James Dean May Have Appeared In A Western Legend's '50s Comedy Before Stardom

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John Wayne might have been America's cowboy, but as you would expect of an actor so in-demand, his filmography is full of non-Western fare. Some of Wayne's best roles include war movie classics such as "Sands of Iwo Jima" and the forgotten World War II adventure flop that also starred Alan Hale Jr. of "Gilligan's Island" fame, "The Sea Chase." Then, there's something like 1953's "Trouble Along the Way," the trailer for which promised audiences "Wayne's lustiest and laughiest hit."

In actuality, it wasn't that much of a hit. In fact, it became one of the lowest-grossing films of the Duke's career. But that's not a reflection of its quality. "Trouble Along the Way" is a delightful departure from Wayne's Old West adventures that also happens to feature James Dean as an extra — though you'll need an IMAX-sized screen to try to see him.

Dean's biggest films remain 1955's "East of Eden," 1956's "Rebel Without a Cause," and the '50s Western we don't talk about enough, "Giant." Together, these represent the three major James Dean movies, with every other production in his filmography being comparatively small. His acting career began with a role in a 1950 Pepsi commercial, after which he landed small roles in 1951's "Fixed Bayonets!," 1952's "Sailor Beware," and "Has Anybody Seen My Gal." He also appeared in a non-speaking role in 1952's Humphrey Bogart-led "Deadline – U.S.A." The following year, he'd find himself in yet another non-speaking role alongside a screen legend when he stood in as a football spectator in "Trouble Along the Way."

In 1939, after a decade of slumming it in so-called "Poverty Row Westerns," John Wayne was surprised to find himself starring in John Ford's "Stagecoach." By 1953, he was the biggest star in Hollywood. James Dean, meanwhile, was still trying to break through. Having studied at the Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg, he'd made his screen debut courtesy of the Pepsi Corporation and was working his way towards becoming the icon of youthful rebellion we all know him as today. On his way there, he crossed paths with the Duke.

1953's "Trouble Along the Way" is directed by Michael Curtiz, who at this stage was struggling to match the highs of earlier projects such as "The Adventures of Robin Hood" and "Casablanca." Still, his Wayne-led sports comedy remains part of his prolific output for Warner Bros., the studio with which Curtiz made his name before departing as a free agent in 1954.

"Trouble Along the Way" saw him direct the Duke as former college football coach Steve Williams, whose glory days are well behind him. Having become a billiards hall bookie, Williams is given a chance at redemption when Charles Coburn's Father Burke, head of the near-bankrupt St Anthony's College in New York, starts a school football team. Burke hires Williams to lead the team to greatness in the hope that success will guarantee the school remains funded. Meanwhile, Williams' ex-wife Anne McCormick (Marie Windsor) wants to take custody of their daughter, Carole Williams (Sherry Jackson), simply to spite her former husband. To prove to social services worker Alice Singleton (Donna Reed) that he's a good father with a successful career, Williams hires top athletes for the St. Anthony's team, but his plan quickly backfires.

Where is James Dean in the story of John Wayne tricking his way to the top of the college football rankings to maintain custody of his daughter? Well, you'd be hard-pressed to actually find him, as the actor merely served as an extra during one of the football games, spectating from the stands. In fact, despite him appearing in the IMDb cast list, his involvement in the film hasn't actually been confirmed. Even the Turner Classic Movies page on "Trouble Along the Way" only cites "some sources" as claiming Dean appears "briefly as an extra."

That raises the question of whether Wayne and Dean ever did actually collaborate, and it seems there's as much of a question mark here, too. According to a press release, actor Richard Lenz, who starred alongside Wayne in his final Western "The Shootist" in 1976, claimed to have asked the Duke about a rumored Western called "Showdown" which he'd supposedly started filming with Dean. Apparently, Wayne declined to talk about it, and Lenz eventually wrote a thriller, "Impersonators Anonymous," inspired by the allegedly abandoned movie. This particular rumor, however, seems much more unlikely than Dean's appearance in "Trouble Along the Way," as it would take quite a lot to suppress a partially-filmed Western starring two icons of 20th Century cinema.

Ultimately, the only time Dean and the Duke were likely to have crossed paths was on Michael Curtiz's 1953 sports comedy. Two years later, the former would famously pass away after a car crash near Cholame, California. Hollywood lost one of its most exciting young stars, and audiences lost the chance for a proper John Wayne/James Dean team-up.