Let’s start the engines on a new kick! Now through the end of June (when “The Bikeriders” hit theaters), we’re tracing the archetype of the motorcycle rebel.

Most historians agree the first biker picture was “The Wild One” (1953) starring an iconically moody and leather-clad Marlon Brando. Today, author Burt Kearns joins the show to share how “The Wild One” became a flashpoint for censorship, anti-hero adulation, and Hollywood iconography. Kearns’ new book Marlon Brando: Hollywood Rebel is out now.

Listen to the episode below and check out the rest of the series:

• Easy Rider with J. Peter Thoeming
• Rumble Fish with Ray Gill Jr. 
• Ghost Rider with Noah Ballard