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West Side Story took place in Manhattan; and this story takes place on the docks of Brooklyn. I grew up in Union City, less than a mile from Hoboken, where they filmed On the Waterfront, so I am quite familiar with life on the docks.

This film does not have the production values of West Side Story, or the emotional intensity of On The Waterfront, but it did capture the atmosphere of starting unions where the mob was entrenched. It took until Jimmy Hoffa until the mob was greatly reduced from the docks; and even then, they made Hoffa the foundation of Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands.

In this film, James Darren does his best James Dean imitation, while the crooked union boss, Timothy Carey does his Johnny Friendly imitation of Lee J Cobb. I noted that Robert Blake did not make a great impression in this film, but the talented Jimmy Carey was great as a heavy, and even better in Fargo.

The film has good scenes, some corny ones, and a few violent ones, but it holds up pretty well.

"Rumble on the Docks" is a film set in the poor part of New York CIty and involves a lot of immigrants' kids running amok. Many are members of street gangs. The Stompers are clearly evil...and during the course of the film they commit an attempted rape, many assaults and hold a little kid by his feet from the rooftop of a high rise. The rivals are the Diggers...and Jimmy (James Darren) is one of them...and the focus of the film. In addition to his hanging with these punks, he is having daddy issues and, to spite his father, he goes to work for a local mobster. What's to come of all this? See the film.

The acting, script and direction are actually quite good considering it's a low budge 1950s B-movie. It has many exciting moments and is worth seeing...especially for a chance to see Darren starring in his first film.

James Darren makes his film debut playing the typical mixed up kid from Brooklyn who eventually straightens himself out. Also, for a change, there are some actual rumbles, although only one of them is on the docks.

The film opens quickly with two members of the "Stompers" trying to assault a chick (Laurie Carroll), when two members of the "Diggers" (Darren and Robert Blake) save the day. Later, during a dance at the school gym, there is a full-scale rumble, ending with two cops running in the front door and everyone else running out the side entrances. Then there is a minor rumble on the docks, between an honest union leader (Joseph Vitale) and the hired muscle from the crooked union (Timothy Carey). Finally, there is a rumble between the Stompers and Diggers on a street. So if you like fights, you won't be disappointed.

In subplots, Darren is being smooth talked by the crooked union leader (Michael Granger, who, like Frank Gerstle, wears the worst fitting suits in the history of filmdom). This upsets Darren's father (Edgar Barrier), who runs a newspaper which is critical of Granger. Meanwhile, Carroll is trying to convert Darren from the dark side.

Carroll: "Oh, the waterfront's always so beautiful at night." Darren: "Yeah, you can't see the garbage floating in the water."

The film is never dull, and doesn't get too preachy either. There are even some shocking scenes, like when some of the Stompers suspend a kid over the side of a building.

Darren is fine in his first appearance, although his eyebrows look a little too furry. Carroll is bland. Robert Blake doesn't kill anybody, so I guess that's a plus. Granger channels Rod Steiger on a few occasions. Carey is his usual creepy self, and is fun to watch. Barrier looks more like Darren's grandfather, as he is disguised like Tim Conway's doddering old man. Celia Lovsky, as Darren's mother, looks more like his great-grandmother. I just cannot watch Lovsky without seeing pointed ears and hearing her tell Captain Kirk "dis fight is to da deadth." Freddie Bell and the Bellboys sing "Get the First Train out of Town" during the dance. After watching them perform, I probably would have started a rumble myself.

Jimmy Smigelski (James Darren) is the leader of the Diggers, a teen gang running around the New York docks area in Brooklyn. Their big rival are the Stompers. Jimmy's father is a honorable business owner who is rallying the locals against the mobsters. Jimmy is befriended by racketeer Joe Brindo who starts pulling him into the criminal world.

James Darren is a good charismatic actor. He's no James Dean but he's plenty James enough. Otherwise, it's all a bit old style 50's teen gangs. It reminds me more of West Side Story than anything else. It does try to be serious but it doesn't have the sharpest edges. Like Jimmy, this movie is a little out of its league.

What's worse in this one?

The acting? Possibly... The directing? Maybe... The writing? Ding, ding, ding!

James Darren is the best of the bunch, but most of the "kids" are terrible performers. Notably bad is Laurie Carroll as the dimwit love interest.

Fred Sears was a B-Movie machine, including "Rock Around the Clock" and "Earth vs the Flying Saucers", so this was about par for the course.

Somehow it took two people to scrabble this garbage heap script together, Lou Morheim and Jack Dewitt (of "A Man Called Horse" fame). The story is preposterous enough, but some of the "I believe the children are our future" dialogue is vomit inducing!

Don't watch this movie!