On the Waterfront Quiz: Brando and the Hoboken Docks

Elia Kazan filmed his 1954 drama on real docks across the Hudson from Manhattan, and this On the Waterfront quiz goes back to Terry Malloy's world. Play 10 interactive questions on Marlon Brando, the taxi scene with Rod Steiger, Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden's priest, Lee J. Cobb's Johnny Friendly, Leonard Bernstein's score and eight Oscars.

Start On the Waterfront Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Year
When was On the Waterfront released?
Director
Who directed the film?
Star
Who played Terry Malloy?
Town
In which New Jersey city was the film shot?
Line
Complete the line: I coulda been a contender, I coulda been somebody, instead of a ...
Brother
Who played Charley, Terry's brother?
Edie
Which actress won an Oscar in her film debut as Edie Doyle?
Boss
Who played corrupt union boss Johnny Friendly?
Music
Who composed the film's score?
Oscars
How many Academy Awards did the film win?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: When was On the Waterfront released?
Answer: 1954
It became one of the most acclaimed films of the 1950s.
Q2: Who directed the film?
Answer: Elia Kazan
Kazan also directed A Streetcar Named Desire.
Q3: Who played Terry Malloy?
Answer: Marlon Brando
Brando won the Oscar for Best Actor.
Q4: In which New Jersey city was the film shot?
Answer: Hoboken
Real docks and rooftops gave it gritty realism.
Q5: Complete the line: I coulda been a contender, I coulda been somebody, instead of a ...
Answer: bum
Terry says it to his brother Charley in a taxi.
Q6: Who played Charley, Terry's brother?
Answer: Rod Steiger
The taxi scene is among the most studied in acting.
Q7: Which actress won an Oscar in her film debut as Edie Doyle?
Answer: Eva Marie Saint
She won Best Supporting Actress.
Q8: Who played corrupt union boss Johnny Friendly?
Answer: Lee J. Cobb
His mob controls jobs on the docks.
Q9: Who composed the film's score?
Answer: Leonard Bernstein
It was Bernstein's only original film score.
Q10: How many Academy Awards did the film win?
Answer: Eight
They included Best Picture and Best Director.

On The Waterfront Quiz – Brando on the Docks

On the Waterfront, released in 1954 and directed by Elia Kazan, tells the story of Terry Malloy, a former boxer working on the docks under a corrupt union boss. It was filmed on location in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Marlon Brando plays Terry, and his taxi scene with Rod Steiger, as brother Charley, includes the famous line I coulda been a contender. Eva Marie Saint won an Oscar in her debut as Edie Doyle, Karl Malden plays a crusading priest and Lee J. Cobb plays Johnny Friendly.

Budd Schulberg wrote the screenplay, inspired by newspaper reporting on waterfront crime. Leonard Bernstein composed the score, and the film won eight Oscars, including Best Picture.

What This Quiz Teaches

Film fans will enjoy these questions on a classic.

Who made the film
Where it was shot
Who the main characters are
Which line is famous
How many awards it won

Did You Know?

Terry keeps pigeons on a rooftop.
The film was shot in black and white.
Its story drew on Pulitzer-winning articles.
Brando's performance shaped method acting.
The film ranks highly on AFI lists.