On the Waterfront (1954): cast, story & where to watch
1954 · Film · ★ 8
Released in 1954, On the Waterfront is a drama and crime film directed by Elia Kazan, running about 108 minutes. “The man lived by the jungle law of the docks!” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. Terry Malloy dreams about being a prize fighter, while tending his pigeons and running errands at the docks for Johnny Friendly, the corrupt boss of the dockers union. Terry witnesses a murder by two of Johnny's thugs, and later meets the dead man's sister and feels responsible for his death. She introduces him to Father Barry, who tries to force him to provide information for the courts that will smash the dock racketeers.
Who’s in it. On the Waterfront stars Marlon Brando as Terry Malloy, Karl Malden as Father Barry, Lee J. Cobb as Johnny Friendly and Rod Steiger as Charley Malloy, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 8.0/10, On the Waterfront sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue. It went on to earn $9.6M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch On the Waterfront page.
If you liked it. Fans of On the Waterfront tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch On the Waterfront (1954)?
- In US, On the Waterfront is available to stream on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is On the Waterfront worth watching?
- On the Waterfront holds an audience score of 8.0 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy drama and crime. Most viewers rate it highly.
- Who stars in On the Waterfront?
- On the Waterfront stars Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger and Pat Henning.
- When was On the Waterfront released?
- On the Waterfront was released in 1954, with a runtime of about 108 minutes.