Everything Action Theater: The Wild One (1953)
This weekend’s The Bikeriders is the latest movie focusing on the world of outlaw motorcycle gangs, but the OG was 1953’s The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando in one of his most iconic roles. Coming between A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront for Brando, he played Johnny Strabler, the leader of the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club, who travels to various towns in California and gets into altercations with cops and simultaneously frightens and intrigues the local residents. Directed by László Benedek, the movie became a cultural touchstone, and Brando’s iconic look was one of the defining images of that era. It inspired the likes of James Dean and Elvis, as well as bands like the Ramones and even The Beetles, who took their name from one of the rival gangs in The Wild One. You can check out the whole movie below, thanks to YouTube.
