Marty

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Marty

original movie poster
Directed by Delbert Mann
Produced by Harold Hecht
Written by Paddy Chayefsky
Starring Ernest Borgnine
Betsy Blair
Frank Sutton
Karen Steele
Esther Minciotti
Augusta Ciolli
Distributed by United Artists
Release date(s) April 11, 1955 (NYC premiere)
Running time 94 min
Country  United States
Language English
Budget $343,000 (US)

Marty is a 1955 romance film based on a teleplay by the same name. It was directed by Delbert Mann, starring Ernest Borgnine in the title role, and Betsy Blair as the female lead.

A sleeper hit, the film enjoyed national and international success, winning the 1955 Academy Award for Best Picture and becoming only the second American film to win the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Marty and The Lost Weekend (1945) are the only two films to win both organizations' grand prizes, though in 1946 Cannes did not give a Palme d'Or which makes Marty the only film to win both awards.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Borgnine as Marty

The film stars Ernest Borgnine as Marty Piletti, a heavy-set Italian-American butcher who lives in the Bronx with his mother. Unmarried at 34, the good-natured but socially awkward man faces constant badgering from family and friends to get married. Not averse to marriage but disheartened by his lack of prospects, Marty has reluctantly resigned himself to bachelorhood.

Ma, sooner or later, there comes a point in a man's life when he's gotta face some facts. And one fact I gotta face is that, whatever it is that women like, I ain't got it.

After being importuned by his mother into going to the Bronx's Stardust Ballroom one Saturday night, Marty connects with Clara—an unattractive school teacher who has been nastily abandoned by her blind date. Spending the evening together, Clara and Marty realize their emotional connection. The two part with Marty's promise to call the next day.

Fearing the romance could spell her abandonment, Marty's mother belittles Clara. Likewise, Marty's friends are unimpressed with her plainness, and try to convince Marty to forget about her. Harangued into submission, Marty doesn't call Clara.

Back in the same lonely rut, Marty realizes that he is giving up a chance at love with a wonderful woman. Over the objections of his friends, he impulsively dashes to a phone booth to give Clara a call.

You don't like her. My mother don't like her. She's a dog. And I'm a fat, ugly man. 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. I'm gonna beg that girl to marry me. If we make a party on New Year's, I got a date for that party. You don't like her? That's too bad.

— Marty

[edit] Reception

Upon its release, critical opinion was overwhelmingly positive. Ronald Holloway of Variety Magazine felt it was an excellent film and said "If 'Marty' is an example of the type of material that can be gleaned, then studio story editors better spend more time at home looking at television."[1] TIME felt the film was "Wonderful".[2] Louella Parsons enjoyed the film although she felt that it would not likely be nominated for Oscars.[3]

In 1994, Marty was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

[edit] Box Office

At a budget of $343,000 (USD) the film generated revenues of $3,000,000 in the USA alone, making it a box office smash.

[edit] Awards and recognition

[edit] Academy Awards

Award[4] Won Nomination Winner
Best Motion Picture Y United Artists (Harold Hecht, producer)
Best Director Y Delbert Mann
Best Actor Y Ernest Borgnine
Best Writing, Screenplay Y Paddy Chayefsky
Best Supporting Actor Y Joe Mantell
Winner was Jack LemmonMister Roberts
Best Supporting Actress Y Betsy Blair
Winner was Jo Van FleetEast of Eden
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White Y Ted Haworth
Robert Priestley
Walter M. Simonds
Winner was Hal Pereira, Tambi Larsen, Samuel M. Comer, Arthur KramsThe Rose Tattoo
Best Cinematography, Black-and-White Y Joseph LaShelle
Winner was James Wong HoweThe Rose Tattoo

[edit] Cannes Film Festival

Winner Palme d'Or[5]

[edit] Differences from teleplay

Marty is based on a teleplay of the same name also written by Paddy Chayefsky. The film differs from the teleplay in several respects: the part of Clara was fleshed out to a great extent; a subplot regarding Marty's mother and her sister has been added; and a subplot regarding Marty's career has been added.

[edit] Trivia

Marty is referenced in the movie Quiz Show as the answer to the question "Which movie won the Academy Award for Best Picture for 1955?". Herb Stempel is strong-armed into answering it incorrectly though it was one of his favorite films.

In the movie Back to the Future, main character Marty McFly travels back to the year 1955, the release year for Marty.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Review by Ronald Holloway, Variety, March 23, 1955.
  2. ^ "The New Pictures", TIME, April 18, 1955.
  3. ^ Mann, Delbert. Looking Back, at Live Television and Other Matters. Published in 1998 by Directors Guild of America
  4. ^ "NY Times: Marty". NY Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/31612/Marty/awards. Retrieved on 2008-12-21. 
  5. ^ "Festival de Cannes: Marty". festival-cannes.com. http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/3716/year/1955.html. Retrieved on 2009-02-01. 

[edit] External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by
On the Waterfront
Academy Award for Best Picture
1955
Succeeded by
Around the World in Eighty Days
Personal tools