The Curse of “Little Bastard”
At 5:45p.m., September 30th 1955 Actor James Dean lost his life in a car accident. His new Porsche Spider, nicknamed “Little Bastard” slammed head-on into another car driven by Donald Turnupseed.
Dean's mechanic, who had been in the car with Dean, was thrown from the wreckage and survived the accident, Dean, however, was pinned inside the car, his neck broken.
Turnupseed received only minor injuries in the crash.
The car had been named “Little Bastard” after Dean's nickname given to him on the set of the movie he was filming named “Giant”.
Some of Dean's friends didn’t like the car straight away upon seeing it, Eartha Kitt stated: “James, I don't like this car; it's going to kill you”
Sir Alec Guinness thought the car was “sinister” when asked by Dean what he thought of it, and thought Dean would be “dead within the week” of owning it.
Had these comments influenced Dean to think he may die in the car? Prior to his death, Dean gave away a kitten given to him by Liz Taylor, saying “someday I may go out and not come back” and whilst filming a commercial for the National Safety Council, Dean ad-libbed his script, from “please drive safely. The life you save may be your own” to “the life you save may be mine”
Barris had a feeling there was something bad about the car when he first bought it, his suspicions were confirmed when, during a race at the Pomona Fair Grounds on October 24, 1956, two cars which had parts in them from “Little Bastard” crashed.
The first car, driven by Troy McHenry went out of control after the engine stalled, the car slammed into a tree killing the driver on impact.
The second car, driven by William Eschrid, locked up suddenly as he went into a corner. Flipping the car, Eschrid was seriously injured but survived the accident.
Further events caused Barris to believe the car was cursed, two tires from the car simultaneously malfunctioned, causing accidents. A young man attempted to steal the steering wheel from the wreck and seriously gashed his arm on the jagged metal of the car, and another man was hurt trying to steal a bloodied seat
The California Highway Patrol convinced Barris to loan them the car wreck to take around to schools and fairs for a road safety exhibition.
In March 1959, the wreckage was taken to Fresno to be stored, a fire broke out in the garage and destroyed the garage, incinerating everything, except for James Dean's Car.
Not long after the car was on display in a Sacramento High School, which happened to be the anniversary of Dean's accident, the bolts holding the car in place snapped and the car came of its
Later it was reported that a truck carrying the car to Salinas lost control,, the driver was thrown from the truck, and was lucky to survive the fall, only to them have the wreckage of the car come off the trailer and land on him killing him instantly.
The car is reported to have come off the back of a truck on at least two other occasions.
Whilst on display in New Orleans, the Little Bastard wreckage is reported to have spontaneously split into 5 pieces
In 1960, the car's tour ended. Barris had the vehicle loaded onto a boxcar in Florida and sealed shut. Then it was transported via train back to California. When the train arrived in L.A., the seal was still intact, yet the car had vanished and has not been seen since.
There are many who speculate the car wasn't cursed, but that James Dean himself was cursed. Television “Vampira” Maila Nurmi, was a close friend of Dean's, some people speculate that after Dean and Nurmi's friendship fell apart, Nurmi, who is said to have been involved in occult practices, cursed Dean.
Another theory involves Dean himself, an avid explorer of occult practices bringing a curse upon himself, along with this theory comes the fact that the people James Dean called his “True Friends” Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo and Nick Adams all died under tragic circumstances themselves, was James Deans curse extended to his friends also?
Was it all just coincidence, or is “Little Bastard” a truly cursed item?
Will we ever know?
The car has not been seen since 1960 a reward for its return, no questions asked, was posted on the 50th anniversary of James Dean's death; howeve,r no one came forward to claim the reward.
Written & Researched
By
Allen Tiller
originally published
© 2012 Eidolon Paranormal
www.eidolonparanormal.com.au
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