On the Waterfront

1954
Approved
1h 48m

IMDb RATING

8.1/10

168K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer1:36

An ex-prize fighter turned New Jersey longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses, including his older brother, as he starts to connect with the grieving sister of one of ... Read allAn ex-prize fighter turned New Jersey longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses, including his older brother, as he starts to connect with the grieving sister of one of the syndicate's victims.An ex-prize fighter turned New Jersey longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses, including his older brother, as he starts to connect with the grieving sister of one of the syndicate's victims.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.1/10

168K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

3,261

144

See production info at IMDbPro

Top rated movie #206

Won 8 Oscars
- 30 wins & 10 nominations total

Videos1

Trailer 1:36

On the Waterfront: The Criterion Collection

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Trivia
In his biography of Elia Kazan, Richard Schickel describes how Kazan used a ploy to entice Marlon Brando to do the movie. He had Karl Malden direct a scene from the film with an up-and-coming fellow actor from the Actors Studio playing the Terry Malloy lead role. They figured the competitive Brando would not be eager to see such a major role handed to some new screen heartthrob. The ploy worked, especially since the competition had come in the form of a guy named Paul Newman.

Goofs
When Father Barry (Karl Malden) gets hit in the head with a beer can, he gets a cut on his forehead, which bleeds visibly in the scene. In subsequent scenes, there is no sign of the cut or of a bandage to show that he had been hurt.

Quotes
Charley Malloy: Look, kid, I... how much you weigh, son? When you weighed one hundred and sixty-eight pounds you were beautiful. You coulda been another Billy Conn, and that skunk we got you for a manager, he brought you along too fast.
Terry Malloy: It wasn't him, Charley, it was you. Remember that night in the Garden you came down to my dressing room and you said, "Kid, this ain't your night. We're going for the price on Wilson." You remember that? "This ain't your night"! My night! I coulda taken Wilson apart! So what happens? He gets the title shot outdoors on the ballpark and what do I get? A one-way ticket to Palookaville! You was my brother, Charley, you shoulda looked out for me a little bit. You shoulda taken care of me just a little bit so I wouldn't have to take them dives for the short-end money.
Charley Malloy: Oh I had some bets down for you. You saw some money.
Terry Malloy: You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it. It was you, Charley.

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

Alternate versions
Criterion Collection Blu-ray Disc release exhibits the film in 1.66:1, which is widely regarded to be the "correct" aspect ratio for the film. However, a second disc includes the film in 1.33:1 AND 1.85:1, so that viewers can watch the film in the different ratios.

Connections
Edited into Un Américain nommé Kazan (2018)

Soundtracks
Here Comes the Bride
(uncredited)
Written by Richard Wagner

User reviews406

Review

Featured review

10/10

Kazan's film constitutes an extraordinary tour de force of fluid direction and nervous, edgy acting

"On the Waterfront" is basically the story of one man, Terry Malloy, a young dock worker with a little, and unsuccessful, experience as a boxer but not much intelligence or purpose He wastes his time around the docks, vaguely discontented about his life and revealing a tender trace in his otherwise tough manner as he tends his pigeons caged on the roof of his modest building

His brother Charley (Rod Steiger), a suave opportunistic lawyer, works for the local dockers' union, headed by Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb), the arrogant mob boss

Friendly takes affectionate interest in Terry and tries to make things easy for him He also takes advantage of Terry by involving him in the killing of an uncooperative docker Unaware of their murderous intentions, Terry sets the trap for the man who is thrown from a roof top because he allowed himself to be interviewed by a crime investigating commission

Terry's alienation from the crooked union leaders starts when he meets the dead man's sister, Edie (Eva Marie Saint), and realizes the grief he has brought into her life She asks his help in bringing the racketeers to justice, as does Father Barry (Karl Malden), a priest of complete goodness and rightness

Brando's moral dilemma was superbly drawn in the film He's an ordinary man finding the courage to stand up and be counted As portrayed by Brando he is touchingly believable

The rest of the cast is excellent:

Cobb is extremely good as the brute fury boss who intimidates the workers into silence, stopping at nothing to maintain his position of power on the docks...

Rod Steiger gives his finest performance as the clever and suave opportunistic lawyer who works for the local docker's union...

Eva Marie Saint manages to make the blood go through Brando's valves reviving and creating a heart that never existed before...

Karl Malden is hard and clear as the activist Catholic priest who continue encouraging other longshoremen to testify, inciting Brando to fight for his rightsregardless of the costrather than be a pawn in a ruthless system of bribes and killings...

"On the Waterfront" is one of the great American films, not only because it bravely spreads a strong light on the violation of justice, but because it is a powerful piece of cinema, which push forward a classic study of man's responsibility to his fellow man...

The film won eight Academy Awards...