Something Wild (1961 film)

Something Wild
Promotional poster
Directed byJack Garfein
Written by
  • Jack Garfein
  • Alex Karmel
Based onMary Ann
by Alex Karmel
Produced byGeorge Justin
Starring
CinematographyEugen Schüfftan
Edited byCarl Lerner
Music byAaron Copland
Production
company
Prometheus Enterprises Inc.
Distributed byUnited Artists
Release date
  • December 20, 1961 (1961-12-20)[1]
Running time
112 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget<$1 million[2]

Something Wild is a 1961 American neo noir[3] psychological thriller film directed by Jack Garfein,[4][5] and starring his then wife Carroll Baker, Ralph Meeker, and Mildred Dunnock.[6] It follows a young New York City college student who, after being brutally raped, is taken in and held captive by a mechanic who witnessed her suicide attempt on the Manhattan Bridge. The film is based on the 1958 novel Mary Ann by Alex Karmel, who co-wrote the screenplay with Garfein.

Released in December 1961, Something Wild violated a number of Hollywood conventions and taboos by showing an on-screen rape and brief nudity, and received a mixed response from film critics.

  1. ^ "Something new is happening at the Plaza Theatre". New York Daily News. December 10, 1961. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Archer, Eugene (July 9, 1960). "SHUFTAN IS HERE FOR 1ST U.S. FILM: One of Europe's Top 'Mood' Camera Men Will Shoot 'Something Wild' in City". The New York Times. p. 11.
  3. ^ LaSalle, Mick (August 20, 2010). "Not Necessarily Noir festival at the Roxie". SFGate. Archived from the original on January 13, 2024.
  4. ^ "Something Wild". Harvard Film Archive. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020.
  5. ^ Gabardi, Chiara Spagnoli (June 17, 2022). "Tribeca Festival : Review / The Wild One, A Magnificent Documentary Where Life And Craft Resound Social Justice Consciousness". Cinema Daily US.
  6. ^ "Something Wild". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 19, 2016.