A City Full of Hawks: ‘On the Waterfront’ Seventy Years Later—Still the Great American Contender

Rebello (Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!) brings On the Waterfront’s turbulent journey to life in this detailed, thoughtful exploration of the 1954 film’s development amid the chaotic politics of the 1950s and the dangerous climate of the ports of New Jersey. Credit is paid to Pulitzer Prize–winning articles by Malcolm Johnson depicting the influence of organized crime on the waterfront and its unions, which piqued the interest of Monticello Film Corp’s Joseph Curtis. After Arthur Miller and director Elia Kazan fell out over Kazan’s naming of supposed Communists, Kazan relied on screenwriter Budd Schulberg. Notoriously disagreeable producer Sam Spiegel green-lit the production. The casting of Marlon Brando over Frank Sinatra, of an unknown Eve Marie Saint, and of heavy-hitters Karl Malden and Lee J. Cobb guaranteed naturalistic performances, enhanced by actual dockworkers and organized crime members lurking about the set. Rebello provides details such as Brando’s famous “I could have been a contender” line, which was directly taken from boxer Roger Donaghue. The taxi scene led to a lifelong feud between Brando and Rod Steiger, and Brando improvised the romantic glove scene with Saint.