Grade: B
Synopsis: An officer (Henry Fonda) aboard a World War II cargo ship longs for a transfer to the front, something his tyrannical captain (James Cagney) won’t allow.
Considering all the drama involved behind the scenes, it’s amazing Mister Roberts is even watchable, let alone that it’s as good as it is. For starters, to studio wanted a younger lead, looking to Marlon Brando, William Holden, and Tyrone Power instead of Henry Fonda, who won a Tony Award in the original Broadway play. Fonda only got the part after director John Ford insisted, only to later come to blows with the director during production over how the role should be played. This, combined with an emergency gall-bladder operation led to Ford being replaced by Mervyn LeRoy, who finished the film. As if that wasn’t enough, the studio then brought in Joshua Logan, who’d directed and co-wrote the Broadway production to reshoot some sequences. Yet, despite no less than three directors, the film still works.
Much of the credit has to go to the supporting cast. James Cagney is great as the semi-crazed Captain Morton, William Powell, in his final screen appearance, exudes ample warmth and charm as Doc, and Jack Lemmon brings the funny in his star-making, Academy Award winning performance as Ensign Pulver. John Ford alumni Ward Bond and Harry Carey Jr. also appear in the ship’s crew. Indeed, it’s such a strong cast that the film could almost get by on charisma alone, but thankfully, it doesn’t come to that.
At just over two hours, Mister Roberts is a little loose, with a few lulls, but overall the film is a solid drama with comedy touches. The great Hawaiian location photography adds to the atmosphere, and all three directors give their stars plenty of room to shine, making the film an easy one to recommend to fans of the cast.
