The Legendary DURABLE (Wild One) Jacket

[Doctor Damage]

Comments by the curator are intriguing. Unfortunately her research is now 14 years old, and we have heard nothing further. I wonder what else, if anything, she knows and where she is today?

Why not give her a call? She was still working at that museum as of 2016, so probably still is. Some links:
https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/lineup-chaos-theory-19-art-exhibition-downtown-phoenix-10861592
http://www.phxart.org/collection/fashion
http://www.arizonacostumeinstitute.org/the-curator/

You could offer to help her with identifying/dating or curating an exhibition of USN pea coats, which you know so much about, and could even lend her your collection. Don't laugh, she might be interested in such a thing.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Interesting article and film clip, @Doctor Damage. But no discussion about whether it could be a Durable. The author assumes it is a Schott. I'm not convinced. I would like to see if any of the Schott MC jackets from back then had the long sleeve zippers. That is a defining feature not commonly seen. If I could see a Schott 513 from back then with that type of zipper, That would go a long way toward convincing me. Or if there is a Durable with that feature, I think that would be convincing evidence.

It's a Durable. Old Durables and old Schott look much different, although I've not seen exactly contemporaneous examples of each. Much different shape, proportions, details, etc.

 

[Monitor]

It's a Durable. Old Durables and old Schott look much different, although I've not seen exactly contemporaneous examples of each. Much different shape, proportions, details, etc.

Yep, no doubt there. It's most definitely Durable.

Another noteworthy thing is that Durable also must've went through a number of revisions - though they might've been made-to-measure, not sure of which - and jackets that do pop up for sale here and there, often differ in small details but in general, it is definitely the closest match for Brando's jacket.

Durable is the only brand I know of that does top sleeve zippers in such a specific, unique way. Aside from being unusually long, the zippers are not in the middle of the top panel of the sleeve but closer toward the outside, while being at a slight inward angle.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Time for a visual comparison... 1960s Schott vs unknown date Durable (but probably the same period).



1. Lapels on the Durable are wider (which means move overlap) and are cut straight from the collar. Every Durable I've seen has this straight cut, which I think is the quickest way to i.d. them. The Schott lapels by constrast are narrow (less overlap) and are cut angled from the collar.

2. The coin pockets on Durables vary a lot from jacket to jacket and most appear to be wider but shorter than other brands and often have the button placed in the "centre" of the flap. Schott coin pockets seem to be more tab-shaped with the button placed nearer the point.

3. Monitor and others have commented on the cuff zipper placement; photos I've got show that Durable did move them around a bit, as did Schott.

4. The waistbelt is sewn into the kidney pad in different ways. Schott belts are sewn in a "normal" fasion. Durable are often (but not always) sewn in facing rearward but are bent forward; this is really odd and I've only seen it on Californian brand jackets; it must have put a helluva lot of strain on the seams. I've never seen that style on Schott jackets, so this (along with the different lapel shape, is another quick way to i.d.).

5. The button snap at the back of the collar is located differently. Schott seems to have located it below the collar on the back and offset to one side. Durable put them under the collar.

6. There's also just a different "look" to the shape of these jackets, but that requires I think a good eye (an artist's eye, actually) to see.

 

[Gamma68]

I like Mr. Damage's side-by-side comparison above.

However, until the actual jacket Brando wore is revealed and verified, and a side-by-side comparison is made with the actual jacket, the mystery will remain. Although it seems more likely that it was a Durable.

I'm wondering if there are any surviving film crew members (costume department) who would remember the jacket, who made it, and how it was obtained. Probably a long shot if not impossible considering the film was made 65 years ago.

 

[Peacoat]

Why not give her a call? She was still working at that museum as of 2016, so probably still is. Some links:
https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/lineup-chaos-theory-19-art-exhibition-downtown-phoenix-10861592
http://www.phxart.org/collection/fashion
http://www.arizonacostumeinstitute.org/the-curator/

You could offer to help her with identifying/dating or curating an exhibition of USN pea coats, which you know so much about, and could even lend her your collection. Don't laugh, she might be interested in such a thing.

Thanks for the information. I obtained an email address for her and have sent her a message. Probably won't do any good as I think I have read in the past that the lining was removed so it would drape better on Brando. Without the lining, there probably will be no tag.

 

[Gamma68]

Wouldn't it be something if everyone was barking up the wrong tree and if Brando's jacket was actually an Excelled? LOL

 

[Peacoat]

Received an answer back from the curator. Not very helpful.

"I don’t know where the original is but the brand and model are Short Perfeto [sic] One star. They still make them!"

From her reply, it didn't seem that she knew as much as we know, so I followed up with question about her basis of knowledge. In other words, how did she know it was a Schott, and briefly explained the controversy over which company actually made the movie jacket. Her response:

"Hmmm. Always heard it was Schott—Don’t know"

So, that wasn't a fruitful rabbit hole.

I like @Doctor Damage's analysis above, but would like see the comparison made with an early 50s Schott Perfecto.

 

[Doctor Damage]

^ Too bad she didn't know anything or couldn't remember anything about the possible owner of the original jacket. I suspect it will never be seen in public again.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Wouldn't it be something if everyone was barking up the wrong tree and if Brando's jacket was actually an Excelled? LOL

I was flipping through a Japanese book I have on American leather jackets and there were a few different brands putting our jackets in mid-last-century that could have been possible alternatives. But it's 99% likely to be a Durable based on everything I've seen and read.

 

[Monitor]

I have this theory that the jacket the waxen Johnny Strabler in Madam Tussauds museum is wearing was either made by the exact same maker responsible for the actual The Wild One jacket - or - someone with a keen eye made a very, very accurate replica. It appears to be a perfect match. In my opinion, it's actually even closer to the real thing than mostly any Durable I've seen online.

Had me thinking, maybe we'd be closer to solving the riddle if someone was to find out who made the jacket on the wax figure.

 

[Peacoat]

Excellent idea @Monitor. Which Madam Tussauds museum is this? There are a bunch of them.

 

[Gamma68]

I understand Aero made the jacket in the wax museum.

From the Thurston Bros. website: "The jacket made famous by Marlon Brando in "The Wild Ones". Aero's classically designed Motorcycle Jacket was inspired by the jacket commissioned from Aero in 1987 for the Marlon Brando exhibit in the world famous Madam Tussaud's Waxworks in London."

 

[Monitor]

Excellent idea @Monitor. Which Madam Tussauds museum is this? There are a bunch of them.

Huh, good question. I don't really know. I've never been to any. Discovered this while looking at the figures online. They can't all have Strabler, right?

 

[Peacoat]

I understand Aero made the jacket in the wax museum.

From the Thurston Bros. website: "The jacket made famous by Marlon Brando in "The Wild Ones". Aero's classically designed Motorcycle Jacket was inspired by the jacket commissioned from Aero in 1987 for the Marlon Brando exhibit in the world famous Madam Tussaud's Waxworks in London."

OK, now someone with a personal connection to Aero needs to email his contact and ask if he knows what the original jacket was. Are you reading, @Fanch?

 

[Monitor]

Aero's was a different jacket. I remember seeing a photo of it on Aero's site. It's not the jacket that I posted.

 

[Peacoat]

I think I saw something that noted the museum is in London.

 

[Gamma68]

@Monitor what is the location of the image you posted? Which wax museum? Or the photo source

 

[Monitor]

@Monitor what is the location of the image you posted? Which wax museum? Or the photo source

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marlon_Brando_-_The_Wild_One_(Madame_Tussaud).JPG

The image is from Wikipedia Commons. I've just found another one and it would appear that this particular Strabler is located in London.

 

[Gamma68]

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marlon_Brando_-_The_Wild_One_(Madame_Tussaud).JPG

The image is from Wikipedia Commons. I've just found another one and it would appear that this particular Strabler is located in London.

Then that's jacket is the one designed and produced by Aero. Unless I'm misunderstanding. Seems that I've seen this referenced in several sources.