Billy Budd (1962)

Director:

Peter Ustinov

Writers:

Louis O. Coxe (play) and
Robert H. Chapman (play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

12 November 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

TERENCE STAMP A new face! A new talent! A great new star discovery!

Plot:

Billy is an innocent, naive seaman in the British Navy in 1797. When the ship's sadistic master-at-arms is murdered, Billy is accused and tried.

Plot Keywords:

Ship | Captain | Flogging | Mutiny | French

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

Robert Ryan	...	John Claggart - Master of Arms
Peter Ustinov	...	Edwin Fairfax Vere - Post Captain Royal Navy
Melvyn Douglas	...	The Dansker - Sailmaker
Paul Rogers	...	Philip Seymour - First Lieutenant
John Neville	...	Julian Radcliffe - Second Lieutenant
David McCallum	...	Steven Wyatt - Gunnery Officer
Ronald Lewis	...	Enoch Jenkins - Maintopman
Lee Montague	...	Squeak - Assistant to Mr. Claggart
Thomas Heathcote	...	Alan Payne - Maintopman
Ray McAnally	...	William O'Daniel - Maintopman (as Ray McAnnally)
Robert Brown	...	Arnold Talbot - Maintopman
John Meillon	...	Neil Kincaid - Maintopman
Cyril Luckham	...	Alfred Hallam - Captain of Marines
Niall MacGinnis	...	Nathaniel Graveling - Ship's Master, Rights of Man (as Niall McGinnis)
Victor Brooks	...	Amos Leonard - First Mate, Rights of Man
Barry Keegan	...	Charles Mathews - Merchant Seaman, Rights of Man
Terence Stamp	...	Billy Budd - Merchant Seaman, Rights of Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Hewer	...	Dubbing
George Leech	...	Marine (uncredited)
Ian Whittaker	...	Young Rating (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Ustinov

Writing credits
Louis O. Coxe		(play "Billy Budd") and
Robert H. Chapman		(play "Billy Budd")
Herman Melville		(novel "Billy Budd, Foretopman")
Peter Ustinov		(screenplay) and
DeWitt Bodeen		(screenplay) (as Dewitt Bodeen)
Robert Rossen		screenplay (uncredited)

Produced by
A. Ronald Lubin	....	executive producer
Peter Ustinov	....	producer

Original Music by
Antony Hopkins

Cinematography by
Robert Krasker		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jack Harris		(film editor)

Casting by
Robert Lennard		(casting director) (as Robert S. Lennard)

Production Design by
Donald M. Ashton		(as Don Ashton)

Art Direction by
Peter Murton

Costume Design by
Anthony Mendleson

Makeup Department
Bob Lawrance	....	makeup artist (as Bob Lawrence)
Henry Montsash	....	hairdresser (as Harry Montsash)
Patricia McDermott	....	assistant hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Albert Jaeger	....	production supervisor
Victor Peck	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Birkett	....	first assistant director
Claude Watson	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Stan Gale	....	construction manager (uncredited)
F. Pratt	....	chargehand prop (uncredited)

Sound Department
Charles Crafford	....	sound editor
Charles Poulton	....	sound recordist
Len Shilton	....	sound recordist
Tom Buchanan	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Gordon Hooton	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
George Blackwell	....	special effects (uncredited)
Fred Heather	....	special effects (uncredited)
Garth Inns	....	special effects (uncredited)
Curly Nelhams	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Ken Buckle	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Harris	....	camera operator (as John S. Harris)
Bernard Ford	....	focus puller (uncredited)
George Higgins	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Kelvin Pike	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Simon Ransley	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Wally Thompson	....	chargehand electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ron Beck	....	wardrobe
Laura Nightingale	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Antony Hopkins	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Eddie Frewin	....	unit driver (uncredited)

Other crew
June Faithfull	....	continuity
Arthur Ferriman	....	production associate (as Arthur S. Ferriman)
A.J. Villiers	....	technical adviser (as Capt. Alan Villiers)
D. Harrien	....	nautical rigger (uncredited)
Joan Parcell	....	production secretary (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Allied Artists Pictures (presents) (as Allied Artists Pictures Corporation)

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1962) (USA) (theatrical)
• J. Arthur Rank Film (1962) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Parvisfilmi (1963) (France) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1962) (France) (theatrical)
• Allied Artists Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Oy Europa Vision AB (????) (Finland) (video)
• Showtime Networks (????) (Finland) (video)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Philharmonia Orchestra, The  music played by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Spain:7 | USA:Approved | Finland:K-3 (new rating: 2001) | Finland:S (new rating: 1989) | France:U | West Germany:12 (f) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Company:

Allied Artists Pictures

Trivia:

Terence Stamp's film debut.

Quotes:

[Billy and the Dansker have just witnessed a flogging]
Billy Budd:What was his crime?
The Dansker, sailmaker:Any one of many possible reasons.
Billy Budd:You mean you don't know what he did?
The Dansker, sailmaker:Flogging. The only solution to every problem. I warrant even the culprit himself doesn't know! It was just... his... turn!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Sopranos: Eloise (#4.12)" (2002)

Just as good as the novel!

I saw this when it first came out and loved it! The makers of this film (from the UK) are to be praised for addressing a subject historically so controversial that their countrymen could object it has anti-British content based on familiar stereotypes. Yet it is undeniably true. The British Empire thrived on a system of enforced labor, which included plantation slavery, pressgangs in the Navy and crimping of soldiers into the Army. The practice of stealing American sailors off of American ships and forcing them into the British service remained a vexed question between the two countries even after the revolution. Americans who had won their freedom in the revolution had to surrender it to the same tyrants on the high seas. "Billy Budd" shows the tragic injustice of being forced to serve an enemy, suffer his contempt and be punished for the natural act of defending oneself.

Technically, the film couldn't be better. The drama is excellently drawn in well lit black and white and cuts from scene to scene in a manner that never sacrifices clarity to suspense, telling the story as well as it can be told on screen. The close ups reveal all the nuances of character implied in Melville's great novel, making very accessible the emotion of righteous indignation, which is the film's final message. Today, a production crew like the one that made "Billy Budd" could make itself very busy faithfully translating literary classics onto the screen.