East of Eden (1955): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
East of Eden is a 1955 drama directed by Elia Kazan, starring James Dean, Richard Davalos and Raymond Massey. It is partly based on East of Eden by John Steinbeck. It runs 1 hour 58 minutes and earned $29,501 worldwide. It won 1 Oscar, including Actress in a Supporting Role, and 2 awards in all. Critics gave it 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and 72 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.8/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 58m (118 min)
- Director
- Elia Kazan
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Warner Bros.
- Based on
- East of Eden by John Steinbeck
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is East of Eden About?
The premise of East of Eden without spoilers, adapted from East of Eden by John Steinbeck. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Based on John Steinbeck's celebrated novel, this story follows Cal Trask, who struggles to earn his father’s approval while his brother Aron enjoys the family’s favor. Seeking validation, Cal embarks on a business venture, but his quest for love and acceptance leads him down a challenging path. As family tensions rise, he becomes entangled in a complex network of relationships, testing the resilience of his family's fragile connections and forcing him to confront difficult truths about himself.
East of Eden Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- love triangle
- sibling rivalry
- teenager
- monterey california
- california
- brothel
- salinas california
- jealousy
- war profiteer
- borrowing money
- ranch
- small town
+38 more Show fewer
- single father
- rancher
- mother son relationship
- military enlistment
- brothel madam
- father son relationship
- brother brother relationship
- absent mother
- based on novel
- world war one
- gift
- ice
- loss of son
- horseback riding
- bible
- garden
- soldier
- tree
- farmer
- scar
- national film registry
- family relationships
- 1910s
- based on the works of john steinbeck
- secret
- family abandonment
- pacifism
- deception
- surprise party
- vandalism
- lettuce
- title based on the bible
- shame
- arthritis
- reading aloud
- ice pick
- humming
- refrigeration
East of Eden Cast
James Dean leads the cast, with Richard Davalos and Raymond Massey. Directed by Elia Kazan; 10 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Elia Kazan
Also Starring in East of Eden
· 6 moreEast of Eden Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave East of Eden 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and 72 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.8/10.
-
IMDb 7.8 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 86% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 90%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 72 Metascore
User score 7.4
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 75% User score
See on TMDB
East of Eden Plot Summary
What happens in East of Eden from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Set in the year 1917, amidst the backdrop of World War I, the story unfolds in the charming coastal town of Salinas, California. The central characters are Cal “Cain” Trask (James Dean) and Aron “Abel” Trask (Richard Davalos), two young men who are the sons of Adam Trask (Raymond Massey), a modest farmer and chairman of the local draft board. While Aron enjoys his father’s favor, Cal feels overshadowed and resentful, struggling with feelings of neglect.
The Trask family operates a farm in the fertile Salinas Valley. Both brothers were led to believe that their mother passed away, but the film opens with Cal discovering that she is very much alive, managing a successful brothel in Monterey. This revelation shakes Cal and fuels his desire to earn his father’s love.
Full summary
The whole story of East of Eden, scene by scene
East of Eden Box Office
East of Eden grossed $29,501 worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$29.5K
- International
- $26.4K
East of Eden Awards & Nominations
East of Eden won 1 Oscar, including Actress in a Supporting Role, and 2 awards in all. Its biggest night was the Oscars 1956, with 1 win from 4 nominations.
2 wins8 nominations4 ceremonies
-
Oscars 1956 1 win · 4 nominations- Won Actress in a Supporting Role – Jo Van Fleet
- Nominated Actor – James Dean
- Nominated Directing – Elia Kazan
- Nominated Writing (Screenplay)
-
Golden Globes 1956 1 win · 1 nomination- Won Best Motion Picture - Drama
-
BAFTA 1956 2 nominations- Nominated Best Film
- Nominated Best Foreign Actor – James Dean
-
DGA Awards 1955 1 nomination- Nominated Feature Film – Elia Kazan
East of Eden Trailers & Videos
5 videos: 1 trailer, 1 teaser, 1 clip and 2 featurettes.
- Teaser 4K Ultra HD Promo
- Clip Trouble At The Fair
- Featurette 'East of Eden' | Critics' Picks | The New York Times
- Featurette Larry Cohen on EAST OF EDEN
How Well Do You Know East of Eden?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who plays the character Cal 'Cain' Trask?
Cars in East of Eden
7 cars on screen, including the 1920 Dodge Brothers Touring and the 1919 Ford Model T.
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1920 Dodge Brothers Touring Minor role -
1919 Ford Model T Minor role -
1916 Franklin Model Six-30 Minor role -
1916 Buick Model D-44 Background role
East of Eden Also Known As
34 alternative titles, including “A l'est d'Eden” and “Na wschód od Edenu”.
- Also known as
-
- A l'est d'Eden
- Na wschód od Edenu
- Al Este del Edén
- 에덴의 동쪽
- Al este del paraíso
- Jenseits von Eden
- Ten oosten van Eden
- На изток от рая
- Vidas Amargas
- Anatolika tis Edem
- Hommiku pool Eedenit
- Öster om Eden
+22 more Show fewer
- 伊甸之东
- 天伦梦境
- À l'est d'Éden
- La valle dell'Eden
- Cennetin Doğusu
- Édentől keletre
- 伊甸园之东
- Na východ od raja
- Ανατολικά της Εδέμ
- К востоку от рая
- A Leste do Paraíso
- קדמת עדן
- Eedenistä itään
- На схід від раю
- エデンの東
- Na východ od ráje
- Øst for Paradis
- 天倫夢覺
- شرق عدن
- A l’est de l’edèn
- Phía Đông Vườn Địa Đàng
- La est de Eden
Seen East of Eden?
Movies Like East of Eden
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including East of Eden, A Piece of Eden and The Grapes of Wrath.
East of Eden FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it and awards of East of Eden, each answered in a sentence.
How long is East of Eden?
East of Eden runs 1 hour 58 minutes (118 minutes).
When was East of Eden released?
East of Eden was released on April 10, 1955.
Who directed East of Eden?
East of Eden was directed by Elia Kazan.
More films by Elia Kazan Who is in the cast of East of Eden?
East of Eden stars James Dean, Richard Davalos and Raymond Massey, among 10 credited actors.
How much did East of Eden make at the box office?
East of Eden grossed $29,501 worldwide.
How is East of Eden rated?
East of Eden has 7.8/10 on IMDb, 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, 72 on Metacritic and 75% on TMDB.
Is East of Eden based on a book?
Yes. East of Eden is partly adapted from East of Eden by John Steinbeck.
What awards did East of Eden win?
East of Eden won 2 awards from 8 nominations, including Actress in a Supporting Role at the Oscars 1956.
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