The Wild One

Duration:

79 min

Genres:

Drama

IMDB rate:

6.9

Director:

Laslo Benedek

Details

Country: USA

Filming Locations: Conejo Valley, Thousand Oaks, California, USA

Earnings

Gross: ITL 2,500,000 (Italy) ( 1970)

Cast

Actor

Character

Kathleen O'Malley

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

Del Tenney

Wally Albright

Cyclist (uncredited)

Chris Alcaide

Deputy (uncredited)

Don Anderson

Stinger (uncredited)

Robert Anderson

Policeman (uncredited)

Robert Bice

Wilson (uncredited)

Nicky Blair

One of Chino's Boys (uncredited)

Norman Budd

One of Chino's Boys (uncredited)

Timothy Carey

Chino's Boy #1 (uncredited)

Charles Cirillo

Bee Bop (uncredited)

Keith Clarke

Gringo (uncredited)

Jim Connell

Boxer (uncredited)

Ted Cooper

Racer (uncredited)

Dude Criswell

Cyclist (uncredited)

George Dockstader

Cyclist (uncredited)

John Doucette

Sage Valley Race Official (uncredited)

Darren Dublin

Dinky (uncredited)

Richard Farnsworth

(uncredited)

Don Fera

Cyclist (uncredited)

Jack Gargan

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Sam Gilman

Deputy (uncredited)

Frank Hagney

Official (uncredited)

Joe Haworth

One of Chino's Boys (uncredited)

Pepe Hern

One of Chino's Boys (uncredited)

Harry Landers

GoGo (uncredited)

Eve March

Dorothy - Telephone Operator (uncredited)

Patrick Miller

Deputy (uncredited)

Mort Mills

Deputy (uncredited)

Alvy Moore

Pigeon (uncredited)

Mary Newton

Mrs. Thomas (uncredited)

Pat O'Malley

Sawyer (uncredited)

Jerry Paris

Dextro (uncredited)

Eugene Peterson

Crazy (uncredited)

K.L. Smith

One of Chino's Boys (uncredited)

Angela Stevens

Betty (uncredited)

Gil Stratton

Mouse (uncredited)

Jerry Sullivan

Spectator Cyclist (uncredited)

John Tarangelo

Red (uncredited)

Bruno VeSota

Simmonds

Danny Welton

Bee Bop (uncredited)

Blackie Whiteford

Bystander at Art's Accident (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

Pigeon, a member of the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club led by Johnny Strabler (Marlon Brando) is played by an uncredited Alvy Moore. Moore would achieve greater recognition some twelve years later playing the absent minded county agent Hank Kimball on Green Acres.

Share this

Based on a 1951 short story in Harper's Magazine entitled The Cyclists' Raid, which in turn was based upon a real-life incident in Hollister, California in 1947. The actual incident, however, bore little resemblance to the events depicted in the movie. Although spirited, the cyclists did not run amok or become violent. In fact, the bikers were invited back to Hollister over the July 4, 1997 weekend for a fiftieth anniversary celebration of the original incident.

Share this

The rock band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club take their name from one of the biker gangs in this film.

Share this

Goofs

When Johnny knocks Chino through the window of the clothing shop it is obvious that there is no glass in the window, only balsa wood mullions (i.e. the bars between panes of a multi-pane window).

Share this

The mark on Johnny's face (below left eye and received in earlier fight with Chino) is missing in the motorcycle ride to park with Kathie, but shows up later in following scenes.

Share this

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

Share this

Quotes

Johnny: [as Charlie and other townsmen beat him up] My old man used to hit harder than that.

Share this

Mildred: Hey Johnny, what are you rebelling against?

Share this

Kathie Bleeker: Well, what d'ya do? I mean, do you just ride around or do you go on some sort of a picnic or something?

Share this

Faq

Q

Is 'The Wild One' based on a book?

A

The Wild One is based on a short story The Cyclists' Raid by Frank Rooney. It was first published in the January 1951 issue of Harper's Magazine and later re-published as part of The Best American Short Stories (1952). The story was inspired by a Fourth of July biker street party in Hollister, California that was written up in Life magazine and dubbed "the Hollister riot". The story was adapted for the movie by American screenwriters John Paxton and Ben Maddow.

Q

What is 'The Wild One' about?

A

After being chased out of Carbonville. California, cop-hating Johnny Strabler (Marlon Brando) leads his motorcycle gang, the Black Rebels, to the nearby town of Wrightsville for gas and beers. When one of the gang members (Crazy) is injured in a run-in with a local's car, the gang is forced to remain in town while he recovers. The gang takes to frequenting Bleekers, the local cafe-bar, which doesn't bother owner Frank Bleeker (Ray Teal) because he welcomes their money. Johnny is attracted by waitress Kathie Bleeker (Mary Murphy), daughter of Frank's brother Harry (Robert Keith), who also happens to be the town's sheriff. Although several of the townfolk dislike the 'hoodlums' in their town, Harry doesn't do anything to stop them until a rival motorcycle group, Chino (Lee Marvin) and the Beetles, ride into town, and real trouble breaks out.

Q

How old was Marlon Brando when he made this film?

A

Brando was born in 1924, and the film was made in 1953. That would make him about 29 years old.

Share this