It's probably one of the most quoted lines in movie history, thrown into casual conversations and even other television and movie productions. Where the line comes from is the 1954 film On the Waterfront, spoken by Marlon Brando as his character laments how his once-promising boxing career was derailed because he decided to take a shortcut. While it was ultimately his character's decision to take said shortcut, he didn't just come upon the decision on his own. There was coercion. Oh, but wait, I'm getting way ahead of myself here. On the Waterfront was based on a series of articles published in 1949 that detailed widespread corruption, extortion, and racketeering on the waterfronts of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Those articles were adapted into a screenplay by Budd Schulberg, and the film was directed by Elia Kazan. The film is also famous--or infamous, as it were, although through no fault of its own--as being the answer that was ordered to be given by Herbert Stempel in place of the correct answer, Marty, in the quiz show scandal surrounding the program Twenty-One. Let's take a look at 1954's Best Picture.
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Terry Malloy (Brando) is a dockworker. His brother is Charley (Rod Steiger). Both work for Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb), the union boss who's also very well-connected to the Mob. Friendly runs the waterfront with an iron fist, and Charley is his right-hand man. Terry fell into the fold when he took a dive in a boxing match. He did so because Charley told him to, so Friendly could win big money betting against him. Friendly is trying to ease Terry into the Mob mentality, giving him jobs and talking him up positively. He gets one job early in the film as he's asked to coax fellow dockworker Joey Doyle (Ben Wagner) to the roof of his apartment building, claiming one of the pigeons from his coop escaped. Terry's soon horrified to see Joey get thrown of the roof by the thugs that were waiting up there to ambush him. Terry objects, saying they were just supposed to talk to him, not this. When the police try and gather up witnesses, everyone plays "D and D", but there are no trolls or wizards or twenty-sided dice involved. This one is "deaf and dumb", as everyone is afraid of becoming a potential Mob target if they squeal. This includes Terry, who talks smack as the cops attempt to question him. Also present is Joey's sister Edie (Eva Marie Saint), and she's angry at everyone, including the area priest, Father Barry (Karl Malden), who she claims is hiding in his church while this kind of stuff happens.
Johnny is very proud of Terry and the work he did, even though Terry's a bit upset he wasn't told Joey was going to be murdered. Meanwhile, Barry and Edie go to the docks to observe the area, and they witness a virtual free-for-all as the dockworkers scramble for assignments. It's during this that Terry meets Edie. Barry also tries to get people to talk about the chicanery of the union, but the workers say there's nowhere safe to talk without later getting roughed up by Johnny and his thugs. Barry tells them to come to the church.
Charley goes to Terry, having learned of Barry attracting some dockworkers to the church for a meeting. He wants Terry to get a list of names of everyone who attends. Terry does so, somewhat recalcitrantly. Barry has a small turnout, but an OK one. Edie is there too. He asks them all who killed Joey. No one answers, and they won't reply because Terry is there, and they're pretty sure they know why as it's common knowledge his brother is Johnny Friendly's top guy. Instead, they all just say it's best to stay "D and D." Things get hairy as outside the church, Johnny's thugs arrive and make a ruckus. As people try to escape, the thugs beat them all up. One assaulted dockworker is Kayo Dugan (Pat Henning), who Barry gets to safety and then convinces to testify against Johnny. Meanwhile, Terry helps Edie escape, and the two then walk around and chat. A panhandler recognizes Terry and chastising him for knowing what happened to Joey, who was a well-liked guy. Terry plays it off to Edie like he's just a crazy bum rambling.
Edie says her dad has given her a bus ticket to get out of town and finish school, but she won't leave until she discovers who killed her brother. Terry and Edie go to the apartment roof to check out Joey's pigeons, which Terry are now caring for. Terry tells Edie he used to box. They then go for a beer and as the conversation continues, Edie says Terry seems to lack compassion. Terry answers by slipping something to indicate that what happened to Joey wasn't his idea. Edie replies, "Who says it was?" Terry says it's just that everyone suspects he had something to do with it. Edie asks Terry to help her, but Terry says he can't. Edie says he would if he could and starts to leave, but she winds up walking into a drunken crowd that all stumble into a wedding reception elsewhere in the building. Terry helps her regain her footing and they decide to stay and crash the party, dancing to the music. This continues until someone comes for Terry and tells him the boss needs to see him. Edie questions who that was but doesn't get a straight answer. As Terry is about to leave, the Crime Commission shows up and hands Terry a subpoena to testify against Johnny. Edie now realizes that Johnny and Charley are who were responsible for Joey's death. Terry tries to convince Edie to forget about it for her own protection, but Edie just leaves.
Outside, Johnny finds Terry and says Kayo squealed to the Crime Commission. Charley tells Terry to ditch the broad since she's confusing his mind. Johnny sets up an "accident" to occur on the docks to take care of Kayo before he can testify. Terry tries to warn Kayo before it happens, but Johnny's plan works perfectly and a huge shipment of whiskey falls on Kayo below the dock when the pulley raising them onto the docks is released. Barry comes onto the scene afterwards and rails against the dockworkers for continuing to allow this type of stuff to happen. He likens the murders to crucifixions and everyone who stays silent about them are just as guilty as the people who actually commit them. Some people throw food at Barry, but he doesn't let up. Johnny and Charley watch Barry's entire speech from above.
Terry sleeps on the apartment roof and is visited by Edie, who puts Joey's jacket over him to keep him warm. They kiss. Terry is more and more tormented by his conscience as time goes on and debates testifying after all. He goes to Barry for advice and admits to him that he was the one who sent Joey to the roof, not knowing what was going to happen next. He's conflicted as to what to do now. Barry sees Edie coming to the church and tells Terry he should tell her what happened. Terry agrees and does so. Barry watches from the church window as Edie runs off horrified upon learning Terry was partially responsible.
Terry gets a visit on the apartment roof from one of the Crime Commission gentlemen. They talk about Terry's boxing career. The guy remembers Terry's last fight. It looked to him like Terry had it won, but suddenly lost. How did that happen? Terry sorta admits he took a dive. Meanwhile, Johnny and Charley are talking about Terry. Johnny's getting nervous and he knows the Crime Commission met with Terry. Charley says Terry's getting influenced by Edie and Barry. Johnny tells Charley to straighten him out unless he wants to see his brother be silenced next.
Charley picks up Terry in a chauffeured car and tries to coerce his silence regarding Johnny by offering him a great job. Terry doesn't seem to respond so Charley next pulls out a gun. This doesn't work either, and Charley knows it but he can't shoot his own brother. Terry blames Charley for his own downward spiral in life, delivering here the "I coulda been a contender" speech. Charley gives Terry his gun and tells him to run away. After Terry leaves the car, the driver--one of Johnny's thugs--drives Charley into an alley.
Terry goes to Edie's apartment near the alley. The conversation is tense between them but they ultimately settle down and kiss. Terry hears a call from the alley telling him to come down since Charley wants to see him. Terry and Edie both go into the alley and don't find anyone, but they do find that a truck is barreling towards them. Terry breaks open a door and the two escape. The truck continues onward and leaves the alley. Terry follows it and finds Charley's dead body hanging further down the alley. Now with his own revenge in mind, Terry sits in a bar with plans to shoot Johnny, but Barry arrives and objects to that idea. Terry tells Barry to go to Hell, and Barry slugs him. Terry finally is convinced to testify against Johnny.
At the testimony, many of the subpoenaed play dumb on the stand. Terry, however, testifies honestly. When Terry steps down, Johnny confronts him and tells him he'll never work on the docks again. Edie tries to persuade Terry to leave town with her, but he stays. The next day on the docks, Edie witnesses as Terry is ostracized by the rest of the dockworkers and even the neighborhood kids that used to look up to him. Everyone gets hired for working that day...except Terry. Even a panhandler gets hired. Terry then goes right to Johnny's office and calls him out, proclaiming he's proud of testifying and he would do it again. The rest of the dockworkers follow Terry to watch the confrontation.
Johnny comes out of the office and he and Terry fight. Terry eventually gets the upper hand, bringing out the boxing skills he used to have that he'd sequestered ever since the thrown fight. Johnny yells for backup, and his thugs come running. They beat Terry savagely and eventually leave him in a heap. Barry and Edie help up Terry. Terry has trouble walking but slowly stumbles his way in front of Johnny once again. Johnny yells for everyone to get to work, the show's over. However, the rest of the dockworkers throw their support behind Terry and refuse to work unless he does too. Terry limps towards the docks and the rest of the workers follow him, despite Johnny's verbal threats.
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This was Eva Marie Saint's film debut.....Uncredited supporting players in the cast included Fred Gwynne, Martin Balsam, Johnny Seven and Pat Hingle.....This film was partially an attempt of atonement by Kazan for having testified and naming names in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee during the Red Scare. A former close friend of his, playwright Arthur Miller, criticized Kazan for testifitying. As a result, the film is also partially a direct attack at Miller and his play, The Crucible.....The Terry Malloy role was written for John Garfield, but he died before filming began. Frank Sinatra was also considered.....Grace Kelly was offered the Edie Doyle role but declined.....Leonard Bernstein composed the film score. This is his only original film score not adapted from a stage production.....Schulberg later published a novel entitled Waterfront that was much closer to his original screenplay than the final released movie version. Among several differences is that Terry is brutally murdered.
Few movies are as universally-acclaimed as On the Waterfront is, and it's not hard to see why. It's a great story and the movie itself is filled with great performances. Nominated for 12 Oscars, it took home 8. Three of those four non-wins were all in the Best Supporting Actor category, as Cobb, Malden and Steiger all earned nominations, and as is what usually happens when there are multiple acting noms within the same category, those votes likely all got split up. This is why Edmond O'Brien took home the gold instead for The Barefoot Contessa. Surprisingly, Bernstein was the other non-winner for Best Original Score. Victories came for Film Editing, Black-and-White Art/Set Direction, Black-and-White Cinematography, Writing--Story and Screenplay (today's Adapted Screenplay, Schulberg), Director (Kazan), Supporting Actress (Saint), Lead Actor (Brando) and Best Picture. That win came over The Caine Mutiny, The Country Girl, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers and Three Coins in the Fountain. Gritty and great, On the Waterfront deserves its rightful place as one of Hollywood's true classics.
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