18 yr old James Dean in a photo booth---I wonder if anyone ever imagined this lad would become a teen cult hero

[Lars]

http://www.retronaut.co/2012/07/18-y...to-booth-1949/

[Fartacus]

I visited his grave in Fairmount, IN, while in college. The news reported Henry Fonda's death and, for some reason, I felt it was imperative that I gather a bunch of my fraternity brothers together and make a pilgrimage to James Dean's grave.

None of us had ever seen a James Dean film before, but his posters were all over campus and he epitomized cool, especially in the 50's-worshipping 80's. Plus he was buried within driving distance. Summer classes were winding down and a road trip seemed like a spiffing good idea.

We bought booze (as drinking and driving was still the custom in those days) and tootled off, repeatedly singing "Jack and Diane" (Jackie sits back/ collects his thoughts for a moment/ scratches his head and does his best James Dean).

We got to Fairmount and asked a cop for directions. As was the custom in those days, he ignored the fact of half a dozen drunken frat boys (some under legal drinking age) in a motor vehicle and sighed, rolled his eyes, and said "Follow me." He gave us a police escort to James Dean's grave and left.

Once there, it was unclear what to do next.

I fumbled for some words, then poured my beer on his grave, as was NOT the custom in those days, but has since become the custom in gangsta society. We milled about for a few minutes and concluded that the passing of Henry Fonda had been sufficiently mourned.

The trip back to campus wasn't as boisterous as the trip out, as we were all deeply moved by the experience and, in some cases, passed out. There may have been hamburgers involved at some point.

And that's my James Dean story.

[Feather]

I fumbled for some words, then poured my beer on his grave, as was NOT the custom in those days, but has since become the custom in gangsta society.

I didn't know it was a custom for any group. When I friend was murdered he was buried in a small cemetary close to his folks. His friends would go out there and drink a beer, talk about John and pour a beer on his grave. When my BIL died and after the service we all went back to their house and someone poured a warm beer on Larry's favorite spot to sit by his garage and drink warm beer. His saying was real men drink warm beer.

[NowVoyager]

Well pouring a beer, warm or cold on a friends grave is just a way of including them in your thoughts....... Sharing a last pint with them, so to speak.

Of course family lore has it that some of my kinsmen had a slightly different take on.

It involved filtering the beer through their kidneys first

[Feather]

A friend had a neighbor that caused so many problems to her and her family. After the neighbor died, friend went and poured her filtered tea on the grave and then danced on it. She was very happy that the grave was shielded by trees.