On the Bowery

Dir. Lionel Rogosin. 1956, 65 mins. 35mm. With Ray Salyer, Gorman Hendricks, Frank Matthews. In shimmering black-and-white, director Lionel Rogosin etches an indelible record of life on skid row in 1950s New York City. Artfully blending documentary and narrative, the film follows a railroad worker named Ray as he spirals towards bottom during a three-day bender on the then-seedy Bowery. Filmed on location with a cast of real-life flophouse denizens, this stunningly raw time capsule—which was honored with an Academy Award nomination, a British Academy Award, and the documentary grand prize at the Venice Film Festival—stands as a pinnacle of American neorealism.

Tickets: $12 ($9 for senior citizens and students / free for members at the Film Lover level and above). Order tickets online. (Members may contact [email protected] with any questions regarding online reservations.)




All tickets include same-day admission to the Museum (see gallery hours). View the Museum’s ticketing policy here. For more information on membership and to join online, visit our membership page.