Stuck as the last of six children at home with an overbearing Italian mother, the only child still unmarried, 34 year old socially awkward Bronx butcher Marty faces middle age with no prospects of marriage, and he faces permanent bachelorhood. But when he is goaded by his mother into going to the Stardust Ballroom one Saturday night, Marty unexpectedly meets Clara, a lonely teacher. Suddenly, Marty's future seems bright.Written by
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EVERYBODY'S RAVING ABOUT "MARTY" . . . The year's BIG entertainment surprise a warm and human story with characters you'll love and remember! See more »
The only Best Picture Oscar nominee that year to be also nominated for its Screenplay. See more »
Goofs
In the opening scene in the butcher shop, Marty is shown facing the camera and using a knife to cut between the bones of a roast (to make chops). He does not finish cutting all of the chops, but sets his knife down on the ledge of the counter to his right (our left). In the next shot, from the reverse angle (that is, with Marty's back to the camera), Marty again has the knife in his hand, and is cutting through the remainder of the roast. After he has finished cutting, he takes up a meat cleaver to complete the task of making chops. See more »
Quotes
Marty Pilletti:
[to Clara]
See, dogs like us, we ain't such dogs as we think we are.
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Alternate Versions
When Marty drops off Clara at her home after their evening out, there is an additional 5-minute sequence where she visits her parents in their bedroom and discusses her date with Marty (included in the CBS FOX VHS and the 2014 Kino Lorber releases, but deleted from the MGM Vintage Classics VHS and DVD). See more »
Marty
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Paddy Chayefsky (uncredited)
Played during the opening credits and throughout the picture
Sung by male voices during the closing cast credits See more »
User Reviews
Simple, Beautiful and Touching Love Story With Magnificent Performance of the Cast and Sensitive Direction
Marty Piletti (Ernest Borgnine) is a lonely, insecure and honest thirty-four years old good man, living with his Italian mother, Mrs. Theresa Piletti (Esther Minciotti), and working as a butcher. Angie (Joe Mantell) is his best friend, a very shallow person, and his company to the bars and ballrooms in the evenings, since the ugly and fat Marty is rejected by the girls. His Italian family and friends put pressure on him to get married, but Marty has no girlfriend and lots of difficulties to get close to women. One Saturday night, Marty meets Clara Snyder (Betsy Blair), a twenty-nine single, ugly (obs: `dog', in accordance with the description of Marty's friends in the story, but indeed Betsy Blair was a charming woman, having beautiful eyes and lovely smile and voice) and rejected woman, in a ballroom. Betsy is a teacher in Brooklyn with college degree, and like Marty, is very insecure and has the feeling of rejection by men. They feel attracted by each other and spend a wonderful night together. On the next day, before and after the Sunday Mass, Marty's relatives and friends make jokes with the lack of beauty in Clara. The marvelous open end of the story, uncommon in American movies, is one of the best I have ever seen. This movie is a simple, beautiful and touching love story with magnificent performances of the cast and a sensitive direction. The story and slangs (dog, tomatoes etc.) are dated in 2004, but does not jeopardize the beauty of this delightful romance. `Marty' is the only Best Picture winner (awarded in Picture, Director, Actor and Screenplay and nominated for Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Art-Direction and Cinematography) to also win at the Cannes Film Festival. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): `Marty'
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Marty Piletti (Ernest Borgnine) is a lonely, insecure and honest thirty-four years old good man, living with his Italian mother, Mrs. Theresa Piletti (Esther Minciotti), and working as a butcher. Angie (Joe Mantell) is his best friend, a very shallow person, and his company to the bars and ballrooms in the evenings, since the ugly and fat Marty is rejected by the girls. His Italian family and friends put pressure on him to get married, but Marty has no girlfriend and lots of difficulties to get close to women. One Saturday night, Marty meets Clara Snyder (Betsy Blair), a twenty-nine single, ugly (obs: `dog', in accordance with the description of Marty's friends in the story, but indeed Betsy Blair was a charming woman, having beautiful eyes and lovely smile and voice) and rejected woman, in a ballroom. Betsy is a teacher in Brooklyn with college degree, and like Marty, is very insecure and has the feeling of rejection by men. They feel attracted by each other and spend a wonderful night together. On the next day, before and after the Sunday Mass, Marty's relatives and friends make jokes with the lack of beauty in Clara. The marvelous open end of the story, uncommon in American movies, is one of the best I have ever seen. This movie is a simple, beautiful and touching love story with magnificent performances of the cast and a sensitive direction. The story and slangs (dog, tomatoes etc.) are dated in 2004, but does not jeopardize the beauty of this delightful romance. `Marty' is the only Best Picture winner (awarded in Picture, Director, Actor and Screenplay and nominated for Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Art-Direction and Cinematography) to also win at the Cannes Film Festival. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): `Marty'