Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, . Over the years, the film has achieved landmark status for the acting of cultural icon James Dean, fresh from his Academy Award nominated role in East of Eden and who died before the film's release, his most celebrated role. In 1990, Rebel Without a Cause was added to the preserved films of the United States Library of Congress's National Film Registry as being deemed "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant." The story of a rebellious teenager who disobeys his parents, and defies the local school bullies portrayed the moral decay of American youth. The title was adopted from psychiatrist Robert M. Lindner's 1944 book, Rebel Without a Cause: The Hypnoanalysis of a Criminal Psychopath. The film itself, however, does not reference Lindner's book in any way. Warner Bros. released the film on October 27, 1955, less than one month after Dean's fatal...