On the Waterfront (1954)

Director:

Elia Kazan

Writers:

Budd Schulberg (screenplay)
Budd Schulberg (based upon an original story by)
(more)

Release Date:

24 June 1954 (Japan)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

A story as warm and moving as GOING MY WAY...but with brass knuckles!

Plot:

An ex-prize fighter turned longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses.

Plot Keywords:

Union | Murder | Dock | Longshoreman | Death

Awards:

Won 8 Oscars. Another 21 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Terry Malloy
Karl Malden	...	Father Barry
Lee J. Cobb	...	Johnny Friendly
Rod Steiger	...	Charley Malloy
Pat Henning	...	Kayo Dugan
Leif Erickson	...	Glover
James Westerfield	...	Big Mac
Tony Galento	...	Truck
Tami Mauriello	...	Tillio
John F. Hamilton	...	'Pop' Doyle (as John Hamilton)
John Heldabrand	...	Mott
Rudy Bond	...	Moose
Don Blackman	...	Luke
Arthur Keegan	...	Jimmy
Abe Simon	...	Barney
Eva Marie Saint	...	Edie Doyle
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Martin Balsam	...	Gillette (uncredited)
Dan Bergin	...	Sidney (uncredited)
Zachary Charles	...	Dues Collector (uncredited)
Jere Delaney	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Robert Downing	...	Bit (uncredited)
Michael V. Gazzo	...	Bit (uncredited)
Fred Gwynne	...	Slim (uncredited)
Thomas Handley	...	Tommy Collins (uncredited)
Anne Hegira	...	Mrs. Collins (uncredited)
Pat Hingle	...	Jocko (uncredited)
Scottie MacGregor	...	Mother of a Longshoreman (uncredited)
Barry Macollum	...	Johnny's Banker (uncredited)
Tiger Joe Marsh	...	Longshoreman (uncredited)
Edward McNally	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Mike O'Dowd	...	Specs (uncredited)
Nehemiah Persoff	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Johnny Seven	...	Longshoreman (uncredited)

Directed by
Elia Kazan

Writing credits
Budd Schulberg		(screenplay)
Budd Schulberg		(based upon an original story by)
Malcolm Johnson		(suggested by articles by)

Produced by
Sam Spiegel	....	producer

Original Music by
Leonard Bernstein

Cinematography by
Boris Kaufman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Gene Milford		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Richard Day

Makeup Department
Mary Roche	....	hair stylist
Fred Carlton Ryle	....	makeup supervisor (as Fred Ryle)

Production Management
George Justin	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles H. Maguire	....	assistant director
Arthur Steckler	....	second second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Eddie Barr	....	props (uncredited)
Robert Hart	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jim Shields	....	sound (as James Shields)
Ernest Reichert	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Evelyn Rutledge	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Howard Block	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Alan Stetson	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anna Hill Johnstone	....	wardrobe supervisor
Flo Transfield	....	wardrobe mistress
Ed Wynigear	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Gil Grau	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Marlin Skiles	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Roberta Hodes	....	script supervisor
Samuel Rheiner	....	assistant to producer (as Sam Rheiner)
Guy Thomajan	....	dialogue supervisor
Roger Donoghue	....	boxing coach (uncredited)
Dale Tate	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents) (An Elia Kazan Production)
• Horizon Pictures (as A Horizon Picture)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical) (as Columbia)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia Film-Verleih (1955) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2013) (USA) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2001) (Canada) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2013) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Videosonic Arts (1988) (Greece) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Sunset Gower Studios  sound stages

Also Known As:

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1954) | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1985) | USA:Approved (certificate #16916) | West Germany:16 (f) | Mexico:A | Iceland:12 | South Korea:12 | Brazil:14 | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Court Street, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Most of the solo shots of Rod Steiger during the famous taxicab scene were done after Marlon Brando had left for the day. Steiger was deeply hurt and annoyed at Brando's apparent rudeness, but used these emotions to add to his performance.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Terry walks to the pier after the climactic fight with Johnnie Friendly, the blood on his forehead and the side of his face disappears.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Johnny:[to Terry] You take it from here, Slugger.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Scarlett Johansson/Arcade Fire (#36.6)" (2010)

Powerful portrait of N.Y. docks , being stunningly performed and excellently directed by Elia Kazan

This compelling and dynamic drama is set on New York's dock where mobsters control the Union and stevedores . An ex-prize fighter named Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando who deservedly won an Academy Award) turned longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses (Lee J Cobb) and is embroiled in violence . Malloy faces the dilemma of whether or not to turn informer . While his brother (it was originally offered to Lawrence Tierney , but he asked for too much money so the role went to Rod Steiger who was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance) is a crooked lawyer and he meets a beautiful ex-nun (Eva Maria Saint , Grace Kelly turned down the role of Edie Doyle, deciding to make Rear Window instead) and falls in love for her .

This interesting and thought-provoking film contains intense drama with pungent lines , emotion , wonderful performances , memorable final , magnificent direction and classic musical score by the maestro Leonard Berstein . Marvelous acting by entire casting . The taxicab scene , one of the most famous scenes in the cinema, in which Brando began to improvise some dialogue, surprising Rod Steiger ; after a while, Elia Kazan told Brando to "knock it off". The problem Brando had with the scene, as he explained to screenwriter Budd Schulberg and Kazan, was that he felt he would have difficulty trying to talk reasonably with his brother with a gun at his ribs , at this, Kazan agreed and told Brando to improvise ,Kazan maintained that he did not direct Brando nor Steiger in this scene, he simply stood back and let the two actors direct themselves. The idea for the film began with an expose series written for The New York Sun by reporter Malcolm Johnson , the articles won him a Pulitzer Prize and were reinforced by the 1948 murder of a New York dock hiring boss which woke America to the killings, graft and extortion that were endemic on the New York waterfront. Budd Schulberg was captivated by the subject matter, devoting years of his life to absorbing everything he could about the milieu. He became a regular fixture on the waterfront, hanging out in West Side Manhattan and Long Island bars, interviewing longshore-union leaders and getting to know the outspoken priests in Hell's Kitchen. The leading characters were based on real people: Terry Malloy was based on longshoreman and whistle-blower Anthony De Vincenzo; Father Barry was based on waterfront priest John M. Corridan; Johnny Friendly was based on mobster Albert Anastasia. On the Waterfront is widely known to be an act of expiation on the part of Elia Kazan for naming names to HUAC during the Joseph McCarthy witch-hunts of the 1950s. What is less widely reported is that Kazan intended it as a direct attack at his former close friend Arthur Miller who had been openly critical of Kazan's actions. Specifically, it was a direct response to Miller's play The Crucible.

This trend-setting film has a gritty portrait of N.Y. waterfront and stand up well nowadays and resulted to be a huge financial hit , as from a budget of just under $1 million, the film went on to gross ten times its production costs in its initial release. Film debuts of Michael V. Gazzo, Pat Hingle, Martin Balsam, and Eva Marie Saint. The last gave a debut performance that won her the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award. It's a winner all the way , winning eight Academy Award , including : Best Picture , Direction (Kazan) , Cinematography (Boris Kaufman) , Art Director (Richard Day) . Rating : Very good , above average , and a real must see . Well worth watching .