Marlon Brando and Wally Cox were unlikely friends. According to The Los Angeles Times, early into their childhood friendship, Brando tied Cox to a tree and left him there on his own. Both rose to their own kinds of fame and even when they were living on opposite coasts, they still found ways to see each other.
With his brooding looks and maverick acting style, Brando was a poster boy for raw, unadulterated masculinity. On the other hand, Cox, with his gentle, nerdy persona, was the quintessential “everyman.”
Following Cox’s unexpected passing in 1973, Brando kept his best friend’s ashes, telling Time magazine “I have Wally’s ashes in my house. I talk to him all the time.” So it’s not surprising that rumors have circulated for years that these two may have been more than just friends.
And here’s where our tale gets spicy.
Rumor has it that an image exists of Brando performing fellatio on Cox. We can’t share it here for obvious reasons, but it’s not hard to track down on the internet. While the photo’s veracity cannot be confirmed, its alleged existence has inspired hushed whispers, fevered speculation, and countless Google searches over the years.
Supposedly, according to Brando biographers, the photo was taken at a party as a joke between friends. But the two clearly shared a deep bond; deep enough for Brando to want to keep another man’s ashes in his house and carry them with him in the car sometimes.
There’s an undeniable allure to this image, whether or not it is the two Hollywood stars. Brando, who was open about his bisexuality, represents a picture of machismo that disrupts common stereotypes. For Cox, who largely kept his personal life private, the photo adds a fascinating layer to his quiet persona.
But let’s not overlook the humor in this situation. There’s a delicious irony to be savored here. Imagine Brando — the icon who played Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, uttering the immortal line, “Stella!” — now in a candid snapshot, proving that real life can be just as dramatic as a Tennessee Williams play.
This tale is a classic reminder of Hollywood’s dual existence. On one hand, you have the glossy exterior — the premieres, red carpets, and Oscar statuettes. On the other hand, you have the tantalizing whispers of what happens behind the scenes. This photo, real or not, embodies the latter — an irresistible peek into the private lives of two iconic stars.
If you’re wondering why this seemingly salacious story still resonates today, especially among the LGBTQ+ community, consider its context. Here we have two prominent figures, allegedly engaging in a sexual act at a time when homosexuality was a taboo topic. The daring nature of this snapshot challenges the restrictive societal norms of their era, making it an emblem of bold self-expression.
Furthermore, the image of Marlon Brando — a symbol of sexuality — engaging in an intimate act with another man questions the underpinnings of “masculinity” in American culture. It also helps to redefine perceptions of masculinity, disrupting the notion that machismo is antithetical to homosexuality.
While the existence of this photo remains unconfirmed, its story provides food for thought. It’s a provocative reminder of the complexity of human sexuality and the fluidity of masculine identity.
Whether it’s a whispered rumor, a piece of Hollywood lore, or a clandestine truth, the tale of Marlon Brando and Wally Cox continues to provoke thought and incite laughter. It serves as a testament to Hollywood’s dichotomous nature — its capacity for both glamorous artifice and raw authenticity.
And who knows? Maybe one day, proof of its authenticity will surface, setting the internet ablaze with a million memes, countless think-pieces, and a whole new wave of discourse. Until then, we have our imagination; sometimes, that’s more than enough.
Tim44309
What is the point of this article supposedly based on a single image, without at least providing the link to image?!
dbmcvey
You can google the image. It’s pretty widely distributed.
MrGoldman
I googled it and it doesn’t prove anything. In fact, it looks like someone who could maybe, possibly, kind of, look like Brando blowing a black dick. Pic is tight cropped, so hard to have any contact for the people.
“according to Brando biographers, , the photo was taken at a party as a joke between friends.” You are tell me, that during the 50’s, putting a dick in your mouth at a party, and having someone take a pic, was just considered a joke? This is a time where you could go to jail for such and act. I don’t buy it.
Donston
MrGoldman, it was Hollywood. And unabashed queer behaviors was always a thing in the entertainment industry. But this “story” still seems like a stretch. Furthermore, why is some old photo that may possibly show someone we know sucking dick treated as something “groundbreaking”? If it were a female star giving some head a lot of folks would be claiming exploitation and talking about how tacky it is to publish the photo or to publish an article about the photo. And once again, we don’t even know if it’s him.
As I said in lower posts, we need to move on from using long dead people who can’t speak for themselves as ways to promote identity and sexual politics. None of us really have any idea about the dimensions of Brando’s sexuality, sexual journey, sense of identity, preferences, where he was in the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotion, commitment spectrum. All we know that he probably engaged in a lot of sexual activity with a lot of people. It really should be left at that.
dbmcvey
MrGoldman,
The image was out before Brando died and he never claimed it wasn’t him. Not that that is proof either. But I know enough people who knew Brando and he was definitely bisexual.
Yeah, in the ’50s straight men always put other men’s dicks in their mouths as jokes. (I hope you read that with all the sarcasm I felt while typing it).
Mary Jane
I guess the tree-tying was an early clue. Or was it a childhood game of tickling?
But it’s pretty published how gay men and lesbians had to hide their love affairs, and that “Macho” has been just a hint on who gay men went after or tried to portray in films and in their personal lives.
edensasp
Click bait. I fell for it, you fell for it… and now the ads flashed off and on and they have earned their advertising revenue…… But then, I might of gotten to see an image of Marlon going down on Wally…. lol
Donston
At this point, I feel people are just saying whatever about Brando. They’re almost trying to create this mythology around him, and it’s getting tedious. The dude was simply a ho. It’s really not something we need to keep hyping up. Furthermore, if men like Brando and James Dean weren’t “masculine”, weren’t known to date women, and weren’t perceived as “straight” at one point in time, no one would still be obsessed with their supposed queer dimensions or their sex lives. If anything, it highlights the “queer community’s obsession with uplifting male masculinity and obsession with men being low-key queer-ish, rather than actually shattering any stereotypes.
monty clift
Boy George, George Michael, Liberace, and other feminine men’s sexualities were speculated about as well.
Donston
It’s not about “speculation”. Brando publicly talked about engaging queer behaviors decades ago. It’s really, really old news. As I said, if he wasn’t perceived as a “hunk”, wasn’t perceived as “masculine”, wasn’t perceived as “straight” by many people, and wasn’t known to date women then no one would still care that much about his sex life or his queer behaviors. The dude probably sucked a handful of dicks. It’s not a secret and has never been. Whether he actually had any legit homo relationships or was ever in love with a guy is far more interesting to me. But even that is well-worn. It seems like Brando was a hyper-sexual narcissist and drunk who mostly used people.
In general, the mythology building and gossip around old movie stars who can’t speak for themselves is tired. The focus is usually about sensationalism or (as in this article) about identity politics. And yes, if you watch enough Brando interviews, you can tell he was a bit “fruity”.
JMD41
George Michael was “fem”? Not in my book, which unfortunately, is a more like a short story.
Diplomat
It’s important to keep all hyper-masculine male homosex histories alive and well to combat the stereotypical swishy campy fag stereotype that plagued Hollywood productions at our expense for eons. So no, “we” don’t need to move past anything, that’s your gig.
Monty, I don’t think Mr. Wham man was ever considered feminine. He’s just pure male stud energy imo.
still_onthemark
So who took the photo? Underdog?
Mary Jane
They did have access to reels and other means of taking pictures. But if it was some party, it was done with friends or people paid to be there and quiet about it.
Fahd
Some students might try lifting this article to submit as an essay for their LGBTQ studies courses. Does a nice job of applying theory to this Mutt and Jeff relationship.
Btw, I knew a woman in college whose last name was Wally. Her roommate´s last name was Cox.(I hope I´m not giving away too much personal information.)
Mr. Stadnick
puerile is the best discription of this
FreddieW
Brando was neither masculine nor appealing in my lifetime. Remember him in Superman?
monty clift
Was your lifetime during Helen Keller?
Fname Optional Lname
Monty – LOL!!
Kangol2
Not sure about your lifetime but he was a studmuffin in On the Waterfront (whew!), A Streetcar Named Desire (what a performance he and Vivien Leigh give in that Williams masterpiece), The Wild One, Julius Caesar, and so on. You might not have been born when those were filmed–I sure wasn’t–but I’ve caught them on TV, in the theater, on DVD, etc., and that’s certainly in my lifetime. I mean, come on.
[email protected]
Remember Rock Hudson when he lived in the bird streets with his south facing bedroom widows so that every one he down to Sunset Strip knew he was a screamer! I literally I mean some one who screams during sex. Yet, no one Gay or Straight said anything publicly. When you’re really old & were a real estate broker, you heard these things
Diplomat
Mark Christian (Rock’s lover the last few years before Rock’s death) had a very big very satisfying dick.
Fname Optional Lname
So I’m now on a mission to find a time machine because apparently back in the 50’s – if you wanted to play a good joke on your str8 friends you would just suck them off or if they were pranksters they would pull joke on you and put your manhood in their mouth! All the str8’s were doing it and laughing along the way – ya’ know ‘ cuz it’s a funny joke!
Get me to the 50’s STAT!
Poor Brando –
Fname Optional Lname
That pic of Wally Cox is screaming Bill Murray to me. I had to do a double take.
Inspector 57
“This photo, real or not, embodies the latter — an irresistible peek into the private lives of two iconic stars.” NO. If the photo is NOT of two iconic stars, it provides ZERO info about the lives of iconic stars.
mujerado
For awhile in the late 60s into 1970 I knew a man who partnered with Wally Cox. He never met Brando, but knew about the relationship with Wally. I have no stories, just the memory of a brief acquaintance.
DennisMpls
Donston, it seems to me you dost protest too much. I don’t see anything in this article or in the story behind it to get upset about, or to deeply phllosophize about, or get offended about. Our gay past exists, and the ways it was both very different and very similar to today (in Hollywood) is fascinating to people, including me. I don’t see any harm, so I don’t see any foul.
When I was a kid I sometimes watched Hollywood Squares, and Wally Cox was a regular. He was also the voice of cartoon Underdog. When I was old enough to understand what gay was, I heard rumors about Wally and Marlon being together. That was flabbergasting to me because they were so wildly different types of men.
I’m generally on the “don’t talk ill of the dead” side of things, but I don’t see any “ill” being talked here. Discussing and better understanding the gay past, the Hollywood past, and the intersection of the two is just fine with me.