‘Rebel’ Screenwriter Dies At 81

Irving Shulman, who captured a generation’s angst and aimlessness in his screenplay for “Rebel Without a Cause,” is dead at age 81.

The writer died at his home Thursday after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease, his wife, Julia, said Monday.

Shulman’s 1955 script for “Rebel,” based on his novel “Children of the Dark,” provided the role that made the young James Dean a cult idol.

Shulman’s credits include more than 15 published novels and three biographies: “Harlow: An Intimate Biography” in 1964, “Valentino” in 1967 and “Jackie: The Exploitation of a First Lady” in 1970.