Rebel Without a Cause
“The bad boy from a good family.”
After moving to a new town, troublemaking teen Jim Stark is supposed to have a clean slate, although being the new kid in town brings its own problems. While searching for some stability, Stark forms a bond with a disturbed classmate, Plato, and falls for local girl Judy. However, Judy is the girlfriend of neighborhood tough, Buzz. When Buzz violently confronts Jim and challenges him to a drag race, the new kid's real troubles begin.
Your rating
Your review
Cast
43 people
James Dean
Jim Stark
Known for
East of Eden
Giant
Natalie Wood
Judy
Known for
West Side Story
Splendor in the Grass
Sal Mineo
John 'Plato' Crawford
Known for
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
Giant
Jim Backus
Frank Stark
Known for
Gilligan's Island
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol
Ann Doran
Carol Stark
Known for
It! The Terror from Beyond Space
Penny Serenade
Corey Allen
Buzz Gunderson
Known for
Sweet Bird of Youth
Party Girl
William Hopper
Judy's Father
Known for
Perry Mason
20 Million Miles to Earth
Rochelle Hudson
Judy's Mother
Known for
Imitation of Life
Strait-Jacket
Dennis Hopper
Goon
Known for
Speed
Waterworld
Edward Platt
Ray Fremick
Known for
Get Smart
North by Northwest
Steffi Sidney
Mil
Also in
Hold Back Tomorrow
The Hot Angel
Marietta Canty
Crawford Maid
Known for
Father of the Bride
The Spoilers
Nicholas Ray Director · Stewart Stern Screenplay Leonard Rosenman Composer
Worldwide gross $4.5M · Budget $1.5M · United States release October 27, 1955
Box office
Budget
$1,500,000
Worldwide gross
$4,500,000
Gross vs. budget
3.0×
Production
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production · Studio
United States
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
United States · October 26, 1955
Premiere · New York City, New York
United States · October 27, 1955
Theatrical
United States
December 1, 2005 · Limited theatrical · Limited rerelease
September 23, 2018 · Limited theatrical · Fathom Events 2 day re-release
Argentina
March 29, 1956 · Theatrical
Australia
October 25, 1956 · Theatrical
Austria
August 1, 1956 · Theatrical
February 3, 2006 · Theatrical · Re-release
Belgium
December 21, 1956 · Theatrical
Brazil
December 25, 1955 · Theatrical
December 8, 2025 · Limited theatrical · CineSesc ("2x Nicholas Ray")
Canada
November 24, 1955 · Theatrical
China
April 16, 2014 · Premiere · Beijing International Film Festival
Denmark
May 12, 1958 · Theatrical
July 24, 1967 · Theatrical · Re-release
Finland
October 26, 1956 · Theatrical
October 16, 1981 · Theatrical · Re-release
France
March 28, 1956 · Theatrical
November 19, 2003 · Physical · DVD
February 22, 2012 · Theatrical · Re-release
January 8, 2014 · Physical · Blu-ray
April 26, 2023 · Physical · 4K UHD
Germany
March 29, 1956 · Theatrical · West Germany
March 5, 1988 · TV · East Germany
September 29, 2005 · Theatrical · Re-release
Greece
October 20, 1956 · Theatrical
August 7, 2008 · Theatrical · Re-release
July 17, 2025 · Theatrical · Re-Issue
Hong Kong SAR China
March 21, 1957 · Theatrical
December 1, 2005 · Limited theatrical · Re-release
Hungary
July 8, 1982 · Theatrical
Ireland
January 20, 1956 · Theatrical
Israel
July 10, 2014 · Premiere · Jerusalem Film Festival
Italy
February 24, 1956 · Theatrical
November 6, 2014 · Theatrical · Re-release
Japan
April 5, 1956 · Theatrical
Mexico
July 26, 1956 · Theatrical
Netherlands
March 16, 1956 · Theatrical
April 3, 2002 · TV · RTL 5
July 22, 2009 · Physical · DVD
Norway
May 17, 1956 · Theatrical
May 5, 2006 · Theatrical · Re-release
Poland
April 1, 1970 · Theatrical
June 10, 2005 · Physical · DVD
September 19, 2014 · Theatrical · Re-release
Portugal
November 6, 1956 · Theatrical
July 17, 1970 · Theatrical · Re-release
Serbia
March 2, 2011 · Premiere · Belgrade Film Festival
South Africa
June 6, 1956 · Theatrical
South Korea
March 26, 1971 · Theatrical
July 10, 1999 · Theatrical
Spain
February 20, 1964 · Theatrical
January 7, 1984 · TV
Sweden
March 19, 1956 · Theatrical
Switzerland
September 11, 1998 · Limited theatrical · Re-release
Türkiye
November 9, 1956 · Theatrical
United Arab Emirates
July 3, 2000 · Physical · DVD
United Kingdom
January 20, 1956 · Theatrical
Uruguay
May 13, 1957 · Theatrical
More from Nicholas Ray
Other films they directed, best known first.
If you liked Rebel Without a Cause
Picks that share its genres, themes, cast and crew.
Some details come from TheTVDB.