Marty (1955)

A middle-aged butcher and a school teacher who have given up on the idea of love meet at a dance and fall for each other.

Director:

Delbert Mann

Writers:

Paddy Chayefsky (story), Paddy Chayefsky (screenplay)

Stars:

Ernest Borgnine, Betsy Blair, Esther Minciotti

Won 4 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ernest Borgnine	...	Marty Piletti
Betsy Blair	...	Clara Snyder
Esther Minciotti	...	Mrs. Teresa Piletti
Augusta Ciolli	...	Aunt Catherine
Joe Mantell	...	Angie
Karen Steele	...	Virginia
Jerry Paris	...	Tommy

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

dance hall | love | butcher | teacher | overbearing mother | 

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Taglines:

EVERYBODY'S RAVING ABOUT "MARTY" . . . The year's BIG entertainment surprise a warm and human story with characters you'll love and remember!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 January 1956 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Marty

Filming Locations:

The Grand Councourse, The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$343,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hecht-Lancaster Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 94 min (alternate)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

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Goofs

The amount of Coke in Marty's glass changes between shots.

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Quotes

Marty Pilletti: I've been looking for a girl every Saturday night of my life.

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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).

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: The Best of Molly Shannon (2001)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Great, Touching and Timeless

I love movies of the 1950's and this is a prime example of the quality today's movies seem to lack.

Being Italian myself I can relate to Marty's situation. Marty's mother and aunt are aging widows and Italian families are extremely close. Sadly, Marty's mother any aunt are feeling old and useless and in many ways try to sabotage their son's happiness. This is sad but true speaking as a bachelor myself. At one point your mother asks you, when are you ever going to get married and when they are older they want to live with you because they too are lonely.

I found myself deeply moved by the decency of Marty and the young teacher he meets at a singles dance. These are truly special people that life has passed by, but not for long. They discover each other and Marty calls the girl in spite of the reservations of his mother and friends.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and Marty and his young lady are the truly beautiful people in this poignant love story.

I would rate this movie 50 stars if I could.

Wonderful, funny at times and unforgettable.

A must see and a must have in any movie collection.