On the Waterfront (1954, b/w) BBC TWO, 12.00NOON ★★★★★

 A mesmeric Marlon Brando plays have-a-go hero and failed boxer Terry Malloy, who takes a stand against the grip of the Mob on the docks of New York and finds nobility in the process. This is a flawless, deeply troubling vision by director Elia Kazan of working-class people jaded and degraded by the Mafia’s insidious presence. It includes the immortal line: “I could have been a contender.”