MARLON BRANDO: THE WILD ONE

The entire review could be summed up in a sentence: “This film created an image and a lifestyle that yet endures.” Yes, the image of a young Brando sitting on his Triumph motorcycle, dressed in a black leather jacket, tilted cap and a stolen trophy attached at the headlamp, is certainly one that literally everyone has seen at least once. Some of you still live that image today!

- 

This film arguably started the biker exploitation explosion in this reviewer’s eyes, and set the tone for hundreds of “B” movie skirt riders that are still being spawned as we speak. Released in 1953, The Wild One was based on a short story The Cyclists’ Raid by Frank Rooney which was published in Harper’s magazine in 1951. Rooney’s story was inspired by the Life magazine expose dubbed “The Hollister riot” published in July 21, 1947, after the famed ‘motorcycle weekend’ on July 4th. Curiously, that event is still celebrated in Hollister to this day! Further research will show that this piece was not as well accepted as some of Marlon Brando’s other work, such as Streetcar Named Desire, and the film was actually banned in the UK for 14 years! What is Johnny rebelling against? “What have you got?” The story starts out when Brando, starring as Johnny Strabler, and his gang the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club roll into a small Midwestern town and interrupt a motorcycle race being held there. A member of the BRMC steals a trophy, and presents it to Johnny who is the president of the gang in a show of respect. This trophy will become a focal point in the rest of the film, as it was not ‘won’ in actual competition, but ‘won’ by the ‘club’ as a spoil of confrontation. Johnny never