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David Perlmutter's avatar

Warner Brothers at that time had the reputation as the studio that seemed most connected with the urban proletariat; even its animated characters displayed urban confidence. This film falls into their pre-occupation with ordinary people in harsh circumstances, depicted in a more adult manner in "I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang".

It's a far cry from what it has now become.

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Nick Richards's avatar

I was fascinated by Wild Boys of the Road, for the reasons you wrote. Yes, movies dramatize, but you learn a lot about history by what they thought was relevant to their audiences. So yeah, sexual assault of young women was taken as a given, a shocking thought to anyone who wishes to turn the clock back to a “gentler” time.

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