User Reviews

Although this small film kind of got lost in the wake of On The Waterfront, Edge Of The City can certainly hold its own with that star studded classic. It's another story about the docks and the code of silence that rules it.

Next to the corrupt union that Lee J. Cobb ran in On The Waterfront, Jack Warden is really small time corruption. But he's real enough as the gang boss on one of the docks who intimidates the other workers by being handy with his fists and the bailing hook and he gets the rest to kickback part of their hard earned money. And it's all hard earned money in that job.

One guy Warden can't intimidate is Sidney Poitier another gang boss and when he tries to intimidate newcomer John Cassavetes, Poitier takes him under his wing. The two develop quite the friendship and Poitier and his wife Ruby Dee even fix Cassavetes up with Kathleen Maguire.

Warden is truly one loathsome creature and it's sad how by sheer force of personality and physical prowess he cows almost everyone else into submission. In that sense he's tougher than Lee J. Cobb who did have to rely on an impression collection of goons to enforce his will in On The Waterfront.

Edge Of The City marked the big screen directorial debut of Martin Ritt who did a great job with a good cast of New York based players and spot on location cinematography. The film's low budget does show, but you're so impressed with the ensemble cast you don't really care.

Cassavetes as the loner with a past and the hip and tough Poitier are both fine, but my personal favorite in this film is Ruby Dee. She should have gotten some award for her performance, her final scene with Cassavetes is outstanding.

Catch this one if ever possible. I wish it were out on DVD or VHS.

Martin Ritt's first film offers an exceptional existentialist answer (three years later) to Elia Kazan's more conservative "On The Waterfront." While "Waterfront" benefited immensely from an electrifying Marlon Brando, who inadvertently disguised Kazan's offensive theme of trying to justify naming names (as Kazan did eagerly before the House Un-American Activities Committee), "Edge of the City" boasts a young John Cassavetes and an upstart Sidney Poitier daring to confront issues that "Waterfront" failed to acknowledge, namely, workers' rights and race relations.

"Edge of the City" boldly dives into this (then) unknown territory, and although the quite appealing black protagonist (Poitier) may seem a bit Hollywood simplistic, the courageous struggle against thinly-veiled bigotry and violence has hardly aged at all. One wonders how shocked initial 1957 moviegoers were at such a bold presentation of white-black relations (if some of the bigoted didn't leave the theater early, they must of left dumbfounded, if not offended).

The last reel of the film will still surprise audiences, as it refuses to sink into expected clichés, including those that tainted "Waterfront." While both films climax with a fight in front of stunned workers, director Ritt avoids the tiddy simplicity of Kazan's ratonalizied ending. Only the most jaded viewers will not realize "Edge" remains such a radical and entertaining film.

What's most disturbing about this lost classic: how it sadly stayed unavailable on any format, for reasons that remain quite cloudy until it surfaced in a Sidney Poitier compilation in late 2008. This film should be required viewing in high school or college history classes across the country, yet one can only find it on obscure late-night TV, if ever at all.

A skillfully directed film by Martin Ritt where a drifter and anti-hero, John Cassevetes lands in N.Y. to escape a tragic incident in his life, where he killed his brother in an automobile accident as well as going AWOL from the army.

Cassavetes, always an intense actor, shows grit in his portrayal of a film. Am surprised that Montgomery Clift didn't get this part.

Ruth White is his mother and does remarkably well in two scenes on the telephone.

Once in New York, he befriends Sidney Poitier as the two work on the docks. Immediately, Jack Warden, a bully and villain in this film,takes a dislike to him and tragedy ensues when Poitier tries to defend his friend.

Ruby Dee, plays Poitier's wife in this film, and is brilliant in a scene where she urges Cassavetes to reveal the killer of her husband.

This is definitely an interesting film of moral values and the loner in society. With the backdrop of tenements, the right mood is depicted in the film.

In this rarely seen black-and-white film, blacklisted director Martin Ritt (Nuts, Norma Rae) explores the complexities of racial brotherhood and tensions through the characters brilliantly played by Sidney Poitier and John Cassavetes. This emotionally charged drama follows the story of Axel (Cassavetes), a drifter newly arrived in New York City, who goes to work in the West Side Terminal as a porter and immediately makes the acquaintance of Tommy (Poitier), an experienced and cordial porter who is as generous with his friends as he is with his customers. Scenes such as the first meeting between Axel and Tommy's family, as well as the confrontations between Axel and his surly boss (Jack Warden), convey the confidence and compassion that steadily grows between the two men. As the two men confront societal prejudices, Axel is forced to examine himself and his community. In a film often compared to On the Waterfront, director Ritt displays an intuitive insight, simultaneously subtle and sharp.

Alex North (John Cassavetes) has problems in relationship with his father and flees home to join the army, from where he very soon deserts and comes to New York intending to start a new life, using as an advantage the fact that nobody knows about his past. He finds a job at the Waterfront, where he meets Tommy Tyler (Sydney Poitier) a lively young man, who is happily married and is a living contrast to Cassavetes' sad and unhappy character. They very quickly become good friends and Tommy does his best to help his friend. The only problem is that their superior at work, a tough worker Charles Malik (Jack Warden) is sort of envious of their friendship as well as Tommy's constant happy disposition and success in personal life. He really manages to make their life difficult when he comes to know the truth about Alex's past.

A good drama skillfully directed by Academy Award nominated director-producer Martin Ritt (The Hud) and featuring wonderful performances from Sydney Poitier and Jack Warden. 7/10

I really liked this film--mostly because the acting and dialog was so good. So, while much of the film is very quiet and the plot somewhat normal by movie standards, it's a wonderful example of a film that is a showcase for the actors.

John Cassavetes plays a disaffected young man. He's failed many times in the past and expects to keep failing when he comes looking for a job as a longshoreman. At first, he's taken under the wings of a cruel jerk (Jack Warden)--who exploits him and is a bully. But, a particularly kind man at the job (Sidney Poitier) takes him on in his work crew--and the two become fast friends. But there still is the bully to deal with--as well as Cassavetes' dark secret. See this film.

I really liked the relationship between Poitier and Cassavetes because it was NOT played as an interracial relationship but just as two friends. There was no obvious or overt message about racial brotherhood--but simply by the casting it made a great point. Well done all around, though I was a bit disappointed by the exciting ending, as, if you think about it, it doesn't make a lot of sense (Cassavetes could have just gone to the police--and that would have been a lot more logical). Still, it's got a heck of a punch.

1957's Edge of the City, directed by Martin Ritt, stars John Cassavetes, Sidney Poitier, Jack Warden and Ruby Dee. It's the story of a troubled man, Axel, who has a mysterious past that gradually comes out during the film. He has a connection that gets him a job on a loading dock working for Charlie (Jack Warden), a real meanie who takes kickbacks from his workers and rides them hard. Charlie has an intense dislike for a black man, T.T. (Poitier) who holds the same position. T.T. invites Axel to work on his team; Axel defies Charlie and does so. Axel finds a place to live and socializes with T.T., his his wife (Dee) and their son's white schoolteacher (Kathleen McGuire). When tragedy strikes, none of the men on the loading dock will talk to the police, and Axel has to come to grips with his values, what he stands for, and the meaning of friendship.

This is a really excellent black and white film that curiously isn't really about being black or white! It's really about the limits one puts on oneself and knowing who you are. Charlie is a bigot and hates that a black man has a good position on the dock. T.T. teases Charlie and gives as good as he gets. There's no discussion of T.T. and Axel spending time together or of T.T.'s son having a white teacher with whom the family also socializes. What Axel, a loner, finds difficult is accepting any friendship or confiding in anyone - these things he learns through T.T.

Poitier absolutely shines in "Edge of the City" - he's warm, energetic, loving and smart, a man with a real enthusiasm for life, afraid of nothing. Cassavetes is excellent and plays a character totally opposite - hiding in the shadows, chronically depressed and always nervous.

The film leaves open what happens to Axel. Whatever does, he's a different man now.

Strangely underrated and unknown film, possibly in the shadow of a lot of the angry young men films that came out in that era.

John Cassavetes is on the run from the law. He is at the bottom of the heap. He sees Negro Sidney Poitier as his equal and they quickly become friends, forming a sort of alliance against a bully of a foreman played by Jack Warden.

As someone who has worked in a warehouse myself when I was younger, I can tell you that the warehouse fights, complete with tumbling packing cases and flailing grappling hooks are as realistic as it gets. I've been in fights like these myself, although no one got killed.

The introduction of Sidney Poitier's widow is a variation on Shakespeare's Shylock "Do I not bleed?" This is an anti racist film, which, at the time, was much needed.

All the three principle characters - Warden, Cassavetes and Poitier - are superb, with Warden the most outstanding of the three.

This is an excellent movie that tackles the issue of racism in a delicate and balanced way. Great performances all round but absolutely outstanding acting by Sidney Poitier.

He makes this movie breathe and alive. His portrayal of a guy who struggles against discrimination and violence is simply mind blowing. His acting is forceful and delicate and subtle at the same time. Truly worthy of an Oscar, Poitier had to wait (because of his skin colour) for many more years before the sheer brilliance of his acting was recognised by the Academy.

Cassavetes turns in a great performance too, withdrawn, troubled and realistic as it has become his hallmark. He and Poitier contrast inimitably the forces of cowardice, courage and human transformation through friendship.

The movie is enjoyable and at the same time deeply haunting in its portrayal of racism in the US. The irony is that it somehow mirrors the realities under which Poitier had to work.

This is one of Cassavetes' best performances. The entire cast is outstanding, as is Martin Ritt's sublimely understated direction. The anger, angst, and desparation of urban labor battles is magnificently told in a fashion that is neither obtrusive nor patronizing. In a way it is dated with its era, but in many ways, it is gloriously timeless.

a real hoot, unintentionally. sidney portier's character is so sweet and lovable you want to smack him. nothing about this movie rings true. and it's boring to boot.

Back in 1957, I was 21 at the time, and working in a similar enviorment, with trucks in front for loading and unloading, and freight cars in rear also. All that seemed right on. Yes, some guys/bosses can be nasty. Plus I also had a good buddy who was a driver/laborer. He also was black. I'm white. One of the best friends I ever had. We got along the same way as Poitier/Cassavetes.

This is clearly a dramatic film representative of the stylistic period films being made in the 1950's. This was director Martin Ritt's first attempt at delivering a feature film for Hollywood after first tinkering with a few television episodes for various TV series such as Somerset Maugham TV Theatre, and Starlight Theatre. Obviously director Martin Ritt was fortunate that his feature film debut starred two (2) great lead actors such as John Cassavetes, and Sidney Poitier. Subsequent to the mainstream success of this film shot in Harlem New York, Martin Ritt went on to a four (4) decade career directing many other acclaimed films starring a long list of Academy Award winner actors and actresses.

I enjoy a good black and white film and I truly wish other producers would consider this style format. If you recall it worked well back in 2011 for Academy Award Best Picture "The Artist". Edge of the City was filmed in Harlem New York and evolves around the new found friendship between the happy go lucky African American Tommy Tyler played by Sidney Poitier, whose friends simply called him TT or T. Tommy is a crew leader on the docks where he is in a constant battle with another racist dock crew leader named Charlie Malick, played by Jack Warden. When the desperate newcomer Axel Nordmann (played by John Cassavettes) naively joins the con man Charlie Malick's crew, Axel realizes rather quickly how racist and selfish his crew leader is, as well as being the biggest bully on the docks.

The film evolves into the push and pull friendship between Tommy and Axel, as Tommy continues to push Axel into sharing Axel's obvious fears and deepest secrets with Tommy. Axel pushes Tommy away as he feels the only one he could ever trust was his deceased older brother, who Axel feels responsible for his brothers unexpected death. The demons that Axel eventually shares with his new best friend Tommy are issues that many other men (and women) can relate to as they revolve around Axel's estranged relationship with his parents and how his current circumstances and potential future prosecution relate to Axel attempting to make his father proud.

The films ending is not as heroic, nor as vindicating and uplifting as lets say the 1976 Academy Award winning Rocky films ending was but Edge of the City is filled with superior acting by the film stars John Cassavetes, and Sidney Poitier, as well as supporting performances by Jack Warden, Kathleen Maguire, and a young Ruby Dee.

I enjoyed this dramatic 1957 film and I felt both the acting and directing were superb and why this film is so relevant for the time and yet still timeless messages for today's youth.

I give the film a 7/10 rating

I cry at a lot of movies. Call me sentimental. Call me one of those viewers who always likes to see a happy ending. This movie, though it has a sad ending, was great! Of all of the actors that I would love to have lunch with, it would be Sidney Poitier. His acting, along with John Cassavetes and Jack Warden (of 12 Angry Men fame)is stellar. His character, who befriends a man on the run (Cassavetes) and helps him out in every way possible is incredible.

This is another one of those forgotten noirs made during the end of the noirish era. It is well done, has a superb cast, extremely talented acting, and great cinematography. It is a film worth watching over and over again. I highly recommend this one! This is just another truly great film done by Mr. Poitier and should be sold on DVD. Even though I cried, kudos to such great art!

In Edge of the City, John Cassavetes is a drifter and clearly on the run. He telephones his parents at the start of the film, but as his mother Ruth White begs her son to speak to her or tell her where he is, he puts his hand over the receiver and gives her silence. It's a very heartbreaking scene because he does talk to her, but she isn't able to hear him through the muted mouthpiece. He gets a job on the docks, but his boss Jack Warden is mean and unfair. All the fellow workers have learned to look the other way, even when he race-baits Sidney Poitier, the only man who befriends John.

Sidney Poitier is extremely nice, tolerant, and forgiving of his new friend, and he and his wife Ruby Dee go out of their way to help John fit in. They even set him up with their classy friend Kathleen Maguire, who is clearly out of his league. As I watched the first half of the film, I felt a little frustrated. John Cassavetes wasn't nearly as likable as Sidney Poitier, yet he was the protagonist. Why wasn't the entire movie about Sidney? I didn't care what happened to John at all! Then I realized that Robert Alan Arthur had written his script that way on purpose, and I watched the second half of the film in full enjoyment.

Arthur wrote and directed a very powerful film, one that evokes a range of emotion from its viewers. Once you realize and accept that John isn't likable and Sidney is, you'll get swept away in the plot and growth of the characters. Even though you don't really care about John, since Sidney cares so much about him, he convinces you to slowly start rooting for him. The shift is slight and steady, but it's a very rare and fantastic quality. Usually, when watching a film, you're aware of the beginning, middle, and end, but in Edge of the City, the beginning drags, the middle is immersive, and the end comes too soon. Depending on how drained you feel you might want to watch it again, but there are some heavy and emotional elements to the story.

Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to some violence I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

This is a powerful film which seems to have never re-arisen after the Joe McCarthy censorship period. It influenced me as a Jewish teen-ager who had friends of various colors and whose father's family had suffered under the Fascist regimes in Europe during the second quarter of the Twentieth Century. Unlike the later rip-off, "On The Waterfront" which seemed to take some of the same themes and twist them to fit the enforced Hollywood political correctness of the time, it told its story direct and with respect for the characters and for the reality it fictionally reflected. It was an antidote to "Gone With the Wind", "Birth of a Nation", "Triumph of the Will" and so many other glorifiers of hatred and violence. I would place it alongside the recent German film (also virtually hidden in the US), "Rosenstrasse."

I remember that the TV version, also black and white in format as well as story, was blacked out by some stations because the black hero's wife appeared white. As a young civil rights worker, it produced a conflict for me because on the one hand I was opposed to smoking cigarettes and on the other opposed the boycott in Georgia of a sponsor of the TV show, a major tobacco company (I no longer remember which one -- does anyone else?).

I would love to find a CD of either the film or the TV show to let my sons see something that informed my opposition to racism universally (as opposed to only fighting racism against Jews) and recognition of the inherent connection between racism and militarism.

Powerful portrait of N. Y. docks , being stunningly performed and excellently directed . This compelling and dynamic drama is set on New York's dock where mobsters control the Union and stevedores . Based on the story of a union dock worker who faced intimidation by a corrupt boss . A drifter with dark past named Axel Nordmann (John Cassavetes) arrives on the waterfront of the west side of Manhattan . He seeks anonymous employment as a longshoreman , offering the alias of 'Alex North' after finding work under bigoted boss Charlie Malick (Jack Warden) . Axel quickly befriends a charismatic and free-spirited beatnik called Tommy Tyler (Sidney Poitier) . But then things go wrong , as Axel gets in trouble , including sacrificing one's own reputation, career and even life if necessary . Tense drama of frightened men!

This interesting , somber account provides a magnificent tour de force of fluid direction and nervous , edgy acting. An engaging and thought-provoking film with attractive plot by screenwriter Robert Alan Arthur , containing intense drama with pungent lines , emotion , wonderful performances , memorable climax , magnificent direction and classic musical score by maestro Leonard Rosenman . The movie is a virtual laundry list of themes influencing Ritt over the years : corruption, racism, intimidation of the individual by the group, defense of the individual against government oppression and, most notable, the redeeming quality of mercy and the value of shielding others from evil. For this brooding film and highy charged throughout story writer Robert Alan Arthur took the idea from newspapers about articles depicting murders at New York docks , graft and extortion that were endemic on the N. Y. waterfront , being actually an expanded film from the 1955 hour-long live television play The Philco Television Playhouse : A Man Is Ten Feet Tall (1955) . Masterfully played by entire casting . John cassavetes is perfect as stevedore who faces the thorny dilemma of whether or not to become himself into an unfortunate informer . Relies heavily on the enjoyable frienship between army deserter and dock worker delivering focus for reflection on integrity in lower-class society and integration . Along with first-rate main cast , Cassavetes , Poitier , appearing here and there great secondaries giving nice interpretations , such as : Kathleen Maguire's film debut , Ruby Dee, Val Avery, Robert F. Simon, Ruth White, John Kellogg and special mention for Jack Warden who steals the show as an extremely nasty union rackeeter . And some characters were based on real people and stunningly filmed by director of photography Joseph C. Brun in authentic locations as N. Y. port and St. Nicholas Terrace at W. 129 Street in Harlem.

This trend-setting film has a gritty portrait of N. Y. waterfront and stand up well nowadays , it is a winner all the way. This attractive motion picture was competently directed by Martin Ritt . Being Martin Ritt's first directing assignment after being blacklisted in the 1950s and he went on to direct 25 more films, including some classics . Ritt was an expert on dramas such as ¨Stanley and Iris¨ , ¨Nut¨ , ¨Norma Rae¨ , ¨The front¨, ¨The Sound and the Fury¨ , ¨Black orchid¨ , though also directed films of all kind of genres such as : ¨The Spy Who Came in from the Cold¨ , ¨The Great White Hope¨ , ¨Mafia¨ and ¨Molly McGuire¨ . Martin Ritt worked with Paul Newman in two Westerns : ¨Hombre¨ and ¨Outrage¨ and two dramas : ¨Hud¨, ¨Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man ¨. This film will appeal to drama enthusiasts and John Cassavetes/Sidney Poitier fans . Rating : Above average, well worth watching , being one of Ritt's best movies.

For years, I had wanted to see this movie but I didn't find it in any video stores nor see any listings on TV schedules in whatever local paper I was reading. So when I found it was available on DVD from Netflix, I made an order. I just watched it with my mom, who hadn't seen it before, and we both were enthralled by the drama about John Cassavetes, a loner with a troubled past, who gets a job on the docks. He meets a couple of coworkers there: Jack Warden who doesn't seem to like him and Sidney Poitier, who does. Warden also doesn't seem to like Poitier and it doesn't take long figure out why but it's a while before things come to a head. Anyway, this was quite a compelling drama as directed by Martin Ritt with fine supporting turns by Kathleen Maguire, Estelle Hemsley, and Ruby Dee as Poitier's wife especially when she confronts Cassavetes near the end. So on that note, I highly recommend Edge of the City.

EDGE OF THE CITY is a waterfront drama with overtones of racial intolerance, a tough, gritty drama with strong performances by JOHN CASSAVETES, SIDNEY POITIER and JACK WARDEN, under Martin Ritt's knowing direction. Warden makes the most of an unsympathetic role as a longshoreman boss who harasses Poitier and Cassavetes, both just trying to make a living out of their waterfront jobs. Warden represents "the lowest form of life" in this screenplay.

It's a sort of buddy flick, with the friendship between Cassavetes and Poitier accented throughout the first forty-five minutes before you get an inkling of where the plot is going. Behind it all, we know that Jack Warden and the workplace environment is going to steam up into some sort of confrontation--and all we know about Cassavetes is that he's hiding something in his past.

We learn eventually that he's an Army deserter who has to keep his identity secret. At work, it's Warden who knows about his past--and therein lies the conflict that has to be resolved. An argument between Cassavetes and Warden leads to a lethal fight between Warden and Poitier, after which an investigation takes place with regard to Poitier's murder.

The code of silence among the onlookers hinders the investigation but the final scene packs a powerful punch as Cassavetes gets even with Warden.

Remarkably taut during the last fifteen minutes, there are strong performances from the men and RUBY DEE as Poitier's grief-stricken wife. Well worth watching.

In the book 'Cassavetes on Cassavetes' (or as close to an autobiography we have of him, which is an interview with film professor Ray Carney), Cassavetes mentions that before Faces the only two films he had anything to do with that he was proud of were Shadows- which, naturally, was his first feature and one of the few cinematic examples of something like jazz (true improv)- and this film, Edge of the City.

Maybe it was due to the subject matter, being about something simple (two guys from different backgrounds working as longshoreman who become friends just based on getting along and mutual trust and respect) with the more 'topical' stuff (racism, class) being secondary. Or it was because it's a film much like On the Waterfront that gives its characters room to have realism unlike melodramas of the past? Or it's just cause he's that damn good in the film, and knew it while making it.

A scene early on with Axel North (real name Axel Nordman), who seems adrift in the night in New York City and calls up his parents who are in Indiana (though we don't know what at the time), seems to indicate what Cassavetes might have found in the project so worthwhile. Here he gets to behave moreso than traditionally "act", which is like being himself.

In this scene with the phone call he covers the phone receiver and speaks, but no one on the other end can hear him, and it's a very sad and tense exchange of words as the son can hear but the parents cannot. It's a scene like this that shows Cassavetes in a sensitive moment, vulnerable, which helps a great deal once he's set against the man he works for, the brutish and unsubtle racist Charles (Jack Warden). Luckily at the job he meets an upstanding guy, Tommy, played by Sidney Poitier, and the two become close friends almost by chance (Tommy trying to get closer and closer to the sorta sky Axel).

Seeing these two actors together, and how well they're able to work with the natural dialog by Robert Alan Arthur that allows them to speak more like regular people from the period than like movie characters, is what really makes this movie. Some of the story gets a little far-fetched in the third act (how simply a key character is laid to waste in a fight), but director Martin Ritt never loses sight of how Poitier and Cassavetes behave around each other.

One is more reserved (and for good reason, being a war deserter and with a bad secret from his past with his younger brother, "the only person I ever loved"), and one more outgoing in his friendliness (Tommy being a guy who likes to hang out, talk, romance with the ladies). And for the time period it set an example that other films needed to try and steer towards: not being overtly anti-racism, though the film has some of that, but just showing clearly how people can get along, as people. Poitier would a year later try a little more for this in The Defiant Ones.

Watching Cassavetes is also a key to the film's success; when he tells Poitier the story about his brother, suddenly the film slows down from the pace it has when Tommy is in charge of the conversation as a warmhearted (if sometimes pushy) kind of guy. It's a story that allows Cassavetes room as an actor, the kind which would probably influence him with his own actors. Also another scene that displays how generous he could be and how spot-on (or just effortless) his timing was is when he talks with the girl Tommy tries to set Axel up with, played by Kathleen Maguire. He seems so out of the loop of it, but as a genuine and nice guy he's able to connect with her. As an actor he also lets us know how messed up Axel really is, sometimes without having to say anything - just a look would do, though Tommy sometimes asks for more. And in the last act, it gets to a point that has some of the finest work Cassavetes ever did.

Ritt understands how this world works, how people can either get along together, or not as the case with Jack Warden. He seems to be such a SOB, kind of like Lee J. Cobb in Waterfront only less of a higher-up kind of guy. Even he as a cartoonish villain comes off genuine in how he reacts to things. It says a lot when a director can get a one 1/2 dimensional character to seem convincing. Edge of the City has that, as a kind of character-driven noir film.

John Cassavetes and Sidney Poitier show off their great potential in this worthy successor to On The Waterfront. Jack Warden and Ruby Dee also turn in fine performances. The story is told in an understated manner; not with the usual Hollywood hype. The ebb and flow of everyday triumphs and problems come and go like the tide of real life. Everyone has problems. And like the Pointier character says prophetically, you have a choice of living with the higher end of the species or rolling around in the mud with the lower end. A bit stronger ending would have been nice, but the film as a whole is pretty good. Well worth viewing.