# Marty (1955) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [December 7, 2023, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211 "2023-12-07T02:23:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211/21 "2023-12-23T19:36:54Z")
Yes, we watched it on the 6th. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211/22 "2023-12-25T00:29:54Z")
I should maybe watch it again. I havenā€™t seen it since I was a kid, and I thought it was depressing AF šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211/23 "2023-12-25T00:49:36Z")
From 12 years ago or so: > [@Marty (1955) Oscar winner starring Ernest Borgnine: Discussion](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955-oscar-winner-starring-ernest-borgnine-discussion/567106): > > I DVRā€™d this a while ago off TCM and finally watched it last night. I have heard about, known about, saw clips from it and seen the cultural references to it all over the place. \*Quizshow \*came to mind immediately. Angie: What do you wanna do tonight? Marty Pilletti: I dunno, Angie. What do you wanna do? These famous lines are something I think I have always known and knew they were from Marty. It is one of those films I think that pervades the American conscious like a Casablanca, On the Wateā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211/24 "2023-12-25T00:52:12Z")
I disagree. I think itā€™s very uplifting. Hereā€™s a guy, not well-educated, not very attractive, and a woman, not ā€˜beautifulā€™ and destined to a spinsterā€™s life, who find each other; and despite objections from friends and family, they move forward in a life together. > Ma, sooner or later, there comes a point in a manā€™s life when heā€™s gotta face some facts. And one fact I gotta face is that, whatever it is that women like, I ainā€™t got it. I confess Iā€™ve felt that way. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211/25 "2023-12-25T00:59:45Z")
Ernest Borgnine trivia: after he retired from acting, Borgnine bought a customized 40ft Prevost Bus (called the ā€œSunBumā€) and traveled around the country, meeting fans along the way. Thereā€™s a neat video, [Ernest Borgnine On The Bus](https://youtu.be/esG-h2VEO-Y?feature=shared) that documents one of his trips. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211/26 "2023-12-25T04:09:03Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I confess Iā€™ve felt that way. I still do. Iā€™ve seen parts of _Marty_, but the whole thing might hit too close to home. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211/27 "2023-12-25T11:18:17Z")
One of the few movies, along with Phantom of the Opera, in which the lead character is unconventionally handsome šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211/28 "2023-12-25T11:44:39Z")
The film gets that wrong, the question he lost on was the wives of Henry the Eighth. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JRKxNpwqBac/maxresdefault.jpg "Twenty One (Game Show) Famous episode of December 5, 1956") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRKxNpwqBac&t=1427/1) ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211/29 "2023-12-25T14:57:57Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > The film gets that wrong, the question he lost on was the wives of Henry the Eighth. Am I missing something? In that clip, both Van Doren and Stempel get the question about the wives of Henry VIII right. Also, [here](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/herbert-stempel-dead.html) is a New York Times cite reiterating the story that the losing question was the one about _Marty_. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211/30 "2023-12-25T15:01:08Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I disagree. I think itā€™s very uplifting. Hereā€™s a guy, not well-educated, not very attractive, and a woman, not ā€˜beautifulā€™ and destined to a spinsterā€™s life, who find each other; and despite objections from friends and family, they move forward in a life together. > > > Ma, sooner or later, there comes a point in a manā€™s life when heā€™s gotta face some facts. And one fact I gotta face is that, whatever it is that women like, I ainā€™t got it. > > I confess Iā€™ve felt that way. Heck, Iā€™m female and Iā€™ve felt that way! Iā€™ve never seen the full movie because I thought of it as sad. I think I need to watch it all the way through. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211/31 "2023-12-25T15:02:50Z")
> [@peedin](#): > > Iā€™ve never seen the full movie because I thought of it as sad. I think I need to watch it all the way through. Doh! I should have spoilered! ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211/32 "2023-12-25T15:17:59Z")
If I recall correctly the film has the _Marty_ question as the final, and losing, one while in reality it wasnā€™t. Itā€™s more dramatic if he loses on the final question and more confusing to the audience if heā€™s already ā€œtaken a diveā€ before the last question. It really comes down to whether you think the losing question is the final one or the last one that could have changed the outcome of the game. (Iā€™d agree that thereā€™s a stronger argument for the former.) Either way thanks for making me look for that video. It was nice to see the reality that inspired the film. As Dr Science always said ā€œItā€™s a movie, not a fuckinā€™ documentary!ā€ ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211/33 "2023-12-25T15:42:01Z")
_Marty_ reflects Ernest Borgnineā€™s improbable career. Ernie could have spent his entire career as an unattractive and nasty heavy. He began his career in those roles. His talent and natural charm won out and he landed roles like Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale. He was even likeable as a traitor in _Ice Station Zebra_. Ernie said in interviews that he was feeling really good about his movie career. A local kid came by selling something for school. He didnā€™t recognize Ernie, but he knew all the tv stars that Ernie mentioned. Ernie quickly called his agent and took the role in _Mchaleā€™s Navy_. Ernie was the rare actor that starred in TV and still continued making A-list movies. His only misstep was _Airwolf_. Terrible tv with a stupid gimmick helicopter. It was CBSā€™ answer to NBCā€™s hit _Knight Rider_. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211/34 "2023-12-25T17:12:17Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > His only misstep was _Airwolf_. And perhaps _The Single Guy_. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211/35 "2023-12-25T17:21:41Z")
I watched _Airwolf_. I never watched _Knight Rider_. Becauseā€¦ helicopter. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211/36 "2023-12-25T18:13:30Z")
Hands-down, the best worst movie Ernest Borgnine appeared in was [The Adventures](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventurers_(1970_film)), from that master of the pot-boiler Harold Robbins. This film is notable in achieving such a high level of jet-set era trashiness despite its lack of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211/37 "2023-12-25T18:13:51Z")
I canā€™t find the interview now. Itā€™s in one of the hour long career interviews on YouTube. Ernie starred with Gina Lollobrigida. He said she was quite rude and constantly made nasty remarks in Italian. Ernie just smiled and finished his role. Everyone remembers his smile and jovial attitude. On the last day he leans over and says in perfect Italian that it was a pleasure and honor working with her. šŸ¤£ Ernie grew up speaking Italian in his family. Heā€™s quite fluent and occasionally lived in Italy. I always thought it was ironic he joined the Navy in 1935 and was discharged a few weeks before Pearl Harbor. He barely got home and was called back to duty (gunnerā€™s mate first class) for the duration of the war. Fortunately it was stateside duty patroling the Eastern seaboard. He said in his autobiography that his original ship saw combat in the Pacific. His short break from the Navy got him reassigned to a different ship. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marty-1955/994211.md?page=1)