Something Wild (1961 film)
| Something Wild | |
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Original poster art
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| Directed by | Jack Garfein |
| Produced by | George Justin |
| Written by |
Jack Garfein Alex Karmel |
| Based on | Mary Ann by Alex Karmel |
| Starring |
Carroll Baker Ralph Meeker Mildred Dunnock Jean Stapleton Martin Kosleck Charles Watts Clifton James |
| Music by | Aaron Copland |
| Cinematography | Eugen Schüfftan |
| Edited by | Carl Lerner |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
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Release date
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Running time
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112 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Something Wild is a 1961 independent sexual abuse drama film directed by Jack Garfein and starring Carroll Baker, Ralph Meeker and Mildred Dunnock. The film follows a young New York City college student (Baker) who, after being brutally raped, is taken in and held captive by a mechanic (Meeker) who witnessed her suicide attempt on the Manhattan Bridge.
Adapted from the novel Mary Ann by Alex Karmel, the film violated a number of Hollywood conventions and taboos by showing an on-screen rape and brief nudity. The film featured a musical score by Aaron Copland and was filmed on location in New York City, which was rare at the time. Director Jack Garfein was married to Carroll Baker when the movie was filmed. The director of photography, Eugen Schüfftan, was a noted German cinematographer and inventor of the Schüfftan process, who won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography the following year for The Hustler.
Referred to as "a lost indie classic", the film was screened at the IFC Center in New York in 2007, and was released on DVD by MGM through their limited edition series in December 2011 in celebration of the film's 50th anniversary. In October 2016, The Criterion Collection announced a re-release of the film slated for January 2017, marking the film's debut on Blu-ray.
Mary Ann Robinson, a teenage girl attending college in New York City, is brutally raped while walking in a park near her home in the Bronx. Traumatized by the experience, Mary Ann washes away all the evidence and destroys her clothing. She hides the rape from her mother and stepfather, with whom she has an already distant relationship. Mary Ann tries to continue living her normal life, unsuccessfully. She takes the subway to school and faints during the crush of people. This results in the police escorting her home, which upsets her prim and unsympathetic mother.
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