On The Waterfront 1954

     Terry Malloy was a fighter and he really thought he could take his last opponent but the fight was rigged.  He still dreams about being a prize-fighter but he tends pigeons and runs errands at the docks.  Terry works for Johnny Friendly and he is the corrupt boss of the Dockers Union.  Terry’s friend Joey Doyle is thrown off an apartment roof and murdered by two of Johnny’s thugs.  Terry meets his friend’s sister and she introduces him to Father Barry.  The Father is trying to get members of the Dockers Union to provide information for the courts that will turn around the corruption. 

     The role of Terry Malloy was modeled in part after whistle-blowing longshoreman Anthony DeVincenzo.  He testified before the Waterfront Commission about activities on the Hoboken Docks.  He suffered a degree of ostracism for his testimony.  He also sued and settled with Columbia Pictures many years later.  Eva Marie Saint is in the role of Edie Doyle, the sister of Joey Doyle but she is not listed as a first billed actor on IMDB.  Producer Sam Spiegel listed Saint in the credits as a supporting actress.  It was because he hoped she would win best Supporting Actress and she did win an Oscar.  Nominated for 11 Oscars and won eight.  I thought I had seen this before but I actually didn’t.  I thought it was interesting and good.  I think the depictions of the conditions on the waterfront look to be accurately portrayed.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

108 min, Crime directed by Elia Kazan with Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Pat Henning Leif Erickson, James Westerfield, Tony Galento, Tami Mauriello, John F. Hamilton, John Heldabrand, Rudy Bond, Don Blackman, Arthur Keegan.

Note:  Imdb 8.2 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 98% critic 95% audience, Roger Ebert 4*, Metacritic 91 out of 100 with 15 critics 8.8 out of 10 with 158 reviews, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 520 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in St. Peter and St Paul Church, Our Lady of Grace Church, Stevens Park, Court Street, Hudson Street, Willow Avenue, Railway Station, Waterfront, Hoboken, New Jersey and New York City, New York.  It was written Brando’s contract that he would work until 4PM every day and then he would leave for an appointment with his analyst.  Brando’s mother had recently died and he was in therapy to resolve issues with his parents.  Brando took this role because he didn’t want Paul Newman.  Soon after the release of this film, the AFL-CIO expelled the East Coast Longshoremen’s Union because it was still run by the mob.