James Dean Memorial

Cholame, California

When actor James Dean was killed in a car accident on September 30, 1955, Hollywood lost one of its most promising talents. Although he was only 24 years old at the time of his death, and had only completed three motion pictures (Rebel Without A Cause, East Of Eden, and Giant), the performances in those movies have made him an immortal legend. This simple stainless steel monument, displaying the dates of Dean's birth and death, is located near the site of the accident, in the town of Cholame in central California.

Below is a photo of the actual location of the fatal crash, at the intersection of Highway 46 (formerly Highway 466) and Highway 41, about 1 mile east of Cholame. This intersection is now officially designated The James Dean Memorial Junction. Dean's sports car was traveling in the direction we are looking (west); he collided almost head-on with a truck that had crossed into his lane while turning left onto Highway 41, as the car in this photo is doing (since 1955, the road alignment has been changed, moving it a few hundred feet north and making it much safer for turns).

Directions: Memorial is in the town of Cholame, on north side of Highway 41 opposite the post office.

Last visited: August 1998.

Standard disclaimer: Sites are described for entertainment purposes only, as they were at the time of my last visit. I can not vouch for the current condition of the site or its accessibility.