Mister Roberts (Warner 1955, James Cagney, Henry Fonda)

Mister Roberts is one of the great WWII comedies, this tale of day-to-day life on the cargo ship ‘Reluctant’ satirizes the boredom, pettiness, cruelty and illogic of the military.

Fonda re-creates his acclaimed Broadway role of the decent Lieutenant Roberts who, while enduring a crew of half-wits and a nasty captain with an inferiority complex (Cagney), fears the Pacific naval war will be over before he ever sees anything more explosive than a fire extinguisher of home-brewed ‘jungle juice.’

Director John Ford includes a number of his stock company, such as Curtis and Bond. Followed by ‘Ensign Pulver’ in 1964.

Academy Award Nominations: 2, including Best Picture.

production details
USA | Warner Bros. | 123 minutes | 1955
Director: John Ford
Mervyn LeRoy
Joshua Logan
Script: Frank S. Nugent, Joshua Logan, Thomas Heggen,

cast
Jack Lemmon as Ens. Frank Thurlowe Pulver
Henry Fonda as Mister Roberts
James Cagney as Capt. Morton
William Powell as Lt. ‘Doc’
Ward Bond as Chief Petty Officer Dowdy
Betsy Palmer as Lt. Ann Girard
Philip Carey as Mannion
Harry Carey, Jr. as Stefanowski
Ken Curtis as Yeoman 3rd Class Dolan
Tige Andrews as Wiley
Nick Adams as Reber
Perry Lopez as Rodrigues
Robert Roark as Insigna
Patrick Wayne as Bookser
Frank Aletter as Gerhart