Director Nicholas Ray was lucky to have a talented composer create an original score for Rebel Without A Cause. Leonard Rosenman was born in 1924 and studied music in New York and Europe. His work as a film composer and arranger is very traditional, and has been regarded by some music critics as "insignificant." However, Rosenman received Academy Awards and Oscar nominations for his work. Along with film scores, Rosenman wrote theme music and scores for numerous television shows. The score in Rebel Without A Cause is much like another film starring James Dean, East of Eden.

The sounds and music in this film are very realistic, and to the point. There is not anything abstract or out of place, and everything is very appropriate. The sound effects in the film are diegetic (sounds that the actors can hear), with the score being nondiegetic (sounds that the actors cannot...