Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Lewis Milestone
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Writers:

Charles Lederer (screenplay)
Charles Nordhoff (novel) ...
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Release Date:

8 November 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | History | Romance

Tagline:

The mightiest excitement that ever swept across the sea or the screen!

Plot:

The Bounty leaves Portsmouth in 1787. Its destination: to sail to Tahiti and load bread-fruit. Captain...

Plot Keywords:

Tahiti | Crew | Discipline | Paradise | Mutiny

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	1st Lt. Fletcher Christian
Trevor Howard	...	Captain William Bligh
Richard Harris	...	Seaman John Mills
Hugh Griffith	...	Alexander Smith
Richard Haydn	...	William Brown
Tarita	...	Maimiti
Percy Herbert	...	Captain Matthew Quintal
Duncan Lamont	...	John Williams
Gordon Jackson	...	Seaman Edward Birkett
Chips Rafferty	...	Michael Byrne
Noel Purcell	...	Seaman William McCoy
Ashley Cowan	...	Samuel Mack
Eddie Byrne	...	John Fryer (Sailing Master)
Frank Silvera	...	Minarii
Tim Seely	...	Midshipman Edward 'Ned' Young
Keith McConnell	...	James Morrison
Rahera Tuia	...	Tahitian
Ruita Salmon	...	Tahitian
Nathalie Tehahe	...	Tahitian
Tematai Tevaearai	...	Tahitian
Odile Hinano Paofai	...	Tahitian
Teretiaiti Teyahineheipua Maifano	...	Tahitian
Virau Tepii	...	Tahitian
Maeva Maitihe	...	Tahitian
Louise Tefaafana	...	Tahitian
Tinorua Vaitahe	...	Tahitian
Adrien Vaatete Mahitete	...	Tahitian
Tufariu Tumatana Haamoeura	...	Tahitian
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Antoinette Bower	...	Lady Gwendenare (uncredited)
Henry Daniell	...	Court-martial judge (uncredited)
Larry Duran	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Anna Lee	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Gilchrist Stuart	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Matahiarii Tama	...	Chief Hitihiti (uncredited)
Torin Thatcher	...	Staines (uncredited)
Roger Ward	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Ben Wright	...	Graves (uncredited)

Directed by
Lewis Milestone
Carol Reed		(uncredited) (some scenes)

Writing credits
Charles Lederer		(screenplay)
Charles Nordhoff		(novel) and
James Norman Hall		(novel)
Eric Ambler		uncredited
Borden Chase		uncredited
William L. Driscoll		uncredited
John Gay		uncredited
Ben Hecht		uncredited

Produced by
Aaron Rosenberg	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Bronislau Kaper

Cinematography by
Robert Surtees		(as Robert L. Surtees)

Film Editing by
John McSweeney Jr.

Casting by
Irene Howard		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
George W. Davis
J. McMillan Johnson

Set Decoration by
Henry Grace
Hugh Hunt

Costume Design by
Moss Mabry

Makeup Department
Mary Keats	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ridgeway Callow	....	assistant director
James Curtis Havens	....	second unit director (as James C. Havens)
Lynn Guthrie	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Robert H. Justman	....	additional assistant director (uncredited)
Paul Rapp	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Carl 'Major' Roup	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Milo B. Lory	....	special sound effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special visual effects
Robert R. Hoag	....	special visual effects
Lee LeBlanc	....	special visual effects
Cliff Shirpser	....	matte camera operator (uncredited)
Matthew Yuricich	....	visual effects artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Paul Baxley	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Harold E. Wellman	....	additional photographer
Conrad L. Hall	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Fuca	....	assistant set costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Charles K. Hagedon	....	color consultant

Music Department
Robert Armbruster	....	conductor

Other crew
Bengt Danielsson	....	technical advisor
Leo Langomazino	....	technical advisor
Donald MacIntyre	....	technical advisor (as Captain Donald Macintyre R.N.)
Aurora Natua	....	technical advisor
Hamil Petroff	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• Arcola Pictures (as An Arcola Picture) (for)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1962) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1962) (UK) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Films (1963) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Esselte Video (1989) (Finland) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1984) (Finland) (TV)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1993) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Turner Entertainment  package design

Runtime:

178 min | UK:185 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.76 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) | 4-Track Stereo (35mm release) (some prints) | Stereo (DVD Release) | Mono (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Finland:K-14 (uncut) (1993) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1962) | Norway:12 (video rating) | Norway:16 | Iceland:12 | UK:15 (video rating) | UK:15 (TV rating) | USA:Approved (certificate #19794) | UK:12 (video re-rating) (2006) | Finland:K-11 (uncut) (2007) | Sweden:15 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Bora-Bora, Tahiti, French Polynesia

Company:

Arcola Pictures

Trivia:

400,000 feet of lumber were used, 10,000 square yards of canvas were sewn by hand and 10 miles of rope were rigged for the reconstructed version of HMS The Bounty.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The burning of the Bounty at Pitcairn's Island wasn't the result of one man deciding to destroy it. It was the general consensus of most of the mutineers that the ship be burned because there was no way to conceal it, and they didn't want passing ships to be able to identify their island. It was certainly not done without Christian's knowledge (it was actually his idea).

Quotes:

Fletcher Christian: I was just thinking, sir, that our little errand for groceries might wind up in a page of naval history if we succeed in negotiating The Horn in the dead of winter.
Captain Bligh: Why shouldn't we succeed? Admiral Anderson did.
Fletcher Christian: Yes, but of course he didn't choose to attempt it in a ninety-one-foot chamber pot. In any event, his was the only ship to do it and I believe he lost fifty percent of his crew.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Kids in the Hall: (#1.7)" (1989)

Soundtrack:

Follow Me

Marlon Brando's best performance ever

I first watched this film because I really liked the Mel Gibson / Anthony Hopkins version of the film (Bounty). I expected this to be a less sophisticated, dated early 60's remake of the 1930s classic.

I was blown away! Brando absolutely nailed the pretentious, self styled

aristocrat Fletcher Christian with such accuracy, I found myself thinking that he may have grown up with a Duke and Duchess as his parents and a castle in

Edinborough. There are several scenes where Brando's performance would

have to be recorded as one of Hollywood's most important moments at the

Smithsonian (if there was such a thing). The supporting cast is excellent and the period imagery they evoke, with limited special effects, but spectacular

location filming, makes this a HUGE classic and extremely entertaining.

Unlike a lot of recent great films, this Hollywood classic does its magic while staying within the family film guidelines, while not feeling like a "Mickey the Rat" formulaic piece of garbage. Spectacular technicolor scenes of Tahiti (before even tourists went there), combine with great wardrobe, and accurate local

customs and ceremonies, to create a very, very entertaining film.