The Caine Mutiny (1954)

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

Director:

Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

Stanley Roberts (screen play), Michael Blankfort (additional dialogue)

Stars:

Humphrey Bogart, José Ferrer, Van Johnson

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Humphrey Bogart	...	Lt. Cmdr. Philip Francis Queeg
José Ferrer	...	Lt. Barney Greenwald (as Jose Ferrer)
Van Johnson	...	Lt. Steve Maryk
Fred MacMurray	...	Lt. Tom Keefer (as Fred Mac Murray)
Robert Francis	...	Ens. 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	...	Seaman Lugatch aka 'Horrible'
Katherine Warren	...	Mrs. Keith (as Katharine Warren)
Jerry Paris	...	Ens. Barney Harding
Steve Brodie	...	Chief Budge

Storyline

During the World War II, the crew of a small insignificant ship in the U.S. Pacific Fleet experience an event unlike any event ever experienced by the United States Navy. A Ship's Captain is removed from command by his Executive Officer in an apparent outright act of mutiny. As the trial of the mutineers unfold, it is learned that the Captain of the ship was mentally unstable, perhaps even insane. The Navy must decide if the Caine Mutiny was a criminal act, or an act of courage to save a ship from destruction at the hands of her Captain?

---

Plot Keywords:

ship captain | court martial | mutiny | u.s. military | u.s. navy | 

---

Taglines:

Great As a Book! ...As a Picture The Greatest

---

Genres:

Drama | War

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 June 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

Authority and Rebellion

Filming Locations:

Royce Quad, UCLA, Westwood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$21,750,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The only Best Picture Oscar nominee that year to be also nominated for Best Sound Recording.

---

Goofs

The "Yellow Stain Incident" took place during what was depicted as being a major amphibious operation (in the novel it was said to have happened during the attack on Kwajalein atoll). Many ships and aircraft are shown supporting the attack. Somebody--a pilot, an observer on a another ship, the surviving Marines in the boats (if any in fact survived) the Caine abandoned--should have been able to corroborate the story of the Caine dropping a dye marker and retiring at high speed and without authorization.

---

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. Each of you knew that the American way of life must be defended by life itself. From here on your education must continue in the more demanding school of actual war. Wearing the gold stripe of ensign in the United States ...

---

Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: "There has never been a mutiny in a ship of The United States Navy. The truths of this film lie not in its incidents but in the way a few men meet the crisis of their lives."

THE TIME - WORLD WAR II . . .

---

Alternate Versions

There was a version made for school, to be used in Social Studies class. It edited out most everything except the pertinent scenes of the Queeg incidents and the trial. The movie ended before the decision was reached so that the class could vote on whether they would convict for mutiny or not.

---

Connections

Referenced in Jesse Stone: Night Passage (2006)

---

Soundtracks

Yellow Stain Blues
Written by Fred Karger and Herman Wouk

User Reviews

One of the best movies ever!

My memories of this film are formed from a long time ago. I was about 10 or eleven when I first saw this film and my impressions of it have never changed from that day to this. In my opinion it is probably one of the best films ever made. From the opening sequence to the last frame , it is a gripping tale of how humans react when under intense pressure and when lives are a stake. I feel that Humphrey Bogart's performance underlines the ongoing brilliance of this incredible actor, he plays this part to perfection. It is worth noting that compared to modern movies of the same genre, it is hard to find a performance that stands up to Bogart's skill in this role. I actually preferred this role to his generally acknowledged high in Casablanca! I cannot leave this short review without mentioning Jose Ferrer's supporting role as the Naval Defense lawyer. Quite simply it was and remains masterful - a consummate performance! I highly recommend this movie and would expect that it is in the top 100 movies ever made.