Marty (1955)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Delbert Mann

Writers:

Paddy Chayefsky (story)
Paddy Chayefsky (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 June 1955 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

EVERYBODY'S RAVING ABOUT "MARTY" . . . The year's BIG entertainment surprise a warm and human story with characters you'll love and remember!

Plot:

A touching story about two lonely people who have almost resigned themselves to never being truly loved.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Butcher | Small Business | Moving | Phone Booth

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Ernest Borgnine	...	Marty Piletti
Betsy Blair	...	Clara Snyder
Esther Minciotti	...	Mrs. Theresa Piletti
Augusta Ciolli	...	Aunt Catherine
Joe Mantell	...	Angie
Karen Steele	...	Virginia
Jerry Paris	...	Tommy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Bell	...	Mr. Snyder (uncredited)
Joe Bell	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
John Beradino	...	Man in Bar (uncredited)
Nick Brkich	...	Bachelor (uncredited)
Marvin Bryan	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Charles Cane	...	Lou - Bartender (uncredited)
Paddy Chayefsky	...	Leo (uncredited)
John Dennis	...	Andy (uncredited)
Steven Hecht	...	Six-Year-Old Boy (uncredited)
Paul Hoffman	...	Man in Bar (uncredited)
Walter Kelley	...	The Kid (uncredited)
Doris Kemper	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
John Milford	...	(uncredited)
Silvio Minciotti	...	Butcher (uncredited)
Robin Morse	...	Joe (uncredited)
Kathleen Mulqueen	...	Irish Lady Talking in Bar (uncredited)
Jerry Orbach	...	Ballroom Extra (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Glenn Strange	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Frank Sutton	...	Ralph (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	Churchgoer Extra (uncredited)
Minerva Urecal	...	Mrs. Rosari (uncredited)
Alan Wells	...	Jerry (uncredited)

Directed by
Delbert Mann

Writing credits
Paddy Chayefsky		(story)
Paddy Chayefsky		(screenplay)

Produced by
Paddy Chayefsky	....	associate producer
Harold Hecht	....	producer
Burt Lancaster	....	co-producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Roy Webb
Joseph Harnell		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Joseph LaShelle		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Ted Haworth		(as Edward S. Haworth)
Walter M. Simonds		(as Walter Simonds)

Set Decoration by
Robert Priestley

Costume Design by
Norma Koch		(as Norma)

Makeup Department
Agnes Flanagan	....	hair stylist
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (as Robert Schiffer)
Rudolph Liszt	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Helmick	....	assistant director
Mark Sandrich Jr.	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Robert G. Carlisle	....	sound effects editor (as Robert Carlisle)
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound recordist (as Roger Heman)
John K. Kean	....	sound recordist (as John Kean)

Casting Department
Betty Pagel	....	casting supervisor (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Alan Crosland Jr.	....	editorial supervisor

Music Department
George Bassman	....	composer: additional music
Robert G. Carlisle	....	music editor (as Robert Carlisle)

Other crew
Harold Hecht	....	presenter (as Hecht)
Burt Lancaster	....	presenter (as Lancaster)

Production Companies

• Hill-Hecht-Lancaster Productions (as Steven Productions)

Distributors

• United Artists (1955) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1962) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

91 min | 94 min (alternate version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | USA:Approved (PCA #17297) | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Hill-Hecht-Lancaster Productions

Trivia:

This is the remake of a 1953 TV movie of the same name, with Rod Steiger in the title role.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The opening scene shows men in a bar in the middle of the afternoon. One patron says that the Yankees won both games of a double header that day. However, even in the 1950s games took about 2.5 hours to play so it is unlikely that a double header would have been finished by mid-afternoon when the scene is set.

Quotes:

Marty Pilletti: I've been looking for a girl every Saturday night of my life.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: The Best of Molly Shannon (2001) (V)

Soundtrack:

Marty

Sweet little movie

Every one in awhile, a small movie cleans up at the Oscars. It seems to happen about once a decade. This might be the first, though.

Ernest Borgnine is the title character. He is a butcher who is unmarried, Catholic, Italian and lives in New York where it would never occur to anyone to mind their own business. Everyone who buys a pork chop gives him grief over his bachlerhood, and that extends to his Mother, too. He is a sweet guy - loans money to his friends, is polite to strangers and considerate to his family. He is a little lonely and frustrated and doesn't have much to do.

One night in a dance hall a stranger offers him $5 to take a girl home, since the guy doesn't want to have anything to do with this particular girl. Marty is amazed at the rudeness so to not humiliate the girl any more than she has to be, and since he's alone anyway..they meet and dance and have a very nice night. He is very nervous and has a lot to say and sometimes rambles on a little. Not the worse crime in the world.

There is a small subplot over Marty's Aunt moving in with Marty and his Mom since she does not get along with her daughter-in-law. I suppose this is to show that even if you are married, life still hands out problems. And if you get to live long enough to be considered 'old', that sometimes you are uprooted and unwanted and a bit of a burden to your family.

Borgnine is terrific and won Best Actor over pretty tough competition. Joe Mandell as Angie, Marty's best friend, and Betsy Blair as Clara, who is the girl he meets, were also nominated.

This material was originally a television 'play' starring Rod Steiger as Marty and Nancy Marchand as Clara. I bet it was good. 8/10.