Frank Mazzola â A Multi-Talent
Frank Mazzola was an extremely talented actor, technical consultant and film editor. Born in Los Angeles, California, Mazzola started working in films from a very young age. The Hollywood native began his career as a child actor, with parts in films including âThe Hunchback of Notre Dame,â âAlways in My Heart,â âCasablancaâ and âThe Boy with the Green Hair.â However, it was while working as an extra on Elias Kazan's adaptation of John Steinbeck's 1952 novel, âEast of Eden,â that he first came to the attention of director, Nicholas Ray, who cast him in the role of Crunch in the 1955 classic, âRebel Without a Cause,â opposite James Dean and Natalie Wood.
âRebel Without a Cause,â broke new ground in cinema â not least in its portrayal of the moral and philosophical divides rapidly becoming existent between the pre- and post-war generations. These differences would, of course, become the battleground on which the 1960's 'counter-culture' was fought.
Rebel Without a Cause sympathetically views rebellious, American, restless, misunderstood, middle-class youth. The tale of youthful defiance provides an absorbing insight into conformist mid-1950s society from the perspective of the main adolescent male character - a troubled teen with ineffectual parents, who faces a new school environment.
The screenplay (by Stewart Stern from an adaptation by Irving Shulman of an original storyline synopsis by director Nicholas Ray) was based on an actual case study (contained in Dr. Robert Lindner's 1944 factual book, âRebel Without a Cause: The Story of a Criminal Psychopath,â an exploration into the mind of a delinquent, imprisoned teenage psychopath in the post-war years. Other influences include Shakespeare's tragedy, âRomeo and Juliet.â
In addition to playing the character of Crunch, Frank Mazzola provided technical assistance on the film, advising director Nicholas Ray on creating the reality of rebellious teens from middle class families. He assisted Ray in the choosing of the filmâs 1949 Mercury 8 Coupe as well as the iconic red jacket worn by Dean in the film, and even helped stage the knife duel between Dean and Corey Allen.
In 1966, Frank Mazzola began a new career as a film editor. His editorial credits include âMacho Callahan,â âStiletto,â âPerformance,â âThe Hired Handâ and âThe Second Coming of Suzanneâ, âDemon Seedâ, and, âThe Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud.â
Frank Mazzola edited several films of cult director, Donald Cammell, including the widely-acclaimed "director's cut" of Wild Side that was released four years after Cammell's 1996 death.
