Rumble on the Docks

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.

On the waterfront in Brooklyn, attractive high school senior James Darren (as Jimmy Smigelski) saves a young woman from being raped by two hoodlums. Kissed and roughed-up, Laurie Carroll (as Della) is drawn to Mr. Darren. He is leader of the "Diggers" and his rival gang is called the "Stompers". Both are chump change when compared to big-time racketeer Michael Granger (as Joe Brindo). He lures Darren, a poor Polish student recently thrown out of his house, with $100 payments and a pretty blonde woman. When Darren is expected to lie under oath in a court case against Mr. Granger's organization, friends and relatives endeavor to turn him around. The unoriginal "Rumble on the Docks" looks like an attempt to merge James Dean with Marlon Brando. In his first film, Darren is obviously appealing. Producer Sam Katzman and director Fred F. Sears appear to be aiming squarely at the 1950s teen audience. Notorious actor Robert Blake (as Chuck) plays Darren's gang pal, but the one who really impresses is sneaky Don Devlin (as Wimpy). Freddie Bell and His Bellboys are a musical highlight.

****** Rumble on the Docks (12/12/56) Fred F. Sears ~ James Darren, Laurie Carroll, Michael Granger, Don Devlin

Even by 50s juv delinquent pic standards the acting of James Darren and (especially) Laurie Carroll, to mention nothing of the lifeless screenplay by Lou Morheim and Jack DeWitt and the even more somnolent camera of Fred Sears, is unacceptable. Always nice to see Bobby B as the defender of Womanhood, though, huh? D plus.

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!