Waterfront Women (1950)
"Waterfront" (original title)

A good-for-nothing sailor walks out on his young family leaving them to fend for themselves in the Liverpool slums. They make a go of their lives and the eldest daughter, now a woman, is ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Anderson

Writers:

John Brophy (novel), John Brophy (screenplay),

Stars:

Robert Newton, Kathleen Harrison, Avis Scott

Cast

Cast overview:
Robert Newton	...	Peter McCabe
Kathleen Harrison	...	Mrs. McCabe
Avis Scott	...	Nora McCabe
Susan Shaw	...	Connie McCabe
Robin Netscher	...	George Alexander McCabe
Richard Burton	...	Ben Satterthwaite
Kenneth Griffith	...	Maurice Bruno
Olive Sloane	...	Mrs. Gibson
James Hayter	...	Ship's captain
Charles Victor	...	Bill
Michael Brennan	...	Engineer
Allan Jeayes	...	Prison officer
Hattie Jacques	...	Singer

Storyline

A good-for-nothing sailor walks out on his young family leaving them to fend for themselves in the Liverpool slums. They make a go of their lives and the eldest daughter, now a woman, is none too pleased at her father's attempted return.

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Plot Keywords:

liverpool | sailor | based on novel

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Taglines:

THE DESIRES AND LONELINESS of seafaring men and their women!

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 February 1951 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Waterfront Women

Filming Locations:

Bay District, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paul Soskin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min 74 min (edited) 80 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Duncan Lamont.

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Soundtracks

"Les Preludes"
Music by Franz Liszt (as Liszt)
Played by The London Symphony Orchestra

User Reviews

powerful film about life on the docks

'Waterfront' is a short, but beautifully written and acted, British drama. It boasts an early performance from the young Richard Burton, before Hollywood flourishes and ego started to affect his film choices; and a multi-faceted turn from Robert Newton as the drunken father who returns to the family he abandoned some years before.

Without a complicated plot, this film concentrates instead on the characters - the mother who has grown strong for her children's sake (the excellent Kathleen Harrison); the daughters Nora (Avis Scott) and Connie (Susan Shaw), and other peripheral characters - Olive Sloane as Mrs Gibson, alongside Kenneth Griffith and Robin Netscher.

Directed by Michael Anderson from John Brophy's novel, this gem showcases the Liverpool docks in the days when life was hard for those who lived there and made their living from the water. It looks at the journey from girl to woman of the eldest child, and the muddled dynamics of family relationships and loyalties.