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Mister Roberts

  • 19551955
  • PassedPassed
  • 2h 3m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
17K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
James Cagney, Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon, and William Powell in Mister Roberts (1955)
Theatrical Trailer from Warner Bros. Pictures
Play trailer4:07
1 Video
76 Photos
  • Comedy
  • Drama
  • War
In the waning days of World War II, the cargo officer of a Navy supply ship chafes at its role far from the action in the Pacific's backwater areas, his frustration rising when its captain d... Read allIn the waning days of World War II, the cargo officer of a Navy supply ship chafes at its role far from the action in the Pacific's backwater areas, his frustration rising when its captain denies the crew liberty over petty irritations.In the waning days of World War II, the cargo officer of a Navy supply ship chafes at its role far from the action in the Pacific's backwater areas, his frustration rising when its captain denies the crew liberty over petty irritations.
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
17K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • John Ford
    • Mervyn LeRoy
    • Joshua Logan(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • Frank S. Nugent(screenplay)
    • Joshua Logan(screenplay)
    • Thomas Heggen(based on the play by)
  • Stars
    • Henry Fonda
    • James Cagney
    • William Powell
Top credits
  • Directors
    • John Ford
    • Mervyn LeRoy
    • Joshua Logan(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • Frank S. Nugent(screenplay)
    • Joshua Logan(screenplay)
    • Thomas Heggen(based on the play by)
  • Stars
    • Henry Fonda
    • James Cagney
    • William Powell
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 106User reviews
    • 34Critic reviews
    • 72Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 4 wins & 5 nominations total

    Videos1

    Mister Roberts
    Trailer 4:07
    Mister Roberts

    Photos76

    Henry Fonda and Jack Lemmon in Mister Roberts (1955)
    Henry Fonda and William Powell in Mister Roberts (1955)
    James Cagney, Henry Fonda, and John Ford in Mister Roberts (1955)
    James Cagney and Henry Fonda in Mister Roberts (1955)
    Jack Lemmon, Mimi Doyle, Maura Murphy, Jeanne Murray, Kathleen O'Malley, Betsy Palmer, and Lonnie Pierce in Mister Roberts (1955)
    Jack Lemmon and William Powell in Mister Roberts (1955)
    Betsy Palmer in Mister Roberts (1955)
    James Cagney and Henry Fonda in Mister Roberts (1955)
    Henry Fonda in Mister Roberts (1955)
    Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon, and William Powell in Mister Roberts (1955)
    James Cagney, Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Ward Bond, and William Powell in Mister Roberts (1955)
    Jack Lemmon in Mister Roberts (1955)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Henry Fonda
    Henry Fonda
    • Lieutenant Robertsas Lieutenant Roberts
    James Cagney
    James Cagney
    • The Captainas The Captain
    William Powell
    William Powell
    • Docas Doc
    Jack Lemmon
    Jack Lemmon
    • Ensign Pulveras Ensign Pulver
    Betsy Palmer
    Betsy Palmer
    • Lieutenant Ann Girardas Lieutenant Ann Girard
    Ward Bond
    Ward Bond
    • Dowdyas Dowdy
    Philip Carey
    Philip Carey
    • Mannionas Mannion
    • (as Phil Carey)
    Nick Adams
    Nick Adams
    • Reberas Reber
    Perry Lopez
    Perry Lopez
    • Rodriguesas Rodrigues
    Ken Curtis
    Ken Curtis
    • Dolanas Dolan
    Robert Roark
    Robert Roark
    • Insignaas Insigna
    Harry Carey Jr.
    Harry Carey Jr.
    • Stefanowskias Stefanowski
    Patrick Wayne
    Patrick Wayne
    • Bookseras Bookser
    • (as Pat Wayne)
    Frank Aletter
    Frank Aletter
    • Gerhartas Gerhart
    Tige Andrews
    Tige Andrews
    • Wileyas Wiley
    • (as Tiger Andrews)
    Fritz Ford
    • Lindstromas Lindstrom
    Jim Moloney
    • Kennedyas Kennedy
    Buck Kartalian
    Buck Kartalian
    • Masonas Mason
    • Directors
      • John Ford
      • Mervyn LeRoy
      • Joshua Logan(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Frank S. Nugent(screenplay)
      • Joshua Logan(screenplay) (based on the play by)
      • Thomas Heggen(based on the play by) (from the novel by)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Mister Roberts

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When John Ford met James Cagney at the airport, the director warned that they would "tangle asses," which caught Cagney by surprise. The next day, Cagney was slightly late on set, and Ford became incensed. Cagney cut short the imminent tirade, saying: "When I started this picture, you said that we would tangle asses before this was over. I'm ready now - are you?" Ford backed down and walked away, and he and Cagney had no further conflicts on the set. Cagney later said: "I would have kicked his brains out. He was so goddamned mean to everybody. He was truly a nasty old man."
    • Goofs
      In the scene where the ship is underway and at general quarters, several shots of the bridge show that there is no one at the helm (steering the ship).
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Ensign Frank Thurlowe Pulver: Captain, it is I, Ensign Pulver, and I just threw your stinkin' palm tree overboard! Now what's all this crud about no movie tonight?

    • Crazy credits
      The seven top-billed actors listed in the opening credits are not listed with the other players in the end credits.
    • Alternate versions
      Television and the standard VHS prints substitute a different march that is played over the loudspeakers during the scene where Henry Fonda is listening to the VE Day celebrations and throws the captain's palm tree overboard. Also eliminated is the voice-over of Fonda humming the march as he walks up the gang ladder leaving the scene.
    • Connections
      Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Henry Fonda (1978)
    • Soundtracks
      If I Could Be with You One Hour Tonight
      (uncredited)

      Music by James P. Johnson

      Words by Henry Creamer

      Published by Warner Bros. Inc. (ASCAP)

      Sung, hummed and whistled by Jack Lemmon throughout film (uncredited)

    User reviews106

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Tremendous cast that deserves a wide-screen performance
    I recently saw "Mister Roberts" for the first time in a theater, part of a double-bill with "Twelve Angry Men". The latter is one of my all-time favorite movies, but I've always had reservations about "Mister Roberts", in large part, I think, because I'd always seen it in pan-and-scan on AMC instead of the original CinemaScope perspective of the original. Well, even on a movie screen, I think some of the scenes had to be chopped (or Mervyn LeRoy just liked including William Powell's shoe in a screen-shot, but not the rest of him) but I enjoyed this movie much more in a theater than on a TV screen. For one small example, I'd never noticed the detail of the warships passing by during the opening credits before.

    The story of "Mister Roberts" is a bit melodramatic for my taste -- after all, it started out on Broadway -- but it doesn't matter because you have five huge headliners to carry it, all at different stages of their careers -- William Powell in his last feature film; James Cagney, James Fonda, and Ward Bond in their mid-career phases (though Bond would be cut down too young in 1960); and Jack Lemmon in practically his first movie. There is an outstanding photo of these five actors singing together accompanied by Cagney's guitar in the photo gallery. Anyway, Mister Roberts is a college-grad who felt a duty to be involved in WWII, but who had the bad luck to be assigned to a cargo ship that is never involved in combat duty. What's worse, the commanding officer is a petty Merchant Marine who got in the Navy because they needed anyone they could get, and he resents Mister Roberts and anyone else who he thinks looks down on him. Roberts shares a room with Ensign Pulver, not exactly a coward but someone who'd be happy to go through the entire war without meeting his Captain. The ship's surgeon is played by William Powell with the same wit and facile mastery that he brought to the "The Thin Man" series decades earlier; but you can tell he's not Nick Charles because of his gray hair. Finally, the great Ward Bond is the top noncom in the cargo hold.

    The movie depends on a lot of stereotypes that feel like crutches to me -- sailors ogling women, sailors getting drunk, sailors going nuts on liberty, etc. The high points of the action involve the interaction of the headliners, or their solo moments. Jack Lemmon's outstanding (and Oscar-winning) performance established him as an up and coming star, and presaged his great work in "The Apartment", "Some Like it Hot", "The Days of Wine and Roses", and the other masterpieces of his "Early" period. The final scene is one of the best in Lemmon's career.

    I strongly recommend you find a way to see "Mister Roberts" in widescreen format. This is a movie, like "Lawrence of Arabia" or "Anastasia", that is just ruined when presented full-screen.
    helpful•6
    1
    • Cue-ball
    • Aug 9, 2006

    FAQ1

    • Why was the Captain's palm tree so important to him and the story?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 30, 1955 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Keine Zeit für Heldentum
    • Filming locations
      • Midway Islands
    • Production company
      • Orange Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $21,200,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 3 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.55 : 1

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