MovieChat Forums > Rebel Without a Cause (1955) Discussion > platos socks

platos socks

posted 12 years ago by zyggums
10 replies | jump to latest

Platos socks are revealed to be one in red and one in blue. The exact same shades as jimmys jacket and jeans. Do you suppose plato wasn't having "a nervous day" and it was on purpose. A type of nod to jimmy?

[–] novastar_6 12 years ago

Actually when they did that shoot, Sal Mineo had actually accidentally put on two different colored socks and hadn't realized it.

[–] zyggums 12 years ago

And then they let it show on camera and wrote extra dialog all about it because?

[–] novastar_6 12 years ago

Well it's possible that when Sal showed up on the set they noticed it and decided to add something about it. It was mentioned in either The Making of Rebel Without a Cause by Douglas L. Rathgeb, or in Live Fast, Die Young: The Wild Ride of Making Rebel Without a Cause by Lawrence Frascella, I don't remember which. But whichever one it was also explained that the candelabra Plato used had a wire running through his jacket to light it, and that when everybody was doing their shocked expressions for the race crash, that they actually saw one of the test A-bombs going off in the distance from Operation Teapot.

[–] catcreswell 11 years ago

Interesting trivia. I've never seen an atom bomb explosion in real life, it must have been quite a shock.

[–] sarah-103 9 years ago

And then they let it show on camera and wrote extra dialog all about it because?

They didn't have to write dialogue. Method actors are known for improvisation. The director and editors must have liked the improve, and didn't see a reason to go to wardrobe, find new socks, and reshoot the scene.

"Forget reality, give me a picture"-Remington Steele

[–] pathfinder616 12 years ago

No. (wardrobe malfunction aside.)

Jim doesn't appear in the infamous red jacket until leaving the house for the big 'chickie' race showdown. since we only see Jim in casual sport coats (police station, arrival at first day of school and planetarium) Plato could not even know Jim has a red jacket, so why would Plato wear socks in Jim's honor?

the jacket theme seems to be a subconscious plot tool. Plato never seems to have a jacket. Jim always does and offers it to Plato on several occasions, the first time being in the police station when they first talk.

Jim is fashion minded. Buzz's gang points this out at the planetarium while planning their 'take-down' of the new kid who has eyes for Judy.

then ultimately at the conclusion, Plato finally accepts the red jacket. Jim is seen without a jacket for the first time.

"We deal in lead, friend."

[–] lubin-freddy 12 years ago

Having watched the film today (with my film students), I thought about this. It's possible (and also could be over-thinking and putting too much into it), that it represents his sexuality. Red in the film is clearly sexual (Judy's dress, Jim's jacket), and here we could see Plato's confused sexuality, with one sock red.

People hungry for the voice of god
Hear lunatics and liars

[–] willjohn 9 years ago

Maybe he wanted to prove he had more than one pair of socks.

[–] moosefeathers 9 years ago

Mineo put them on accidently and Dean improvised.

Swing away, Merrill....Merrill, swing away...

[–] london777 8 years ago

I think it is very practical to have socks of different colors, especially if one is bit absent-minded (like me) or confused (like Plato). Then you know which sock to put on which foot and do not put the left sock on the right foot and vice versa.