The Wild One (1953)

Two rival motorcycle gangs terrorize a small town after one of their leaders is thrown in jail.

Director:

Laslo Benedek

Writers:

John Paxton (screenplay), Frank Rooney (based on a story by)

Stars:

Marlon Brando, Mary Murphy, Robert Keith

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Marlon Brando	...	Johnny Strabler
Mary Murphy	...	Kathie Bleeker
Robert Keith	...	Sheriff Harry Bleeker
Lee Marvin	...	Chino
Jay C. Flippen	...	Sheriff Stew Singer
Peggy Maley	...	Mildred
Hugh Sanders	...	Charlie Thomas
Ray Teal	...	Frank Bleeker
John Brown	...	Bill Hannegan
Will Wright	...	Art Kleiner
Robert Osterloh	...	Ben
William Vedder	...	Jimmy
Yvonne Doughty	...	Britches

Storyline

Cop-hating Johnny Strabler is recounting the fateful events that led up to the "whole mess" as he calls it, his role in the mess and whether he could have stopped it from happening. The Black Rebels, a motorcycle gang of which Johnny is the leader, cause a ruckus using intimidation wherever they go, with their actions bordering on the unlawful. On the day of the mess, they invade a motorcycle racing event, at which they cause a general disturbance culminating with one of the gang members stealing a second place trophy to give to Johnny. Despite not being the larger winning trophy, it symbolizes to Johnny his leadership within the group. Their next stop is a small town where their disturbance and intimidation tactics continue. Some in town don't mind their arrival as long as they spend money. Harry Bleeker, the local sheriff, doesn't much like them but is so ineffective and weak that he doesn't do anything to stop them, much to the annoyance of some of the other townsfolk, who see the ...

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Plot Keywords:

1950s | gang | motorcycle | small town | motorcycle gang | 

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Taglines:

That "Streetcar" man has a new desire!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

February 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hot Blood

Filming Locations:

Conejo Valley, Thousand Oaks, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Stanley Kramer Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the first film in which the manufacturer's logo on motorcycles was not blanked out. Johnson Motors, which imported Triumphs into the US, protested at its product being linked with Marlon Brando and his Black Rebels, but the association served them well.

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Goofs

Obvious stunt double for Johnny when he and Chino are fighting - his hair changes from short and blond to longer and black.

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Quotes

[watching Johnny and Chino fight]
Charlie Thomas: What are they fighting about?
Jimmy: Don't know. Don't know themselves, probably.

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Connections

Referenced in Mischief (1985)

User Reviews

Marlon Brando is awesome!

The movies I've saw with Marlon Brando have always sparked emotion in me. His movies like Down on the Water Front and now The Wild One. A viewer might watch this movie and think it has no plot. However I believe the plot of this movie is is the character Johnny Strabler (Marlon Brando. It's not about the motorcycle or the destruction they cause or the vigilante citizens. Its really about getting into the psyche of Johnny Strabler. I love movies that really dig deep into character development and this movie does.

After I finished watching this movie I felt I knew Johnny. I don't think he really had ever been loved, so he never learned to express love. In the movie he expressed love the only way he knew, that was through physical interation. He had a heart harden by a lot of pain and lies. I thought I saw a tear in his eye a few times. He truly just didn't know how to express emotion. But the gesture he showed at the end was the closet he'd ever get to saying, I love you.

A very romantic movie...