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Richard Burton's screen debut and a deadbeat dad's disastrous homecoming—what could go wrong?
TMDB
65
IMDb
64
Google
92
Watch(GB)

Waterfront (1950)

gritty melodramaworking-class bluesdomestic warfare

Overview

Drama

When ship's fireman Peter McCabe walks out on his long-suffering wife, he leaves her impoverished, with two young daughters and a boy born soon after his departure. After an absence of fourteen years McCabe returns, sacked and humiliated, trailing trouble in his wake.

Flag of GBGB
Content warning
black and whiteliverpool, englandwaterfront

Standout Aspects

Acting

Kathleen Harrison carries the whole film on her exhausted shoulders.

Production

Liverpool docks shot on location—smell the coal smoke through the screen.

Best for:Solo: Rainy afternoon when you want to feel better about your life choices.·Streaming: Curious about Richard Burton's origin story? Here's patient zero.
Heads up:Emotional: Children watching father fail repeatedly—bring tissues.·Violence: Brief, ugly domestic confrontation and implied past cruelty.
Michael Anderson

Director

Michael Anderson

ReleasedJul 26, 1950
Runtime1h 20m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacesteady
Intensitymedium
Tonedark
Feelheavy
Paul Soskin Productions

Top Cast

Robert Newton

Robert Newton

Peter McCabe

Kathleen Harrison

Kathleen Harrison

Mrs. McCabe

Avis Scott

Avis Scott

Nora McCabe

Susan Shaw

Susan Shaw

Connie McCabe

Richard Burton

Richard Burton

Ben Satterthwaite

Kenneth Griffith

Kenneth Griffith

Maurice Bruno

James Hayter

James Hayter

Ship's Captain

Charles Victor

Charles Victor

Bill

Michael Brennan

Michael Brennan

Engineer

Allan Jeayes

Allan Jeayes

Prison Officer

Hattie Jacques

Hattie Jacques

Singer

Kathleen Boutall

Kathleen Boutall

Mrs. Duncan

Ask about Waterfront

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

Richard Burton was paid £100 for this, his first film role. He'd command $1 million per film within two decades.

Cultural

This rare British 'waterfront noir' predates the angrier kitchen sink realism of the 1960s by a full decade.

Gallery

Reviews

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