1957 edge of the city and direct by martin ritt and star john cassavetes and sidney poitier and jack warden and ruby dee . it the story of a troubled man and axel and who have a mysterious past that gradually come out during the film . he have a connection that get him a job on a loading dock work for charlie ( jack warden ) and a real meanie who take kickback from his worker and rid them hard . charlie have an intense dislike for a black man and t. t. ( poitier ) who hold the same position . t. t. invite axel to work on his team while axel defies charlie and do so . axel find a place to live and socialize with t. t. and his his wife ( dee ) and their son white schoolteacher ( kathleen mcguire ) . when tragedy strike and none of the men on the loading dock will talk to the police and and axel have to come to grip with his value and what he stand for and and the meaning of friendship . this be a really excellent black and white film that curiously isn not really about be black or white . it really about the limit one put on oneself and know who you be . charlie be a bigot and hat that a black man have a good position on the dock . t. t. tease charlie and give as good a he get . there no discussion of t. t. and axel spending time together or of t. t. son have a white teacher with whom the family also socialize . what axel and a loner and find difficult be accept any friendship or confiding in anyone these thing he learn through t. t. poitier absolutely shin in edge of the city he warm and energetic and loving and smart and a man with a real enthusiasm for life and afraid of nothing . cassavetes be excellent and play a character totally opposite hiding in the shadow and chronically depressed and always nervous . the film leave open what happen to axel . whatever do and he a different man now . strangely underrated and unknown film and possibly in the shadow of a lot of the angry young men film that come out in that era .