"On The Waterfront." 12 Academy Award nominations, winning 8.
If it were filmed today, the Anastasia brothers (part of the Gambino crime family) who ran the Longshoreman's Union would be characters and played by Italians (not Lee J. Cobb as "Johnny Friendly," whose real name was Lee Jacob!). Look closely and you'll see a young Fred Gwynn playing one of Friendly's minions in the bar! Karl Malden as the priest. Leif Ericson and Martin Balsam as the Racket Squad detectives. Lots of long-time character actors throughout.
The scene in the back of the cab with Rod Steiger (Charlie the Gent) and Marlon Brando (Terry Malloy) is priceless! The picture's budget was so low (less than a mil), they didn't have a film of a moving street scene to play behind the cab's rear window, so they put a tiny venetian blind there instead.
Charlie: Look, kid, I - how much you weigh, son? When you weighed one hundred and sixty-eight pounds you were beautiful. You coulda been another Billy Conn, and that skunk we got you for a manager, he brought you along too fast.
Terry: It wasn't him, Charley, it was you. Remember that night in the Gahden you came down to my dressing room and you said, "Kid, this ain't your night. We're going for the price on Wilson." You remember that? "This ain't your night"! My night! I coulda taken Wilson apart! So what happens? He gets the title shot outdoors on the ballpark and what do I get? A one-way ticket to Palooka-ville! You was my brother, Charley, you shoulda looked out for me a little bit. You shoulda taken care of me just a little bit so I wouldn't have to take them dives for the short-end money.
Charlie: Oh I had some bets down for you. You saw some money.
Terry: You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contendah. I coulda been sumbuddy, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it. It was you, Charley.
(This is my favorite impression.)
NYj