History Literature / MisterRoberts

Heggen adapted his novel into a 1948 Broadway play, starring Creator/HenryFonda in the title role, which became a Tony Award winner and a long-running production. By 1955 Hollywood had taken notice and [[TheFilmOfThePlay adapted the play into a film]], co-directed by Creator/JohnFord and Creator/MervynLeRoy and starring Fonda as Roberts, Creator/JackLemmon as the eager Ensign Pulver, Creator/JamesCagney as Captain Morton, and Creator/WilliamPowell (in his final film role) as Doc, Roberts' ally in the long-standing war against Morton.

''Ensign Pulver'', a sequel to the first film, was released in 1964, starring Robert Walker Jr., Creator/BurlIves, Creator/WalterMatthau, Tommy Sands, Millie Perkins, Creator/LarryHagman, Kay Medford, Peter Marshall, Creator/JackNicholson in an early role, George Lindsey, James Farentino, and James Coco. A short lived TV sitcom of the same name as the first film was also produced in 1965.

Heggen adapted his novel into a 1948 Broadway play, starring Creator/HenryFonda in the title role, which became a Tony Award winner and a long-running production. In 1955 Hollywood took notice and [[TheFilmOfThePlay adapted the play into a film]] co-directed by Creator/JohnFord and Creator/MervynLeRoy, starring Fonda as Roberts, Creator/JackLemmon as the eager Ensign Pulver, Creator/JamesCagney as Captain Morton, and Creator/WilliamPowell (in his final film role) as Doc, Roberts' ally in the long-standing war against Morton.

''Ensign Pulver'', a sequel to the first film, was released in 1964, starring Robert Walker Jr., Burl Ives, Creator/WalterMatthau, Tommy Sands, Millie Perkins, Creator/LarryHagman, Kay Medford, Peter Marshall, Creator/JackNicholson in an early role, George Lindsey, James Farentino, and James Coco. A short lived TV sitcom of the same name as the first film was also produced in 1965.

Heggen adapted his novel into a 1948 Broadway play, starring Creator/HenryFonda in the title role, which became a Tony Award winner and a long-running production. By 1955 Hollywood took notice and [[TheFilmOfThePlay converted the play into a film]] directed by Creator/JohnFord and Creator/MervynLeRoy, starring Fonda as Roberts, Creator/JackLemmon as the eager Ensign Pulver, Creator/JamesCagney as Captain Morton, and Creator/WilliamPowell (in his final film role) as Doc, Roberts' ally in the long-standing war against Morton.

Heggen adapted his novel into a 1948 Broadway play, starring Creator/HenryFonda in the title role, which became a Tony Award winner and a long-running production. By 1955 Hollywood took notice and [[TheFilmOfThePlay converted the play into a film]] directed by Creator/JohnFord and Mervyn [=LeRoy=], starring Fonda as Roberts, Creator/JackLemmon as the eager Ensign Pulver, Creator/JamesCagney as Captain Morton, and Creator/WilliamPowell (in his final film role) as Doc, Roberts' ally in the long-standing war against Morton.

* {{Corpsing}}: Cagney reportedly had to ask Lemmon to run through one of their scenes several times before filming to get this out of his system, and still just barely managed to keep a straight face.

Heggen adapted his novel into a 1948 Broadway play, starring Creator/HenryFonda in the title role, which became a Tony Award winner and a long-running production. By 1955 Hollywood took notice and converted the play into a film directed by Creator/JohnFord and Mervyn [=LeRoy=], starring Fonda as Roberts, Creator/JackLemmon as the eager Ensign Pulver, Creator/JamesCagney as Captain Morton, and Creator/WilliamPowell (in his final film role) as Doc, Roberts' ally in the long-standing war against Morton.

'''Roberts:''' Hero? Doc, you haven't heard a word I've said. Look, Doc, the war's way out there, and I'm here. Well, I don't want to be here, I wanna be out there. I'm sick and tired of being a lousy spectator.

''Mister Roberts'' began as a 1946 novel about the struggles of the titular junior officer aboard a U.S. Navy supply ship that's suffering under the command of [[TheNeidermeyer a tyrannical captain]]. Mister Roberts is desperate for a transfer to a combat ship, but Captain Morton, who despises him, continually blocks his transfer, while casting about for other petty ways to make the lives of his crew miserable.

The novel was converted into a 1948 Broadway theatrical production, starring Creator/HenryFonda in the titular role, which became a Tony Award winner and a long-running production. By 1955 Hollywood took notice and converted the play into a film starring Fonda as Roberts, Creator/JackLemmon as the eager Ensign Pulver, Creator/JamesCagney as Captain Morton, and Creator/WilliamPowell (in his final film role) as Doc, Roberts' ally in the long-standing war against Morton.

* NaughtyBirdwatching: The supply ship makes a stop at an island with a hospital. With [[HelloNurse nurses]]. And the hospital shower rooms have windows.

'''''Mister Roberts''''' began as a 1946 novel about the struggles of the titular junior officer aboard a U.S. Navy supply ship that's suffering under the command of [[TheNeidermeyer a tyrannical captain]]. Mister Roberts is desperate for a transfer to a combat ship, but Captain Morton, who despises him, continually blocks his transfer, while casting about for other petty ways to make the lives of his crew miserable.

''Ensign Pulver'', a sequel to the first film, was released in 1964, starring Robert Walker Jr., Burl Ives, Creator/WalterMatthau, Tommy Sands, Millie Perkins, Creator/LarryHagman, Kay Medford, Peter Marshall, Creator/JackNicholson in an early role, George Lindsey, James Farentino, and James Coco.

* IGaveMyWord / LoopholeAbuse: How Morton gets Roberts to stay silent on their deal over liberty for the crew. Part of Morton's backstory was how he resented college-educated officers like Roberts, but he also knew full well that someone like Roberts ''can never'' go back on his word. (What Morton doesn't realize is that college-educated guys like Roberts can figure out a loophole like angering Morton into making an open confession so that Roberts can legally claim he kept his word. After all, Morton never said anything about that palm tree...)

* IsThisThingStillOn: Morton leaves the mike to the ship's PA switched on when screaming at Roberts. This lets the crew know the truth about Roberts' strange behaviour and that Morton is really the one to blame.

* StressVomit / VomitDiscretionShot: After Roberts throws the palm tree overboard and Morton makes himself sick railing at him, the scene cuts to a bunch of the crew clustered around the cabin window while one describes the scene: Doc holding a wastebasket with the captain's head inside.

* ScreenShake: The explosion from Pulver's firecracker rocks the officer quarters, demonstrated by William Holden and Henry Fonda doing a precursor of the maneuver made famous by Star Trek. Though Holden's flying drink is very convincing.

* BreakoutRole: Lemmon as Pulver. It won him [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Best Supporting Actor]] and launched his career.

* MoodWhiplash: Roberts is laughing his ass off after Pulver blows up the laundry, then he finds out Pulver's used up all the explosive so they can't blow up the Captain's bunk after all.

* SuddenDownerEnding: [[spoiler:Roberts dies mere weeks before WorldWarII officially ends, thanks to his transfer to a frontline ship. BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor! Segues into more of a "Sudden BittersweetEnding" because the anger and shock of this discovery is what fuels Pulver's decision to continue to torment Captain Morton for the sake of the crew.]]