On the Waterfront (1954)

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

Director:

Elia Kazan

Writers:

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

Stars:

Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb

Top Rated Movies #183 | Won 8 Oscars. Another 22 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Terry Malloy dreams about being a prize fighter, while tending his pigeons and running errands at the docks for Johnny Friendly, the corrupt boss of the dockers union. Terry witnesses a murder by two of Johnny's thugs, and later meets the dead man's sister and feels responsible for his death. She introduces him to Father Barry, who tries to force him to provide information for the courts that will smash the dock racketeers.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | longshoreman | waterfront | ex boxer | pigeon | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert Siodmak writes in his autobiography that he was the original director on the project, when it was still at 20th Century Fox, and worked for some time in close collaboration with Schulberg doing research and writing the script.After Zanuck got cold feet and the film moved to Columbia, Siodmak was cut out and his approaches to Schulberg to get compensation for his unpaid work went unanswered, which does not reflect well on Schulberg.

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Goofs

Terry severely cuts his left hand trying to escape from a mob hit, and the bloody wound is emphasized in the following scene. But when he appears in court the next day, his hand appears uninjured.

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Quotes

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

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits are shown over a bamboo-type mat background.

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Alternate Versions

Starting on 29 February 2004, TCM (Turner Classic Movies) channel plays this film in a widescreen aspect ratio of (1.85:1). This is despite the fact that the Columbia Tri-Star DVD (Release Date: October 23, 2001) is produced in only the Academy Standard (Full Screen or Pan&Scan) aspect ratio (1.33:1). Presumably, the intended ratio is (1.85:1).

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Connections

Referenced in The Miracle 2: Love (2019)

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Soundtracks

Here Comes the Bride
(uncredited)
Written by Richard Wagner

User Reviews

Protecting All That's Tragic

"Im just a bum sitting in a motor home on a film set, Brando said, and they come looking for ZEUS".

I think Brando was a guy who was perfect in the moment. All his power and shortcomings can be revealed in a single sentence. Other's might have been great and still more will be. But there's just something about him.

For me, Brando has always been the ultimate male. Simply put, bruiting desire. Brando represents the very definition of method acting, even though he was said to have hated the phrase. Being able to reach inside yourself and pull something out that kicks everyone in the ass. He was truly one of a kind. They say sometimes beautiful people are born under a dark cloud. I think Brando was born under a rain of thunderbolts. He was powerful and tragic.

On The Waterfront is basically a showcase for Brando. Everything coming together. This film is truly one for the ages.

I guess the only thing really wrong with this life is time.

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 June 1954 (Japan)

Also Known As:

The Hook

Filming Locations:

5th Street Pier, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$910,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Horizon Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1