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Where to start with Eva Marie Saint’s films
Turner Classic Movies identifies On the Waterfront and North by Northwest as Saint’s two best-known films. Its presentation of her iconic work also highlighted Raintree County. These films make a useful starting point because they show her in distinct settings and performance modes: intimate social drama, polished suspense, and an expansive historical production. TCM’s career feature discusses the first two and her experience making them; its iconic-films presentation includes Raintree County.
On the Waterfront (1954)
Saint played Edie Doyle in Elia Kazan’s drama, her feature-film debut. The role won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Edie’s moral resolve gives the film an emotional counterweight to the violence and pressure surrounding her brother’s death and the dockworkers’ world. The British Film Institute’s retrospective describes the contrast between Saint’s stillness and Marlon Brando’s restless performance. BFI’s five-film retrospective offers further context.
North by Northwest (1959)
As Eve Kendall, Saint brought wit, glamour, and uncertainty to Hitchcock’s suspense film, playing opposite Cary Grant. BFI describes Eve as a government agent trying to stop Phillip Vandamm from smuggling secrets. It is a very different screen presence from Edie Doyle: Eve navigates deception and danger with a controlled confidence that makes her central to the film’s tension. TCM quoted Saint recalling how Brando’s changing delivery kept her responses spontaneous on On the Waterfront: “every time he said a line, it was always different” and “I would answer differently, and it just felt like we were really talking, and not actors working.”
#1 Best Overall
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- STAR-STUDDED CAST: Features performances by Jeff Daniels, Eva Marie Saint, Cicely Tyson, and AnnaSophia Robb.
- AUDIO OPTIONS: Includes Dolby audio with dubbed language options for a versatile viewing experience.
- SUBTITLE SUPPORT: Subtitled version included, making it accessible for a wider range of viewers.
- FORMAT OPTIONS: Available in both Full Frame and Widescreen formats to suit your viewing preference.
Raintree County (1957)
Saint played Nell Gaither in this historical drama, one of the three titles TCM singled out in its presentation of her iconic films. It is a useful early-career companion to the more frequently cited On the Waterfront and North by Northwest.
Films that show her range
Saint’s filmography is selective rather than extensive, and the films beyond her two signature roles show her moving across genres and kinds of drama. The BFI retrospective provides character and genre context for several of these performances.
| Film | Saint’s role or performance context | Why it adds range |
|---|---|---|
| That Certain Feeling (1956) | Comedy; BFI notes her straight-faced comic performance. | A glimpse of her dry, understated comedy. |
| A Hatful of Rain (1957) | Celia Pope. | A dramatic role among the varied parts BFI highlights. |
| Exodus (1960) | Katherine “Kitty” Fremont, an American nurse. | A large-scale drama with Saint in a different kind of supporting role. |
| All Fall Down (1962) | Echo O’Brien. | Its troubled subject matter and elusive character show her in less straightforward dramatic territory. |
| 36 Hours (1965) | Anna Hedler, a Jewish nurse caught in a wartime deception. | A suspense role in a wartime thriller. |
| The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966) | Comedy. | Another example of her comic ability. |
| The Stalking Moon (1968) | Sarah Carver. | An example of her later-1960s film work. |
The role descriptions and genre notes in the table draw on the BFI retrospective and the AFI catalog. AFI records 36 Hours as a 1965 film.
Later film roles and screen work
Saint continued acting on screen well beyond her 1950s breakthrough. Her later film credits include roles familiar to audiences who encountered her in contemporary productions rather than classic Hollywood films.
Rank #3
- Superman Returns: El Regreso
- Nothing in Common (1986) — Lorraine Basner.
- Because of Winn-Dixie (2005) — listed by AFI among her later film credits.
- Superman Returns (2006) — Martha Kent, a role that introduced her to a later generation of viewers.
- Winter’s Tale (2014) — Adult Willa.
These titles are representative, not a complete account of every film or screen appearance. AFI’s catalog separates cast credits from a history section, and its stated feature-catalog coverage is 1893–1993; its later entries and scope notes mean its displayed count should not be treated as a definitive total of Saint’s screen work. AFI’s filmography page is the reference for the listed credits.
Her television career and awards
Saint also worked in television. The Television Academy records five nominations and one Emmy win for her; the win was for supporting actress in the 1990 television film People Like Us. The award database is a record of her nominations and win, rather than a guide to current eligibility or programming. The Television Academy’s record and tribute includes the Emmy information.
Rank #4
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How to choose a first film
Choose by the kind of performance or film you want to see, rather than by an unsupported numerical ranking:
- For a morally urgent, intimate drama, start with On the Waterfront.
- For Hitchcock suspense, glamour, and sharp exchanges, watch North by Northwest.
- For straight-faced comedy, try That Certain Feeling.
- For more troubled dramatic territory, look to All Fall Down; for a wartime thriller, try 36 Hours.
Those contrasts reflect the BFI’s descriptions of the films and Saint’s roles. The Academy Award acceptance anecdote also captures the moment On the Waterfront marked in her life: AP reported that Saint, pregnant at the time, said, “I think I may have the baby right here” while accepting the Oscar; her son was born two days later. This is AP’s reported recollection. The Associated Press obituary recounts it.
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Eva Marie Saint died on October 6, 2026, aged 102, according to the Associated Press and the Television Academy. AP’s report and the Television Academy tribute report her death.
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