The Docks of New York Backdrop Blur
The Docks of New York Poster

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.

Top Cast

  • George Bancroft

    George Bancroft

    Bill Roberts

  • Betty Compson

    Betty Compson

    Mae

  • Olga Baclanova

    Olga Baclanova

    Lou

  • Clyde Cook

    Clyde Cook

    'Sugar' Steve

  • Mitchell Lewis

    Mitchell Lewis

    Andy

  • Guy Oliver

    Guy Oliver

    The Crimp

  • May Foster

    May Foster

    Mrs. Crimp

  • Lillian Worth

    Lillian Worth

    Steve's Girl

  • Gustav von Seyffertitz

    Gustav von Seyffertitz

    Hymn Book Harry

Overview

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

Rating

6.9 / 10
119 Reviews
1 Popular

1 Reviews

  • CinemaSerf
    CinemaSerf
    7 Jun 6, 2022

    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...

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