Waterfront (1944) DVD [Remastered Edition]

Starring:John Carradine
Studio: Tapeworm
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

Marlon Brando's famous "I coulda been a contenda" speech is such a warhorse by now that a lot of people probably feel they've seen this picture already, even if they haven't. And many of those who have seen it may have forgotten how flat-out thrilling it is. For all its great dramatic and cinematic qualities, and its fiery social criticism, Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront is also one of the most gripping melodramas of political corruption and individual heroism ever made in the United States, a five-star gut-grabber. Shot on location around the docks of Hoboken, New Jersey, in the mid-1950s, it tells the fact-based story of a longshoreman (Brando's Terry Malloy) who is blackballed and savagely beaten for informing against the mobsters who have taken over his union and sold it out to the bosses. (Karl Malden has a more conventional stalwart-hero role, as an idealistic priest who nurtures Terry's pangs of conscience.) Lee J. Cobb, who created the role of Willy Loman in Death of Salesman under Kazan's direction on Broadway, makes a formidable foe as a greedy union leader. --David Chute

Customer Reviews:

Early Brando reveals full-blown genius.......2007-06-27

Superb performances by Marlon Brando and Karl Malden and Eva Marie Saint in this raw, gritty classic of union corruption on the NYC waterfront, offers a study of Brando's profound ability to become the tormented "Terry" with every subtle change of expression a reflection of the inner man. The film is as fresh and gripping today as it was 50 years ago and bears watching again and again for anyone who claims to be a student of acting, cinemantography or just plain great films that don't need to rely on special effects for their impact. - A. Madsen, Baltimore

Redemption and rage........2007-05-27

On the Waterfront (Elia Kazan, 1954)

"I coulda been a contender!" That's the line everyone knows from On the Waterfront. It's funny, because to me, Marlon Brando's truly great scene in this movie comes about five minutes later, amid the fallout of the contender conversation. He's desperately trying to keep from breaking down, barking orders to his girlfriend while getting ready to start a one-man war against the city's crime bosses. It's great stuff. And here I was, having seen the contender excerpt at least a thousand times, thinking it was a movie about a washed-up boxer. Well, it is, but that's only the tip of the iceberg.

Terry Malloy (Brando) is a longshoreman, an ex-boxer who's been taken under the wing of union leader Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb). As the movie opens, Terry is seen having a brief conversation with his acquaintance Jimmy, who is soon pushed to his death from the roof of a tenement building. Terry, disturbed by this, goes back to the bar out of which the union operates, protesting that he just thought "they were gonna lean on him a little." This begins Terry's long and painful journey from a longshoreman who follows the "deaf and dumb" code of the union to a man proud enough to stand up for himself and his fellow workers against the corruption at the higher levels of the union.

Man, this must have been a tough film to get through McCarthy's goons...

Amusing political peccadilloes aside, On the Waterfront really is a great movie. Kazan was at the height of his directorial power, and Brando was never better as an actor. Karl Malden, as a meddling priest willing to stand up for the little guy, does a fantastic job as well, and most of the rest of the cast range from good to great. (There are a few minor characters who seem to be there just for amusement's sake, but they don't get enough face time to really do much damage to the quality of the overall film.) If you haven't seen it, well, it's not just a movie about a washed-up boxer, that I can tell you. ****

Life on the Docks.......2007-05-13

This was the first AFI movie we saw en masse as a family and we loved it! Many generations of eyeballs were glued to the black and white images on the screen, following Brando as he went from a lowly mob thug to someone who stood up for what was right. The acting is phenomenal, and the environment is very down-to-earth and gritty. You really do feel that these people struggle to survive on the docks, to do what is right in a world full of greed and backstabbing.

While famous for Marlon Brando's famous line of "I coulda been a contender!" there are actually many lines of dialogue in here that stand out. The cinematography, the scenery, the faces of the men and women as they go about their lives, it really draws you in to the tough life they led. This definitely deserves to be in the top 10 of all films and is a great film to watch with friends and discuss afterwards.

As an aside, we were all intrigued by the metal tokens that the dock workers held in their hands as they waited on the docks, and it was amazing that in a room of 10 people of all ages, we didn't have any "real" knowledge of what was going on. We could of course make some educated guesses! But here is what I found.

As far back as the 1800s, dock workers were given metal tokens saying they were "signed up properly" to be able to work on the dock. This was to keep riff-raff and untrustworthy thieves off the docks, as well as making some money for the local guild or union. The workers would sign up beforehand and be given these metal circles, that were stamped with the local sign and in essence said "this man is a valid worker to choose".

Then each day as the ships came in, a certain number of gangs would be needed to haul the boxes. This could be only 10 men on a quiet day, or 200 men on a busy day. So each morning, all of the men who wanted to work would show up on the docks. The bosses would call out or list on a board what the day's requirements were. Then they would look out over the group and choose whoever seemed best suited. Each man would have to show his metal token as he went in to work, to prove he was in fact currently paid up and eligible.

In On the Waterfront, certain men were also giving coded winks and nods. These would be those men closest with the mob - the ones who had friends and who should be chosen first.

Pretty dated now, but still fine performances..........2007-03-31

Brando and Steiger and Malden and Cobb and Eva Marie Saint. Directed by Elia Kazan, who was on the right-wing side of the blacklist. A tale of corrupt unions and mobsters when American goods were imported and exported by ships which made New York a regular port of call. The story just wouldn't work the same if set in Houston or New Orleans or Los Angeles. You can tell this is 50 years old, but there are still acting lessons by the cargo-hold-ful visible on the screen. Everyone who claims to like movies needs to see it at least once.

A Great Film..........2007-03-15

Everyone knows about "On the Waterfront" and many people who have never seen a frame of the film can quote some of its dialogue. It's on many people's top 10 list of the best movies of all time, it's in the top 10 of the American Film Institute's Top 100 (#8). It's a legendary film, featuring one of the best screen performances of all time by Marlon Brando. The film is directed by Elia Kazan (reunited with his "A Streetcar Named Desire" stars Brando and Karl Malden) and is, apparently, as much his story as it is a work of fiction. Brando plays Terry Malloy, an ex-prizefighter that works on the mob run waterfront. After playing a small role in the death of a local kid whom ratted on Terry's boss Johnny Friendly, Terry begins dating the dead boy's sister Edie (Eva Marie Saint). When another man dies for ratting, Terry's conscience kicks in and he begins to consider ratting himself. Problem is, Terry's brother Charley (Rod Steiger) is one of Johnny's right-hand men. When Charley is killed, Terry decides to step up and avenge his brother's death...But he may get himself killed in the process. This all leads to a brilliant climax, where else, on the waterfront. Ask anyone about "On the Waterfront" and they'll associate it with "I coulda been a contender." For years, I was under the impression this was a boxing movie because of that line. Since I don't like boxing movies, I just never bothered to watch this film. Seeing it now, I realize what I've missed out on for so long. This is a brilliant piece of filmmaking, no matter what the motives for making it were. Oddly enough, the 'contender' line isn't even in the best line in the movie (my nomination would be "Conscience. That stuff can drive you nuts."). While watching the film I began to wonder...Would this film have been as good without Brando? For a man who gave so many incredible performances over the years, it's hard to say which one is the best. But you really got to take a look at "On the Waterfront" and the way Brando recites many of the lines. Would the line "I coulda been a contender" have as much poignancy and be as familiar to Americans had it not been Brando who recited it? What if Frank Sinatra had been cast in the role, as he was originally planned to be? "On the Waterfront" has a great script and great direction, it would've made a damn fine movie without Brando but I highly doubt anyone besides the biggest cinephiles would remember it today. "On the Waterfront" is a rare "great" film, in the sense that it's more likely to be enjoyed by the masses than another great film like "Pandora's Box." This is a movie you can show to the average teenage kid and they'll enjoy it. "On the Waterfront" is, in two words, a masterpiece.

GRADE: A

Average customer rating:

A history lesson.
A True Story of Mexican Revolution.
Poetic, powerful and moving...
negleted masterpiece
poor editing of the film

Viva Zapata!

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On the Waterfront (Special Edition)

ASIN: B000B63Q36

Product Description

This is the second in the magnificent series of films by director Elia Kazan (On the Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire, East of Eden, Baby Doll). PLOT SUMMARY: Branded an outlaw after helping Mexican peasants reclaim their stolen land, Emiliano Zapata (Brando) retreats into the mountains with his brother Eufemio (Quinn). Then Zapata's love interest takes priority over his revolutionary activities, as he courts Josefa, who refuses his offer of marriage because he's poor and lacks standing in the community. When he rises to the rank of general, she deems him a worthy suitor and they marry. Later Zapata becomes president, but by then, he's greatly disillusioned and ends up being used as a political pawn. ++++ DVD FEATURES: This officially licensed Asian import is NTSC Region 0 (All-Region) with 4:3 Full Screen display, Dolby Digital Sound in ENGLISH with optional English subtitles.

Customer Reviews:

A history lesson........2007-06-30

The review by 'Maxi' shows the value of movies like "Viva Zapata". Most people, Americans, have very little knowledge of important moments in the history of our neighbors to the south. Or Canada for that matter. Brando, as his usual brooding self is outshone by Anthony Quinn. Nobody plays a Mexican better than Mr Quinn. The storyline is fairly close to the true historical life of the title character. I've seen several Mexican movies about Zapata but I like this one better. Mostly for the production values I think.

For years, on the radio, I listened to "La Hora National" They had 1/2 hour plays about historical events from the past. I wish that we had something like that. It pays be aware of historical events that developed the character of our neighbors. I'd like our people to be more informed about heros from our past, too. Most Mexicans, even after many years of living here, are still Mexican at heart. This is a very good movie about a worthwhile subject.

A True Story of Mexican Revolution........2007-01-18

Actually this was the film that triggered my interest on the Mexican Revolution.
I've seen it many times and always found new details to take into account. As I read more and more on the subject my appreciation of this movie increases.
It presents the viewer with a big fresco of the Revolution that convulsed that country for more than ten years.
I admire the strange capacity of the film to show condensed in each scene, many key issues of why and how the Revolution exploded and continue growing along the years, with an immitigable fire.

Director Elia Kazan has been criticized for his appearance on the Un-American Activities Committee that lead many people related to cinematography to be ostracized.
This been said, regardless of his political stand, he had directed many great Oscar winner films as: "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947), "Streetcar Named Desire" (1951); "East of Eden" (1955); "Splendor on the Grass" (1961) and the present "Viva Zapata!" (1952).
He had directed two "Movie Icons" as Marlon Brando (more than once) and James Dean obtaining the best from them. All his films explored the inner depth of human soul with unflinching stare.

Since the first shot, showing a very accurate characterization of President Porfirio Diaz (Fay Roope) and giving an inkling of the type of ruler he was, an enormous gallery of Mexican historical figure are made known.
Francisco Madero's (Harold Gordon) personality and idealistic naïveté is depicted with very few strokes.
Huerta's (Frank Silvera) wickedness and treachery is shown too.

Above all of them Emiliano Zapata's figure impersonated by an inspired Marlon Brando stands with an epic height. His ideals, stubbornness, charisma and internal sorrows leading him to the final sacrifice, are shown convincingly.

A special mention must be done of Anthony Quinn's superb performance, which entitled him to win the Oscar. He not only has the physique du role, but an internal conviction to give flesh to Eufemio, Zapata's brother, a semi cultured and brave centaur, product of his times and environment.

Josefa (Jean Peters) the fiancée and later wife of Emiliano shows all the traits of a high middle class woman romantically requested by a rural hero. The scene played with Brando in the church's atrium is wonderful.
The only character that gives a discordant note is the fictional Fernando, representing an addict to revolution for revolution in itself.

Joseph MacDonald's black and white photography is very beautiful. Steinbeck's screenplay has a solid internal coherence that shows all along the film.

A Classic Movie not diminished by the more than fifty years passed.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Poetic, powerful and moving..........2007-01-17

Elia Kazan will be remembered as the director of some of the most vivid film performances of the fifties... In 'Viva Zapata', Kazan's 'Method' style of acting is applied to John Steinbeck's screenplay that power inevitably corrupts, with Brando again charismatic as the doomed Mexican revolutionary...

Kazan, not only shows us the extremely unpleasant world of poverty where life is hard, short and brutish, but also the story of the agrarian rebel who was Pancho Villa's first revolutionary ally...

Kazan paints a convincing emotional portrait of a mythical figure, who is considered as the 'Wind that swept Mexico.' Kazan explores a facet of the Mexican history, describing the reasons for the revolution fought by Zapata, and works on basic emotions as passion, anger, fear, aggression, ignorance and wisdom...

Brando projects the dedication and the anguish of an inspiring rebel... He portrays the illiterate Mexican peasant revolutionary who for ten years led Guerilla uprisings against dictators and presidents... Brando plays the part with fervor and passion, even transforming his features with special makeup and fake mustache to look amazingly like the Guerilla leader... For his performance, he was nominated for his third consecutive Oscar, but Gary Cooper won for 'High Noon'.

Anthony Quinn gives an effective portrayal of Eufemio Zapata , the swaggering, lecherous, bullying brother, and wins his first Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor... Through his consummate acting skills, Quinn creates in Eufemio a strongly characterization which, despite its brevity, was not overshadowed by Brando's Zapata...

Jean Peters portrays the typical educated girl of the village who falls in love with the wild man of the hills and marries him...

The film begins near the close of the 34th year reign of President Porfirio Diaz (Fay Roope) where a delegation of Indians from the State of Morelos have come to the capital for an audience with the great dictator... There they make known their strong objections over the stealing of their lands by the wealthy, powerful estate barons... Diaz addresses them paternally and instructs them they must examine their boundaries before they bring legal action, something he knows they are incapable of doing...

Burning with a sense of injustice, the simple Emiliano Zapata directs the president's attention to this point, requesting his consent to cross the railing of wires...

President Diaz was disturbed by the persistent Zapata and on the sheet of paper listing his visitors, he unpleasantly circles the name of this one humble man who has really came for 'something.'

Some time later Emiliano and his brother lead the farmers in a general inspection through their expropriated fields and as they do so, a squad of Diaz militia attack them, shooting and cutting down men, women and children indiscriminately...

Zapata and some of his followers fight back, and retreat to a mountain hideout... There they are located by a sly political agitator, a newspaperman named Fernando Aguirre (Joseph Wiseman), who brings news of Francisco Madero (Harold Gordon), exiled in Texas...

Zapata sends his friend Pablo (Lou Gilbert) to interview Madero and find out if he is worth following...

One day, and in a church, Zapata risks his life to speak of truth, and of love... But the pretty brunette Josefa (Jean Peters) rejects him, even though she admits to being attracted to him, and tells him he must improve his social position before she might think out his proposal...

When Espejo (Florenz Ameo) refuses to consider him as a suitor to his daughter, Zapata angrily leaves his house... He is immediately arrested by policemen and led away with a rope around his neck...

As the mounted police walk him behind their horses through the countryside they are gradually joined by peasants, who silently march along... The group increases into a huge number of farmers... Zapata comes to a realization, that the peasants have chosen him as their leader and that he has no course but to accept... Destiny has singled him out...

'Viva Zapata!' received 5 Academy Award Nominations...It is a greatly entertaining film, excitingly directed by Kazan who made its action sequences so intense and who permitted his actors full scope in developing their characters...

negleted masterpiece.......2006-12-28

Viva Zapata is one of the three or four movies that made Marlon Brando the best actor of his generation -- "the Men", "Streetcar---", "On the Waterfront" and "Godfather 1", being among the others. Scripted by Nobelist John Steinbeck, directed by Elia Kazan, featuring bravura performances by Anthony Quinn and Joseph Wiseman, and winner of many international and US awards for acting, directing and scrit, Viva Zapata should rank among the top 100 movies (it did make the NYT's recent top 1000). Yet,it's been sadly neglected -- not even released on DVD is the USA, and to my knowledge unseen on TV. Viva Zapata is a masterpiece lost for suceeding generations.

poor editing of the film.......2006-12-13

the dvd that i recieved through AmaZon was poorly edited. both the beginning and the end of the movie was cut off. I had seen this picture years ago and remember it very well.I will not return it since i didnt pay very much for it.The dvd was distributed through Sam Luu.

Brando 3-Pack (On the Waterfront / The Wild One / The Freshman)

Average customer rating:

Brando 3-Pack (On the Waterfront / The Wild One / The Freshman)
Starring: Marlon Brando , Karl Malden , Lee J. Cobb , Rod Steiger , and Pat Henning
Director: Elia Kazan , László Benedek , and Andrew Bergman
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B0002O7XTA
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Average customer rating:

One of the best double packs around
Customer . . .

On the Waterfront/The Wild One
Starring: Columbia 2pak
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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Release Date: 2004-08-24

Customer Reviews:

One of the best double packs around.......2007-01-04

Unlike a lot of other bundles around, this one is actually worthwhile. Say what you like about Brando, but there was a time when he was doing something with acting that has rarely been seen since. I believe the reason Brando was so good in those early years was because he was just so excited by the possibilities and of his own talent. But the problem with genius is it soon gets bored..

Regardless, On The Waterfront is brilliant - mostly due to Brando, but also his co-stars. It's such a shame Brando couldn't get past his ego and not sit with Steiger for Steiger's closeups in their famous car scene - because Steiger's role and character's story is as important as Brando's.

The Wild One is a lovely snap-shot of 'middle' America caught in the grip of hysteria about youth that has happened again and again throughout history. This time it's those crazed potheads and drunks riding their motorcycles, refusing to call people "Sir", and questioning authority. Forgot about Brando's reply of "Whaddya got?", look for the moments where he shows fragility - there's the magic. Not in the same class as Streetcar or Waterfront - but along with those two it forms a tight trilogy of films that should be in every collection.

Customer . . ........2005-09-24

I received my DVDs in a timely fashion, and both were in fine shape.

Thanks!

Average customer rating:

Smuggling scrutinized from a journalistic point of view
Joseph M Schenck presents

I Cover the Waterfront
Starring: Ben Lyon , Claudette Colbert , Ernest Torrence , Hobart Cavanaugh , and Maurice Black
Director: James Cruze
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
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ASIN: B00011D1KO
Release Date: 2004-01-27

Customer Reviews:

Smuggling scrutinized from a journalistic point of view.......2003-10-19

This film, that is no real thriller but has to do with crime, shows how the smuggling of goods or people (in this case Chinese people) into American society is not done for any political or moral reason, but only to make a profit, even if it is paid by the smuggled people with hard cash or who may even die in the adventure. This film shows the responsibility of a journalist to expose such facts but he will encounter the resistance of many people. His boss first who will only question the quest from the viewpoint of the profit he can make out of it. His colleagues who only see him as running after glory and fame, if not money. Many other people in society who will see the journalist as a meddler in other people's business, even if this business is criminal. Finally this film shows how a dying father may decide to save the life of his worst enemy for the sake of his daughter's love. Love could be stronger than hatred and death.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

Joseph M Schenck presents.......2001-10-23

Director James Cruze's film is set in a fishing waterfront area of California during the Depression, where Ben Lyon, a reporter for The Standard newspaper, is trying to get evidence against the Chinese immigrant smuggler father of Claudette Colbert.
The screenplay is based on the bestseller by Max Miller and describes the Chinese as "chinks", with a brothel being named a "boarding house". Colbert gets a funny line when Lyon shackles her to a torture device in a ship's museum, and kisses her, and she replies "That WAS torture". There is the implausibility of a bandaid being applied to someone after back surgery!, but also a spit putting out someone's lit cigarette, and a shark attack at sea.
As well as proving a joke about a large worker at the "boarding house", Lyon's drunken friend Hobart Cavanaugh is also responsible for 2 subtextual moments which are far more shocking than Colbert's initial apearance supposedly naked. In one, Cavanaugh and Lyon share a bed, and in the second, thinking Cavanaugh has cleaned his house, Lyon says "If you could only cook" and Cavanaugh strikes a fey pose.
The soundtrack has long periods of silence against the dialogue, then intermittent jazz music to play over scenes between Lyon and Colbert, with the love scenes getting serious romantic music.
Cruze also uses a diagonal screen wipe often.
To compensate for Lyon's lack of screen charisma, Colbert is the best thing going here, funny and sassy when she slaps another woman. In one scene she uses a wheazy emotional voice for anger, and her favoured left side to the camera is not so noticable as in her later films.

60 Minutes - On The Waterfront (February 26, 2006)

Average customer rating:

60 Minutes - On The Waterfront (February 26, 2006)

Manufacturer: CBS
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

On the Waterfront (Special Edition)

ASIN: B000FOTA2K
Release Date: 2006-06-15

Description

When a Dubai company was given the rights to operate facilities at six American seaports, it touched off a firestorm of debate in Congress. But this may be the least of the problems America faces on its waterfront. U.S. Customs can only inspect a very small percentage of the six million cargo containers that come into the U.S. each year. Some experts fear that the most likely way a nuclear device or dirty bomb could come into this country would be through our seaports. Steve Kroft reports.

Average customer rating:

Front Page/I Cover the Waterfront
Starring: Front Page , and I Cover the Waterfront
Manufacturer: DVD Cult Classics
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ASIN: B0007TFHUM
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Historic Travel US - Visits to the Waterfront DVD

Average customer rating:

Poorly Titled But Good DVD

Historic Travel US - Visits to the Waterfront DVD

Manufacturer: TravelVideoStore.com
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ASIN: B0007LYM3S
Release Date: 2005-03-21

Description

"This fabulous DVD presents a scenic portrayal three waterfronts in an enthralling manner. It offers you a glimpse of what the famous Manhattan waterfront was like in the early part of the 20th century.

It helps you understand why New York was acknowledged as the world's busiest port at the time. On a more serious note, the film presents a striking contrast between the elegant skyscrapers and the pitiable shanties that sprung up on the waterfront. The message the producer wishes to convey is quite clear - the shanties must go! The scenes of powerful tugboats chugging along the harbor are delightful as are those of fishing vessels unloading their catch.

That Coney Island was the place where everybody wished to be is pretty evident in the clip entitled Coney Island, U.S.A.

Although shot by an amateur, the clips on Niagara Falls are simply outstanding, not so much for the quality of filming, which isn't too bad, but for the enthusiasm the clip carries and conveys. The falls are covered from every possible vantage point and the shots of historic places of tourist interest on the Canadian side provide a valuable peep into Canadian History.

This is a fascinating travelogue on three of the United States' most famous waterfronts and one that should not be missed by anybody who fancies adventure, or simply loves collecting historical DVDs."

Customer Reviews:

Poorly Titled But Good DVD.......2006-07-14

What the title of this DVD should make clear is that ALL of the footage comes from New York State. That doesn't bother me since I was born and raised in New York, but if you are not interested in New York, this DVD may not be for you. The best clips are of Niagra Falls and of the early growth of Coney Island - which was a much different place 50 years ago. The New York Docks scenes reminded me of The Wire, but obviously from a much more realistic perspective. All in all a good set of clips about New York.

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I Cover The Waterfront
Starring: Harry Beresford , Maurice Black , Hobart Cavanaugh , Claudette Colbert , and Claudia Coleman
Director: James Cruze
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
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ASIN: B00062IWUW
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Average customer rating:

Are you the optometrist?

Waterfront
Starring: John Carradine , J. Carrol Naish , Maris Wrixon , Edwin Maxwell , and Terry Frost
Director: Steve Sekely
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
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Customer Reviews:

Are you the optometrist?.......2004-10-17

Veteran scene stealers J. Carroll Naish and John Carradine star in WATERFRONT, a movie about Nazi spies in America released a year before World War II ended.
Naish plays a San Franciscan optometrist who's an undercover Gestapo spy and Carradine an agent come to deliver a coded message. Unfortunately for all save the plot developers, Naish's little black code book was stolen just yesterday and the message cannot be read without it. The book must be recovered, of course, and what with Carradine and Naish being Nazis, innocents must pay in blood if they dare to stand in their way.
WATERFRONT is a very low budget thriller, and I wouldn't be surprised if 90% of its budget was applied to Naish and Carradine's salaries and half of the rest to pay for the prodigious amount of fog used in most of the outdoor scenes.
For all its humble beginnings, WATERFRONT is quite good. Naish and Carradine got reputations for stealing scenes because they would good actors, and their scenes together constitute the movie's high points. Director Steve Sekely was a Hungarian refuge and an accomplished pro behind the camera. There's nothing clumsy or amateurish about this one.
Of all action movies, war-time propaganda films seem to have the shortest shelf life. After the foreign menace is removed the movie's message becomes irrelevant. Not many of us are much worried about unassuming optometrist's plying their surreptitious trade in a major port city anymore. Still, this one has some life in it, if for no other reason than its inclusion of Naish and Carradine.

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