East of Eden (film) Although set in early 20th century Monterey, California, much of the film was actually shot on location in Mendocino, California. Some scenes were filmed in the Salinas Valley. Of the three films in which James Dean played the male lead, this is the only one to have been released during his lifetime and the only one Dean personally viewed in its entirety. The film, along with "Rebel Without a Cause" and "Giant", has been named by the American Film Institute as one of the best 400 American films of all time. In 2016, the film was selected for preservation in
Rebel Without a Cause Hypnoanalysis of a Criminal Psychopath". The film, however, does not make any references to Lindner's book in any way. Warner Bros. released the film on October 27, 1955. Over the years, the film has achieved landmark status for the acting of cultural icon Dean, fresh from his Oscar nominated role in "East of Eden" and who died before the film's release, in his most celebrated role. This was the only film during Dean's lifetime in which he received top billing. In 1990, "Rebel Without a Cause" was added to the Library of Congress's National Film Registry as being deemed "culturally,