James Dean and Ursula Andress on a Date
A kiss from an icon with one month to live.
Chris Wild
1955
One month after these pictures were taken, James Dean was dead at the age of 24. He had made three memorable films - "East of Eden," "Rebel Without a Cause" and "Giant." Only one - "East of Eden" - had been released while he was alive. When he met Ursula Andress in 1955, she was just 19, and was dating Marlon Brando.
The occasion captured in these pictures was the Thalian Ball, Aug. 29, at Ciro's nightclub, Los Angeles. "The Thalians" - named after the Greek goddess of comedy - were a group of young actors tired of the negative media portrayal of Hollywood film-stars. The group included Nicky Blair, Bill Brown Jr., Milton Cohen, Gary Crosby, Kim Dibbs, Bill & Nori Gold, Jack Haley Jr., Mac Krim, Hugh O' Brian, Bob Petersen and Margaret Whiting. Their inaugural meeting was at Jayne Mansfield's Pink Palace, in Beverly Hills in May 1955.
To redress the balance, the Thalians started a charity to raise money for children with mental health problems, holding a series of balls and parties which became very popular amongst Hollywood luminaries. Their name was based on that of Thalia the Greek Goddess of comedy.
During the production of "Giant,' Warner Brothers became so concerned about Dean's love for fast cars, racing and speed that the company barred Dean from all racing for the duration of the project.
On Oct. 1, Dean was scheduled to compete at a race in Salinas, Calif. The day before, he decided to drive his new Porsche to the race. Late in the afternoon, while driving at high speed, Dean collided almost head-on into another car. He was pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby hospital.
Eight years later, Ursula Andress strode out of the surf as shell-diver Honey Rider wearing an iconic white bikini, in the first James Bond film, "Dr No." She would later appear in movies with Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
The bikini made me into a success - Ursula Andress
In 2005, "Giant" was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."