James Dean and Pier Angeli ?

Question

Why is their love considered a tragic. I've never known the story and I'm curious to know. I prefer in someone's own words, their own knowledge of their love story.

♥

Answer 1

Yes, the two of them were supposed to have been in love and, it was rumored, wanted to marry. Pier's parents did not approve, so she married the "right" man.

People repeat a story that could be true: James Dean was seen near the church crying.

Pier committed suicide, but I don't recall how long afterward this was. I was a little girl at the time, but I recall reading and hearing things in the years that followed. I don't think that it was close to his death.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~...

Here's some of what IMDb has:

She dated James Dean while he was filming "East of Eden" (1955). Reportedly, they were very much in love and wanted to marry, but her mother was against the union because of Dean's behavior and helped arrange Pier's marriage to Vic Damone {{a popular singer at the time}}. Three years before she died, the National Inquirer magazine published an interview in which Pier would have said that Dean was the only man she had ever really loved. {{She divorced Damone in 1958.}}

After a handful of films between 1966 and 1970, Pier realized her dreams of superstardom were not to be. She had divorced her second husband (Armando Trovajoli) in 1969 and made her final appearance on the screen in 1971 in the low-budget sci-fi opus "Octaman" (1971). On September 10 of that year, Pier was found dead of a barbiturate overdose in her Beverly Hills home. She was 39 years old.

By the way, she has a twin sister~actress Marisa Pavan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~...

NOTE: So, it seems that I recalled the basics, plus that oft-repeated story about Dean, whether that's true or not. I can remember it appearing in movie magazines.

It should be noted that Pier might have been a young widow, as James Dean was killed in an auto accident September 30, 1955. Two of his three major films were released posthumously: "East of Eden" and "Giant"; he was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for each of these roles. The only lead role people had seen prior to his death was "Rebel Without a Cause".

EDIT: I have to correct the above statement, which is one I've always heard. I just checked, and "Rebel Without a Cause" was released October 25, 1955, meaning that all three were released after his death! So, it's amazing that he became an American icon.