The Caine Mutiny (1954)

Director:

Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

Herman Wouk (novel)
Stanley Roberts (screenplay)

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

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:

Preparations for filming took 15 months. The length of time it took to make the film, unusually long at the time, was due in part to the unwillingness of the US Navy to endorse the film. Without the Navy's endorsement, it would have been impossible for the filmmakers to use naval equipment and personnel. The Navy was concerned that the film's subject dealt with a mutiny, and that audience would feel that it was a true story. But the filmmakers reached a compromise upon agreeing to include the comment in the opening titles that there has never been a mutiny on a US Navy vessel.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The lettering on the CV 33 is yellow. During WWII, it is supposed to have been white.

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 "Fame: A Musical Bridge (#1.13)" (1982)

Soundtrack:

YELLOW STAIN BLUES

Man going overboard...

One thing it's really good to see is Humphrey Bogart showing his range and giving a truly vulnerable performance. Cynicism is usually the protective armour of a Bogie character, but in Queeg we have the opposite of a cynic - a man so obsessed with doing even trivial things by the book that his underlings decide he is no longer fit for his job. To understand and embrace routine is obviously necessary in military life, but this rigid adherence ultimately becomes a distraction from performing his necessary duties. It's a perfect showcase for how the pressure-cooker atmosphere of always living with the threat of war can make otherwise tough men crumble.

It's a subtle show from Bogart, his demonstration of illness encompassing a number of tics which get worse as he starts to unravel from being judged up there on the stand. It's a cleverly escalating portrait, and the film never feels rushed, but for me the story started to get less interesting once everybody entered the courtroom. I generally don't like legal dramas, because out of necessity the focus becomes more on the mechanics of the plot than getting to examine human personalities. This is just a personal preference, however, and if you're a person who combines an admiration for Humphrey Bogart with a passion for the technicalities of the law, then I don't see how you could go far wrong in selecting "The Caine Mutiny".