Recently I read the 970+ page book, MY NAME IS BARBRA. Barbra Streisand wanted to set the record straight on all the people she knew and worked with and those she loved. One person mentioned hit me in the gut… Marlon Brando. The two of them have been friends ever since they first met at a party. She talked about their relationship over the years and how they used similar acting techniques to create the character called for in a script. Barbra was very frank about Brando’s charisma and virile looks. Barbra’s words drew me to rewatch one of her all-time favorite movies, ON THE WATERFRONT. I fell for Brando myself when I was younger. I was mesmerized by his pure acting talent, and soulful eyes, and later when I was teaching, he was one of the six men who graced my theatre room walls. I would often refer to his ability to be “in the moment” on screen. I owe Barbra for precious moments of rediscovering a phenomenal film.
ON THE WATERFRONT achieved the near impossible in 1954 by winning eight out of twelve Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction. A major achievement for any film, but especially since the story was based on a real-life person who blew the whistle on the longshoremen union in New Jersey. Things changed drastically after ON THE WATERFRONT premiered for the mob who controlled the loading docks.
Marlon Brando was not the director’s (Elia Kazan) first choice to portray Terry Malloy. He had already asked Frank Sinatra and he had accepted, but the studio wanted a bigger name for the lead. (This I find fascinating, but I am glad Brando was the man chosen.) Brando had it written in his contract that he would not work after 4 PM every day because he had therapy appointments due to the death of his mother. This put a time restraint on all scenes with Brando especially Rod Steiger who played his brother Charley. Rod had to perform in the infamous cab ride and say his lines with a crew person. He has said in several interviews he never forgave Brando for not showing up for him when he needed his energy to be the best he could be.
Brando was an actor who lived to improvise during filming. He was often restrained to say the line as written and later when the film was released, he felt he could have been better if only he was given more freedom. The putting on of Edie’s (Eva Marie Saint) glove was totally improvised. Eva was thirty in this film. It was her debut. What a deal. Her first film leads to gold.
The locations in Hoboken were real. The extras were authentic longshoremen. The actors were freezing while the cameras rolled. There was much symbolism to the pigeons on the rooftop housed in cages. They represented the workers who were caught in a trap every day trying to survive. The hawks were the mob. They were the ones who put the fear of death everywhere. Killing the innocent birds made the analogy raw, bitter, ruthless, and authentic. It was sheer perfection. As was the most memorable line in the film, “I could have been a contender. I could have been somebody instead of being a bum.” It was an honest moment filled with angst for what shoulda, woulda, coulda been.
The shadows and use of black and white film added to the turmoil. The extra beats taken by everyone in the ensemble affixed brilliance and depth. The entire cast was accomplished and masterfully presented which included the incomparable Karl Malden and Lee J. Cobb. (Both were nominated for Best Supporting Actor Oscars along with Rod Steiger.)
ON THE WATERFRONT was electrifying. It changed the cinematic focus of the film. The movie was art and life rolled together using everyday grit to create a classic on a higher plane. This is what happens when things align and moviegoers are given a gift for all time. Thanks, Barbra, for helping me remember. It is available on TCM.
