Mister Roberts (1955)

Comedy-drama about life on a not particularly important ship of the US Navy during WW2.

Directors:

John Ford, Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

Frank S. Nugent (screenplay), Joshua Logan (screenplay),

Stars:

Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell

Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Henry Fonda	...	Lt. JG Douglas A. 'Doug' Roberts
James Cagney	...	Capt. Morton
William Powell	...	Lt. 'Doc'
Jack Lemmon	...	Ens. Frank Thurlowe Pulver
Betsy Palmer	...	Lt. Ann Girard
Ward Bond	...	Chief Petty Officer Dowdy
Philip Carey	...	Mannion (as Phil Carey)
Nick Adams	...	Reber
Perry Lopez	...	Rodrigues
Ken Curtis	...	Yeoman 3rd Class Dolan
Robert Roark	...	Insigna
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Stefanowski
Patrick Wayne	...	Bookser (as Pat Wayne)
Frank Aletter	...	Gerhart
Tige Andrews	...	Wiley (as Tiger Andrews)

Storyline

Mister Roberts is aboard a US cargo ship, working in the Pacific during the Second World War. He'd do anything to leave the quiet of the ship to join in the "action". Trouble is, the captain of the ship, is a bit of a tyrant, and isn't willing to sign Roberts' transfer requests. Also on board is Ensign Pulver, who avoids work as best he can, whilst living off the riches of his buying and selling. Roberts and the crew are in constant battle, even over the smallest of disagreements.

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Plot Keywords:

shore leave | u.s. navy | south pacific | navy | tyrant | 

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Taglines:

Now . . . Hilariously on the Screen !

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 December 1955 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Keine Zeit für Heldentum

Filming Locations:

Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$21,200,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Orange

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Warnercolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although he played the part of Lt. jg Doug Roberts on Broadway, Henry Fonda was not the first choice to recreate the role for the film version (the producers felt the 50 year old Fonda too old to play the role). The producers first wanted Marlon Brando, but he was committed to another project at the time and could not get out of it. Then the producers turned to Tyrone Power. But director John Ford insisted on Fonda - they had made several successful films together - and would not direct the film without him. Since the producers needed the director with 6 Academy Awards to helm the film, they gave in to him. Ironically, once filming began, Ford and Fonda saw eye to eye on almost nothing. Fonda had played the character on Broadway for 2 years, and felt he knew the character inside out. Ford had other ideas and on his set, you saw things his way or you saw the door. Things came to a head when, during a meeting with producers, Fonda and Ford to clear the air, Ford sucker punched Fonda. Ford left the production soon after (Ford's war-related health reasons were given as the official explanation). Mervyn LeRoy, and later Joshua Logan, the director of the Broadway play, took over directing duties and finished the film. The decision was made to keep Ford's and Leroy's name in the final credits.

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Goofs

As Ensign Pulver tries to climb the stairs after blowing up the laundry room, you hear him calling out to someone and whistling at the same time.

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Quotes

Ensign Pulver: [reading Mr. Robert's letter] Doc, I've been aboard this destroyer for two weeks now and we've already been through four air attacks. I'm in the war at last, Doc! I've caught up with that task force that passed me by. I'm glad to be here. I had to be here, I guess. But I'm thinking now of you, Doc,and you, Frank. And Dolan, and Dowdy, and Insigna and everyone else on that bucket. All the guys everywhere who sail from Tedium to Apathy and back again, with an occasional side trip to Monotony. This...

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Connections

Referenced in Common Ground (2000)

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Soundtracks

"IF I COULD BE WITH YOU ONE HOUR TONIGHT"
Music by James P. Johnson
Words by Henry Creamer
Published by Warner Bros. Inc. (ASCAP)
Performed (whistled) by Jack Lemmon (uncredited)

User Reviews

Fine Combination of Comedy & Drama, With An Excellent Cast

The cast and story of "Mister Roberts" are both of high quality, and they fit together well to produce one of the best war movies to be set in the Second World War. It effectively and thoughtfully presents many facets of military life - from boredom to conflict, from slapstick to sadness - without resorting to any labored or overblown material.

The cast is excellent in its own right, and the main characters are ideally matched with their roles. Henry Fonda could be no better in portraying Roberts in all his interactions with the other characters, Jack Lemmon is always entertaining as Pulver, and in Doc, William Powell gets the kind of role he played better than anyone. James Cagney is flawless as the sometimes small-minded captain, bringing out his shortcomings, yet also allowing you to understand why the character is like that.

Most of the settings work well, and they help to create a believable atmosphere of navy life. The running confrontations with the palm tree and the letters are well-conceived, and they are also used effectively, getting a lot of material out of them without stretching things too far. "Mr. Roberts" communicates some worthwhile ideas while remaining enjoyable, and provides good entertainment and comedy without avoiding the realities in the characters' lives.