The face of the late James Dean, a movie star who came to symbolize the restlessness of youth, is imprinted on 300 million postage stamps that went on sale this week.
Before his death in 1955, native Hoosier James Byron Dean left a legacy of three feature films: "East of Eden," "Rebel Without a Cause" and "Giant." Dean died in a car accident in 1955, shortly after completing the latter film.Warner Bros. Studio Stores, including one inside Fashion Place Mall in Murray, held celebrations Monday to honor the "dean of cool." Postal Service personnel attended to apply a special James Dean postmark at each sale. The 300 million stamps, which depict the actor in front of foreboding skies, went on sale at more than 40,000 post offices nationwide.
Sheets of the Dean stamps are available at all post offices in Utah and other states. The James Dean stamp folio, the first-day postmark and a commemorative poster featuring the stamp art with a block of four stamps affixed, are only available at the Salt Lake Main Post Office, 1760 W. 2100 South, and at six postal stores in Utah, said Brian Sperry of the U.S. Postal Service in Denver.
The James Dean stamp is the second in the "Legends of Hollywood" series, which showcases individuals who have made a major impact on the development of American films. The Marilyn Monroe stamp, released last June, was the first in the series. For more information, call 1-800-STAMP24.