'The Dark, Dark Hours': Rare 1954 Video Of Ronald Reagan And James Dean REVEALED

On Wednesday, a rare video surfaced capturing astonishing footage of conservative idol Ronald Reagan and legendary actor James Dean.

The newly uncovered video of "The Dark, Dark Hours," an episode of the General Electric Theater series, has not been seen since it was broadcasted live from Hollywood on December 12, 1954.

The Atlantic's John Meroney reports on how the footage of Reagan and Dean was discovered:

No one has seen this episode in the decades since; the kinescope has been locked away, until now. My friend Wayne Federman, a writer for NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, unearthed the broadcast, condensing it from its original 23 minutes (without commercials) into the six-minute version you see below. (Federman is planning a retrospective of Reagan's television career for next year's Reagan centennial.)

The scene below captures Reagan before his rise to political superstardom, playing the role of a doctor defending his family from the ominous teenage figure played by Dean.

Via The Atlantic, here's a six-minute condensed version of the 23-minute original "The Dark, Dark Hours."