THE WILD ONE
Inspired by an incident in 1947 when a group of 4,000 motorcyclists celebrated the Fourth of July by invading a small California town, Hungarian-born director László Benedek's era-defining THE WILD ONE became the progenitor of the outlaw biker flick, stirring up a wave of controversy upon its release, including an effective ban in the UK, where the British Board of Film Censors refused a certificate for public exhibition due to its depictions of gang culture and hooliganism. Marlon Brando scorches the screen as Johnny, the film's titular "wild one" and leader of a vicious biker gang, which descends into an assault on a sleepy California town to wreak havoc just for kicks. In his now-iconic leather jacket, rolled-up Levi's, biker boots and peaked cap, Johnny seems hell-bent on destruction until he falls for Kathie (Mary Murphy), a good girl whose father (Robert Keith) happens to be a cop. Unfortunately for the young biker, his one shot at redemption is threatened by a psychotic rival, Chino (Lee Marvin), plus the hostility and prejudice of the townspeople. Produced by Oscar®-nominated producer and director Stanley Kramer (THE DEFIANT ONES, GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER), who was later renowned for tackling controversial, pointed material in his work, THE WILD ONE came to represent the era's anxiety around teenage delinquency and youthful rebellion, inspiring a whole genre that would continue to do the same. DIR László Benedek; SCR John Paxton, from the short story "Cyclists' Raid" by Frank Rooney; PROD Stanley Kramer. U.S., 1953, b&w, 79 min. NOT RATED
Also part of Fabulous ‘50s.
AFI Member passes accepted.
Run Time: 79 Minutes
Opening Date: Friday, March 29, 2024
Genre: Crime drama
