IMDb RATING
7.5/10
5.2K
YOUR RATING
A blue-collar worker on New York's depressed waterfront finds his life changed after he saves a woman attempting suicide.A blue-collar worker on New York's depressed waterfront finds his life changed after he saves a woman attempting suicide.A blue-collar worker on New York's depressed waterfront finds his life changed after he saves a woman attempting suicide.
- Awards
- 7 wins
Olga Baclanova
- Lou -- Wife of Andy
- (as Baclanova)
Richard Alexander
- Lou's Sweetheart
- (uncredited)
May Foster
- Mrs. Crimp
- (uncredited)
George Irving
- Night Court Judge
- (uncredited)
John Kelly
- Sailor Barfly
- (uncredited)
Charles McMurphy
- Policeman
- (uncredited)
Guy Oliver
- The Crimp
- (uncredited)
Bob Reeves
- Court Bailiff
- (uncredited)
Lillian Worth
- Andy's Girl
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- Trivia'Sugar' Steve tries to light Mae's cigarette from the same match he used to light Bill's and his own cigarettes while she is mending Bill's shirt. Mae blows out the match and says, "What are you trying to do, bring me more bad luck?" He must light a new match for her cigarette. At the time, "three on a match" was considered bad luck. Soldiers during the Crimea War believed that if three soldiers lit their cigarettes from the same match, one of the three would be killed, or alternately the third soldier to use the match would be shot. The superstition persisted with soldiers through World War II.
- Alternate versionsVideo version includes new score by Gaylord Carter.
- ConnectionsEdited into Catalogue of Ships (2008)
Featured review
There are quite a few strengths that make this silent melodrama work so well. It has a well-crafted story that moves at a good pace and efficiently uses each minute of screen time. It is very well-acted, especially by George Bancroft and Betty Compson. Compson's performance, in particular, deserves much more praise and recognition than it has received, either at the time or now. Finally, the dockside atmosphere is interesting and convincing, besides being an integral part of the story.
Bancroft has a role that is particularly well-suited to him, and he does a fine job in the part. Compson has a challenging role, since she must make her character attractive yet lonely and miserable, and somewhat disreputable yet completely sympathetic, for the story to work. She gives an excellent performance in every respect, and Bancroft plays off of her character quite well. There are some fine moments in which their characters' rough edges contend with their own gentler and nobler instincts. Thus the unlikely attachment between the two not only works well, but draws you in and makes you care about them quite a bit.
The supporting cast gives good performances as well, with Olga Baclanova especially good in a role that is essential to the story. Mitchell Lewis is suitably brutish as the heavy, and Clyde Cook is quite believable as Bancroft's nervous pal.
Josef von Sternberg also tied together all of these strengths in an efficient and effective package, making every scene count and making you feel as if you were there on the docks with the characters. It's a fine melodrama by any standard, and is well worth seeing for anyone who enjoys silent movies.
Bancroft has a role that is particularly well-suited to him, and he does a fine job in the part. Compson has a challenging role, since she must make her character attractive yet lonely and miserable, and somewhat disreputable yet completely sympathetic, for the story to work. She gives an excellent performance in every respect, and Bancroft plays off of her character quite well. There are some fine moments in which their characters' rough edges contend with their own gentler and nobler instincts. Thus the unlikely attachment between the two not only works well, but draws you in and makes you care about them quite a bit.
The supporting cast gives good performances as well, with Olga Baclanova especially good in a role that is essential to the story. Mitchell Lewis is suitably brutish as the heavy, and Clyde Cook is quite believable as Bancroft's nervous pal.
Josef von Sternberg also tied together all of these strengths in an efficient and effective package, making every scene count and making you feel as if you were there on the docks with the characters. It's a fine melodrama by any standard, and is well worth seeing for anyone who enjoys silent movies.
- Snow Leopard
- Aug 17, 2004
- Permalink
- How long is The Docks of New York?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Im Hafen von New York
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 16 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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