Crazy Man Crazy: 1953
Bill Haley and His Comets’ “Crazy Man Crazy” also came out in 1953, entering the Billboard Pop Chart in June. It was featured in the “Glory in the Flower” episode of the TV series “Omnibus,” which starred James Dean as an angry juvenile delinquent out on bail after being arrested on a marijuana charge. He’s much more criminal-minded than the James Stark character he would later play in “Rebel Without a Cause.” The owner of the cafe in which the teleplay is set throws him out for spiking Cokes with alcohol. The show begins with the jukebox playing “Crazy Man, Crazy,” much like Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” would later kick off the film “Blackboard Jungle.” James Dean is the first jitterbugger out on the dance floor. (IMDB)