In the 50 years since On the Waterfront was released, it was hailed as a masterpiece. The landmark film, which takes place in Hoboken, is a powerful drama that moves the most hardened cinemaphiles, and a historical survey that has driven viewers to contemplate the plight of the longshoremen who toiled on Hoboken’s piers.
To celebrate the silver anniversary of the film, the Hoboken Historical Museum will present an exhibit titled “On the Waterfront: Starring Hoboken, New Jersey,” which will open to the public on Jan. 20 and run through June 3. Complementing the exhibit will be a series of events and lectures called “Picturing Hoboken.” On Jan. 23 at 7 p.m., Dr. James Fisher, a Fordham professor, will present “Labor Priests and Longshoremen,” a lecture on the history that inspired On the Waterfront.
Since its release, historians and film buffs have debated the origin of the film. Fisher, during his lecture, will discuss many of the real-life individuals who helped mold the film. The lecture will focus on waterfront priest Fr. John Corridan, the Association of Catholic Trade Unions, and Tony “Mike” DiVincenzo, a Hoboken longshoreman who bravely spoke up about the conditions at the docks. Fisher will also discuss the political and cultural influences that shaped screenwriter Budd Schulberg’s screenplay and Elia Kazan’s direction. Fisher’s lecture will be illustrated with video clips from the film.
On the Waterfront, released in 1954, portrayed the oppressive waterfront dock culture, where workers struggled for employment and dignity under the control of hard-knuckled, mob-run labor unions. The film, shot on location in Hoboken in 36 days, pulled no punches about what life was like on the shores of the mile-square city. It showed in vivid and depressing detail the cargo holds of ships, workers’ slum dwellings, bars, littered alleys and rooftops. The movie won eight Academy Awards, including a best director nod for Kazan and a best actor award for Marlon Brando, who starred as Terry Malloy.
In the film, Malloy is a down-and-out struggling boxer who appears before a commission investigating union corruption and informs on friends as well as enemies. Racked with guilt but driven by his conscience, Malloy ends up saving the community as a morally redeemed martyr.
One theory about the origin of the film that will be discussed is that Malloy was partially inspired by now-deceased Hoboken resident Tony “Mike” DeVincenzo, who was also a boxer and longshoreman and testified against crooked labor leaders. DeVincenzo, who also raised pigeons like Malloy, even went so far as to sue Columbia Pictures for $1 million, asserting that the movie studio responsible for distributing the film invaded his right to privacy. A judge eventually ruled in DeVincenzo’s favor and he was awarded $22,000.
Another theory is that the inspiration came from a series of Pulitzer Prize-winning articles written by New York Sun reporter Malcolm Johnson in 1948.
According to Fisher, the film is largely based on the experiences of “Pete” Corridan, a Jesuit priest in New York who was known as “the Waterfront Priest.”
Corridan, a real-life moral crusader, was among the last of the “labor priests.” He represented the interests of Catholic immigrants and joined the fight for workers’ rights, living wages, and humane hours and working conditions, and argued for the inherent dignity of every person. In the film, Corridan is embodied by the character Fr. Pete Barry, played by Karl Malden.
One of driving forces behind Malloy’s growth of conscience was Barry – a man who was driven by a passionate commitment to social justice. According to Fisher, the real “Pete” Corridan was a labor priest at the Xavier Parish on 16th Street at the Manhattan Chelsea Piers. From the early 1930s to the late 1950s, while he fought for workers’ rights, Corridan compiled impressive and comprehensive records on the politics and economics of the waterfront, said Fisher.
In 1948 the New York Sun started its sweeping investigation into the conditions on the waterfront called “Crime on the Waterfront.” One of the sources of those stories, said Fisher, was Corridan.
Schulberg steps in
In 1950, screenwriter Budd Schulberg was commissioned to write a screenplay based on Johnson’s series. During his research, Schulberg became close friends with Corridan and was deeply concerned about the plight of the longshoremen. “Essentially Corridan’s concerns became Schulberg’s concerns,” said Fisher. “[The On the Waterfront screenplay] is a partisan statement about the struggles of the reformers on the waterfront.”
“On the Waterfront was the most effective thing that Friar Corridan ever did to help improve the conditions of the waterfront,” said Fisher.
When the film was finally picked up be a major studio, Corrigan was closely involved with the production. “Corridan served as adviser on the film and helped secure clearances from the Port Authority for the use of piers in Hoboken, where the film was shot in late autumn 1953,” said Fisher. “He also provided the filmmakers with his speeches and writings on waterfront conditions; including the famous ‘Christ is on the waterfront’ speech.” In fact, according Fisher, it is likely that the famous speech was taken verbatim from a speech that Corridan gave to the Jersey City chapter of the Knights of Columbus in 1948.
Fisher co-directs the Center for American Catholic Studies and teaches American religious history at Fordham University. He has also taught at Saint Louis and Yale universities. Fisher is the author of The Transformation of American Culture, 1920-1980 (Rowman and Littlefield, 2003) and The Communion of Immigrants: A History of Catholics in America (Oxford University Press, 2002).
History of the port
Another view of Hoboken’s waterfront will be explored on Sunday, Feb. 29 at 3 p.m. when historian Stephen Marshall is scheduled to lecture on “A history of the Port of Hoboken.” Based on original research conducted with the support of the New Jersey Historical Commission, Marshall will focus on the technological and economic history of the New York/New Jersey waterfront, including methods used in wetlands reclamation, the development of cargo containerization and associated technologies.
The suggested donation for the lectures is $5. Seating is limited and the events will be held at the museum at 1301 Hudson St. Call (201) 656-2240 to reserve a seat or to learn more about the exhibit. The museum’s hours of operation are Tuesday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.