Name: The Docks of New York
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: 1928-09-16
Duration: 76 min
Rating: 7
Cast: George Bancroft, Betty Compson, Olga Baclanova, Clyde Cook, Mitchell Lewis

The Docks of New York

A blue-collar worker on New York's depressed waterfront finds his life changed after he saves a woman attempting suicide.

DramaRomance

DirectorJosef von Sternberg

WritersJules Furthman, Julian Johnson, John Monk Saunders

StatusReleased

LanguageEnglish

Release DateSeptember 16, 1928

Runtime1h 16m

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

June 6, 20227/10

This is a beautiful example of the film-makers craft. Josef von Sternberg and Harold Rosson have created a thing of aesthetic beauty coupled with an interesting - if not especially deep - character study of two people George Bancroft ("Bill") and Betty Compson ("Mae)". The camera loves both of them - and interestingly for the late 1920s, it is not shy in illustrating the beauty of the male physique as well as the beauty of both Compson and Olga Baclanova ("Lou"). The story isn't really the main feature of the film: "Bill" is a stoker on the docks where he encounters a potential suicide victim - the disillusioned hooker "Mae" with whom he soon bonds - much to the frustration of his ex wife "Lou". It is almost totally devoid of sentiment, it is gritty, earthy and although to look at the pair, their love appears unlikely, it does engage with some almost crude, witty, interventions from "Lou" to keep the story entertaining as well as stylish. I am a fan of most of JVS's films - the "Scarlett Empress" (1934) being my favourite, but this one is up there...