Fans remember James Dean, 50 years on

James Dean fans around the world will be honouring the iconic actor today on the 50th anniversary of his death.

He was killed on September 30, 1955, when his Porsche 550 Spyder collided with another car in Cholame, California.

The 24-year-old road racing enthusiast was on his way to a race meeting at Salinas, also in California.

He had just completed the film Giant, an adaptation of Edna Ferber’s book about Texas.

His first film, East of Eden, put him in the spotlight, and Rebel Without A Cause is regarded as one of the most stylish movies ever.

He has been described as the father of youth cool and youth culture, the forerunner of stars such as Elvis Presley.

Although he died before Presley had his first hit, Dean’s rebellious image has always been associated with rock ’n’ roll and he was idolised by musicians such as Bob Dylan and John Lennon, who once said “without James Dean, the Beatles would never have existed”.

His early death left him frozen in time, like many of the stars who have followed him.