Here’s a screen test of 23-year-old Brando trying out for the lead in Rebel Without a Cause. Brando is always working. For better or worse, the guy never stopped. His performances are filled with textures and grays because so much material seems to be streaming through his mind. Even here, where he clearly doesn’t have complete control of his moment to moment intentions. Sometimes he doesn’t even appear to playing the scene in his head, occasionally fidgeting or wandering off. Nonetheless, it comes off as real. The Rebel role was eventually made iconic by James Dean, whose doe-eyed good looks and cool maturity trapped in the body of a wispy late teen were a perfect match for the material. Obviously, Brando was moving to a different current than Dean that perhaps brought too much consideration to each adolescent word. Not to mention that Brando’s bulky shoulders, pouting cheeks, and fading hairline add years to a guy already too old for the part. It’s worth noting that Brando won the Oscar for On the Waterfront in 1955, the same year Rebel Without a Cause would be released.