Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)

In 1787, British ship Bounty leaves Portsmouth to bring a cargo of bread-fruit from Tahiti but the savage on-board conditions imposed by Captain Bligh trigger a mutiny led by officer Fletcher Christian.

Directors:

Lewis Milestone, Carol Reed (uncredited)

Writers:

Charles Lederer (screenplay), Charles Nordhoff (novel)

Stars:

Marlon Brando, Trevor Howard, Richard Harris

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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	...	Seaman 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

Storyline

The Bounty leaves Portsmouth in 1787. Its destination: to sail to Tahiti and load bread-fruit. Captain Bligh will do anything to get there as fast as possible, using any means to keep up a strict discipline. When they arrive at Tahiti, it is like a paradise for the crew, something completely different than the living hell aboard the ship. On the way back to England, officer Fletcher Christian becomes the leader of a mutiny.

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Plot Keywords:

mutiny | south seas | corporal punishment | sailing ship | tyrannical captain | 

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Taglines:

TRUE...TURBULENT...TREMENDOUS!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Polynesian French

Release Date:

8 November 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

Motín a bordo

Filming Locations:

Bora Bora, Leeward Islands, French Polynesia

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$13,680,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arcola Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

178 min

Sound Mix:

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

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.76 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film cost an estimated nineteen million dollars in 1962 (approximately one hundred forty-four million dollars in 2012 dollars), which was a huge expenditure at the time. Lawrence of Arabia (1962), which had an even longer shoot, seventeen months, compared to eight for this movie, was brought in for approximately five million dollars less. Though this film broke even, it was considered a flop, as MGM earned back only a little over half the budget in rentals (the amount remitted to the studio from theaters). By contrast, "Lawrence" grossed twice as much as this movie, and generated more than twice the amount of rentals for its studio. Though some claim this film eventually went into profit with its sale to television, films were generally sold in packages, so it is unlikely that the film ever stopped the flow of red ink on MGM's books. The failure of this picture signalled the end of Marlon Brando's grasp on super-stardom for a decade, until his Oscar-winning role in The Godfather (1972).

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Goofs

In the movie, Christian dies on the beach as the Bounty burns. In reality, there are no beaches on Pitcairn, and Christian died much later at the hands of the Tahitian men during subsequent conflicts on the island.

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Quotes

Captain Bligh: [On the main deck, next to the water cask] Mr. Christian...
Fletcher Christian: Yes, sir?
Captain Bligh: I'll have a sentry posted at the water cask, if you please.
Fletcher Christian: Aye, aye, sir.
Captain Bligh: [Holding a long-handled water ladle] I want this slung from the main t'gallant yardarm. Any man desiring water will climb and fetch it. He may have just as much water as this ladle holds, and no more. Then he will replace the ladle at the yardarm.
Fletcher Christian: Are we short of water, sir?
Captain Bligh: [Gruffly] Do you wish me to repeat the order?
Fletcher Christian: No, sir, it's perfectly clear... A ...
[...]

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Alternate Versions

The original 1962 print had a different opening scene, in which a ship's crew lands on Pitcairn and discovers an artifact belonging to the H.M.S. Bounty. They can barely read the name until William Brown (Richard Haydn), now aged, appears on the beach and says "Bounty". He then proceeds to tell the story of the famous mutiny, of which he is apparently the last surviving member. That is why we hear his voice narrating the story. In all current prints, including the one shown on Turner Classic Movies ca. 2005, this opening scene is omitted, so we do not know why Brown is telling the story in voiceover. However, the scene has been restored on the 2006 DVD release.

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Connections

Featured in Marlon Brando, un acteur nommé désir (2014)

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Soundtracks

Follow Me
Words by Paul Francis Webster
Music by Bronislau Kaper
Performed by Chorus

User Reviews

Terribly underrated version of the original classic

This is my favorite version of Mutiny of the Bounty, and I think it takes a very unfair pounding mainly on the basis of comparisons to the original. The production is superb, the story is paced a lot better, and it details Captain Bligh's cruelty more thoroughly. I can't vouch for the historical accuracy of the film, Brando's concept as a foppish Mr. Christian is a bit hard to believe, although he played it extremely well. Trevor Howard's Bligh is one of the most underrated performances in the world. For him to take a role heavily identified with another actor, play it his own way, and pull it off is extremely difficult. I give him enormous credit for this outstanding performance. I think the biggest criticism of this film is that it's not the original, but still extremely well done under the circumstances and very entertaining. ***