The Wild One

Plot synopsis:
The Black Rebels Motorcycle Club (BRMC), a gang led by Johnny Strabler, rides into Carbonville, California during a motorcycle race and causes trouble. A member of the gang, Mouse, steals the second-place trophy (the first place one being too large to hide) and presents it to Johnny. Stewards and policemen order them to leave.
The bikers head to Wrightsville, which only has one elderly, conciliatory lawman, Chief Harry Bleeker, to maintain order. The residents are uneasy, but mostly willing to put up with their visitors. When their antics cause Art Kleiner to swerve and crash his car, he demands that something be done, but Harry is reluctant to act, a weakness that is not lost on the interlopers. This accident results in the gang having to stay longer in town, as one member injured himself falling off his motorcycle. Although the young men become more and more boisterous, their custom is enthusiastically welcomed by Harry's brother Frank who runs the local cafe-bar, employing Harry's daughter, Kathie, and the elderly Jimmy.
At Frank's cafe, Johnny meets Kathie and asks her out to a dance being held that night. Kathie politely turns him down, but Johnny's dark, brooding personality visibly intrigues her. When Mildred, another local girl, asks him, "What are you rebelling against, Johnny?", he answers "Whaddaya got?" Johnny is attracted to Kathie and decides to stay a while. However, when he learns that she is the policeman's daughter, he changes his mind. A rival biker gang, the Beetles, arrive and their leader, Chino, bears a grudge against Johnny. Chino reveals the two groups used to be one large gang before Johnny split it up. When Chino takes Johnny's trophy, the two start fighting and Johnny wins.
Meanwhile, local Charlie Thomas stubbornly tries to drive through, he hits a parked motorcycle and injures Meatball, one of Chino's bikers. Chino pulls Charlie out and leads both gangs to overturn his car. Harry intervenes and starts arresting Chino and Charlie, but when other townspeople remind Harry that Charlie would cause problems for him in the future, he only takes Chino to the station. Later that night some Beetles members harass the telephone switchboard operator into leaving, thereby disrupting the townspeople's communication, while the BRMC abducts Charlie and puts him in the same jail cell as Chino, who is too drunk to leave with the gang.
Later, as both gangs wreck the town and intimidate the inhabitants, some bikers led by Gringo chase and surround Kathie, but Johnny rescues her and takes her on a long ride in the countryside. Frightened at first, Kathie comes to see that Johnny is genuinely attracted to her and means her no harm. When she opens up to him and asks to go with him, he rejects her. Crying, she runs away. Johnny drives off to search for her. Art sees and misinterprets this as an attack. The townspeople have had enough. Johnny's supposed assault on Kathie is the last straw. Vigilantes led by Charlie chase and catch Johnny and beat him mercilessly, but he escapes on his motorcycle when Harry confronts the mob. The mob give chase, but Johnny is hit by a thrown tire iron and falls. His riderless motorcycle strikes and kills Jimmy.
Sheriff Stew Singer arrives with his deputies and restores order. Johnny is initially arrested for Jimmy's death, with Kathie pleading on his behalf. Seeing this, Art and Frank step forward and testify that Johnny was not responsible for the tragedy, with Johnny being unable to thank them. The motorcyclists are ordered to leave the county, albeit paying for all damage. Returning alone to Wrightsville, however, Johnny re-visits the cafe to say goodbye to Kathie one final time. He acts as though he's leaving after getting a cup of coffee, but he returns, genuinely smiles, and offers her his stolen trophy before exiting.

Tags: revenge, cult, sadist, romantic

Review:
I replied, "You just had to have lived through those times to understand and appreciate the movie." The same can be said of "The Wild One." Before "Blackboard Jungle," before "Rebel Without A Cause," before "Look Back in Anger," there was "The Wild One." "What are you rebelling against?" "Whatcha got?" That certainly sounds like James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause" but, no, it's Johnny (Brando) in "The Wild One." I saw this movie for the first time when I was 13 and was mesmerized by it.
It is also memorable for Brando giving one of his greatest performances as Johnny Strabler, leader of the rebellious biker gang the "Black Rebels".
The second story focuses on the conflict that develops between the residents of the town and Johnny and his gang,during which it is the residents of the town who come off as the bad guys and not the black rebels.As i previously mentioned while this film might look quite tame compared to todays standards it is still worth a look if you get a chance.
It is a mostly successful film that only avoids getting a 10 because of its embrace of some filmic stereotypes of the era.Marlon Brando stars as Johnny Strabler, the leader of a leather-jacketed motorcycle gang called the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club (the backs of their jackets say "BRMC"), in one of his early, iconic roles.
There are plenty of other fine performances, including Marvin, Murphy, Robert Keith as the Wrightsville Sheriff, and some fun bit part appearances by people who later became quite famous, such as Alvy Moore and Jerry Paris.If The Wild One has a flaw, it is its slight "corny" embrace of rebel stereotypes.
Johnny's reply when asked, "What are you rebelling against?" says it all..."Whatta you got?", with a sneer for good measure.Time hasn't been kind to the film, and it's hard to see why it was banned in the UK for 18 years (mainly down to the lack of any retribution for the gang), but there is still a tight story and strong characterisation.
-Whadaaya got ?"This simple exchange sums up the spirit, or lack of , that inhabits the tumultuous heart of Johnny Stabler, the leader of the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club bikers riding like formerly the horsemen of the Apocalypse their Triumphs, or their triumph over a square alienating norm whose only trophy is defiance and suspicion.
But "The Wild One" shows the results without getting through their background, all we see is these kids in their 20's looking for vast landscapes for driving, bars where partying, and towns for terrorizing.And the first two films have one thing in common, they start with the infamous headliners, you know these big words that don't take the viewer's intelligence for granted.
Well, the 50's had to deal with rebellious minds, no less dangerous, except for the fact that they didn't cause trouble for money, they had no reason whatsoever to act like they did, they did because  well, why not?And the casting of Marlon Brando as the seminal rebellious kid is the film's masterstroke not just because of his iconic look, 2 years before James Dean with the leather jacket, the hat, and the Triumph, one of the most defining images of the 50's, there's more to that, there's Marlon Brando, there's this constant enigma engraved in his face.
Its primitive, simplistic, but for some reason it works and Brando is mainly the cause, but I wouldn't attribute all the merit to him, there is a stellar performance, from, Lee Marvin as his rival Chino, almost stealing the legend's show and an unrecognizably young Tim Carey as one of the hoodlums.As simple as the film is, it'll be forever renowned for its iconic image of Brando and his indelible quote, enough to put it in the legendary 50's, a must-see definitely, a cult-classic  or the Easy Rider of the 50's And Marlon Brando was born to be (the) Wild (one)..
People cite Rebel Without A Cause as the first youth culture movie BUT this movie came before and in my opinion, is by far the better movieThe story centres on Johnny Strabler (Marlon Brando) and his motorcycle gang who terrorise a small California town alongside another motorcycle gang led by Chino (a young Lee Marvin).
While watching this movie one must remain totally and utterly aware of the context of this movie.Another the scene that was the cause of many a raised eyebrow and was exactly what makes every kid on earth that's ever been condescended to by teacher and parents and the like, totally empathise is the scene where the cops daughter and the cop have saved Johnny's life and Johnny is being read the riot act by the Sheriff and he just sits there, looking at the floor (c'mon guys, u know you've been in that position before) totally listening but appearing as if he isn't.
Without this movie the following things would not be the same in society:1)	There would be no Rockabilly music of the same fashionable kind 2)	There would have to be ANOTHER image of the rebel, possibly the James Dean created image of the rebel because this one would not be 3)	There would be no movies the way they are today in terms of youth rebellion (this movie challenged censorship sensibilities) 4)	The punk rock movement would be utterly different (Jesus Christ, Sid Vicious has Marlon Brando's jacket, not to mention The Ramones) 5)	A lot of modern music, The B.R.M.C. for instance would not be the band they areThe point being made here is that the effect of this movie is beyond mere moviedom.
MARLON BRANDO rides into town leading a pack of wild motorcycle riders who proceed to terrorize a hick town before LEE MARVIN shows up and gets into a drunken fight with Brando (as Johnny).
Brando has a brief romantic fling with the girl who realizes loving him is a lost cause.***** POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD ***** The plot moves swiftly to a conclusion once the girl is able to convince the authorities that he wasn't responsible for the death of an elderly bystander hit by a motorcycle.Stanley Kramer production has a nice, tense background score by Leith Stevens.Summing up: Early Brando is impressive to watch, but much of the dialog is very dated and anchored firmly in the 1950s by the slang and be-bop expressions and overall concept of the film.Famous for the moment when a girl taunts him with: "What are you rebelling against?"Brando's terse reply: "What have you got?".
I'll bet a lot of people did not know they didn't do these "hip" things so long ago.Marlon Brando, as the lead character "Johnny Strabler," was fun to watch and Mary Murphy - an unknown actress to me - was very attractive as "Kathie Bleeker."What looked strange was the bikers, in general.
The only negatives were a couple of stupid dialog scenes but you'll get that in dated pictures (and in most movies of today, too!) 'The Wild One" is corny, but, on a personal note, I felt far better than the other '50s teen-rebellion stories, such as Rebel Without A Cause..
Aside from the nostalgia value of being one of the first Fifties movies to depict and glamorize the motorcycle gang lifestyle, The Wild One has a powerful undercurrent of sexual tension between Rebels leader Johnny (Brando) and pretty waitress Kathy (Mary Murphy).
The movie has a lot of great Fifties JD stuff including bike races, fights, the hipster slang spouted by the bikers to the bewilderment of the townspeople, the legendary " What are you rebelling against?...What have you got?" exchange between Johnny and one of the town girls looking for excitement.
But Brando carries the movie by having the right qualities to play Johnny Strabler, the leader of a motorcycle gang that creates havoc in a small California town.
We get only a hint of Johnny's past when, during a beating by the locals he says, "My old man used to hit harder than that." But, maybe all we need to know comes from Johnny's extolling the feeling he gets when getting on his cycle to "just go."There are many memorable scenes, like the one where Johnny is asked if he doesn't want to thank some people who have done him a good deed and he comes to an inarticulate stop only to have his woman friend say, "That's okay, he doesn't know how." Lee Marvin has a good go playing Chino, the head of a rival gang that had split off from Johnny's.
And there is some good night-time black and white work as well.In an era of drive-by shootings, heavy drug trafficking, and internet pornography the events in this movie can seem pretty tame, but one should not underestimate the number of themes addressed - ones that are still relevant: standing up to intimidation, vigilantism, the desire for freedom, misinterpretation of behavior (with unfortunate consequences), the proper use of force, sex, crowd behavior, generational conflicts and confusions, the ills of stereotyping, and greed.Also, one lesson to be learned is that steatopygous actors should not wear tight jeans..
A motorcycle gang, led by Johnny Strabler (Marlon Brando), roars into a small town and kicks up a ruckus.
Some of the "juveniles" appear to be at least 30 or 35 years old."The Wild One" is remembered mostly as a cinematic vehicle for Marlon Brando, and because the film was something of a trend setter, in that it helped usher in an era of films about American juvenile delinquents, youthful rebel outcasts who didn't fit in to the post WWII era of middle-America family values..
Except for the fact that Marlon Brando (as Johnny Strabler) wore a black leather jacket and led a motorcycle gang, known as the Black Rebels that took over a small modern-day California town, there's not much to this piece.
Yet in this 1953 Stanley Kramer production from Columbia Pictures, there was little action to speak of: Lee Marvin, who played Chino, the leader of the motorcycle gang the Beetles in this movie, had an altercation with Brando, toward the end one night there was a shop window crashed and Brando was blamed and beaten mercilessly for it, but other than that there was, again, little action to speak of.
Johnny and friends come to a small town to raise some Hell; he becomes quite taken with local girl Kathie Bleeker (Mary Murphy), and she with him.Although Johnny is no innocent, and does have a role to play in the events that get out of hand, it becomes clear that he's also not the Devil that hostile and intolerant citizens make him out to be."The Wild One" does firmly date itself in some ways.
Narrator Johnny Strabler (Marlon Brando) recounts leading his gang The Black Rebels Motorcycle Club to watch a race and causing a ruckus.
You can attribute the adjective 'cool' to 'The Wild One', which is surprising because there aren't many old films a person today would term 'cool'.The film is also important because it is a manifestation of the changing carefree rebellious and reckless attitudes of the young generation in the 50s, and so some of the modern viewers might be taken aback watching some of the scenes (such as one in which a biker kids around with the barman by talking in a beatnik accent) in an old black and white film like this.
There are chances the censor board in those days compelled the director Laslo Benedik to include this 'do not try this at home' like warning so as to forestall any imitation of the acts seen in the movie.After the message disappears, we see many bikes driving down the highway roads, as a bunch of outlaw bikers led by Johnny (played by Brando) make their way to a motorcycle race and steal the second prize trophy.
Not that the B.R.M.C. motor cycle gang were ever welcomed into this small town of Wrightsville (or should that read Rightsville?) in the first place, this film is a fictionalised account of a 1947 Biker Riot in Hollister, California, but anyone viewing this for the first time expecting an out and out violent carnage movie need apply elsewhere.This film is more about the youth of the time feeling ostracised by the world, a film oozing with youth frustration that is on the verge of exploding with catastrophic consequences.
Enter another biker gang led by a man who has a history of bad feeling with the leader of the other gang and whoosh, a firecracker of tension ignites to entertain the viewers.As a whole film it doesn't quite impact as it should, though certainly back in the early 50s this film struck a chord with youth of the time, and in viewing Marlon Brando as B.R.M.C. leader Johnny it's not hard to figure out why it was revered then because he seems to be the archetypal anti-hero.
He's got a good scene with Lee Marvin as the leader of a rival motorcycle gang, and Mary Murphy is a cutey pie as a girl who falls for Brando.
Going into the closest town on the road Wrightville to rest and and gas up things start to come unglued for the Rebles as well as the people in town especially Kathie and her dad the towns sheriff Harry Bleeker, Mary Murphy & Robert Keith, and by the next day Wrightville would never be the same again.Not your typical misunderstood youth movie of the 1950's "The Wild One" is more about what alienated people from each other and leads to, in many cases, the violence that exploded later in the film.
Mary Murphy is gorgeous as the love interest, and it is surprising that she isn't better known in terms of Hollywood history.A movie for the ages, capturing the genius of Marlon Brando in one of his most iconic roles..
Like so many movies about alienated youth and teenagers to have been made in the fifties it has dated badly, (for a start the gangs are so old), but this one has a couple of scenes that still feel dangerous, particularly when the gang round-up on Mary Murphy, and at the heart of it there is Marlon Brando as the leader, Johnny.Brando is big and lumbering and beautiful in his leather jacket; there is a homoerotic Tom of Finland look to him and he is the most charismatic thing on the screen.
I'm willing to bet it can and does happen today.Marlon Brando is the sexy and charismatic leader of one group and only the fact that he's attracted to Mary Murphy, daughter of the town's ineffectual sheriff Robert Keith is the reason these cyclists don't run totally amuck.Until The Godfather, I think most people when thinking of Marlon Brando thought of The Wild One. It's the ultimate rebel role for him.
(Movie quote) - "What do you hicks do around here for kicks?" Meet Brando's character, Johnny Strabler, a 29 year-old, lard-assed, delinquent who (get this!) not only thinks he's a real tough-guy (and a total hep-cat, too), but, he's also the gang leader of "B.R.M.C." (which stands for "Black Rebel Motorcycle Club").....
Having said that, I think that it's all the same an important film from the decade - one of the essential 'biker' movies to be sure, and which gave Marlon Brando one of his finest characters, and even giving some quality screen time for Lee Marvin as a major heavy.
After a little while, however, this doesn't settle well with the town's people, and then the typo events unfold from there.While flawed, this film definitely broke some ground back in its first release, and showed how aimless youth can be very entertaining, even before it was supposed to be fashionable....one question was in my mind at the end, however- is the gang that Marvin leads called the "beetles" or the "beatles"?
But Johnny, the motorcycle gang leader, (Marlon Brando) is not shown just as a hooligan - he is also a sensitive person, with shades of insecurity and a great feeling of revolt (he doesn't know against whom).
Some scenes are very beautiful - When Johny and Kathie are riding together in his motorcycle, and she feels the wind in her hair and above her the tree crowns, she is able to feel what Johnny strives for, but it is something that has no name.Marlon Brando and Mary Murphy are excellent in their roles and the supporting cast is good too.
Marlon Brando as Johnny Strabler, whose claim to fame (aside from being the leader of the pack) is that he stole a second-place biker trophy, stars in a role that helped to launch his career, not that his acting in this film was so great.
Laslo Benedek directed this melodrama about a rogue motorcycle gang led by Johnny Strabler(played by Marlon Brando) who, after crashing a motorcycle race where they stole the second-place trophy, turn their sights on a small-town, where they overwhelm the local populace, whose weak sheriff is unable to prevent, though his strong-willed daughter(played by Mary Murphy) is intrigued by Johnny, and wants to get to know him better.
Moody leather-clad Marlon Brando (as Johnny Strabler) and his motorcycle gang arrive to cause mischief in a small California town.
Essentially, "Johnny Strabler" (played by Marlon Brando) is the leader of a motorcycle club known as the Black Rebels which just happens to ride into the small California town of Wrightsville.
It is not by any means a bad film: it tells the story of a motorcycle gang, not criminals, just wild youth and enjoying it, who come to a small town and need to shack up for a few days while several bikes are repaired.
I don't think at the time they were filming this that people would get so much meaning out of a motorcycle gang movie.