The Wild One

“What’re you rebelling against, Johnny?”
“Whaddya’ got?”
THE WILD ONE

When it comes to actors that carve a trench into the imagination of the general public, affect popular culture and consequently redefine the craft itself – nothing compares to Marlon Brando.

From his career defining turns in The Men, The Wild One, A Streetcar Named Desire, On The Waterfront, The Godfather and Last Tango in Paris, Brando was a true original at a time when his off-screen actions were NOT seen as cool. He refused to memorise dialogue in later years (his lines were written on the nappy of Kal-El for Superman) and Sinatra dubbed him ‘Mr Mumbles’.

He was nominated and won the Oscar ™ for best actor in On The Waterfront, and again for The Godfather – but refused to collect it on the second occasion deciding instead to send an American Indian activist as a protest to how American Indians have been portrayed in Hollywood. He also infamously fired both Sam Peckinpah and Stanley Kubrick from his pet production, ‘One-Eyed Jacks’ and wound up directing the picture himself. His original 300 minute edit sent Paramount insane; and was consequently destroyed. To this day the film is shockingly in ‘rights limbo’ while bootlegged DVDs survive in various bargain bins.
It’s also Martin Scorsese’s favourite western.

The jury is still uncertain of whether Brando’s fathered 10 or 13 children to over five women (he was married three times), so much so that Courtney Love once suspected him to be her grandfather. A theory quickly debunked.

Brando granted few media interviews, and even fewer for TV. In his latter years he would appear on Larry King and others demonstrating his declining health and obscure behavior. However Brando is captured in what can described as the cusp of his career by one televised interview with Dick Cavett.

Cavett is a sharp and unorthodox comedian who interviewed some of largest celebrities and actors in the world. His self-deprecating style allowed the guest to always have the upper hand, and thus he captured the true essence of his subjects in pseudo performance. On June 12, 1973 (fresh from Last Tango, and a mere two months after rejecting his Oscar) Brando joined Cavett for the live broadcast. Brando only agreed to the appearance after spending six hours on the phone with him the previous night. The tension and sheer ‘what is going to happen’ is as tediously anxious as it is sheer electricity. As with every film the man ever made – you can’t take your eyes off him.

After the interview Brando and Cavett left the studio only to encounter infamous paparazzi photographer Ron Galella who then pursued them to a local Chinatown restaurant in New York. Upon finishing their meal, the defiant celeb hound was still waiting outside. Brando was not happy. It took one punch for the 49-year-old actor to break Galella’s jaw and leave five of his teeth on the footpath. Upon their next encounter, Galella wore a football helmet as protection.

Marlon Brando
April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004