The Caine Mutiny (1954)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

Herman Wouk (novel)
Stanley Roberts (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

24 June 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

As big as the ocean!

Plot:

When a US Naval captain shows signs of mental instability that jeopardizes the ship, the first officer relieves him of command and faces court martial for mutiny.

Plot Keywords:

Mutiny | Naval | Court Martial | Yosemite California | Paranoid Psychosis

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Humphrey Bogart	...	Lt. Cmdr. Philip Francis Queeg
José Ferrer	...	Lt. Barney Greenwald (as Jose Ferrer)
Van Johnson	...	Lt. Steve Maryk
Fred MacMurray	...	Lt. Thomas 'Tom' Keefer
Robert Francis	...	Ens. Willis Seward 'Willie' Keith
May Wynn	...	May Wynn
Tom Tully	...	Comdr. DeVriess
E.G. Marshall	...	Lt. Comdr. Challee
Arthur Franz	...	Lt. JG H. Paynter Jr.
Lee Marvin	...	Meatball
Warner Anderson	...	Capt. Blakely
Claude Akins	...	Horrible
Katherine Warren	...	Mrs. Keith (as Katharine Warren)
Jerry Paris	...	Ens. Barney Harding
Steve Brodie	...	Chief Budge
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Alpert	...	Engstrand (uncredited)
Don Anderson	...	Radarman (uncredited)
Herbert Anderson	...	Ens. Rabbit (uncredited)
James Best	...	Lt. JG Jorgensen (uncredited)
Whit Bissell	...	Lt. Comdr. Dickson M.D. (uncredited)
Robert Bray	...	Court-Martial Board Member (uncredited)
Ted Cooper	...	Sergeant-at-Arms (uncredited)
Don Dillaway	...	George - Chauffeur (uncredited)
Don Dubbins	...	Seaman 1st Class Urban (uncredited)
Johnny Duncan	...	Sailor (uncredited)
James Edwards	...	Whittaker (uncredited)
Joe Haworth	...	Ens. Carmody (uncredited)
Roy Jenson	...	Sailor (uncredited)
Todd Karns	...	Petty Officer 1st Class Stillwell (uncredited)
Don Keefer	...	Court Stenographer - Yeoman 1st Class (uncredited)
Edward Laguna	...	Winston (uncredited)
Frank Losee Jr.	...	Sailor (uncredited)
Dayton Lummis	...	Uncle Lloyd (uncredited)
Kenneth MacDonald	...	Court-Martial Board Member (uncredited)
Paul McGuire	...	Court-Martial Board Member (uncredited)
Tyler McVey	...	Court-Martial Board Member (uncredited)
Patrick Miller	...	Movie Operator (uncredited)
Richard Norris	...	Court-Martial Board Member (uncredited)
Steve Pendleton	...	Court-Martial Board Member (uncredited)
Jay Richards	...	Sailor (uncredited)
Gene Starns	...	Bosun's Mate (uncredited)
James Todd	...	Comdr. Kelvey (uncredited)
John Tomeck	...	Court-Martial Board Member (uncredited)

Directed by
Edward Dmytryk

Writing credits
Herman Wouk		(novel)
Stanley Roberts		(screenplay)
Michael Blankfort		(additional dialogue)

Produced by
Stanley Kramer	....	producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Franz Planer		(as Frank Planer)

Film Editing by
Henry Batista
William A. Lyon

Production Design by
Rudolph Sternad

Art Direction by
Cary Odell

Set Decoration by
Frank Tuttle

Costume Design by
Jean Louis		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Clay Campbell	....	makeup artist
Helen Hunt	....	hair stylist
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carter De Haven Jr.	....	assistant director (as Carter DeHaven Jr.)
Irving J. Moore	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lambert E. Day	....	sound engineer (as Lambert Day)

Special Effects by
Lawrence W. Butler	....	special effects

Stunts
Richard Farnsworth	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Hennesy	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ray Cory	....	photographer: second unit

Music Department
Murray Cutter	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Jo Ann Greer	....	singing voice: May Wynn (uncredited)

Other crew
Francis Cugat	....	technicolor color consultant
Commander James C. Shaw	....	technical advisor (as Comdr. James C.Shaw)
Frank Coghlan Jr.	....	naval liaison (uncredited)
Sally Hamilton	....	executive secretary (uncredited)
Lee Marvin	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Walter Shenson	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Stanley Kramer Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Film-Verleih (1954) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia Films (1955) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1954) (France) (theatrical) (as Columbia Films S. A.)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (VHS)
• Egmont Entertainment (2000) (Finland) (DVD)
• Oy Europa Vision AB (1991) (Finland) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Nordic (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1969) (1970) (1996) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

Authority and Rebellion (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

124 min | Spain:125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:15 (2003) | Finland:K-11 (2007) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 (1955) | Ireland:G | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #16627) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Stanley Kramer Productions

Trivia:

Columbia Studios was determined to hire Humphrey Bogart for the top role in The Caine Mutiny (1954), and Bogart was enthusiastic about playing Captain Queeg, but the Columbia brass did not want to pay him his top salary. Bogart was rather miffed at this, complaining to wife Lauren Bacall, "This never happens to Gary Cooper, or Cary Grant or Clark Gable, but always to me." Bogart correctly figured that Harry Cohn and company knew that Bogart wanted to play the part so fervently that he would agree to take less money rather than surrender the part to someone else.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the typhoon sequence, distant shots show the Caine model missing the forward stack and foremast before the close-up shots showing the actual collapse of both structures.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Admiral: And so today you are full-fledged ensigns. Three short months ago you assembled here from all parts of the nation, from all walks of life: field, factory, office and college campus. Each of you knew what the fighting was about, or you wouldn't have volunteered...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Wednesday Play: Stand Up, Nigel Barton (#1.41)" (1965)

Soundtrack:

I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH ME

Bogart and MacMurray shine in this adaptation of Herman Wouk's masterpiece.

Great novels often disappoint when brought to the screen, but superior acting performances make The Caine Mutiny a classic on its own merits.

The movie takes place on a destroyer-minesweeper in the Pacific during World War II. To the consternation of the Caine's crew, a popular captain (Tom Tully) is replaced by a disturbed despot named Queeg (Humphrey Bogart), who finds himself in over his head. As the stresses of command multiply, Queeg's paranoia and cowardice soon become apparent to Lieutenant Thomas Keefer (Fred MacMurray), a writer in civilian life. Keefer continually tries to convince Executive Officer Steve Maryk (Van Johnson) that Queeg is insane, but Keefer won't help Maryk when the Exec asks Keefer to help convince higher authority that Queeg should be relieved. During a typhoon, Queeg's poor seamanship nearly capsizes the Caine; Maryk relieves him by reason of insanity and saves the ship. Maryk and Willie Keith (Robert Francis), Officer of the Deck when Queeg is relieved, stand trial for mutiny. They are reluctantly defended by Lt Barney Greenwald (Jose Ferrer), who must expose Queeg's mental illness to save the defendants. In so doing Greenwald forces the Caine's officers to examine their own motives regarding their roles in Queeg's relief and their lack of loyalty to him.

Bogart is brilliant, giving the greatest performance of his career, his quirky mannerisms and tortured demeanor contrasting starkly with his usual roles. MacMurray is superb as the glib slippery novelist who must eventually deal with his own cowardice, more damning than Queeg's because of his intelligence and insight. Johnson plays Maryk more timidly than he appears in the book, to the detriment of the movie. Ferrer gives a solid performance. Tully excels as the crusty Capt DeVriess, Queeg's predecessor.

The weakest part of Wouk's book is the largely irrelevant romance between Willie Keith and a nightclub singer of whom his wealthy mother disapproves. Unhappily this vapid subplot finds its way into the movie, serving only to reveal Francis and his love interest May Wynn as lousy actors whose mercifully brief cinematic careers were well deserved. Important character developments in the novel could have been included instead of this unnecessary pap.

Despite its flaws, The Caine Mutiny is a must see for serious movie fans. Bogart and MacMurray give performances which remain fresh and compelling with every viewing of the film. You can't ask more from an actor than that.