"Rebel Without A Cause" voted most stylish film of all time

News.Com.AU ^ | May 02, 2003 | staff writer

[yankeedame]

Jimmy's dean of style

May 02, 2003

JAMES Dean's "Rebel Without A Cause" has been voted the most stylish film of all. The 1955 teen movie won most votes in a poll by UCI cinemas in the UK to find the movie with the most memorable outfits.

It beat "Breakfast At Tiffany's", the 1961 classic starring an elegant Audrey Hepburn and dapper George Peppard.

"The Matrix", the futuristic fantasy starring Keanu Reeves, was third.

Others to make the top 10 were this year's Oscar-winning musical "Chicago", the 1977 "Star Wars" epic, the disturbing and violent 1971 classic "A Clockwork Orange" and Hepburn's "My Fair Lady" from 1964.

[yankeedame]

But...but...but...what about those great movies out of the 1930's? Those Fred-and-Ginger "Flying Down to Rio" type of movies? Or those great MGM/Busby Berkley muscials? The actresses in those movies were dressed to the nines!

[9999lakes]

Or what about the Roy Rogers movies? Them was fancy duds.

On the other hand, a few minutes thought on who would be voting in a category of fancy clothes?

[Ken H]

I vote for the girl washing her car in Cool Hand Luke.

Saw that when I was in junior high and couldn't get my mind right for days.

[Scothia]

Sure "Rebel" won. Remember the father wearing the frilly apron? :P

[ubermacht003]

Yea !! And What About Barbara StanWyck !! Any Thing She Wore Became Dressed To The 9ss !! Dressed To The 9ss To Me Would Be Stanwyck In The Big Valley !!

[LJPenney]

Rebel without a cause??? No, no...My vote goes for Grace Kelly in "Rear Window."

[BigBadWolf]

'49 Merc from Rebel Without A Cause

Damn cool car!

[my right]

What in the hell did people see in James Dean that made him such a hollywood icon? how many movies was he in?

I know he died young and stupidly and that bought out the sympathy adoration but I always put him in the same catagory as Marlon Brando, that being, he put enough feeeeling and drammmmma into one scene to make a couple of movies.

[fish hawk]

Hey!! what about "The Birdcage" LOL

[Scothia]

What in the hell did people see in James Dean that made him such a hollywood icon? how many movies was he in?

Well, he was quite good in Giant. I never could figure out what the big deal was about Elvis, either.

[Scothia]

Oh, and I forgot to mention East of Eden.

[JusPasenThru]

Slow news day ping.

[RJCogburn]

Nope.

"True Grit"

[ArcLight]

He made 3 movies, was good in all three, and in his last, Giant, showed signs of developing into an absolutely sensational actor. I can understand the fuss over him.

Elvis, too, though I, like lots of black folks, were brought up to despise him. In fact, I've come to realize that he really was that good, until he corrupted his own talent. The man was a sensational singer.

But here's one that sometimes gets me into trouble. I just don't get the Marilyn Monroe thing. Yep, she was pretty. Yep, she was a good actress. But the ultimate sex symbol? Sorry. That would be Sophia Loren. Marilyn's merely a babe. Sophia was--and is--the love goddess. Hubba Hubba! Owwoooooooh! And so forth...

[Peter Libra]

After fumbling for my password and being welcomed back, I have the opportunity to be a film critic, courtesy of FR. Saw Rebel and now, as exactly the same year birth as Dean,feel I can evaluate it. Problem that it was based on a false premise. (P) We, in a often hostile environment to youth, can only wonder. What a wonderful enviroment was the so-called Rebel born into. Money, a car, at least straight up parents, a comfortable home. What in the tarnation was going on in his stupid mind? (character, not Dean).

It was up to him in such a country as America, to sit down and tell his parents- please let me get on with what I should do. He had all the tools to do this. Such youths had freedom in that environment, such as many, many youths did not. (Self). (P) Rebel? yes, I suppose the title does call it, but what short sighted nonsense. East of Eden was superb. Never forget the scene of the son (Dean) following his newly identified mother and confronting her. We do have an idea of an America that was- ninety years ago or so.

[moyden2000]

I vote for "Dumb and Dumber".

[Action-America]

You must remember that this poll was taken in the UK, where they find things American, like leather jackets and faded jeans, to be much more memorable than the fine fashions that were a part of their own past.  Even though Audrey Hepburn's dresses were much nicer than anything that is in their history, such elaborate dresses were common in England in that period and many photos probably exist of those dresses in English history books and museums, as well as in private collections.  To them, to be memorable, it must be something that they are not already familiar with.  Besides, they couldn't vote for My Fair Lady, in large part, because it effectively makes fun of the British use of their own language.

Personally, any poll about most memorable costumes in a movie, that doesn't place Audrey Hepburn movies in the top 5 places can't be accurate (My Fair Lady, Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Funny Face and Love in the Afternoon come to mind).  Of course, any time Fred Astaire puts on a tuxedo, it's memorable.  I think that the tuxedo never reached its proper potential until Fred Astaire first wore one.  Of course, you can't forget To Catch a Thief and American In Paris, either.  And, any movie that had Edith Head as the costume designer would have to come in near the top (near the top, meaning top 100, since she probably designed for well over 100 movies).

James Dean was cool.  But, nothing about his costumes was either memorable or stylish.

 

[supercat]

But the ultimate sex symbol? Sorry. That would be Sophia Loren.

Not Ann-Margaret?

[my right]

Well, he was quite good in Giant. I never could figure out what the big deal was about Elvis, either.

Elvis's popularity in the movies was due to his talent as a singer and of course his great looks. I think he is a phenomenon that we may never see again. People didn't require him to have acting abilities, most women just wanted to look at him and most men wished that they could be more like him. IMHO!!!

[hellinahandcart]

They've gotta be kidding. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" had more memorable outfits. Sheesh.