Mister Roberts

The USS Reluctant carries cargo along World War II´s forgotten Pacific seaways. Beyond the horizon, the real war passes its stir-crazy crew by. ´Mister Roberts´, directed by John Ford and Mervyn LeRoy, is the classic story of men fighting to survive not war´s dangers but its indignities.

Henry Fonda´s reprise of his Tony-winning Broadway role returned him to movies after seven years away. Jack Lemmon won his first Academy Award as hapless, lecherous Ensign Pulver. James Cagney´s petty, scrappy Captain makes a fierce adversary. In his final film, William Powell makes world-weary Doc a sage for the ages. ´Mister Roberts´ has moments of unforgettable humor. But sadness tempers the comedy. No shot is fired. No blood is spilled. Yet ´Mister Roberts´ endures as one of our most truthful war sagas.