Just saw a TCM showing of “The Wild One,” the iconic 1953 movie that’s considered the original outlaw biker film. In it, Marlon Brando is the gang leader, and is the ultimate sideburned leather-cladden bad boy.
Throughout the film, I couldn’t help reflecting on what that movie could have become, if remade today. The gang’s invasion of the peaceful town, their confrontation with the ineffectual town authorities, the violence and sex . . . all could go way beyond what was permissible in 1953. And the rival gang, led by Lee Marvin, wouldn’t be so friendly in todays world. Not to mention that Brando was, by today’s standards, rather soft. And “Triumph” motorcycles?
So why was there never a remake?
And if there were one, who would star in it?
Movies reflect their times. After WWII you had a bunch of guys who returned from a rather exciting time. Some of them liked the excitement of motorcycles, and ‘partying’ with like-minded individuals; hence, the gangs. Biker gangs were a popular bogeyman in the '50s, and I remember them being such in the '70s. Today… Not so much.
The “wild bunch” was actually tame by today’s outlaw biker standards. Too tame to be believable.
Do you mean as a period piece, or updated?
Either way, the “outlaw biker” has become too much of a stereotyped villain to make one a sympathetic lead.
Well, for one thing they don’t have to remake every iconic classic movie.
One issue with The Wild One specifically is that these days “biker gangs” are organized criminal enterprises which wasn’t the case back when the movie was made (or during the Hollister Riots on which it’s based.) Modern outlaw bikers trace their lineage to the Hollister-era gangs of rowdies, but they didn’t really get big into things like drug running until the 60’s. Remaking The Wild One with a modern setting (and modern biker gangs) would just portray a pretty straightforward economically-motivated turf war, losing the nihilistic undertones of the original.
One modern take on it could be focusing not on modern outlaw bikers, but on urban dirtbike gangs (like in The 12 O’Clock Boys.) I think those are more in line with the “rowdiness for rowdiness’ sake” attitude of the original Hollister-era bikers than the modern “leather and chrome” crowd.
it may be too obscure to remake now…it is 60 years old. Is anybody remaking “All About Eve”, “Shane” or “On the Waterfront”. Might interesting to see audience reaction to an outlaw biker gang named “Beetles”.
They could make The Wild One II with any of the original cast that is still alive. They’d have to use those tricycle motorbikes, but they could get Betty White to play a waitress.
Huh. I thought I *was *watching a remake, on CNN a while back. It was set in a Texas “Twin Peaks” restaurant.
It would be cornball style.