Budapest Classic Film Marathon 2024: The Wild One

Director: Laslo Benedek

Written by Frank Rooney
Screenplay by John Paxton
Director of photography: Hal Mohr
Music by Leith Stevens
Cast: Marlon Brando, Mary Murphy, Lee Marvin

Programme section "Open Archives" / Marlon Brando 100

Johnny and his biker gang roar into a small town. The fun-loving guys organize a race in the main square, force the girls to dance and they drink the pub dry. They wriggle out of any situation and their unrestrained revelry begins to sow discontent among the local residents. This film by Hungarian-born Laslo Benedek, with Marlon Brando, born a century ago this year, in the lead, was the first Hollywood picture to deal with biker gangs and even in 1953 it gave a specifically nuanced picture of the relationship between rebellious youth and society.

Supporting film: Honeymation
Hungarian animation, colour, 1975, dir: Ferenc Varsányi, Language: Hungarian, Subtitles: English, 5’

More information on the Budapest Classic Film Marathon's program at Uránia >>