The Wild One

"Hot feelings hit terrifying heights in a story that really boils over!"

1953 1h 19m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 346

DramaCrimeRomance

Synopsis

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The Black Rebels Motorcycle Club ride into the small California town of Wrightsville, eager to raise hell. Brooding gang leader Johnny Strabler takes a liking to Kathie, the daughter of the local lawman, as another club rolls into town.

“Hot feelings hit terrifying heights in a story that really boils over!”

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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

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: László Benedek
Writers: John Paxton, Frank Rooney
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 79-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

73 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by László Benedek, shot by Hal Mohr. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Leith Stevens. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Al Clark shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marlon Brando and Mary Murphy and Robert Keith carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Hot feelings hit terrifying heights in a story that really boils over!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0047677 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

László Benedek directs. Hal Mohr behind the camera. Leith Stevens scores. Al Clark cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 79-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
273 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by László Benedek, shot by Hal Mohr. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Leith Stevens. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Al Clark shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Marlon Brando and Mary Murphy and Robert Keith carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Hot feelings hit terrifying heights in a story that really boils over!".
8IMDB entry: tt0047677 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Hal Mohr
Original score: Leith Stevens
Editing: Al Clark
Production design: Rudolph Sternad
Runtime: 79 min · 1h 19m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Wild One (1953)

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László Benedek

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-04-04
★ 6/10
Marlon Brando just oozes charisma in this otherwise rather disappointing tale of two biker gangs who descend upon a small American town. He is "Strabler" - who hates any authority figure - and arrives with his "Black Rebels" gang. Noisy and intimidating but no real danger to anyone, which is just as well because the sheriff "Bleeker" (Robert Keith) is about as effective as a chocolate teapot. Anyway, "Strabler" takes a bit of a shine to local gal "Kathie" (Mary Murphy) but that all changes when he discovers she is the daughter of the policeman. He is soon otherwise distracted by the arrival of the "Beetles" - a group of erstwhile pals lead by "Chino" (Lee Marvin). Old grudges and testosterone take over and what starts as an uneasy truce soon borders on open warfare - helped by local vigilante "Charlie" (Hugh Sanders) who is trying to goad the townsfolk into taking action of their own. It is odd to say this about an whole town, but there is a certain claustrophobia to this drama. The gangs' grip on the place is intimidating to watch, much less to have to live in, and Brando and Marvin are strong sparring partners. The build up is tense and you can sense the palpable apprehension amongst the populace as our anticipated denouement looms. Thing is, though, the interventions of Murphy and an unwillingness from director Laslo Benedek to maximise the peril here, means that the film quite suddenly stops being menacing and starts being quite soppy. It didn't need a battle royal at the end, but somehow the conclusion just underwhelmed and was more of a damp squib. There is a paucity of dialogue - which always suited Brando, and the photography with/on the bikes works really well enhancing the tautness of the first half hour, but then it just peters out... Pity!

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