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:

The greatest adventure ever lived becomes the greatest adventure ever filmed!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

When the film was released, there were complaints that it was too long, and that Marlon Brando's accent sabotaged the movie.

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Goofs

After being set adrift, Captain Bligh and his men went to the island of Tafua to resupply their provisions of food and water. It was after their incident with the cannibal natives that they decided not to land again until reaching Kupang. In the film, Bligh never went to Tafua, deciding to plan the course directly for Kupang (or Timor, according to him).

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Quotes

Captain Bligh: Midshipmen - be a dull navy without them. Now get that slut off my ship.

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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

Spoofed in Moviestar Cartoons (1983)

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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 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 superb 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. ***

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Polynesian French Dutch

Release Date:

8 November 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mutiny on the Bounty

Filming Locations:

Bora Bora, Leeward Islands, French Polynesia

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

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