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The Wild One (1953)

Approved  |   |  Drama  |  February 1954 (USA)
6.9
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Ratings: 6.9/10 from 10,766 users  
Reviews: 100 user | 33 critic

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

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(screenplay), (based on a story by), 1 more credit »
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Cast

Complete credited cast:
...
Johnny Strabler / Narrator
Mary Murphy ...
Kathie Bleeker
Robert Keith ...
Sheriff Harry Bleeker
...
Chino
...
Sheriff Stew Singer
Peggy Maley ...
Mildred
Hugh Sanders ...
Charlie Thomas
...
Frank Bleeker
John Brown ...
Bill Hannegan
...
Art Kleiner
Robert Osterloh ...
Ben
William Vedder ...
Jimmy
Yvonne Doughty ...
Britches
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Del Tenney
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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 ... Written by Huggo

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

Marlon Brando! Driven Too Far By His Own Hot Blood! See more »

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

February 1954 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Hot Blood  »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Western Electric Recording)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

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. See more »

Goofs

Obvious stunt double for Johnny when he jumps a fence, just before getting back to his bike. See more »

Quotes

Kathie Bleeker: You're still fighting, aren't you. You're always fighting. Why do you hate everybody?
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Homicide: Life on the Street: Cradle to Grave (1995) See more »

Soundtracks

Blues for Brando
Music by Leith Stevens
Shorty Rogers and his Orchestra:
Shorty Rogers, Conrad Gozo, Ray Linn, Maynard Ferguson, Thomas Reeves - trumptes; Harry Betts, Bob Enevoldsen, Jimmy Kneeper - trombone; Bud Shank, Herb Geller - alto sax; Willis Holman, Bill Perkins - tenor sax; Jimmy Giuffre, Bob Cooper - alto sax; John Grasse - French horn; Paul Sarmento - tuba; Russ Freeman - piano; Joe Mondragon - bass; Shelly Manne - drums.
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Marlon Brando is awesome!
11 May 2004 | by (Bloomington, IN) – See all my reviews

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...


21 of 35 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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