Trivia / The Caine Mutiny

• Backed by the Pentagon: The film got the support of the US Navy, under condition that a disclaimer be put in the opening credits that the story is completely fictional, and there had never actually been a mutiny on a Navy ship^note It must be noted, however, that three sailors aboard the brig USS Somers were convicted and executed for conspiracy to mutiny in 1845. The conspirators may have actually made an attempt to carry it out; the Navy's records note that Somers suffered some extremely suspicious damage while at sea., and that Queeg's character be slightly softened into more of an Anti-Villain.
• Beam Me Up, Scotty!: A partial example. Even though the word "Mutiny" is right there in the title, Maryk is actually charged with (and acquitted of) "conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline" - and Keith is never charged at all^note The Navy can't actually charge them with mutiny, as they continued to operate under the orders of the US Navy, and stayed in contact at all times afterwards. What they did (at least from their perspective) was relieve an incompetent officer from command in a life-or-death situation, and the question is how justified they were in their actions, as well as how much of the creation of that situation is their responsibility.
• Billing Displacement: Despite being second-billed among the cast, José Ferrer's first appearance is not until an hour and twenty-eight minutes in.
• Cast the Expert: Producer Stanley Kramer and Director Edward Dmytryk cast Lee Marvin as one of the U.S.S. Caine's supporting sailors, partially for his knowledge of ships at sea, as he had served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. Throughout the production, Marvin served as an unofficial technical advisor to the filmmakers. Sometimes a shot would be set up, only to be criticized by Marvin as being inauthentic.
• Creator Recovery: Stanley Kramer gave Fred MacMurray a prominent role in this movie during a difficult period in MacMurray's life, his wife had just died, and work was a needed distraction for him.
• The Danza: Inverted; May Wynn's stage name came from her character in the film.
• Dawson Casting: There was considerable opposition to the casting of Humphrey Bogart, since he was twenty-five years older than Captain Queeg was supposed to be. In addition, Bogart was already seriously ill with esophageal cancer, although it would not be diagnosed until January 1956.
• Fake Nationality: The Jewish-American Barney Greenwald is played by José Ferrer, a Puerto Rican actor.
• Life Imitates Art: In the book, May Wynn is a stage name for Marie Minotti, who uses the stage name because she likes it so much. In real life, the actress who played her, Donna Lee Hickey, did the same thing, using May Wynn as a stage name for the rest of her career.
• Playing Against Type:
  • Humphrey Bogart, best known for playing tough, hard-boiled heroes plays the incompetent, paranoid and cowardly Captain Queeg.
  • Anyone who had only seen Fred MacMurray as fatherly Steven Douglas in My Three Sons would be a little shocked to see how nasty he could be.
• Playing with Character Type: Despite being different to the types of characters he usually plays, Humphrey Bogart has stated his role as Captain Queeg was similar to his roles as the wary loner who trusts no one - but without their warmth and humour.
• Reality Subtext: When Meryk jumps overboard to retrieve the lost minesweeping device, a sailor warns him of sharks. A shark almost attacked Van Johnson while filming that scene and had to be shot by a Navy rifleman.
• What Could Have Been: Columbia Pictures wanted Richard Widmark to play Captain Queeg, but Stanley Kramer wanted Humphrey Bogart.
• Working Title: Authority and Rebellion.
• Written-In Infirmity: The scars on Van Johnson's face in this film are real, not make-up. While filming A Guy Named Joe, Johnson was in an automobile accident and thrown through the car's windshield. The plastic surgery of the day could not totally remove his scars. In all of his later films, he wore heavy make-up to hide them, but felt that, in this film, they added to his character's appearance. Another, minor, example is the cast on José Ferrer's right hand, the result of a real-life injury. It's barely referenced in the film, but is acknowledged when Ferrer's character must shake hands left-handed.

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