"I coulda been a contender."

Terry Malloy has forfeited his dreams of becoming a prizefighter and queues up at the dock each morning alongside all the other longshoremen for a chance of work. Union boss Johnny Friendly is the man running the docks and the Waterfront Crime Commission are closely following his illegal activities. Malloy gets inadvertently involved in a murder orchestrated by Johnny Friendly who's right-hand man just happens to be Malloy's brother - Charley "The Gent". Meanwhile, Father Barry is working alongside the sister of the murdered man, Edie Doyle - herself falling in love with Terry Malloy, trying to get the longshoremen to speak up against the corrupt Union men.

"I don't know nothing, I ain't seen nothing, I'm not saying nothing."


skyjude review
There's not much I can add to a film that's universally lauded as one of the greatest of all time but it truly is a riveting experience. As both a study in Kazan's concerns over capitalism and the act of informing this is really about the acting. Each of the cast give powerhouse performances under Kazan's sterling direction with a massive five acting Oscar nominations including two wins. In the midst of all this acting talent it is Marlon Brando who really owns the movie and took screen acting in a different direction as a consequence. Respect must also go to Leonard Bernstein for the fabulous score that earnt him an Oscar nomination in the only non-musical movie he provided the music for.

Top 5 Reasons for Watching On The Waterfront

[5] Father Barry's waterfront sermon
The "accidental" death of Kayo Dugan, was one step too far for Father Barry and his stirring sermon in front of the longshoremen is the turning point of the movie. He finally starts to win over the longshoremen in his quest for an informer.

[4] The supporting cast
Brando got the Oscar for Best Actor, but an amazing four supporting Oscar nominations (including one win) highlight the brilliance of the cast around him. For Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger and the beautiful Eva Marie Saint, this marked career high performances and contributed fantistically to this masterpiece.

[3] Elia Kazan
Himself fighting off half of Hollywood for informing, Kazan had the final word by directing one of Cinema's greatest movies with informing at the heart of the story. A superb film in the middle of an awesome run of movie making for the directorial legend.

[2] "I coulda been a contender"
It's the quote and the scene everyone remembers the movie by and it is indeed a classic moment. More than anything though it's the subtle touches both actors offer this scene with Brando tenderly pushing Steiger's arm down perfectly capturing the essence of the scene.

[1] Marlon Brando
He is still revered as "Greatest Movie Actor of All Time" and it's mainly thanks to his awesome run of movies in the early 50's. In On The Waterfront we see Brando at the height of his powers and it truly could be a contender for greatest performance in movie history.


On The Waterfront quotes

Johnny Friendly: When I was sixteen, I had to beg for work in the hold. I didn't work my way up out of there for nothing. You know, taking over this local took a little doin'. There's some pretty rough fellas in the way. They gave me this to remember them by. I got two thousand dues paying members in this local - that's $72,000 a year legitimate and when each one of 'em puts in a couple of bucks a day just to make sure they work steady, well, you figure it out. And that's just for openers. We got the fattest piers in the fattest harbour in the world. Everything moves in and out, we take our cut. You don't suppose I can afford to be boxed out of a deal like this, do ya? A deal I sweated and bled for, on account of one lousy little cheese-eater, that Doyle bum, who thinks he can go squealing to the Crime Commission? Do ya? Well, do ya?

Charley Malloy: Let me tell you what stooling is. Stooling is when you rat on your friends, the guys you're with. Johnny wants a favour. Don't think about it. Do it.

Edie Doyle: Which side are you with?
Terry Malloy: Me? I'm with me, Terry.

Terry Malloy: You know, I've seen you a lot of times before. Remember parochial school out on Pulaski Street? Seven, eight years ago? Your hair, you had your hair, uh,
Edie Doyle: In braids.
Terry Malloy: Looked like a hunk of rope. And you had wires on your teeth and glasses, everything. I mean, you was really a mess.
Edie Doyle: I can get home all right now, thanks.
Terry Malloy: Now listen. Don't get sore. I was just kidding ya a little bit. I just needed to tell ya a joke. You grew up very nice.
Edie Doyle: Thanks.
Terry Malloy: You don't, you don't remember me, do ya?
Edie Doyle: I remembered you the first moment I saw you.
Terry Malloy: By the nose, huh? Well, some people just got faces that stick in your mind.
Edie Doyle: I remember you were in trouble all the time.

Edie Doyle: Shouldn't everybody care about everybody else?
Terry Malloy: Boy, what a fruitcake you are.
Edie Doyle: I mean, isn't everybody a part of everybody else?
Terry Malloy: And you really believe that drool?
Edie Doyle: Yes, I do.
Terry Malloy: You wanna hear my philosophy of life? Do it to him before he does it to you.
Edie Doyle: I never met anyone like you. There's not a spark of sentiment or romance or human kindness in your whole body.
Terry Malloy: What good does it do ya besides get ya in trouble?

Father Barry: Some people think the Crucifixion only took place on Calvary. They better wise up. Taking Joey Doyle's life to stop him from testifying is a crucifixion. And dropping a sling on Kayo Dugan because he was ready to spill his guts tomorrow, that's a crucifixion. And every time the mob puts the crusher on a good man, tries to stop him from doing his duty as a citizen, it's a crucifixion. And anybody who sits around and lets it happen, keeps silent about something he knows has happened, shares the guilt of it just as much as the Roman soldier who pierced the flesh of Our Lord to see if He was dead.

Father Barry: You want to know what's wrong with our waterfront? It's the love of a lousy buck. It's making the love of the lousy buck, the cushy job, more important than the love of man. It's forgetting that every fellow down here is your brother in Christ! But remember, Christ is always with you, Christ is in the shape up. He's in the hatch. He's in the union hall. He's kneeling right here beside Dugan. And He's saying with all of you, if you do it to the least of mine, you do it to me. And what they did to Joey, and what they did to Dugan, they're doing to you. And you. You. All of you. And only you, only you with God's help, have the power to knock 'em off for good. Okay, Kayo? Amen.

Terry Malloy: You know, if I spill, my life ain't worth a nickel.
Father Barry: And how much is your soul worth if you don't? Listen, if I were you, I would walk right. Never mind. I'm not asking you to do anything. It's your own conscience that's got to do the asking.

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.
Charley Malloy: OK, OK, I'll tell him I couldn't find you. Ten to one he won't believe it.

Terry Malloy: You think you're God Almighty, but you know what you are? You're a cheap, lousy, dirty, stinking mug! And I'm glad what I done to you, ya hear that? I'm glad what I done!



Production company: Columbia Pictures