Is it Peter Lee Lawrence or Dean Reed?
Maybe they both qualify so we have more than one SW James Dean?
Are there perhaps even more candidates?
Here’s a teen idol for you, but he didn’t die young. But then, nor did Dean Reed.
Edd Byrnes
Dean Reed is crazy 
And I have to say it again. I really like PLL and I like his movies better than Reed’s, so I go for PLL. But why do we compare to James Dean?
[quote=“Silvanito, post:1, topic:792”]Is it Peter Lee Lawrence or Dean Reed?
Maybe they both qualify so we have more than one SW James Dean?
Are there perhaps even more candidates?
[/quote]
PETER LEE LAWRENCE 45 - 74 Leading man of 17 SWs, Talented, Heroic GREAT
My NUMBER 1 Choice.
KILLER CALIBER 32 67, KILLER ADIOS 68 , DAYS OF VIOLENCE 68 , GARRINGO 69
DEAN REED 38 - 86 Leading Man/Singer. Excellent Sws/films/songs
My Number 2 Choice.
HIS LIFE IS MINE 66 , BUCKAROO 67 , SARANDA 70 , ADIOS SABATA 71
There is nobody in SWs who could be compared to James Dean. SWs don’t have James Dean like roles, and they don’t require these Actor’s Studios like acting.
No of course not, but they were charismatic or at least good-looking leading men who had premature deaths, just like Dean.
Kung fu-star Bruce Lee was also compared to Dean in this way, and he became a legend after his death.
Lawrence and Reed may not be legends today, but still cult-favourites maybe? 
I have to DISAGREE 100% because I have seen the 3 James Dean Films and 100s of SWS
In MY OPINION I would NOT RATE the 3 James Dean Films even at the level of a
Demofilo Fidani “routine Sws” and I would take the Fidani SWs 99 times out of 100. :o
James Dean created a “rebel” and “wild man” sort of image that people have said makes him an “idol”. ??? 
Many other people who are wiser, older, experienced have seen Dean
as a bad influence on young people because of Dean’s irresponsible condoning
attitude to alcohol/drugs/reckless living and life in general. :
As a young person myself I AGREE with the wiser/older/experienced view and I was
extremely bored, annoyed, dismayed by the 3 tedious, never ending J.Dean dramas.
-
East Of Eden 55 A almost 2 hour constipated drama from Steinbeck. 5 out 20
-
Rebel Without A Cause 56 A tolerable/mild drama with Sal Mineo. 6 out of 20
3, Giant 56 A sprawling yawner of 200 Minutes, Texas drama ??? 6.5 out 20
I was not impressed with James Dean’s “acting style” , which was at best Ok but
preferred SAL MINEO (a real legend who died young), NATALIE WOOD (lovely girl)
and ROCK HUDSON (always a fantastic actor in Westerns/Thrillers/TV Series).
Therefore this James Dean for me DOES NOT rate or match ANY of the GREAT SW stars
I don’t think becoming an icon (rather than an idol) had something to do with his acting abilities, nor with him being an exemplary person or not.
James Dean became one of the three most instantly recognisable icons of popular culture, along with Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe. I think James Dean was a passable young actor, no more, no less. I’m not an expert on his life, but as far as I know his lifestyle was far from exemplary. His early death made him, in the eyes of many, a ‘poète maudit’ (doomed poet) like Rimbaud and Baudelaire were in the 19th Century: they were first of all seen as tragic representatives of a new kind of art, like Dean a century later. Whether this popular culture will be as enduring as Rimbaud’s and Baudelaire’s poetry, is a completely different question.
The only SW ‘icon’ comparable to Dean/Elvis/Marilyn is probably the Man with No Name (rather than Eastwood) : the cigar smokin’ man with the poncho an instantly recognisable image, representing a new kind of style in cinema. If Eastwood would’ve died in '66, shortly after completing GBU, the person/actor could’ve become an icon. But instead it was the character who died and became the icon.
Very interesting analysis on Icons and Poets ;D
I would totally agree about ELVIS PRESLEY (The King) Rip :
/ CLINT EASTWOOD
Good, The Bad And The Ugly 1966, The Character of “Man With No Name” is LEGEND.
In my mind CLINT EASTWOOD is probably the most world wide idolised/liked Movie Star.
The High quality/Acting of Clint Eastwood’s Films 63 to 1977 confirms his idol status.
I note the point about an early death also, this always adds to the “icon” part of it.