James Dean

[Jennifer O'Dell]

The curse of "Little Bastard"

Since Dean's death, his Porsche 550 Spyder has been infamous as being the vehicle that killed not only him, but for injuring and killing several others in the years following his death.

Over the years, many people have come to believe that the actor's vehicle and all of its parts were cursed. Legendary Hot Rodder George Barris bought the wreck for $2,500, only to have it slip off its trailer and break a mechanic's leg.

Soon afterwards, Barris sold the engine and drive-train to physicians Troy McHenry and William Eschrid respectively. While racing against each other, the former would be killed instantly when his vehicle spun out of control and crashed into a tree, while the latter would be seriously injured when his vehicle rolled over while going into a curve.

Barris later sold two tires, which malfunctioned as well. The tires, which were unharmed in Dean's accident, blew up simultaneously causing the buyer's automobile to go off the road.

Two young would-be thieves were injured while attempting to steal parts from the car. One tried to steal the steering wheel from the Porsche; his arm ripped open on a piece of jagged metal. Later, another man was injured while trying to steal the bloodstained front seat. This would be the final straw for Barris, who decided to store "Little Bastard" away, but was quickly persuaded by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to loan the wrecked car in a highway safety exhibit.

The first exhibit from the CHP featuring the car ended unsuccessfully, as the garage storing the Spyder went up in flames, destroying everything except the car itself, which suffered almost no damage whatsoever from the fire. The second display, at a Sacramento High School, ended when the car fell, breaking a student's hip. "Little Bastard" also found itself causing trouble while being transported several times. On its way to Salinas, the truck containing the vehicle lost control, causing the driver to fall out, only to be crushed by the Porsche after it fell off the back. On two separate occasions, once on a freeway and again in Oregon, the car came off other trucks, although no injuries were reported, another vehicle's windshield was shattered in Oregon.

Its last use in a CHP exhibit was in 1959. In 1960, when being returned to George Barris in Los Angeles, California, the car mysteriously vanished. It has not been seen since.

[Jennifer O'Dell]

Filmography

•   Fixed Bayonets (1951)
•   Sailor Beware (1952)
•   Deadline - U.S.A. (1952)
•   Has Anybody Seen My Gal? (1952)
•   Trouble Along the Way (1953)
•   East of Eden (1955)
•   Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Stage
Broadway
•   See the Jaguar, (1952)
•   The Immoralist (1954) - based on the book by Andre Gide
Off-Broadway
•   The Metamorphosis (1952) - based on the novella by Franz Kafka
•   The Scarecrow (1954)
•   Women of Trachis (1954) - translation by Ezra Pound
Television
•   Father Peyton's Family Theatre, "Hill Number One" (April 1; Easter Sunday, 1951)
•   The Web, "Sleeping Dogs" (February 20, 1952)
•   Studio One, "Ten Thousand Horses Singing" (March 3, 1952)
•   Lux Video Theater, "The Foggy, Foggy Dew" (March 17, 1952)
•   Kraft Television Theater, "Prologue to Glory" (May 21, 1952)
•   Studio One, "Abraham Lincoln" (May 26, 1952)
•   Hallmark Hall of Fame, "Forgotten Children" (June 2, 1952)
•   The Kate Smith Show, "Hounds of Heaven" (January 15, 1953)
•   Treasury Men In Action, "The Case of the Watchful Dog" (January 29, 1953)
•   You Are There, "The Capture of Jesse James" (February 8, 1953)
•   Danger, "No Room" (April 14, 1953)
•   Treasury Men In Action, "The Case of the Sawed-Off Shotgun" (April 16, 1953)
•   Tales of Tomorrow, "The Evil Within" (May 1, 1953)
•   Campbell Soundstage, "Something For An Empty Briefcase" (July 17, 1953)
•   Studio One Summer Theater, "Sentence of Death" (August 17, 1953)
•   Danger, "Death Is My Neighbor" (August 25, 1953)
•   The Big Story, "Rex Newman, Reporter for the Globe and News" (September 11, 1953)
•   Omnibus, "Glory In Flower" (October 4, 1953)
•   Kraft Television Theater, "Keep Our Honor Bright" (October 14, 1953)
•   Campbell Soundstage, "Life Sentence" (October 16, 1953)
•   Kraft Television Theater, "A Long Time Till Dawn" (November 11, 1953)
•   Armstrong Circle Theater, "The Bells of Cockaigne" (November 17, 1953)
•   Robert Montgomery Presents the Johnson's Wax Program, Harvest (November 23, 1953)
•   Danger, "The Little Women" (March 30, 1954)
•   Philco TV Playhouse, "Run Like A Thief" (September 5, 1954)
•   Danger, "Padlocks" (November 9, 1954)
•   General Electric Theater, "I'm A Fool" (November 14, 1954)
•   General Electric Theater, "The Dark, Dark Hour" (December 12, 1954)
•   U.S. Steel Hour, "The Thief" (January 4, 1955)
•   Lux Video Theatre, "The Life of Emile Zola" (March 10, 1955) - appeared in a promotional interview for East of Eden shown after the program aired
•   Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, "The Unlighted Road" (May 6, 1955)

[Jennifer O'Dell]

[Jennifer O'Dell]

[Jennifer O'Dell]

[Jennifer O'Dell]

[Jennifer O'Dell]

[Jennifer O'Dell]

[Jennifer O'Dell]

[Jennifer O'Dell]

[Jennifer O'Dell]

[Jennifer O'Dell]

[Jennifer O'Dell]

[Jennifer O'Dell]

[Jennifer O'Dell]