4. “On the Waterfront” was filmed throughout Hoboken, New Jersey

A row of townhouses in Hoboken

One of the top films of the 1950s, “On the Waterfront” was mostly filmed in Hoboken, unlike many other films of the time that were filmed on studio stages. The film stars Marlon Brando as Terry Malloy, a member of a waterfront gang who grapples with a deepening moral crisis. The film won numerous Academy Awards including best picture and best actor, but it would not have had the same impact if not for Hoboken. The city was packed with waterfront and industrial businesses (and was also where longshoremen would look to get connected with a mob boss to get hired). The city’s mettlesome, gritty nature made it a natural spot for the film’s subject matter.

Except for a scene shot in Red Hook shot inside a ship’s hold, most other major scenes were shot in Hoboken. Our Lady of Grace Church serves as Father Barry’s church in the film, though St. Peter and St. Paul Church nearby were used for the interior shots. Stevens Park is featured often in the film, as is River Street. Over the course of 36 days, film crews shot scenes of the city’s downtown docks between 4th and 5th Street, roofs, and bars along Hudson Street, Hoboken City Hall, Elysian Park, and Dino & Harry’s. The film also featured real-life police officers with the Hoboken Police Department, as well as a handful of actual Hoboken residents including Tommy Hanley, who believed his father was murdered by gangs by the water.