I Cover the Waterfront

Name: I Cover the Waterfront
Genre: Drama
Rating: 38
Cast: Claudette Colbert, Ben Lyon, Ernest Torrence, Hobart Cavanaugh, Maurice Black

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1933

1h 10m

Drama

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1 Reviews

38%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Crusty reporter Joe Miller (Ben Lyon), burned out after a half-decade covering San Diego's gritty waterfront, plans to move back home to Vermont after breaking one final story about international human trafficker Eli Kirk (Ernest Torrence). He cynically begins wooing Kirk's comely daughter, Julie (Claudette Colbert), to get closer to the story, but soon finds himself falling for the kindhearted girl, who makes him want to be a better man even as he gets closer to putting her father away.

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

At the time it was fresh, daring and influential, especially raising eyebrows in the 1930s were the scenes of casual sex.

Rated: B-

May 20, 2007

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Steve D

Quite entertaining with a few surprises.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/24

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Audience Member

good early career Colbert post that Oscar in that 1931 Columbia pic 'it happened one night'

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

I could not finish this one. Utter crap.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

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walter m

In "I Cover the Waterfront," Joe Miller(Ben Lyon) is an aspiring novelist who has gotten bored with his beat on the waterfront, a job which McCoy(Hobart Cavanaugh), his new bunkmate, would kill for. That still does not explain why Miller is reluctant to cover reports of a skinny dipper. His interest perks up when he finds out it is Julie Kirk(Claudette Colbert) who is the daughter of Eli Kirk(Ernest Torrence) who is suspected of running a human smuggling ring. "I Cover the Waterfront" is a prime example of an early social issues drama. While I might not be surprised by the less than enlightened attitudes, I was kind of taken aback by the ignorance of the human cost involved and making the villain more than a little sympathetic in favor of a message against ambition. And I am pretty sure that a reporter has never before or since brought a human body into a newsroom. But then the always delightful Claudette Colbert has excellent chemistry with Ben Lyon and that is enough to spare the movie, however marginally.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

An awkwardly slumming smuggling tale with Claudette Colbert, inspired by the novel, including the melody.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

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Audience Member

I enjoyed this movie, you have to take into account when it was made to enjoy it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

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James Cruze

Director

Claudette Colbert

Julie Kirk

Ben Lyon

H. Joseph "Joe" Miller

Ernest Torrence

Eli Kirk

Hobart Cavanaugh

One Punch McCoy

Maurice Black

Ortegus

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Synopsis

Director: James Cruze
Producer: Edward Small
Screenwriter: Wells Root
Production Co: Edward Small Productions
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 19, 2016
Runtime: 1h 10m

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I Cover the Waterfront

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