8mm Forum: ON THE WATERFRONT 400' COLUMBIA DIGEST

This is topic ON THE WATERFRONT 400' COLUMBIA DIGEST in forum 8mm Print Reviews at 8mm Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000422

Posted by Gerald Santana (Member # 2362) on June 07, 2011, 06:23 PM:

ON THE WATERFRONT - COLUMBIA/SUPER8/400'/B&W/SOUND

To begin a series of print reviews from our collection, we chose 'On the Waterfront' because it is one our favorite films and surprisingly missing from 8mm Print Reviews. It wasn't a difficult decision either since we have had our copy for almost a year and it has already had multiple screenings. This particular edition, released originally in 1973 by Columbia is very repeatable. Forum member Colin Hunt described it winning best cut-down in 1974. An April 1975 Columbia Digest advertisement has it listed for $35.75. In 2010, I purchased it on ebay for approx. $21.00, the print was in good condition, with some light lines. As a film buff and admirer of this movie, it was very exciting to project it for the first time.

The story begins and the iconic scenes take their time to unfold. The cinematography, pacing and editing allow the story to develop very nicely. Columbia also released this film as a full length feature on Super 8, there are many prints available by many distributors in the 16mm format as well. We hope to own it someday, in the meantime, the Columbia classics viewers digest print by Triangle is good enough.

The direction by Elia Kazan and the acting of the cast are impeccable, giving you a brilliant and dramatic production that won 8 Oscars and is number 8 on AFI's list: 100 years...100 movies. Why is this film so important? For me, it speaks about truth even when it is painful to listen to. The duality of the shadow life is brutal, in this film it leads to various deaths, one foreshadowing the next. Exposing the dark underworld to light has its consequences for many of the characters in the film.

Eve Marie Saint, Rod Steiger, and Karl Malden play supporting roles, Saint's character is devastated to learn her brother has been thrown from a roof top and killed. Brando plays a longshoreman with a longing for professionalism and pain management. Although his character is a bird keeper, he moonlights as an amateur boxer and is haunted by his fixed fights for quick money. Brando as Malloy attempts to 'settle the score' and soon he will reject those he worked for. He becomes desperate and attempts to talk with the driver of his destiny. Brando incidentally, worked as little as possible on this film, spending hours with an psychiatric analyst in New York when he wasn't shooting.

Originally, Brando refused the role of Terry Malloy, after many revisions he accepted. Making a movie that reveals corruption and organized crime was very risky in many ways. The FBI even stepped in while Arther Miller was writing a draft for the film and told him to change the villains into Communists. It's almost hard to believe that this film cost less that $1 million to make, Brando received $100,000 for the role. When he starred in the classic 1954 union movie there were 41,333 longshoremen in New York. Today, there are only 3,000.

The cut-down keeps the story together using a narrator to describe brief changes in the film and over montage. I'm personally indifferent about the use of a narrator in a cut-down, it was a decision that worked for some films, here it's unobtrusive. There are few films that draw me in like 'On the Waterfront' does, and this 19 min. version (is a very full 400' reel) has all of the right elements for a terrific digest; a strong cast and great timing. The print has good contrast however, slightly soft at times growing sharper as the picture continues.

Not only does the truth hurt, it could also get ugly sometimes. The last third of this film is gripping and the cut-down does a remarkable job of again holding all of the right elements of the story together; the short life of a stool pigeon, the consequences of trust when it is absent, and a taxicab confession. Have you ever wondered why there are blinds inside that taxicab? The rear projector was left behind that day during filming.

Brando's Oscar for his role in the film was stolen, later recovered when it showed up at a London auction house. Real longshoremen were used in the film as extras, their scenes are also pivotal in the climax as Brando delivers a verbal blow to the villain that arranged the murder of his brother and countless others. This longshoreman has had enough of corruption. The sad truth however is in his attempt to attain justice through whistle-blowing later, violence. The bitter truth is hard to swallow, in the end , we all have to "Go back to work", trying figuring out who we are and who made us this way...really.

[ June 08, 2011, 05:05 PM: Message edited by: Gerald Santana ]

Posted by Joe Taffis (Member # 4) on June 07, 2011, 08:16 PM:

Excellent review Gerald, I've had this digest for a few years and it is definitely a keeper. I just wish it had a nice artwork box cover instead of the generic Columbia one. I was also surprised at how long it was [Smile]

Posted by Gerald Santana (Member # 2362) on June 07, 2011, 09:14 PM:

Joe - Thank you and I agree, the generic artwork suffered, but maybe money went into the the print. If there is one digest any collector should have (among many of course), it is this one.

For additional screen-shots, I've added them to our clubs Facebook page here: B.U.F.S ON F.B.

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on June 08, 2011, 09:45 AM:

Gerald,

Wonderful review. I've been told that after his close ups were shot for the taxi scene, Brando refused to stick around to feed lines for Rod Steiger's close up. Steiger never got over that.

Doug

Posted by Gerald Santana (Member # 2362) on June 08, 2011, 01:55 PM:

Doug - Thank you, it's true...Steiger was very upset about Brando's self-dismissal from the set during the close ups in the taxi cab. During Steiger's close-ups, a crew member read Brando's lines. The set was always very cold, and Kazan stepped in to stop Brando from improvising any dialogue in the film, especially that scene. Steiger used his emotion from the moment to add to his performance.

While Brando tried to reason what should be said when a brother points a gun to his own brother, Kazan enforced the script and the scene should resonate as expected by the author and director. Brando did not improvise that scene at all, and Steiger held a grudge for walking out during a probable temper tantrum by Brando over the dialogue.

On a side note, lets not forget the "villain" - Lee J. Cobb as 'Johnny Friendly', along with Saint, Steiger and Malden were all nominated for Oscars. They all helped changed the tone of movies overnight. They simply were not the same after that film, the par was set very high. Most American films lacked the emotional depth needed to breakthrough into deeper, more engaging performances.

Posted by Colin Robert Hunt (Member # 433) on June 09, 2011, 07:16 AM:

Great review Gerald. Like I mentioned on another post a very good cutdown one of my favarites. Bought this way back in the seventies on the original release date. My film is still great picture quality and sound. No lines, suprising really because it's had some playing on various projectors over the years.

Posted by Gerald Santana (Member # 2362) on June 09, 2011, 12:22 PM:

Colin - Thank you, I appreciate the merits the film provides and leaves with you...it is certainly great. I'm 36 years old, and it is nice to know that the quality and endurance of film is surpassing the life expectancy of "other" formats.

When this won the award for best cut-down, I many have read it somewhere and forgotten, but I was afraid to say if it was best cut-down...ever or was it for the year 1974? Incidentally, that was the year video started to take off and the price of silver rose with it, affecting the price of B&W prints and practically wiping out Blackhawk films.

The next time you look at it, can you determine if there are two places where the audio seemed to be re-recorded on mine. You have to listen carefully but one place is in a scene where Karl Malden is talking in a church and, I can't remember the other place.

Posted by Colin Robert Hunt (Member # 433) on June 09, 2011, 02:35 PM:

Gerald I know this cutdown very well. Not heard any problem that you have mentioned. If it's there then not any problem to the showing. This cutdown was a very landmark in the seventies digest world. There was so much on these digests coming out at the time with a very high price on the average wage then. Soundtracks contained some flaws and I personaly only have a handfull of realeases that have stood the time from then to now. Anybody who collected in England then would read the magazine Movie Maker and the 8mm releases where reviewied by Bill Davison. This digest won hands down on every aspect, but then the price was over £20.oo a high price. Enjoy the extract and you cannot be too crital of any of these cutdowns from that era. Print qua;ity varied from every source. Today most have faded and we have some that still have that quality we purchased at the time. Waterfront has stood the test of time and I would have no hessitation on showing this has a digest today. That's something that alot of digest would struggle with today.

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2