Monument marking James Dean's birthplace to be dedicated

MARION, Ind. (AP) - A black granite monument honoring Indiana-born movie star James Dean's birthplace will be dedicated Wednesday on the 60th anniversary of his death.

The focal point of the memorial in the north-central Indiana city of Marion will be a six-foot-tall monument with images of Dean etched into the front along with an image of the actor's birthplace, The Seven Gables Apartment House.

That apartment house once stood at the site about 60 miles northeast of Indianapolis.

The monument's back will feature a bio of Dean, who died in a Sept. 30, 1955, California car crash at age 24. He appeared in only three movies: "Giant," ''East of Eden" and "Rebel Without a Cause."

Dean is the only actor to receive two posthumous Academy Award nominations, for "East of Eden" and "Giant."