Jimmy Dean aged 30 years onscreen before he died young off it, his rancher Jett Rink going from deadbeat kid to greying, oil-rich millionaire in three hours plus.

Dean dyed his hair but the acting’s no gimmickry: just look at his hard-drinking tycoon, harried by demons and love for Liz Taylor. On-set he couldn’t be tamed by George Stevens, yet he electrified the screen.

“He’s like a magnet,” said the director. “You watch him. Even when he’s not doing anything, you watch him and not the others.”

Greatest Moment: Covered in oil and beating up Rock Hudson.

Also See: Jim Stark (Rebel Without A Cause).