The Wild One
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips
The content of this page was created directly by users and has not been screened or verified by IMDb staff.
Visit our FAQ Help to learn more

A Note Regarding Spoilers

The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags have been used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.

No. The Wild One was 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".

How does the movie end?

After Kathie (Mary Murphy) and her father have cleared Johnny (Marlon Brando) from being charged with the murder of Old Jimmy, the sheriff orders the motorcycle gang out of town with the admonition that, if any one of them ever comes back, they won't ever see the light of day again. In the final scene, however, Johnny returns to Bleeker's Cafe where Kathie and her father are having coffee. Wordlessly, Johnny sets his trophy on the bar, slides it toward Kathie, and smiles at her as if to finally say: Thanks. Kathie smiles back, and Johnny leaves.

One movie about rebellious teenagers during the 1950s that immediately jumps to mind is Rebel Without a Cause (1955), in which three teens, alienated from their middle-class upbringing, get into trouble with their parents, their peers, and the police.

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

Page last updated by bj_kuehl, 7 months ago
Top Contributors: bj_kuehl

r73731

Report a problem

Related Links

Plot summary Trivia Quotes
Goofs Movie connections User comments
Main details