family conflict and social consciousness set in rural Texas amidst the economic geyser that was the dawn of the age of oil.

When Texas cattle rancher Bick Benedict (Rock Hudson) and his strong-willed wife Leslie (Elizabeth Taylor) return to Texas, it’s amidst changing times as the industry he loves is gradually deteriorating in the face of a new economic giant- oil prospecting. Jett Rink (Dean), a sullen-farm hand working on Bick’s ranch, is dirt-poor and barely educated, doing little to hide the oozing resentment he holds for Bick. When tragic circumstances lead to Jett inheriting a tiny piece of land of his own on Bick’s ranch, he refuses to sell it back, deciding instead to use it to prospect for oil. And when the black gold begins to flow Jett finds himself tapping into a wealth beyond both his own and Bick’s imagination. So begins an underlying feud that will span generations as Rink’s increasingly tough, restless, and reckless animal charm, tycoon magnetism and determination to get his own way, rubs awkwardly against Bick’s desire to hold onto the farming traditions he holds dear. Things get further complicated when Jett’s underlying love for Leslie goes unrequited and the bubbling issues of identity and pride start to come to the fore.

This was the last of Dean‘s three leading roles, and showcases his real artistry, revealing a man who took his craft seriously. Breaking free from the chains of his troubled teen persona to give a glimpse, albeit fleetingly, of a new Dean; one with fire in his belly and a performance brimming with promise for a future now unkown. Oh to wonder where that particular path might have led to.

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