Roberts is caught in the position of many young leaders where they are torn between their duty and their loyalty to their crew. He fears that the war will pass him by and sends in letter after letter to get transferred to a fighting ship only to have Morton send them on without recommending approval. He is desperate to be transferred off the Reluctant and serve on a ship on the front lines. Roberts is liked by the crew and always in conflict with hs captain. Pulver provides amusement and aggravation to Henry Fonda plays the ship’s Cargo Officer LTJG Doug Roberts. He is so successful that Captain Morton doesn’t know who he is despite having been on the ship 14 months. Lemon plays the ship’s Laundry and Morale Officer Ensign Frank Pulver who creatively finds ways of avoiding work. His prize possession is a palm tree which was awarded to the ship for handling the most cargo which he believes will be his ticket to promotion. He is petty, self serving and rules as a tyrant in order to secure his promotion to Commander.

Released in 1955 the film was based on the 1946 novel of the same name by Thomas Heggen.Ĭagney plays a despotic former Merchant Marine Captain, LCDR Morton an officer of the type that the Navy did not want portrayed on film then, and still doesn’t today.

It is set on the USS Reluctant a Light Cargo Ship in the backwaters of the Pacific in the closing months of the Second World War.

Mister Roberts stared Henry Fonda, James Cagney, Jack Lemmon and William Powell. Thus all three offer insights into toxic leaders, poor morale, discipline, mental illness, alcoholism and subjects such as sexual assault and suicide. All three deal with subjects that are uncomfortable because they still exist not just in the Navy but throughout the military. Mister Roberts and the Caine Mutiny the films deal with the complexities of life and leadership on small and rather insignificant ships while In Harm’s Way deals with more senior officers and their lives. Yesterday I watched In Harm’s Way and The Caine Mutiny.Īll three films are fictional and because of that I find them great for understanding the complexity of Navy life and leadership. Well I have the duty pager for the hospital this weekend so I have been hanging out at the Island Hermitage with my dog Molly watching classic Navy movies.įriday night I watched the classic film Mister Roberts.

Old navy war movies youtube