In East of Eden, the 24-year-old idol-to-be James Dean  plays Cal, a wayward Salinas Valley youth who, along with his competitive brother Aron (Richard Davalos), vies for the affection of his hardened father (Raymond Massey), making for a tragic Cain and Abel story.

Playing off the haunting sensitivity of Julie Harris, Dean’s performance earned one of the film’s four Academy Award nominations, which included stellar performances throughout, including that of Jo Van Fleet who won the Oscar as Best Supporting Actress.

This QUAD Essentials screening will feature an introduction from film historian Darrell Buxton and a post-film discussion.