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 & 5 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:

A wonderful guy . . . once you've met him, you'll never forget him!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 June 1955 (Belgium)

Also Known As:

Марти

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

Nancy Marchand was set to make her big screen debut in this film as Clara, however Gene Kelly strongly lobbied for his wife, Betsy Blair, to get the part and she was ultimately selected over Marchand.

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Goofs

The opening scene shows men in a bar in the middle of the afternoon. One patron says that the Yankees won both games of a double header that day. However, even in the 1950s games took about 2.5 hours to play so it is unlikely that a double header would have been finished by mid-afternoon when the scene is set.

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Quotes

Aunt Catherine: So I'm an old garbage bag put in the street, huh?... These are the worst years, I tell you. It's going to happen to you. I'm afraid to look in a mirror. I'm afraid I'm gonna see an old lady with white hair, just like the old ladies in the park with little bundles and black shawls waiting for the coffin. I'm fifty-six years old. And what am I gonna do with myself? I've got strength in my hands. I want to clean. I want to cook. I want to make dinner for my children. Am I an old dog to lay near ...

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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

Featured in Words (1987)

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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

A Dog's Life

Ernest Borgnine is terrific as "Marty". A self-admitted "fat, ugly" thirty-something man who lives with his mother. The film is lovely in that it stars an admittedly unattractive person, and deals with his feelings of loneliness and insecurity. Mr. Borgnine doesn't just stumble into this performance; he is given the part of his lifetime, and gives it everything he's got, creating a marvelous simple, but complicated, character.

Now, I agree this is an excellent film, and I know, for the time, being single and middle-aged must have been devastating - but there is a very distracting flaw in this movie - Betsy Blair is no "dog" of a woman. I don't think, during any time, men would think of her as ugly. Ms. Blair is just not homely, and it does detract from an otherwise excellent script. Blair also has a job/profession; I would consider her a prime "catch" for most of the men in this movie. Blair does her best, though... you'll just have to imagine her as someone you'd have to give a man $5.00 to take home.

******** Marty (4/11/55) Delbert Mann ~ Ernest Borgnine, Betsy Blair, Esther Minciotti