James Dean Postage Stamps – Legends Of Hollywood Part I Of II

Many stamp collectors will agree that the Legends of Hollywood series that was issued by the United States Postal Service was one of the best series of all times. The stamps depicted fantastic Hollywood icons of years past that have put their lasting mark on the television and film industry.

James Byron Dean was born on February 8, 1931 in Marion, Indiana. He spent his early childhood in Fairmont, Indiana and then Santa Monica, California. After his Mother’s death from Cancer when Dean was just 9 years old, he was sent back to Indiana to live on a farm with his fathers relatives. It was in Indiana that he completed his schooling and was bitten by the acting bug. Dean eventually moved back to California and tried his hand at acting. Getting nowhere, he moved to New York City and became a stage performer. It was not long before Hollywood came calling and his fate as a legend was sealed.

Handsome and talented, James Dean is one of the faces that you will see in the Legends of Hollywood series. He made three films in his very short Hollywood career. “East of Eden”, “Rebel Without a Cause”, and “Giant”, are to his credit. East of Eden was the only film that was released while James Dean was alive. He received a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his efforts in the film. His other two films were released after his death and he also received posthumous nominations.

Please check back on Wednesday for the conclusion to this post.