(Some Spoilers) Petty shake-down artist Howard Goff, John Garfield, has everyone on the Sheepshead Bay docks terrorized in paying him protection money to keep their boats from having an unfortunate accident, like Goff setting them on fire. Getting old man Johnah Goodwin, Thomas Mitchell, and his partner Olaf Johnson, John Qualen, to pay him a $5.00 in weekly protection fee wasn't enough for the arrogant and greedy Goff. He also wanted Jonah's pretty daughter Stella, Ida Lupino, as well to be his woman and that got under the skin of Stella's long time boyfriend George, Eddie Albert, who's been waiting for years, until he saved up enough money as a fish auctioneer,to marry her.
Stella for her part kind of liked the "I take whatever I want" attitude of Goff as well as his taking her out to fancy night-clubs to dance and dink the night away with him. She completely overlooked that he was shaking down her father and even worked him over with a rubber hose when he dared to go to the police for help. Goff has both Jonah and his wimpy friend and partner Olaf over a barrel in having them sign a $1,000 loan, that Goff never loaned them, to cover his weekly shakedowns of them them. The two come to the one and only conclusion that they could come up with in getting Goff out of their lives. That's to do to him what he's always threatening to do to them. Rub out the thieving good for nothing swine and do it in a way that it looks accidental!
Based on the Irwin Shaw play "The Gentle People" the movie shows what was meant by the biblical saying that "The meek shall inherit the earth". Where in this case it's their fishing boats on the Sheepshead Bay docks. Goff a one man protection racket took what he wanted and feared no one not even the cops. Who in the movie was a 63 year-old arthritic looking officer Magruder, Robert Homans. Magruder in the movie is seen having trouble running, as well as walking, and was in danger of slipping on the already slippery docks.
It's when both Jonah and Olaf went to the police for help and all they got for it was laughs from the judge Jonah & Olaf came to the bitter conclusion that they'll have to take the law into heir own hands to put an end to Goff's reign of terror against them and their fellow fishermen. Fortunately for them it was fate that intervened in their favor and took care of Goff, in a very unusual way, that kept Jonah & Olaf lifelong law abiding citizens from breaking the law to do it.
Stella who was playing her deeply in love with her and not that bright boyfriend George for a sucker didn't at all come out smelling like a rose, or violet, in the movie. Even though George always forgave her every time that she screwed, figuratively not literally, him in two-timing George for Goff. The ending got me a little wheezy in George taking Stella back and at the same time George being such a jerk that he as much didn't feel that he was at all betrayed. In that Stella who already screwed him once would screw him a second or third or forth time as well!
Stella for her part kind of liked the "I take whatever I want" attitude of Goff as well as his taking her out to fancy night-clubs to dance and dink the night away with him. She completely overlooked that he was shaking down her father and even worked him over with a rubber hose when he dared to go to the police for help. Goff has both Jonah and his wimpy friend and partner Olaf over a barrel in having them sign a $1,000 loan, that Goff never loaned them, to cover his weekly shakedowns of them them. The two come to the one and only conclusion that they could come up with in getting Goff out of their lives. That's to do to him what he's always threatening to do to them. Rub out the thieving good for nothing swine and do it in a way that it looks accidental!
Based on the Irwin Shaw play "The Gentle People" the movie shows what was meant by the biblical saying that "The meek shall inherit the earth". Where in this case it's their fishing boats on the Sheepshead Bay docks. Goff a one man protection racket took what he wanted and feared no one not even the cops. Who in the movie was a 63 year-old arthritic looking officer Magruder, Robert Homans. Magruder in the movie is seen having trouble running, as well as walking, and was in danger of slipping on the already slippery docks.
It's when both Jonah and Olaf went to the police for help and all they got for it was laughs from the judge Jonah & Olaf came to the bitter conclusion that they'll have to take the law into heir own hands to put an end to Goff's reign of terror against them and their fellow fishermen. Fortunately for them it was fate that intervened in their favor and took care of Goff, in a very unusual way, that kept Jonah & Olaf lifelong law abiding citizens from breaking the law to do it.
Stella who was playing her deeply in love with her and not that bright boyfriend George for a sucker didn't at all come out smelling like a rose, or violet, in the movie. Even though George always forgave her every time that she screwed, figuratively not literally, him in two-timing George for Goff. The ending got me a little wheezy in George taking Stella back and at the same time George being such a jerk that he as much didn't feel that he was at all betrayed. In that Stella who already screwed him once would screw him a second or third or forth time as well!