In reply to Tom Valentine:
Two 1950s classics, my first viewing of both.
On the Waterfront (Elia Kazan, 1954). Almost lived up to expectations, quite excellent (especially Rod Steiger in "the" scene). Thought the soft sappy ending didn't quite fit, and Eva Marie Saint seemed miscast (at the age of 30, but weirdly looking about 36, playing a character who was meant to be about 20)
A Place in the Sun (George Stevens, 1951). Maybe best remembered as Elizabeth Taylor's first real serious grown-up role (and she is effective) this film has perhaps a misleading title as at least I always thought it sounded like it was going to be some sort of sappy soap-opera type melodrama. Well, it is is soapy and melodramatic but it is far from sappy (the fact that it is based on a novel called An American Tragedy, is a clue). It is surprisingly bleak and a little bold in the way it makes its nominal protagonist, who we are steered to LIKE in the first half, into a thoroughly nasty piece of work. It's always interesting to watch Montgomery Clift but it is fair to say that Shelley Winters steals this film, she is superb.