I recently got this nifty little book on eBay, James Dean in Mendocino: The Filming of East of Eden, compiled and edited by Mendocino historian Bruce Levene. It documents the time spent by director Elia Kazan, Dean, and the other cast and crew members shooting key scenes for the film in Mendocino, California (standing in for Salinas and Monterey) during the spring of 1954.

It was a big event for the little town, and the local newspapers gave it plenty of coverage. However, the papers never seemed to get Timothy’s name right.

There are lots of great candid behind-the-scenes shots in the book, including this one (the only one featuring Tim) that I’m sure we’re all familiar with.

Several locals had some unique remembrances to share.

All in all, this is a wonderful slice of film and California history, and a welcome addition to “the Carey file.” For Timothy’s own account of his and Dean’s adventures in Mendocino, please see this post.