With this one scene Jose Ferrer's Greenwald is able to convey admiration and sympathy for Queeg, anger with the men of the Caine, acknowledgement of Maryk's inherent decency, contempt for Keefer and disgust with his own actions. A true master of his craft.
The weakness of the book and of the film is not being able to show enough of the Captain's "good side" to give us any sympathy for him until he goes to pieces at the court hearing. Until then his behaviour is eccentric and contemptible, whatever his long service in protecting the country. Maryk couldn't have done anything else but to assume command during the storm, whatever else had happened earlier.
@@None-zc5vg Well we did see some of Queeg's good side: There were several issues where Queeg was right. He was right to enforce navy uniform standards on requiring shirts to be tucked in (just not right to make such a big deal about it when the ship was making a sharp turn). He was right to require sailors to wear their battle gear during drills. It's clear the ship was in dreadful shape when he took over, and he made some proper efforts to improve it, it just focused way too much on the smallest issues, while his dishonesty to cover up mistakes and unwillingness to listen to his executive officer at crucial moments totally ruined his efforts and ultimately ruined him too.
I think McMurray played this role brilliantly. For most of the movie, you're under the impression Keefer is nice guy who cares about his ship and crew. It's not until near the end that Keefer is exposed as a coward willing to throw a friend under the bus to save his own hide.
@@jamessmithe5490 He was a nice guy in Double Indemnity who was seduced by evil Phyllis (Barbara Stanwyck) into killing her husband for money. He eventually redeemed himself by killing Phyllis while getting her stepdaughter Lola + her boyfriend Nino back together.
Yes, he did steal that movie in those 4 minutes. Did you see The Caine Mutiny Court Martial (1988) by chance? Brad David plays Queeg and did a fine job playing him very worth mentioning. Both he and Bogart made them into sympathetic characters, not bad men but too concerned over petty things when there were major things going on. Honorable men that were flawed, a real career ender back then which I would blame the military for more than the men.
Actually, the line from the book was better. I don't have the book in front of me, but my memory is that it was something like, "You're drunk and I'm drunk. So, it'll be a fair fight."
Once in my life, I wish for an occasion where I could utter that fabulous line, "I'm a lot drunker than you are, so it will be a fair fight.", without getting my ass kicked. 🙄🙄😁
This scene alone shows how Stanislavski was right when he said: “There are no small roles, only small actors”. Jose Ferrer was a First Class actor, a master of his craft who knew how to make a character stand-out and immerse himself within that character. I feel that all those years playing the fierce and intelligent Cyrano are what really helped him perfect monologuing, as shown in this scene. What a legend!
You got that right. If you'll notice some of the shots were lengthy and not all actors can carry that but Ferrer delivered nice and having to play someone who was drunk as well.
Actually, the role of Greenwald wasn't small at all. It was second only to the main character, Queeg, in both screen time and dialogue lines. Essentially, it was a starring role behind Bogart.
This has got to be one of the most powerful, and awkward, scenes in cinematography. Lt. Greenwald SEETHES animosity and disdain for Lt. Keefer, so much so that the audience can FEEL it. The glass of champagne thrown in his face is so awkward to watch, you almost want to turn away in embarrassment and discretely exit the room, like the other officers did. Fantastic scene. Jose Ferrer was positively brilliant.
I think it was more a case of the later than the former. Back in those days, naval officers were expected to exercise a modicum of restraint and self-discipline, so if there was going to be a fight, most officers understood that it needed to be done discretely and behind closed doors, more or less, not out in public on the sidewalk. I say this because my father was a career naval officer who served in WWII. He had his share of fist-fights with other officers, but they were always careful not to fight in public; to do so was considered a major breach of professional decorum which could result in disciplinary. Naval officers in those days took the profession, the uniform and their image pretty seriously. I wish they took as much care with them today as they did back then..
The courtroom scene also showed the brilliance of Jose Ferrer's acting ability. After he reduced Queeg to a stuttering mess, the subtle expression on his face showed how he pitied him and felt guilty for playing a part in the Captain's humiliation. This scene and the courtroom scene are wonderful examples of great stories in cinema. I have always admired the continuity of really good movies. How hard it must be to shoot out of chronological order and make everything appear seamless. These are the kinds of movies that Martin Scorsese admired and learned from.
Wonderfully said and I completely agree. I never really cared much for Jose Ferrer and then a few years ago I was watching The Caine Mutiny late one night and I suddenly realized how brilliant an actor he really was. Out of ALL the actors, Jose is the one actor who actually conveys the sense of a combat-experienced officer. Fred MacMurray, Van Johnson and Humphrey Bogart all turn in outstanding performances, this is true, but there's something about Jose Ferrer that he just hits the nail squarely on the head. I've made it a point to watch other movies which he played in and have never seen a poor or disappointing performance.
The courtroom scene you just mentioned shows acting back then that I just don't see today. When Queeg melts down on the stand after ranting for over a minute, he catches himself and the camera goes to close up on the other main players, prosecutor, judge, Maryk and Greenwald for about 6 seconds each. No dialogue, just close ups of their expressions. Maryk shows pity, E.G. Marshall (prosecutor) shows disbelief, Warner Anderson (judge) shows embarrassment and Greenwald shows absolute regret. Without one word being said. Can't imagine today's "stars" pulling that off.
"I'm a lot drunker than you are, so it will be a fair fight." Somebody should of handed Jose Ferrer a lifetime-achievement award on the spot for that line alone.
@@stephenrowe8352I always found that odd Tully was nominated. No disrespect to him but absolutely nothing memorable about his limited screen time in the movie.
Every officer and NCO should watch this movie. It is one of the finest examples in cinema of how leadership should function. “You’re not loyal to a man because you don’t like the way he parts his hair, it’s because he’s got the job or you’re no good.” I read the book before I ever watched the movie and Jose Farrar and Bogart nailed it.
I agree. Furthermore, I think that merchant mariner officers should watch and read this because too many times have I sailed on a ship as an engineering officer and the crew would openly disrespect and disregard its Captain, or Chief Engineer, or any of the other mates and engineers. Greenwald hit on the nail when he said, "that you aren't loyal to the person because of the way he parts his hair. You stay loyal to that person because he's got the job or your no good." To be honest though, I think that anybody in leadership roles should watch or read The Caine Mutiny, no matter what your line of work is.
When Fred MacMurray played Steve Douglas in "My Three Sons" or lovable eggheads in "Son of Flubber" and "The Absent Minded Professor" he was like marshmallow fluff; sweet, harmless and high-sucrose/ low-nutrition entertainment. But when he played heartless sons of bitches in movies like "Double Indemnity", "The Caine Mutiny" and "The Apartment" he soared, untouchable, to the top of some cinematic Mt. Olympus. Damn, Mr. MacMurray, you were good, but when you were bad you were much better.
Fred MacMurray had a long career that goes back to the 1930's. He was always good yet he seems to be remembered today for My Three Sons. I loved his performance in Double Indemnity.
Watch Fred McMurray's tribute by his daughter: facebook.com/watch/?v=10153737384380396 And you'll see that he was a far more talented actor who played various roles including memorable villains and bad guys. The reason you remember him in his later roles and on "My Three Sons" was because people used to approach him and hassle him about his villain roles. So he stopped playing them. Period.
@@dangelo1369 Great intel on Mr. MacMurray. Wish there was some solid bio on this extremely talented and under appreciated actor. If you know of any books please pass on the titles.
MacMurray thought Billy Wilder was crazy to ask him to star in 'Double Indemnity'. MacMurray was also frightened to play the part at first. But it was brilliant casting.
What is incredible he slurs his speech like he's drunk. That's acting. Or was he really drunk? Bottom line is all it takes is to get splashed in the fact with champagne and it's the most humiliating thing you can think of. Back when people took their reputations seriously.
"I wanna drink a toast to you, Mr. Keefer. From the beginning you hated the Navy. And then you thought up this whole idea, and managed to keep your skirts nice and starched and clean in the court-martial. Steve Maryk will always be remembered as a mutineer. But you? You'll publish your novel, make a million dollars, marry a Hollywood star, and for the rest of your life you'll live with your conscience, if you have any. Now here's to the real author of the Caine mutiny. Here's to YOU, Mr. Keefer!"
OMG... as a kid I first saw him as the Dad in My Three Sons.... I thought he was a dweeb... My Mother suggested I watch this as a teenager (and sat in silence with me).... what an actor.... what a Mother
It's even better than that: he's pretending not to try to weasel out of it. This defeat is a calculated risk. Fred MacMurray was really so good in this kind of role - the slimy and entitled but organized and charming type of character. Like in The Apartment.
I really wish Fred didn't get anchored down by that Disney stuff. He should have played more drama. Loved him in Caine Mutiny, Double Indemnity, and Pushover. I would easily put him on par with James Stewart and Henry Fonda.
I was an AX from 79 -91. You're exactly right. Although I think I would have put it a little differently had I written the line. I would have said "You work with him because he's got the job or you're FUCKED".
And when the wartime captain breaks out the ball-bearings, strips the crew down in search of an imaginary key used to pilfer a quart of strawberries, and steams in circles, then you're REALLY fucked. Add in a typhoon and you have one of those catch-22 situations. I loved both Bogart and Ferrer in these roles -- Ferrer really brought it home and Bogart gave a near-perfect utterly fascinating performance -- but it's easy to be sanctimonious about the chain of command when you're not faced with loss of both ship and crew during a typhoon, under a highly erratic captain whose elevator stopped a few stories short of the top floor. The article for relieving of command exists for dire circumstances. On the other hand, the point about them snubbing Queeg when he asked for "constructive loyalty," is a very keen point.
That's the really important point. It's a team, yes, but one with a strict hierarchy. It simply doesn't work to go over the Captain's head the way they did (which is why it all fell apart in the storm when he froze). Sure, Queeg was erratic, but that was in large part because the men under his command were lazy and the officers self-absorbed, blinkered snobs with their own agendas. They could have worked together to bolster him and keep him on an evil keel, and everything would have been fine. But instead, they acted like a high school clique and worked against him. And that ended disastrously. The one thing I would disagree with Greenwald on (though it was the thinking of the time) is that Queeg cracked while others didn't because of some inherent weakness in Queeg. Truth is, there were a lot of battered Queegs after the War. If you'd seen the crap Queeg saw in action, you'd have some quirks, too (it's a bit different in the book). Queeg inherited a lax crew that apparently hadn't seen any real action, with officers who looked down their noses at him and were completely blind to their own faults. Add that to his PTSD and you've got an ugly potion that resulted in mutiny.
No, that's incorrect. The crew had seen a ton of action which is why the first captain, DeVriess, allowed the crew to become a little too lax. He was from the "results" school, as long as the ship functioned to it's best capability he gave the officers and men a wide berth, resulting in the appearance of "slack" ship. Queeg was "spit and polish" and very strict on following navel regulations but he lost the loyalty of the crew with his erratic behavior, failure to take ownership of his own mistakes and petty focus on small details such as shirttails, missing strawberries and not being invited to a movie showing.
Queeg is not a leader. He is not comfortable leading. He's just not the right personality. In the book that's obvious, but the Navy just moves him around to be someone elses' problem. The failure was not Queeg, it was not the crew. It was the Navy failing to reassign him when they could see he was not cut out for command. Besides, the book is about Willy. The whole mutiny hinged on him. The question is, did Willy back up Merrit because Steve was right? Or because he hated the Captain so much? The book is about Willy maturing from a rich kid brat into a man, and becoming the last captain of the Caine.
One of my three favorite speeches from a film ever. Several things. 1. In the novel Barney's speech is longer and a lot more devastating. The film screenplay and Ferrer got it perfect for 1950's audiences as the original would have stopped it cold. 2. This is only one part of the novel. Keefer becomes the Captain of the Cain with Willy serving under him. He panics during a kamakazie attack, behaves as Queeg did earlier, and Willy leaves two steel balls in his bunk afterwards
@@pogopam sure, one is Sheriff Tate's speech at the end of "To Kill a Mockingbird," where he insists that "Bob Ewell fell on his knife." The other isn't really a speech, but Spock's last words in "Star Trek II" just before he dies, when talking with Kirk
"You don't work with the captain because you like the way he parts his hair, you work with him because he's got the job or you're no good." Sums up the theme of the movie in one line. Also explains the foundation of leadership in the military.
Queeg had PTSD, he said as much when he was introduced to the crew. Before the war had been declared, he was on escort duty in the Atlantic. The Germany navy was trying to starve out Great Britain and didn't recognize neutral shipping. Queeg had seen more combat than every officer on board combined...
This scene stands up there as one of the greatest along with Captain Quint's USS Indianapolis speech from Jaws and Jack Nickolson's "you can't handle the truth" scene from A Few Good Men. Classic. Great acting by José Ferrer the first Puerto Rican to win an Oscar for his role in Cyrano De Bergerac.
i think this might have been the basis for a few good men's "things you don't speak about except at parties- you don't want me on that wall, you need me on that wall' speech.
Watched this movie as part of Management Film Study Assignment. This clip was epic!! Jose did a great job closing this whole mutiny case. BRAVO to the characters.
Couple things... Earlier in the film, when Greenwald (Ferrer) first met with Lt. Maryk to determine if he'd take the case or not to represent Maryk, Lt. Keefer & Ensign Keith were also in the room. There was a back-n-forth dialogue where you could sense Greenwald reading-between-the-lines and figuring out in his head very quickly that Keefer was the real culprit. Ferrer's acting was brilliant there too, giving just the slightest pause of thought in his face and recognition in his eyes as he registered what really happened. In the Commentary in the Special Features of the DVD, the commentators mentioned on how Herman Wouk (writer of the book the screenplay was based on) was in a strange way talking to himself through Geenwald's character in this scene. Wouk served as a lieutenant on minesweepers in WWII , and also like Keefer's character, during off-duty hours he worked on writing a novel. Later he had success with his writing as some of it was turned into the Hollywood movies. So when this scene ends with Greenwald scolding Keefer's character with the words, "Maryk will be remembered as a mutineer. You (Keefer), you'll publish your novel, make a million bucks...and live with your conscience, if you have any. Here's to the real author of "The Caine Mutiny". Here's to you... (throws drink in Keefer's face)" It's almost as if Wouk is having a little fun chastising himself.
Keefer was right, though, when they all went to see Admiral Halsey.......Maryk's log was true, but they couldn;t make it stick, presented to an Admiral like Halsey as, everything could be interpreted as an attempt to enforce discipline....and it was war time.
The novel goes into a little more background on this incident. Before meeting Maryk and taking the case, Greenwald is mentally comparing Maryk with a marxist agitator and troublemaker he knew in college. Upon meeting Maryk, Greenwald realizes he is not at all as he expected. However, upon meeting Keefer he is immediately reminded of his radical college aquaintance. That is when he decided to take the case and represent Maryk, since he felt the wrong man was being charged with the mutiny..
The movie is subtle in how it shows the changing nature of the plot. Clearly what impresses Greenwald to defend Maryk is Maryk's "stand-up guy" persona. He refuses to let Keefer take the blame (Tom had nothing to do with this, it was my responsibility, nobody coaxed me, etc.). He sees Maryk for what he is and also sees Keefer refuse to take any responsibility and bail when the going gets tough. This movie is so well done and well acted.
@@jason60chev No way of knowing what Halsey's reaction would have been. Keefer was doing then what he did at the court martial: Run when the going looked tough. Maryk was concerned the same as Keefer that they would not be well received by Halsey but was still willing to risk it. Keefer was not because in the end he was gutless.
This entire move was exceptional. Ferrer played his role exceptionally well, but then so did Fred McMurray and, in particular, Bogie. One of my favorite movies of all time.
There is some subtle supportive nonverbal acting in this scene that buttresses Ferrer's domineering path around the room. Herbert Anderson (Dennis the Menace's Dad) looks down into his glass when Greenwald says "you made up songs about him" at approximately 1:33, and McMurray swallows when Ferrer asserts that he probably lacks a conscience at about the 3 minute mark. I am glad this was so easily found when I thought of this scene today.
Trivia: When this was a play on Broadway, one of the jurors was played by James Garner (non speaking role); it became the beginning of his acting career.
Funny how two of my favorite WWII movies have very little combat in them. There's this one, and the equally brilliant "Twelve O'Clock High" with Gregory Peck. Both are superb studies in the nature of leadership. Marvelous films in which nearly all the action is interpersonal, human drama. I love them both. Oops...and how could I forget a third movie just as splendid, in a very different way--the comedy "Mr. Roberts," with Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell and Jack Lemmon. Marvelous!
You know, In the book, Tom(Fred MacMurray) Keefer's hatred of Captain Queeg was explained but was cut from the movie. In the book, Tom Keefer had a younger brother named Roland who happened to be Willie Keith's roommate in Officer Candidate School. There was one point in the book where the Caine was tied up alongside Roland's ship(An aircraft carrier) somewhere in the South Pacific. Willie and Tom were going to leave The Caine and go visit Roland on his ship when Captain Queeg wanted an inventory of the ship's store. It was obviously something non critical that could have waited a few hours but Queeg insisted. By the time, Willie and Tom were done, Roland's ship sailed and Roland died heroically the next day in battle. Queeg had prevented Tom from seeing his brother one last time. That's where Keefer's hatred of Queeg started. But while it may have the reason for Keefer's personal hatred of the Captain, it was no excuse for his sowing the seeds of mutiny.
They don't, no, but Keefer does end up in a similar situation to Queeg, with Willie as his XO, and performs badly. So, the poetic justice for Keefer is even more brutal in the book than the film. It just takes longer to happen.
No, his open disdain for Queeg dates from the captains first day aboard. Keefer hated the being trapped in the Navy, particularly on the Caine. He had a smug and superior attitude at intellectually inferior professional naval officers and he believed that Queeg was a coward under fire (which he was). The incident with Roland's death just sealed his feelings. The book is far superior to the movie but the studio producer rejected Wouk's screen play and cut almost two hours out of the rewrite with a second screenwriter. It's a differnent story and a much different Queeq but even Herman Wouk admired Bogart's performance.
@@paulastiles7428 "Almost, but not quite" Keefer's summing-up of himself after jumping overboard instead of saving the ship (which Willie is able to do).
@@stanmurphy3638 The book's content had to be drastically reworked into movie form and a lot has been left out or distorted. That's how it goes with many book-to-screen productions: it's inevitable
I don[t know if that was the origin of Keefer's animosity towards Captain Queeg (I believe Keefer had already taking pot-shots at Queeg well before that); however, it's the kind of insensitivity and lack of consideration that typified Queeg's leadership and managerial styles. I mean, it's WARTIME. A competent, capable officer in your wardroom asks to see his brother on another warship that is getting ready to up-anchor. Neither may ever see the other again (as was the case). Under anything less than the most extreme and exigent of circumstances, Keefer's request should have been granted and the Captain's priorities put on temporary hold. But that kind of compassion seemed anathema to the Captain's thoughts on leadership.
Jose Ferrer totally smokes this scene, and every other scene he was in. That look he gives Keefer while grabbing his full glass just oozes contempt and hatred. Greenwald was onto Keefer from the first time they met.
There are certain movies that lend themselves well to leadership study. This is one of them. I had the honor to watch this movie with retired Navy Captain and former Destroyer Squadron CC. A real treat. At the Air Force Squadron Officer's School, we used "Twelve O'Clock High." Both movies give lots of room for interpretation and learning. Thanks Mr. Wouk, a real masterpiece!
I also viewed both films in U.S Navy Chief Petty Officer orientation. You're right, both are not only classic War films but fine tools in teaching leadership. I recall there were some intense discussions after both.
As a former USAF NCO, observed that being a Squadron CC is an incredibly hard activity. Thanks for being there. 12 O'Clock High even has many good lessons for NCOs.
I’ve seen the Keefer types in both military and police service. They do what they can to save their own fanny. Their justification is that “I won’t set myself on fire just to keep someone else warm.”
In the novel, Keefer goes on to command the Caine. As I recall, he prematurely abandons ship when the Caine is hit by a Kamikaze, while Keith and the crew that remain on board save the ship.
I wonder if Ferrer was just an insanely good actor or had a couple of drinks before this scene. The fact that he even slurs his speech like someone who is drunk is either a perfectionist as a actor, or he drank a little to get the scene right. Either way, fantastic cast of actors.
The book doesn't end here. In a final chapter, The last Captain of the Caine, Keefer becomes Captain and turns out to be worse than Queeg. When the Caine is hit by a kamikaze plane, Keefer jumps ship, carrying his sacred novel in a satchel, leaving all the work to Keith. Keith manages to save the ship and one fine evening leaves two steel balls on Keefer's pillow.
I am watching this, and not only appreciating the acting, where I don't see the actor, but the character. But also appreciate both the story and the director, and editing. All of them were classically trained actors. This makes me love Hollywood.
I remember seeing this movie on Saturday movies and no matter how many times I see Kiefer confronted by Greenwald or never ceases to amaze me that every place I have been employed there has been a Kiefer to start trouble and take as meany people down as he can.
Thanks to this film Maurice Micklwhite became... Michael Caine. In 1954 Caine was still a struggling actor. One night while talking to his agent via a phone booth he told him to adopt a stage name. Across the street there was a cinema playing this film and said Caine.
José Ferrer was the first to be awarded the Tony and an Oscar for the same rol: Cyrano de Bergerac. He was also the first and only Latino to have been awarded an Oscar as the best actor.
This scene is one of my all-time favorites of a guy so tough he has no fear… Right up there with my all-time favorite, Kirk Douglas bitch slapping the lieutenant in the Latrene that is trying to frame John Wayne‘s character and then telling him to leave and take that little punk with him In Otto Preminger’s in harms way
Sure they do. They have different names now. This came out before the collapse of the studio system and the rise of "The Method" school of acting. If you don't believe that, then let me direct you to Maximillian Schell's performance in "Judgement At Nuremberg" and tell me his "Ernst Janning's guilt is the world's guilt" doesn't stack up to Jose Ferrer's speech. Or Denzel Washington's "King Kong ain't got s*it on me!' speech.
@@dangelo1369 Maximillian Schell's performance is good certainly (he is good in all roles), but when compared to Montgomery Clift's in the same movie, Schell does not stack up. Clift stole that film.
Never get tired of this movie, and even have a copy of the book with a dedication signed by Herman Wouk. The drudgery of being at sea for weeks on end follwed by the sheer terror of navigating through a typhoon was perfectly illustrated in this film. Queeg's breakdown, the courtroom drama, and Greenwald chewing out the officers who stood by, will always preserve this as one of my favourite movies.
Many speeches from 40's and 50's melodramas, especially when derived from books or stage plays, today tend to sound stagey, stilted and not half as powerful as we remember them. Not so with Ferrer's soliloquy as Barney Greenwald indicting the real culprit of the Caine Mutiny: Keefer. Brilliant in its cadences and rhythms, passionate in its delivery, Ferrer's soliloquy remains a piece of classical cinema; not because it is old but because it still has meaning and resonance long after it was composed.
When I first saw this film in the late 1960s I didn't expect this part. It turns out be Jose Ferrer's best scenes. He pretty much let out his feeling about the whole thing before the trial when he said "I'd much rather prosecute". Bogie was getting tired by 1954 but put out an excellent performance. In spite of poor health he still made six more films plus a TV appearance in what time he had left.
@@spiveym In the book he was a fighter pilot, (lawyer in civilian life), recovering from burns suffered in a plane crash. He is wearing a Purple Heart ribbon on his uniform.
Years ago and watching this great movie for the first time I was very surprised by this scene...after he threw the drink in his face I was like "WOW....wasn't expecting that!!"
Great scene. Jose Ferrer was a great actor in great demand at the time. His small role in Lawrence of Arabia is an example. Also, he shot this scene with a broken right hand. You can see how the director tries to hide it, and if it wasn't pointed out I never would've noticed. But you can see the cast if you look. Great performance!
Just to let you know, he is the first ever to be awarded the Tony, also was the first to win it in 1947, and to be awarded an Oscar for performing the same role in 1950.
In the interview before the court-martial, Greenwald was wearing the olive-green uniform and wings of a Naval aviator. It was explained that he had an accident and injured his hand that way.
ONE OF THE BEST SCENES EVER IN A MOVIE. Saw FERRER do Cyrano on stage multiple times. God MUST have loved him because he gave him twice the talent of other actors. GOD BLESS, JOSE.
I hated Fred MacMurray after this movie, the son of a bitch. I never got over it. Great acting. Jose Ferrer thought he deserved the best supporting actor for his role in The Caine Mutiny..
Truthfully, Queeg wasn't fit to command the ship considering how he abandoned the landing crafts and just dropped the dye marker instead of completing his mission. That might have resulted in many of those Marines not making to the shore alive.
MacMurray always impressed with his range. Villain, hero, comedian or scoundrel. BTW, there were two ‘60s sitcom “dads” in this film, Herbert Anderson (Dennis the Menace, ‘59-‘63) and Fred MacMurray (My Three Sons, ‘60-‘72)
@@beechnut8779 Oh heck yeah! Double Indemnity is a masterpiece. And MacMurray is one of the best screen villains ever. A fantastic actor who could do it all!
@@hiawathabray885 well, he's playing against type. He looks life his My Three Sons character, and then he is stabbing someone to death. Just goes to show that we all have tha capacity to be evil.
José Ferrer won an Oscar for Best (leading) Actor in 1950 for Cyrano de Bergerac, the french poet-musketeer. My cousing Tony use to deliver the newspaper to him in San Juan, PR in the 60's, and he says José was a very nice, friendly, tranquil gentleman.
Classic fantastic scene of Lt. Greenwald’s denouncing of Lt. Keefer, played by Jose Ferrer and Fred MacMurray respectively. And after Lt. Greenwald hurls a glassful of champagne in Lt. Keefer’s face, see all of the other officers walk away. THE CAINE MUTINY rates as one of the greatest films ever made.
This scene alone is better than 99% of movies today😢
With this one scene Jose Ferrer's Greenwald is able to convey admiration and sympathy for Queeg, anger with the men of the Caine, acknowledgement of Maryk's inherent decency, contempt for Keefer and disgust with his own actions. A true master of his craft.
Let's not forget they came from the words of Herman Wouk first.
Yeah, the scriptwriters deserve some of the credit as well.
Toastmaster, one could say
The weakness of the book and of the film is not being able to show enough of the Captain's "good side" to give us any sympathy for him until he goes to pieces at the court hearing. Until then his behaviour is eccentric and contemptible, whatever his long service in protecting the country. Maryk couldn't have done anything else but to assume command during the storm, whatever else had happened earlier.
@@None-zc5vg Well we did see some of Queeg's good side: There were several issues where Queeg was right. He was right to enforce navy uniform standards on requiring shirts to be tucked in (just not right to make such a big deal about it when the ship was making a sharp turn). He was right to require sailors to wear their battle gear during drills. It's clear the ship was in dreadful shape when he took over, and he made some proper efforts to improve it, it just focused way too much on the smallest issues, while his dishonesty to cover up mistakes and unwillingness to listen to his executive officer at crucial moments totally ruined his efforts and ultimately ruined him too.
Kudos to Fred McMurray, who had the thankless task of playing (and not OVERPLAYING) the villain.
McMurray was too old for the part but he put in a good performance as the deflated Keefer.
I think McMurray played this role brilliantly. For most of the movie, you're under the impression Keefer is nice guy who cares about his ship and crew. It's not until near the end that Keefer is exposed as a coward willing to throw a friend under the bus to save his own hide.
Such an underrated actor.
@@padfolio He was at his best when he wasn't playing a nice guy. e.g. Double Indemnity, The Apartment
@@jamessmithe5490 He was a nice guy in Double Indemnity who was seduced by evil Phyllis (Barbara Stanwyck) into killing her husband for money.
He eventually redeemed himself by killing Phyllis while getting her stepdaughter Lola + her boyfriend Nino back together.
One of the greatest scenes in film history. Jose Ferrer's masterpiece.
yes , he totally stole the movie
Oh yes, and then there's Cyrano !
Definately.
YES! Ferrer was stellar.
How to steal an entire movie in 4 minutes...
+Dan Richmond
Absolutely! Worth the price of admission.
+Dan Richmond Registered . . . in spades. JF, only a great actor could take a part that small and own the whole flick.
Dan Richmond
It's also interesting to watch Fred MacMurray attempt to retain what little dignity he has left.
Yes, he did steal that movie in those 4 minutes. Did you see The Caine Mutiny Court Martial (1988) by chance? Brad David plays Queeg and did a fine job playing him very worth mentioning. Both he and Bogart made them into sympathetic characters, not bad men but too concerned over petty things when there were major things going on. Honorable men that were flawed, a real career ender back then which I would blame the military for more than the men.
"I'm a lot drunker than you are. So it'll be a fair fight." Wow.
@VALHALLAXE One of the best movie lines ever.
Actually, the line from the book was better. I don't have the book in front of me, but my memory is that it was something like, "You're drunk and I'm drunk. So, it'll be a fair fight."
@@osmerdeming7488 ...and how, in your estimation, is that in any way a better line than the one in the movie?
Once in my life, I wish for an occasion where I could utter that fabulous line, "I'm a lot drunker than you are, so it will be a fair fight.", without getting my ass kicked. 🙄🙄😁
@@jguerrero447 Get a hamster, and spike his water bowl with some Jack. Good luck.
This scene alone shows how Stanislavski was right when he said: “There are no small roles, only small actors”. Jose Ferrer was a First Class actor, a master of his craft who knew how to make a character stand-out and immerse himself within that character. I feel that all those years playing the fierce and intelligent Cyrano are what really helped him perfect monologuing, as shown in this scene. What a legend!
Too many small actors these days.
Agreed, Ferrer was a powerful actor. Cyano was just so perfect for him.
You got that right. If you'll notice some of the shots were lengthy and not all actors can carry that but Ferrer delivered nice and having to play someone who was drunk as well.
Actually, the role of Greenwald wasn't small at all. It was second only to the main character, Queeg, in both screen time and dialogue lines. Essentially, it was a starring role behind Bogart.
@@craigrasmussen3559 I'll not argue hard against that. We just had to wait for it.
This has got to be one of the most powerful, and awkward, scenes in cinematography. Lt. Greenwald SEETHES animosity and disdain for Lt. Keefer, so much so that the audience can FEEL it. The glass of champagne thrown in his face is so awkward to watch, you almost want to turn away in embarrassment and discretely exit the room, like the other officers did. Fantastic scene. Jose Ferrer was positively brilliant.
I think it was more a case of the later than the former. Back in those days, naval officers were expected to exercise a modicum of restraint and self-discipline, so if there was going to be a fight, most officers understood that it needed to be done discretely and behind closed doors, more or less, not out in public on the sidewalk. I say this because my father was a career naval officer who served in WWII. He had his share of fist-fights with other officers, but they were always careful not to fight in public; to do so was considered a major breach of professional decorum which could result in disciplinary. Naval officers in those days took the profession, the uniform and their image pretty seriously. I wish they took as much care with them today as they did back then..
Splashed him with champagne or yellow wine. Either way, left him with a YELLOW STAIN all over his face. Beautiful.
The courtroom scene also showed the brilliance of Jose Ferrer's acting ability. After he reduced Queeg to a stuttering mess, the subtle expression on his face showed how he pitied him and felt guilty for playing a part in the Captain's humiliation. This scene and the courtroom scene are wonderful examples of great stories in cinema. I have always admired the continuity of really good movies. How hard it must be to shoot out of chronological order and make everything appear seamless. These are the kinds of movies that Martin Scorsese admired and learned from.
Wonderfully said and I completely agree. I never really cared much for Jose Ferrer and then a few years ago I was watching The Caine Mutiny late one night and I suddenly realized how brilliant an actor he really was. Out of ALL the actors, Jose is the one actor who actually conveys the sense of a combat-experienced officer. Fred MacMurray, Van Johnson and Humphrey Bogart all turn in outstanding performances, this is true, but there's something about Jose Ferrer that he just hits the nail squarely on the head. I've made it a point to watch other movies which he played in and have never seen a poor or disappointing performance.
The courtroom scene you just mentioned shows acting back then that I just don't see today. When Queeg melts down on the stand after ranting for over a minute, he catches himself and the camera goes to close up on the other main players, prosecutor, judge, Maryk and Greenwald for about 6 seconds each. No dialogue, just close ups of their expressions. Maryk shows pity, E.G. Marshall (prosecutor) shows disbelief, Warner Anderson (judge) shows embarrassment and Greenwald shows absolute regret. Without one word being said. Can't imagine today's "stars" pulling that off.
"I'm a lot drunker than you are, so it will be a fair fight."
Somebody should of handed Jose Ferrer a lifetime-achievement award on the spot for that line alone.
"Boss-insult Vile Mutineer'...Achievement unlocked!
Hell I wanted to see the fight ..
Ferrer should have been given an Oscar just for this scene alone
Hell yes! His presence makes the movie more more interesting
Somehow, he didn't even get nominated.Instead, they nominated Tom Tully, who played the captain before Bogart. Wtf???
Agreed. Great movie, and then this scene ends it and elevates the whole thing to another level. Ferrer was just marvelous.
@@stephenrowe8352I always found that odd Tully was nominated. No disrespect to him but absolutely nothing memorable about his limited screen time in the movie.
Every officer and NCO should watch this movie. It is one of the finest examples in cinema of how leadership should function. “You’re not loyal to a man because you don’t like the way he parts his hair, it’s because he’s got the job or you’re no good.” I read the book before I ever watched the movie and Jose Farrar and Bogart nailed it.
I find that it works in damn near everything...
Every officer and NCO should also read the book. Its the best study of military leadership I have yet to find.
@@Medevicerep The movie "Twelve O'Clock High" is just as good.
I agree. Furthermore, I think that merchant mariner officers should watch and read this because too many times have I sailed on a ship as an engineering officer and the crew would openly disrespect and disregard its Captain, or Chief Engineer, or any of the other mates and engineers. Greenwald hit on the nail when he said, "that you aren't loyal to the person because of the way he parts his hair. You stay loyal to that person because he's got the job or your no good." To be honest though, I think that anybody in leadership roles should watch or read The Caine Mutiny, no matter what your line of work is.
That was the best part of the entire movie. It really showed Jose Farrar's acting. Top notch. Bogart too.
When Fred MacMurray played Steve Douglas in "My Three Sons" or lovable eggheads in "Son of Flubber" and "The Absent Minded Professor" he was like marshmallow fluff; sweet, harmless and high-sucrose/ low-nutrition entertainment. But when he played heartless sons of bitches in movies like "Double Indemnity", "The Caine Mutiny" and "The Apartment" he soared, untouchable, to the top of some cinematic Mt. Olympus. Damn, Mr. MacMurray, you were good, but when you were bad you were much better.
Fred MacMurray had a long career that goes back to the 1930's. He was always good yet he seems to be remembered today for My Three Sons. I loved his performance in Double Indemnity.
Watch Fred McMurray's tribute by his daughter:
facebook.com/watch/?v=10153737384380396
And you'll see that he was a far more talented actor who played various roles including memorable villains and bad guys. The reason you remember him in his later roles and on "My Three Sons" was because people used to approach him and hassle him about his villain roles. So he stopped playing them. Period.
@@dangelo1369 I saw a documentary on HBO with his son.
@@dangelo1369 Great intel on Mr. MacMurray. Wish there was some solid bio on this extremely talented and under appreciated actor. If you know of any books please pass on the titles.
MacMurray thought Billy Wilder was crazy to ask him to star in 'Double Indemnity'. MacMurray was also frightened to play the part at first. But it was brilliant casting.
The fact that Ferrer is Puerto Rican fills me with pride. Great scene!
Absolutely🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷
Creo que somos unos cuantos, Mercedes... 🇵🇷
Ferrer as Greenwald owns the entire room.
What is incredible he slurs his speech like he's drunk. That's acting. Or was he really drunk? Bottom line is all it takes is to get splashed in the fact with champagne and it's the most humiliating thing you can think of. Back when people took their reputations seriously.
Jose Ferrer brilliant as usual. Possibly America's most underrated actor.
As a former surface line officer, this is absolutely my favorite movie about the USN.
@trha2222
Yes. Better than Crimson Tide.
James White
Sand Pebbles
@trha2222 hahahaha
@@stevec7770 Outstanding as well but different in that more about persons rather than Navy!
Agree, USN DD 845.
Bedford Incident is very good also
Steve Douglas didn't tell his 3 sons about this but Uncle Charlie knows.
I got it, but I'm old
Lol
@Joseph Lomeo ....mysteriously.
@@jorgejefferson8251 Did you also happen to notice “Dennis the Menace’s” dad...Herbert Anderson as Ensign Rabbit?
You have to be a boomer to even get that comment. 😁
"The Shakespeare whose testimony nearly sunk us all..."
"I wanna drink a toast to you, Mr. Keefer. From the beginning you hated the Navy. And then you thought up this whole idea, and managed to keep your skirts nice and starched and clean in the court-martial. Steve Maryk will always be remembered as a mutineer. But you? You'll publish your novel, make a million dollars, marry a Hollywood star, and for the rest of your life you'll live with your conscience, if you have any. Now here's to the real author of the Caine mutiny. Here's to YOU, Mr. Keefer!"
Kudos to Jose Ferrer and Fred MacMurray for demonstrating master level acting chops in this film.
One of the best actors of all time! Jose Ferrer was a treasure
@trha2222 oh he was a nebraskan?
@@doctorpretorious9911I think he was from Puerto Rico
Ferrer was running three shows simultaneously on Broadway at one time: prior to that, he'd even been a bandleader.
Fred MacMurray performance really sells the scene, like he knows he's guilty here, and never tries to weasel out of it.
OMG... as a kid I first saw him as the Dad in My Three Sons.... I thought he was a dweeb... My Mother suggested I watch this as a teenager (and sat in silence with me).... what an actor.... what a Mother
DH .................another flick to watch is a Face in the Crowd ...........Sheriff Andy Taylor does politician !!!!!@@davidharper1152
It's even better than that: he's pretending not to try to weasel out of it. This defeat is a calculated risk. Fred MacMurray was really so good in this kind of role - the slimy and entitled but organized and charming type of character. Like in The Apartment.
I really wish Fred didn't get anchored down by that Disney stuff. He should have played more drama. Loved him in Caine Mutiny, Double Indemnity, and Pushover. I would easily put him on par with James Stewart and Henry Fonda.
"You work with him because he's got the job or you're no good." As a former bluejacket, I say "Damn straight".
I was an AX from 79 -91. You're exactly right. Although I think I would have put it a little differently had I written the line. I would have said "You work with him because he's got the job or you're FUCKED".
And when the wartime captain breaks out the ball-bearings, strips the crew down in search of an imaginary key used to pilfer a quart of strawberries, and steams in circles, then you're REALLY fucked. Add in a typhoon and you have one of those catch-22 situations.
I loved both Bogart and Ferrer in these roles -- Ferrer really brought it home and Bogart gave a near-perfect utterly fascinating performance -- but it's easy to be sanctimonious about the chain of command when you're not faced with loss of both ship and crew during a typhoon, under a highly erratic captain whose elevator stopped a few stories short of the top floor. The article for relieving of command exists for dire circumstances. On the other hand, the point about them snubbing Queeg when he asked for "constructive loyalty," is a very keen point.
That's the really important point. It's a team, yes, but one with a strict hierarchy. It simply doesn't work to go over the Captain's head the way they did (which is why it all fell apart in the storm when he froze). Sure, Queeg was erratic, but that was in large part because the men under his command were lazy and the officers self-absorbed, blinkered snobs with their own agendas. They could have worked together to bolster him and keep him on an evil keel, and everything would have been fine. But instead, they acted like a high school clique and worked against him. And that ended disastrously.
The one thing I would disagree with Greenwald on (though it was the thinking of the time) is that Queeg cracked while others didn't because of some inherent weakness in Queeg. Truth is, there were a lot of battered Queegs after the War. If you'd seen the crap Queeg saw in action, you'd have some quirks, too (it's a bit different in the book). Queeg inherited a lax crew that apparently hadn't seen any real action, with officers who looked down their noses at him and were completely blind to their own faults. Add that to his PTSD and you've got an ugly potion that resulted in mutiny.
No, that's incorrect. The crew had seen a ton of action which is why the first captain, DeVriess, allowed the crew to become a little too lax. He was from the "results" school, as long as the ship functioned to it's best capability he gave the officers and men a wide berth, resulting in the appearance of "slack" ship. Queeg was "spit and polish" and very strict on following navel regulations but he lost the loyalty of the crew with his erratic behavior, failure to take ownership of his own mistakes and petty focus on small details such as shirttails, missing strawberries and not being invited to a movie showing.
Queeg is not a leader. He is not comfortable leading. He's just not the right personality. In the book that's obvious, but the Navy just moves him around to be someone elses' problem. The failure was not Queeg, it was not the crew. It was the Navy failing to reassign him when they could see he was not cut out for command. Besides, the book is about Willy. The whole mutiny hinged on him. The question is, did Willy back up Merrit because Steve was right? Or because he hated the Captain so much? The book is about Willy maturing from a rich kid brat into a man, and becoming the last captain of the Caine.
He didn't steal the scene here, he owned it from start to finish. He stole the movie.
One of my three favorite speeches from a film ever. Several things. 1. In the novel Barney's speech is longer and a lot more devastating. The film screenplay and Ferrer got it perfect for 1950's audiences as the original would have stopped it cold. 2. This is only one part of the novel. Keefer becomes the Captain of the Cain with Willy serving under him. He panics during a kamakazie attack, behaves as Queeg did earlier, and Willy leaves two steel balls in his bunk afterwards
May I ask what the other 2 scenes are? One of mine is the defense's closing argument in "Breaker Morant".
@@pogopam sure, one is Sheriff Tate's speech at the end of "To Kill a Mockingbird," where he insists that "Bob Ewell fell on his knife." The other isn't really a speech, but Spock's last words in "Star Trek II" just before he dies, when talking with Kirk
@@pogopam of course that excludes all the great stuff like Marlon Brando in "Julius Caesar" and other plays turned into films
@@markdawnceras6129 Thank you, I'll be sure to look out for them.
Old Swandive.
A CLASSIC line that will definitely go down in movie history ---
I'm a lot drunker than you are so it'll be a fair fight.
"You don't work with the captain because you like the way he parts his hair, you work with him because he's got the job or you're no good." Sums up the theme of the movie in one line. Also explains the foundation of leadership in the military.
Jose Ferrer was one of the best and most under appreciated actors of all time.
Queeg had PTSD, he said as much when he was introduced to the crew. Before the war had been declared, he was on escort duty in the Atlantic. The Germany navy was trying to starve out Great Britain and didn't recognize neutral shipping. Queeg had seen more combat than every officer on board combined...
This movie is a classic with many lessons applicable to modern life.
A lot of real- life lessons.
Jose Ferrer totally owned the attorney Greenwald character and this film for that matter. As good as it gets!
Simply one of the best scenes in any movie.
This scene stands up there as one of the greatest along with Captain Quint's USS Indianapolis speech from Jaws and Jack Nickolson's "you can't handle the truth" scene from A Few Good Men. Classic. Great acting by José Ferrer the first Puerto Rican to win an Oscar for his role in Cyrano De Bergerac.
Just HAD to bring race into it, didn't you wokester"
@@marctempler3250 nothing wrong with noting the accomplishments of you race/nation/people.
i think this might have been the basis for a few good men's "things you don't speak about except at parties- you don't want me on that wall, you need me on that wall' speech.
@marctempler He may not be woke. Perhaps he's just Puerto Rican, and wanted to get a plug in. Don't take it so personal. He didn't insult you....yet!
@marctempler3250 why does that make you sensitive?
Watched this movie as part of Management Film Study Assignment. This clip was epic!! Jose did a great job closing this whole mutiny case. BRAVO to the characters.
Such an excellent scene, Ferrer is brilliant.
Couple things...
Earlier in the film, when Greenwald (Ferrer) first met with Lt. Maryk to determine if he'd take the case or not to represent Maryk, Lt. Keefer & Ensign Keith were also in the room. There was a back-n-forth dialogue where you could sense Greenwald reading-between-the-lines and figuring out in his head very quickly that Keefer was the real culprit. Ferrer's acting was brilliant there too, giving just the slightest pause of thought in his face and recognition in his eyes as he registered what really happened.
In the Commentary in the Special Features of the DVD, the commentators mentioned on how Herman Wouk (writer of the book the screenplay was based on) was in a strange way talking to himself through Geenwald's character in this scene.
Wouk served as a lieutenant on minesweepers in WWII , and also like Keefer's character, during off-duty hours he worked on writing a novel. Later he had success with his writing as some of it was turned into the Hollywood movies.
So when this scene ends with Greenwald scolding Keefer's character with the words,
"Maryk will be remembered
as a mutineer.
You (Keefer), you'll publish your novel, make a million bucks...and live with your conscience, if you have any. Here's to the real author of "The Caine Mutiny". Here's to you... (throws drink in Keefer's face)"
It's almost as if Wouk is having a little fun chastising himself.
Keefer was right, though, when they all went to see Admiral Halsey.......Maryk's log was true, but they couldn;t make it stick, presented to an Admiral like Halsey as, everything could be interpreted as an attempt to enforce discipline....and it was war time.
Greenwald made his feelings about it clear before it started when he said "I'd much rather prosecute".
The novel goes into a little more background on this incident. Before meeting Maryk and taking the case, Greenwald is mentally comparing Maryk with a marxist agitator and troublemaker he knew in college. Upon meeting Maryk, Greenwald realizes he is not at all as he expected. However, upon meeting Keefer he is immediately reminded of his radical college aquaintance. That is when he decided to take the case and represent Maryk, since he felt the wrong man was being charged with the mutiny..
The movie is subtle in how it shows the changing nature of the plot. Clearly what impresses Greenwald to defend Maryk is Maryk's "stand-up guy" persona. He refuses to let Keefer take the blame (Tom had nothing to do with this, it was my responsibility, nobody coaxed me, etc.). He sees Maryk for what he is and also sees Keefer refuse to take any responsibility and bail when the going gets tough. This movie is so well done and well acted.
@@jason60chev No way of knowing what Halsey's reaction would have been. Keefer was doing then what he did at the court martial: Run when the going looked tough. Maryk was concerned the same as Keefer that they would not be well received by Halsey but was still willing to risk it. Keefer was not because in the end he was gutless.
This entire move was exceptional. Ferrer played his role exceptionally well, but then so did Fred McMurray and, in particular, Bogie. One of my favorite movies of all time.
There is some subtle supportive nonverbal acting in this scene that buttresses Ferrer's domineering path around the room. Herbert Anderson (Dennis the Menace's Dad) looks down into his glass when Greenwald says "you made up songs about him" at approximately 1:33, and McMurray swallows when Ferrer asserts that he probably lacks a conscience at about the 3 minute mark. I am glad this was so easily found when I thought of this scene today.
Thanks for make me notice this.
Trivia: When this was a play on Broadway, one of the jurors was played by James Garner (non speaking role); it became the beginning of his acting career.
INDEED....This movie was made by true professionals at every single level of production. I have viewed this film as a masterpiece for many years.
One of the absolutely most chilling scenes in all of cinema. Period.
Folks, this is what great acting looks like.
Funny how two of my favorite WWII movies have very little combat in them. There's this one, and the equally brilliant "Twelve O'Clock High" with Gregory Peck. Both are superb studies in the nature of leadership. Marvelous films in which nearly all the action is interpersonal, human drama. I love them both.
Oops...and how could I forget a third movie just as splendid, in a very different way--the comedy "Mr. Roberts," with Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell and Jack Lemmon. Marvelous!
That scene where Gregory Peck just breaks down before he was to go on a mission...wow...what great acting.
I am a sucker for "In Harms Way" for its characterization of men and not war so much. Wayne was brilliant!
@@PatrolOfficer161 One of Wayne's best performances, IMO.
"Mr. Roberts" is another incredible "war movie" without any actual "war!"
Have you seen the 1956 WWII movie Attack!
This is where you see without a doubt that Jose and Miguel Ferrer have the same DNA!!! So much talent!!!
They're not related unfortunately.
@@davidgibson7615 Miguel is the son of Jose Ferrrer and Rosemary Clooney
@@davidgibson7615 Yes they are related. Jose is Miguel's father. Miguel is the oldest of five children that Jose had with Rosemary Clooney.
@@davidgibson7615👈😠
☝️😠
Unfortunately, you are WRONG!
☝️🤔
You know,
In the book, Tom(Fred MacMurray) Keefer's hatred of Captain Queeg was explained but was cut from the movie. In the book, Tom Keefer had a younger brother named Roland who happened to be Willie Keith's roommate in Officer Candidate School. There was one point in the book where the Caine was tied up alongside Roland's ship(An aircraft carrier) somewhere in the South Pacific. Willie and Tom were going to leave The Caine and go visit Roland on his ship when Captain Queeg wanted an inventory of the ship's store. It was obviously something non critical that could have waited a few hours but Queeg insisted. By the time, Willie and Tom were done, Roland's ship sailed and Roland died heroically the next day in battle. Queeg had prevented Tom from seeing his brother one last time. That's where Keefer's hatred of Queeg started.
But while it may have the reason for Keefer's personal hatred of the Captain, it was no excuse for his sowing the seeds of mutiny.
They don't, no, but Keefer does end up in a similar situation to Queeg, with Willie as his XO, and performs badly. So, the poetic justice for Keefer is even more brutal in the book than the film. It just takes longer to happen.
No, his open disdain for Queeg dates from the captains first day aboard. Keefer hated the being trapped in the Navy, particularly on the Caine. He had a smug and superior attitude at intellectually inferior professional naval officers and he believed that Queeg was a coward under fire (which he was). The incident with Roland's death just sealed his feelings. The book is far superior to the movie but the studio producer rejected Wouk's screen play and cut almost two hours out of the rewrite with a second screenwriter. It's a differnent story and a much different Queeq but even Herman Wouk admired Bogart's performance.
@@paulastiles7428 "Almost, but not quite" Keefer's summing-up of himself after jumping overboard instead of saving the ship (which Willie is able to do).
@@stanmurphy3638 The book's content had to be drastically reworked into movie form and a lot has been left out or distorted. That's how it goes with many book-to-screen productions: it's inevitable
I don[t know if that was the origin of Keefer's animosity towards Captain Queeg (I believe Keefer had already taking pot-shots at Queeg well before that); however, it's the kind of insensitivity and lack of consideration that typified Queeg's leadership and managerial styles. I mean, it's WARTIME. A competent, capable officer in your wardroom asks to see his brother on another warship that is getting ready to up-anchor. Neither may ever see the other again (as was the case). Under anything less than the most extreme and exigent of circumstances, Keefer's request should have been granted and the Captain's priorities put on temporary hold. But that kind of compassion seemed anathema to the Captain's thoughts on leadership.
Jose Ferrer totally smokes this scene, and every other scene he was in. That look he gives Keefer while grabbing his full glass just oozes contempt and hatred. Greenwald was onto Keefer from the first time they met.
One of the best movie speeches of all time!
There are certain movies that lend themselves well to leadership study. This is one of them. I had the honor to watch this movie with retired Navy Captain and former Destroyer Squadron CC. A real treat. At the Air Force Squadron Officer's School, we used "Twelve O'Clock High." Both movies give lots of room for interpretation and learning. Thanks Mr. Wouk, a real masterpiece!
Both those films REALLY make you think! I've seen both of them many many times and learn something new each time I do.
I also viewed both films in U.S Navy Chief Petty Officer orientation.
You're right, both are not only classic War films but fine tools in teaching leadership. I recall there were some intense discussions after both.
As a former USAF NCO, observed that being a Squadron CC is an incredibly hard activity. Thanks for being there. 12 O'Clock High even has many good lessons for NCOs.
Jose Ferrer was such an awesome actor.
I’ve seen the Keefer types in both military and police service. They do what they can to save their own fanny. Their justification is that “I won’t set myself on fire just to keep someone else warm.”
You see them all over the place in the corporate world.
In the novel, Keefer goes on to command the Caine. As I recall, he prematurely abandons ship when the Caine is hit by a Kamikaze, while Keith and the crew that remain on board save the ship.
Jody west p0rn star
The unforgettable, great Jose Ferrer. What an actor.
I wonder if Ferrer was just an insanely good actor or had a couple of drinks before this scene. The fact that he even slurs his speech like someone who is drunk is either a perfectionist as a actor, or he drank a little to get the scene right. Either way, fantastic cast of actors.
Possibly a combination but having said that, Joe really *was* that good.
The Caine Mutiny
He was a great actor well cast with a great script and story. He did a very good Cyrano de Bergerac.
He was the first actor to have been awarded the Tony. He won an Oscar for the same rol. He studied in Princeton. He was an artist!!!
I am going with he is insanely good. I recall how amazing he was as Capt Kang in Star Trek. Dude was something else.
Ferrer is amazing. One of my all time favorite scenes
Wow, just the best from Jose in a great movie!
The book doesn't end here. In a final chapter, The last Captain of the Caine, Keefer becomes Captain and turns out to be worse than Queeg. When the Caine is hit by a kamikaze plane, Keefer jumps ship, carrying his sacred novel in a satchel, leaving all the work to Keith. Keith manages to save the ship and one fine evening leaves two steel balls on Keefer's pillow.
I am watching this, and not only appreciating the acting, where I don't see the actor, but the character. But also appreciate both the story and the director, and editing. All of them were classically trained actors. This makes me love Hollywood.
I remember seeing this movie on Saturday movies and no matter how many times I see Kiefer confronted by Greenwald or never ceases to amaze me that every place I have been employed there has been a Kiefer to start trouble and take as meany people down as he can.
Yeah, people like Kiefer weaponize others to do their dirty work for them.
But not out of vindictiveness, just pride and cluelessness
Thanks to this film Maurice Micklwhite became... Michael Caine. In 1954 Caine was still a struggling actor. One night while talking to his agent via a phone booth he told him to adopt a stage name. Across the street there was a cinema playing this film and said Caine.
José Ferrer was the first to be awarded the Tony and an Oscar for the same rol: Cyrano de Bergerac. He was also the first and only Latino to have been awarded an Oscar as the best actor.
This scene is one of my all-time favorites of a guy so tough he has no fear… Right up there with my all-time favorite, Kirk Douglas bitch slapping the lieutenant in the Latrene that is trying to frame John Wayne‘s character and then telling him to leave and take that little punk with him In Otto Preminger’s in harms way
Jose Ferrer is brilliant. I’ve only watched this about 200 times.
Bogie should have gotten an Oscar for this one.
Magnificent performance! And such complexity of perspective: true ambivalence.
They don't make movies--or actors--like this any more.
My father was a nuclear submarine captain and, man, did he love that movie.
Sure they do. They have different names now. This came out before the collapse of the studio system and the rise of "The Method" school of acting. If you don't believe that, then let me direct you to Maximillian Schell's performance in "Judgement At Nuremberg" and tell me his "Ernst Janning's guilt is the world's guilt" doesn't stack up to Jose Ferrer's speech. Or Denzel Washington's "King Kong ain't got s*it on me!' speech.
@@dangelo1369 Maximillian Schell's performance is good certainly (he is good in all roles), but when compared to Montgomery Clift's in the same movie, Schell does not stack up. Clift stole that film.
Never get tired of this movie, and even have a copy of the book with a dedication signed by Herman Wouk. The drudgery of being at sea for weeks on end follwed by the sheer terror of navigating through a typhoon was perfectly illustrated in this film. Queeg's breakdown, the courtroom drama, and Greenwald chewing out the officers who stood by, will always preserve this as one of my favourite movies.
Many speeches from 40's and 50's melodramas, especially when derived from books or stage plays, today tend to sound stagey, stilted and not half as powerful as we remember them. Not so with Ferrer's soliloquy as Barney Greenwald indicting the real culprit of the Caine Mutiny: Keefer. Brilliant in its cadences and rhythms, passionate in its delivery, Ferrer's soliloquy remains a piece of classical cinema; not because it is old but because it still has meaning and resonance long after it was composed.
Joseph Malham He's excellent at speaking English in concise American accent despite being a Puerto Rican Spanish mother tongue!
Khalid Suwaid Wait just a minute. Jose Ferrer was a graduate of Princeton University.
Yes, and that's one of the reasons he was so good.
So he knew a thing or two of guys tearing up the playing field in Princeton. :)
He really did.
Everyone remembers Fred MacMurray as the loving father on My Three Sons. But he was also very good at playing evil characters.
Fred MacMurray is one of the best actors to come out of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Never afraid to play a shitheel.
This isn't even his worst character.
When I first saw this film in the late 1960s I didn't expect this part. It turns out be Jose Ferrer's best scenes. He pretty much let out his feeling about the whole thing before the trial when he said "I'd much rather prosecute".
Bogie was getting tired by 1954 but put out an excellent performance. In spite of poor health he still made six more films plus a TV appearance in what time he had left.
His aging and sickness added the weariness and fragility to his performance.
The cast on his hand was real, he broke it as the movie was being filmed. I can watch this scene over and over.
I had always wondered. I love how it's never explained. Because in real life shit happens, and you don't go on explaining everything to everyone.
@@spiveym In the book he was a fighter pilot, (lawyer in civilian life), recovering from burns suffered in a plane crash. He is wearing a Purple Heart ribbon on his uniform.
Sad. "Willie" Robert Francis died a year later at 25 in a plash crash.
Yes he had a promising film career ahead of him.
He was the pilot of the plane. He had very limited experience and not only did he die, his girlfriend at the time and two other passengers perished.
Amazing. Unlike today one can truly say the acting by such men as Van Johnson McMurray and Ferrar was actually beautiful.
This and Bogart's incomparable scene on the stand make for the finest two scenes to ever end a film.
Amen
I remember watching this scene with a former Korea Marine who didn’t buy this “he was really not guilty” speech - told me “the captain f-ked up”.
Years ago and watching this great movie for the first time I was very surprised by this scene...after he threw the drink in his face I was like "WOW....wasn't expecting that!!"
Sometime I think people overlook Jose Ferrer. Marvelous actor.
Great scene. Jose Ferrer was a great actor in great demand at the time. His small role in Lawrence of Arabia is an example. Also, he shot this scene with a broken right hand. You can see how the director tries to hide it, and if it wasn't pointed out I never would've noticed. But you can see the cast if you look. Great performance!
Just to let you know, he is the first ever to be awarded the Tony, also was the first to win it in 1947, and to be awarded an Oscar for performing the same role in 1950.
In the interview before the court-martial, Greenwald was wearing the olive-green uniform and wings of a Naval aviator. It was explained that he had an accident and injured his hand that way.
Ferrer IS BARNEY GREENWALD Thespian Genius from the old school
I'm pretty sure he's straight.
ONE OF THE BEST SCENES EVER IN A MOVIE. Saw FERRER do Cyrano on stage multiple times. God MUST have loved him because he gave him twice the talent of other actors. GOD BLESS, JOSE.
The scene with Bogart on the stand was one of the best in cinematic history EPIC
Fantastic movie. Anyone who's served on a tin can will love this.
Ferrer was brilliant in this movie.
+PlasmaCoolantLeak Absolutely!!
+PlasmaCoolantLeak agreed, brilliant acting and scene
MacMurray was a very underrated actor. He could play a lousy heal like this role, or the dad in My Three Sons.
Check out Fred MacMurray in Double Indemnity. He's pretty good and he plays a pretty sleazy guy.
Kimberly Tyrcha and The Apartment 🙃
I hated Fred MacMurray after this movie, the son of a bitch. I never got over it. Great acting. Jose Ferrer thought he deserved the best supporting actor for his role in The Caine Mutiny..
The best cinema I have ever seen.
Truthfully, Queeg wasn't fit to command the ship considering how he abandoned the landing crafts and just dropped the dye marker instead of completing his mission. That might have resulted in many of those Marines not making to the shore alive.
I agree whole heartedly ...NEVER get tired of watching this scene.....just classic....
Sheer brilliance. How a whole room/crowd can be turned around in one go, with a perfect monologue.
Great movie and one of my favorite books. I have a copy signed by Mr Wouk
"I'm alot drunker than you are so it'll be a fair fight." - Boom! first drop the mic moment in cinema?
One of the best closing movie scenes ever.
What a great actor Jose Ferrer was
Jose Ferrar’s finest performance. This was a great movie.
MacMurray always impressed with his range. Villain, hero, comedian or scoundrel. BTW, there were two ‘60s sitcom “dads” in this film, Herbert Anderson (Dennis the Menace, ‘59-‘63) and Fred MacMurray (My Three Sons, ‘60-‘72)
I really enjoy MacMurray in his villain roles - this one, The Apartment, and especially Double Indemnity.
@@beechnut8779 Oh heck yeah! Double Indemnity is a masterpiece. And MacMurray is one of the best screen villains ever. A fantastic actor who could do it all!
@@hiawathabray885 well, he's playing against type. He looks life his My Three Sons character, and then he is stabbing someone to death. Just goes to show that we all have tha capacity to be evil.
Herbert Anderson also was in a movie with Van Johnson. "Battleground".
This is one of the great scenes in movie history.
José Ferrer won an Oscar for Best (leading) Actor in 1950 for Cyrano de Bergerac, the french poet-musketeer.
My cousing Tony use to deliver the newspaper to him in San Juan, PR in the 60's, and he says José was a very nice, friendly, tranquil gentleman.
Fred MacMurray’s performance was brilliant.
Seeing the mutineers throwing a Champagne party to celebrate beating the rap is very telling.
Jose Ferrer owned that scene, masterful work.
The Navy used to show this movie in their leadership and management courses in the mid 70's.
Excellent movie. No multi million dollar special effects budget. Just good acting and a good story line
Legendary performance
"You don't work with a captain because you like the way he parts his hair; you work with a captain because he's got the job, or you're no good."
They don't write great dialogue anymore like that in this scene.
Classic fantastic scene of Lt. Greenwald’s denouncing of Lt. Keefer, played by Jose Ferrer and Fred MacMurray respectively. And after Lt. Greenwald hurls a glassful of champagne in Lt. Keefer’s face, see all of the other officers walk away. THE CAINE MUTINY rates as one of the greatest films ever made.
One classic movie! Excellent!…..just excellently made!