The use of the word 'waterfront' in a film title immediately recalls Elia Kazan's 1954 masterpiece On The Waterfront with Marlon Brando, and whilst (at the time, 30-year old) British director Michael Anderson's Depression-era 1950 film is not of comparable stature to Kazan's effort, perhaps surprisingly there are some commonalities. Most obviously, Robert Newton's waster husband and father, Peter McCabe, returns from another lengthy sea voyage to find his family's fortunes tied to a downturn in trade and job opportunities in 1930s Liverpool. Anderson's film, which is based on the novel by John Brophy, is particularly notable for the unusually sophisticated way in which it references a range of social and human issues, including the impact of poverty, social class, sexual politics and (peripherally) the role of the gutter press, as well as providing insights into 'seafaring communities' and the impact on families (in particular, the women) of the long-term absence of (the typically bread-winning) men.
Anderson's film is reminiscent of Robert Hamer's excellent 1947 'kitchen sink drama', It Always Rains On Sunday, in the way it evokes its working class milieu and portrays the inter-relationships and frictions within families - here, frictions exacerbated by Peter's lengthy absence on a '14-year sea voyage'. We can even forgive the apparent absence of any scouse accents amongst Anderson's cast, by the skilful way in which the film-makers depict the resilient community spirit, captured in a family 'music hall visit' to the Liverpool Empire. Acting-wise, Kathleen Harrison is particularly good as the kind-hearted, idealist wife and mother McCabe, apparently still forgiving for her husband's misdeeds, whilst each of Avis Scott and Susan Shaw as, respectively, the principled daughter, Nora, and her gold-digging sister, Connie, also impress. Nora has bet her future on marriage to the young Richard Burton's ship engineer, Ben Satterthwaite, whilst Sonia is dreaming of a life of leisure with an impressive Kenneth Griffith's well-groomed insurance man, Maurice Bruno. As ever, Newton impresses with the passion he brings to the role and tones down his tendency for over-theatricality, bringing a palpable sense of pathos during the film's climactic scenes, which are undeniably moving.
Anderson's film is reminiscent of Robert Hamer's excellent 1947 'kitchen sink drama', It Always Rains On Sunday, in the way it evokes its working class milieu and portrays the inter-relationships and frictions within families - here, frictions exacerbated by Peter's lengthy absence on a '14-year sea voyage'. We can even forgive the apparent absence of any scouse accents amongst Anderson's cast, by the skilful way in which the film-makers depict the resilient community spirit, captured in a family 'music hall visit' to the Liverpool Empire. Acting-wise, Kathleen Harrison is particularly good as the kind-hearted, idealist wife and mother McCabe, apparently still forgiving for her husband's misdeeds, whilst each of Avis Scott and Susan Shaw as, respectively, the principled daughter, Nora, and her gold-digging sister, Connie, also impress. Nora has bet her future on marriage to the young Richard Burton's ship engineer, Ben Satterthwaite, whilst Sonia is dreaming of a life of leisure with an impressive Kenneth Griffith's well-groomed insurance man, Maurice Bruno. As ever, Newton impresses with the passion he brings to the role and tones down his tendency for over-theatricality, bringing a palpable sense of pathos during the film's climactic scenes, which are undeniably moving.