[speeder]

He bought the car some time previously to the day he died, but very recently. (Same week, I think). He was too busy working to pick it up until the morning of the fateful drive, IIRC. The day started with him and Rolf W. picking up the car @ Competition Motors on north Vine. The building was still there until about 2 years ago when it was demolished to make way for a large addition to the Russian Orthodox(?) church next door.

They were wrapping up the final shots on "Giant" with Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson, rushing to get it in the can. In the film, certain scenes at the end where Jett Rink, (Dean's character), is drunk at the big banquet and slurring his words were actually dubbed by his good friend Martin Landau because of the difficulty in getting a dead guy to work.

I drive by the New Beverly theatre every day, (a great revival house theatre), Giant was on the marquee last night.