James Dean's Red Sweater. A favorite of Dean's, this heavy-knit red sweater was worn by the screen legend while he was a str...

Description

James Dean's Red Sweater. A favorite of Dean's, this heavy-knit red sweater was worn by the screen legend while he was a struggling actor in New York. He had borrowed it one night from a tavern owner a few months earlier, and inadvertently left it at the home of actor and acquaintance John Gilmore during a visit in February 1954. At the time, Dean was performing in The Immoralist and testing for East of Eden. Earlier, in November 1953, Dean had worn the sweater to rehearsals for an episode of the television anthology series Armstrong Circle Theatre, where he used it to cause trouble by keeping it bunched over his lower face while delivering his lines, much to director James Sheldon's consternation. The sweater is in Excellent, like-new condition, due primarily to having been kept in storage for many years. Also included is a signed two-page letter from Gilmore to James Dean Gallery archivist David Loehr, dated July 19, 1991, detailing the history of the garment. From the James Dean Museum archive.

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