While legendary director John Ford is perhaps best known for westerns such as The Searchers, How The West Was One and Wagon Master, this creative visionary behind well over 100 films has shown why he is considered to be one of the all-time best in a variety of different genres. As the man reached the end stretch of his career, he was still churning out classics that would rank among the most beloved films ever to hit the screen. In 1955, Ford reunited with his The Grapes Of Wrath star Henry Fonda to adapt the 1948 Broadway play Mister Roberts for the silver screen, itself based on a novel from a few years prior by Thomas Heggen. While the film would already be notable for being the final feature film of the great William Powell (of The Thin Man series), it also ended up earning the director yet another Best Picture nomination plus a Best Supporting Actor win for the great Jack Lemmon (Some Like It Hot). What presents as a fairly minor work blossoms into a knockout text that you will not soon forget.
The story of Mister Roberts is set in the final stretch of World War II in the Pacific Ocean. The crew of the U.S. cargo ship Reluctant feel like they are a world away from the action of the front lines, and thus often feel as if they are not living up to their duty as a soldier. This is especially true of the titular Doug Roberts (Henry Fonda), a beloved junior grade Lieutenant who keeps the morale up and the ship running against the harsh policies of Lieutenant Commander Morton (James Cagney, Angels With Dirty Faces). On a nearly weekly basis, Roberts puts in for a transfer to the front lines, and each week Morton refuses to endorse them before passing them on to get rejected. Roberts commiserates with Doc (William Powell), the ship’s doctor whose wisdom and guidance helps him from making rash decisions. Roberts also shares quarters with Ensign Frank Pulver (Jack Lemmon), a slacker who hides away from his duties until finally landing on the radar of Morton. Isolated from society for so long, these personalities begin to clash with one another in the backwater.
The main drama of the story involves the struggle between the need for shore leave for the crew and the irrational demands of Morton. Fonda is incredible as this virtuous figure who is advocating for the crew, but also inadvertently sabotaging their efforts by trying to serve his own interest in requesting to head to the front lines. The sparring matches between Fonda and Cagney are incredibly satisfying, as you get to see two of the all-time greats not holding back. Lemon is a bit more youthful in comparison but just as memorable as he comes into his own under the guidance of Roberts. Pulver is a man who can run his mouth off for days, but only truly develops some substance when he stops resting on the sidelines and gets into the game. Powell gets to use the easy charm he exuded throughout his career as this easy-going figure who is witty and astute. If you are going to cap off a legacy of iconic performances, this is a great one to leave behind as your swan song.
Mister Roberts works extremely well on multiple fronts. Narratively, it is incredibly deceptive as you watch the subtle back and forth power struggle between the inept leaders and the beleaguered crew. You always appreciate the keen performances from all involved, but it is not until the end when you get the full depth of what this film is trying to say about the realities of war. What is a soldier’s responsibility to their country and are those away from the front lines any less important? There is an underlying sense of patriotism throughout the film, but the material ensures that this does not fall into the realm of a propaganda picture. Artistically, this film is quite beautifully constructed, from some of the practical shooting locations that Director of Photography Winton C. Hoch captures so beautifully to the construction of the narrative that allows these two hours to fly by. This is a feature that reveals more treasures the deeper you survey it. While Ford did receive some help from Mervyn LeRoy (Madame Curie) and Joshua Logan with directing duties after some medical issues and on-set conflict, this is still distinctly his picture and well worth checking out.
Video Quality
Warner Archive presents Mister Roberts with a stunning new 1080p master transfer in its original 2.55:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K restoration of the Original Camera Negative. Warner Archive once again delivers a masterful presentation that gives this film new life. One of the standout aspects of the film is the vibrant colors of the environments that practically leap off the screen in the way film can capture. The black levels are very deep with impeccable stability throughout. Detail and clarity is off the charts with the beautiful, natural film grain intact and well resolved. The film exhibits no signs of any damage or debris, with only a handful of shots exhibiting a brief bit of softness likely due to the conditions of the source material. There does not appear to be any digital nuisances such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such issues. This presentation offers a top-notch viewing experience from start to finish.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that is derived from the original four-track stereo recording. Dialogue and background noises are represented perfectly along with the wonderful score from Franz Waxman. There is no discernible age related wear and tear to the track such as hissing or popping. No sounds ever overpower the dialogue that is being spoken here. While mostly dialogue driven throughout, the raucous crowd moments are handled with ease and give the track an enveloping energy. Hearing the captain’s announcements in the rear channels makes for a pleasing experience. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. Warner Archive has provided a disc that sounds excellent in all respects.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Actor Jack Lemmon provides a scene-specific commentary track in which he relays his memories of the production including the contributions of Mervyn Leroy, Ford’s directing style, the location shooting, his friendship with his costars, learning from other legendary performers on set and much more that allows this to be a really valuable listen.
- Theatrical Trailer: A four-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Mister Roberts is a relatively reserved narrative that opens up into something quite powerful by the end of its journey. Henry Fonda delivers a stellar performance alongside screen legends such as James Cagney and William Powell, obviously meaning there are no weak spots amongst the ensemble. The film opens up some great conversations about one’s responsibilities to their country during wartime. Warner Archive has released a magnificent Blu-Ray featuring an A+ audio/visual presentation and a very worthwhile commentary track. Recommended
Mister Roberts can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
