Blu ray review: Marty (1955)

A true American movie favorite of the 1950s, Marty is now available in a brand new 4K master from Kino Lorber.

Delbert Mann made his directorial debut with the screen version Paddy Chayefsky’s teleplay Marty about butcher Marty Piletti. It was a film that dealt with ordinary people, not the sort of attractive movie stars who usually play the leads in romantic dramas. It represents another era, with Marty feeling remorse for being unmarried at 34. He finally meets an equally plain woman (Betsy Blair) who shares his social awkwardness and they embark on a romance that is initially tentative.

Marty is a warm, compelling character study that not only focuses on this romance, but also Marty’s susceptibility to the reactions of his friends, and of his mother, who fears being cast aside if her son becomes serious with a woman.

Ernest Borgnine won an Oscar for his portrayal, which was first offered to Rod Steiger who had played Marty in the original teleplay. Borgnine is so good, he overshadows Steiger’s excellent performance. The scene where he punches a stop sign in happy triumph after his first evening with the woman, and his later soliloquy that he delivers when he finally decides to override the opinions of his friends and mother, are among the film’s many highlights. Betsy Blair is also very powerful in the role of the girl. She almost didn’t get the part due to being blacklisted at the time.

Marty was shot in 16 days at a budget of only $350.00. It went on to make $2 million at the domestic box office. Along with Borgnine’s Best Actor Oscar, the film also won for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and was nominated for others, including Betsy Blair for Best Supporting Actress (she lost to Jo Van Fleet for East of Eden).

Kino Lorber’s blu ray includes commentary bu Bryan Reesman and Max Evry, and offers both the 1:85:1 and 1:37:1 versions of the film. The blu ray can be ordered here: MARTY