FAQ

Good-hearted Marty Piletti (Ernest Borgnine), a 34-year-old unmarried and self-acclaimed "fat and ugly" Bronx butcher who is constantly being reminded by his customers that he should get married, meets Clara (Betsy Blair), a plain 29-year-old chemistry teacher who has also had no luck with men. They spend an evening together, both enjoying each other's company immensely, until Marty's friends and family, for reasons of their own, tell him he shouldn't get involved with such a "dog". Marty now has a life-altering decision to make... does he go along with family and friends and ditch the "dog" or does he follow his heart?

Marty is based on a 1953 teleplay of the same name, written by American playwright Paddy Chayefsky. Chayefsky expanded his teleplay for the movie, which won an Academy Award for the Best Picture of 1955.

"Boy, that Mickey Spillane! He could really write!", the boys keep exclaiming. Mickey Spillane (1918-2006) was an American crime novelist, creator of the fictional detective character known as Mike Hammer.

Marty decides to heed the advice of his mother and his friends and not call Clara as promised. Instead, he hangs out with Angie (Joe Mantell) and the boys. Meanwhile, Clara sits on the living room couch with her parents, watching The Ed Sullivan Show and trying not to cry. While the boys discuss what to do that night, Marty suddenly heads for the phone booth in the bar, wondering aloud why he's hanging around with these guys instead of being with Clara. "You don't like her, my mother don't like her, she's a dog and I'm a fat, ugly man!" he exclaims. "Well, all I know is I had a good time last night! I'm gonna have a good time tonight! If we have enough good times together, I'm gonna get down on my knees and I'm gonna beg that girl to marry me!" As he dials Clara's phone number, Marty turns to Angie and asks him when he's going to finally get married. In the final scene, Marty closes the door to the phone booth and can be heard saying, "Hello...Hello, Clara?"