Before Gilligan's Island, Jim Backus Gave An Acting Masterclass In A James Dean Drama

Nicholas Ray's 1955 drama "Rebel Without a Cause" might be one of the most celebrated films in Hollywood history. Its star, James Dean, possessed so much screen presence and was so preternaturally talented that the public immediately gathered around him, understanding that he was destined to become a cinematic icon. It certainly didn't hurt that he was devastatingly good-looking. Dean's first leading role came in Elia Kazan's family epic "East of Eden," an Oscar darling par excellence, nominated for four Academy Awards. Dean was nominated for Best Actor. 

But "Rebel Without a Cause" made Dean mythic. In the film, he played the disaffected Jim Stark, the teenage son of the square, non-sympathetic Frank (Jim Backus) and Carol (Ann Doran). Jim begins the film in juvie, having been arrested for being intoxicated in public. The rest of the film sees Jim Stark trying to find his place in the, well, stark world of 1950s Los Angeles high schools, finding an ersatz family in the arms of Judy (Natalie Wood) and with the admiration of the most-certainly-queer Plato (Sal Mineo). Everyone gives great performances in the film, with each undergirded by a sense of sadness and desperation, including Jim Backus, who emerges as a determined yet somewhat pathetic father figure. This was almost a decade before Backus landed the comedy role of Mr. Howell on "Gilligan's Island."

"Rebel Without a Cause" shot into the Hollywood canon thanks to the untimely death of James Dean. It hit theaters on October 27, 1955, whereas Dean, only 24 at the time, was killed in a car crash on September 30. The intersection of Route 46 and Route 41 in California, the approximate site of his death, was renamed the James Dean Memorial Junction in his honor. 

"Rebel Without a Cause" was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Supporting Actress (Natalie Wood), Best Supporting Actor (Sal Mineo), and Best Director. It lost all three. It should have been nominated for more and won them all. Jim Backus, in particular, was overlooked, as he gives a great, nuanced, sad performance as Frank Stark, Jim's dad. Frank and Carol are always bickering, which makes it seem as though Jim is being wholly neglected. Frank, at the very least, isn't much of an inspiring parent, and Jim thinks he's ridiculous. 

There is a notable scene about a third of the way into the film in which Jim comes home to find Frank doing housework. He wears his usual gray suit, but has his wife's yellow apron on over it. Director Nicholas Ray and cinematographer Ernest Haller filmed Frank on his hands and knees, seen through the slats of a railing. It looks like Frank is in prison. Jim laughs at Frank, feeling he looks ridiculous. Jim Backus returns his comments with a wave of utter defeat. He is sad at being insulted and has no palpable response. One can see his heart ripping in half. It's a small moment, but it defines the relationship between father and son. 

Later, Jim will confess to being involved in a terrible accident. Jim pleads for his father to stand up for him, but Frank, sticking with his resolute sense of stuffy morals, refuses to do so. Do not confront anyone, Frank feels. It's at that moment that Jim and Frank's relationship reaches a complete impasse. Jim knows that his parents are not in his corner.

There is a solid implication that Frank is weak because he had an overbearing mother, who, we see in the movie, is played by Virginia Brissac. At the end of the movie, there is a notorious standoff at the Griffith Observatory, and something very violent happens. After the violence, Frank actually brings Jim in close and vows to be a better father. One can see a miniature sequel to "Rebel Without a Cause" that is just about healing. The slain character's family will mourn, and Jim and Frank will learn, awkwardly and perhaps with only limited success, how to be a better family. Frank has just as much growing up to do as Jim. 

Jim Backus and James Dean should both have been nominated for competitive Oscars for "Rebel Without a Cause." Backus was perhaps better known for his comedy performances, so it was a surprise to see him play such a richly pathetic character.

It wouldn't be for another nine years that Backus would secure his role as Mr. Howell in "Gilligan's Island." That series was broad and wacky, and all the characters were broad archetypes. Backus was kind of the biggest celebrity to join the cast. Mr. Howell was a rich man out of touch with the world, but in an amusing way; he saw being lost on a tropical island as an opportunity to laze around and sip on homemade cocktails. Mr. Howell never quite put together that his wealth was useless. It's a testament to Jim Backus' talent that he could play both parts so well. Backus passed away in 1989 at the age of 76. It's wild to think that he was only 42 in "Rebel Without a Cause."