Marty: Delbert Mann

I have already made my thoughts on the 1955 feature-length remake of Delbert Mann's Marty elsewhere, so I won't linger on comparisons between it and the original 1953 teleplay made for The Goodyear Television Playhouse. On its own, Marty is a solid teleplay that manages to overcome the technical limitations of early 50's television with solid performances and an excellent story. My one big problem with the teleplay is that Rod Steiger's performance as Marty, the 36-year-old bachelor who seems doomed to a lifetime of loneliness, is a bit underwhelming. Marty is supposed to be a guy who had been beaten down by a life of rejection and sadness. But with only a few exceptions, Steiger remains stoic and weary throughout the entire film. Even during his first date with Clara, the "dog" who had been rejected by her blind date, Steiger seems robotic and lifeless. It is only the next day that Steiger begins to act happy. But there are three moments where Steiger hits the right notes as Marty: during the famous phone-call scene where he tries to invite a woman he only vaguely knows on a date, during the fight with his Mom when she first tries to encourage him to go to the Waverly Ballroom, and during the triumphant finale. The rest of his performance is rather flat.

7/10