When Brando turns to Rod Steiger in the famous scene from On the Waterfront and desperately cries “I coulda had class, I coulda been a contender!” it mines a deep seam of emotion for almost all who watch it. There are reasons why it’s among the most quoted lines in cinematic history. Most people have discarded a dream, wasted a talent. Even those living successful existences have at least one opportunity missed. That is why the scene resonates so strongly on a universal level. Personally, whenever I hear those words I think of two individuals who lived in the same cinema universe but worlds and years apart.
Charles Laughton and Saul Bass have sadly now passed away, but both plied their trade in the film industry. Laughton, amongst other talents was an actor of note. His high cultural water mark was the role of Captain Bligh in Mutiny on the Bounty and Quasimodo, the famous Hunchback of Notre dame. Bass is relatively unknown but most will have unwittingly viewed his work. His title design for films such as Psycho, Spartacus (a touching stone with Laughton who also starred here) and Vertigo is legendary. Spartacus apart, these men had very little in common, besides one key link. Both directed one full length feature each, both were instantly derided; both now garner cult classic status and universal praise.