Nearly A Decade Later, Arlington Woman Reunited With Brando Photo

ARLINGTON, MA — The framed picture shows a young Marlon Brando, likely on the set of the iconic 1953 film "The Wild One," exuding cool in his leather boots and jacket, his jeans impeccably cuffed. A Brando fan like Winona Campbell knew she had to have it.

"He looks really good, really sexy in the picture," Campbell said.

Campbell couldn't believe her luck when she came across the photo at a yard sale in Arlington in 2013. She bought it for $15 and continued shopping, later learning there had been a miscommunication over the picture between the couple running the sale.

"The husband asked me where did you get that, and I told him your wife sold it to me. I kind of got defensive," Campbell said. "He basically told me it's not for sale."

Campbell left with the photo, but her conscience got the better of her. She brought it back to the man, who first looked at her hard, remembering their dispute earlier that day, then gave her the "biggest, warmest hug."

Campbell felt like she had done the right thing, but losing the picture nagged at her. The legendary actor had been ubiquitous in her life. In her college theater class, she performed a monologue from "A Streetcar Named Desire." It's her favorite of Brando's movies.

The best scene: "When he starts throwing the food on the wall, and the dishes, and he says 'my place is all cleared up now, want me to clear yours?'"

In another acting class, she ended up alongside an ex-girlfriend of Brando's son, Christian.

"I wanted to introduce myself, but she had a bit of sadness about her, so I decided to leave it alone," Campbell said.

She forgot about the encounter until her musings showed up on her Facebook memories eight years later. She reshared the story on the Arlington List Facebook group but didn't think anything would come of it.

"Sunday, I went out bike riding, and I came back and opened the door to check the mail and there was the big picture sitting there. To me, it was the same picture," Campbell said. "I just started screaming, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God."

She still doesn't know how it got there. It's hanging in her living room for now, but she is proposing joint custody with the original owners, who have since moved.

"Maybe this guy and I can have a margarita and make some barbecue and eat and drink and laugh about the picture," Campbell said. "We can share it, and maybe one day we can give it to his kids."