A couple of points...

Rating: Null/10 (10 June 2008)

I've seen this movie many times, and generally have lots of good things to say about it. Everyone who's seen it knows how good the acting was, especially Humprey Bogart, who, so I'm told, was wracked with pain from cancer at this time. I more remember Fred McMurray as the kindly father from 'My Three Sons' and as the 'Absent-Minded Perfesser' so it was refreshing to see him do a different role and do it well. Probably the next best performance was by Van Johnson, as the executive officer, loyal to his captain at first, who, in the end, jeopardizes his career in his attempt to save what seems to him a foundering vessel. But there are a couple of things I want to say, all regarding the 'yellow stain' incident.
One, unless I performed as badly as the Commander Queeg had in that incident, he would have lost my respect as well. He performed the acts of a coward in a combat situation when all around him were functioning properly. Coupled with what else happened, of course he lost the respect of his officers. There is a difference between deference to authority and true respect for one's leaders. That's why unpopular officers in Vietnam ended up being murdered by their own men. (Of course, the general discipline breakdown of the army in Vietnam bred these things).
Two, when this happened, the entire Fifth Fleet, our 'sledgehammer in the Pacific', was supposedly on hand, supporting this landing. Ships and aircraft are everywhere. Am I to understand that nobody but the crew of the 'Caine' knew what was going on? Somebody, somewhere, MUST have seen the ship drop that dye marker and retire at high speed, and wondered 'Hey, what's that old destroyer doing? I've never seen anybody do that in an amphibious landing. Are they supposed to be doing that? The ship doesn't look like she's been hit...what's going on?'
Lastly, I think it IS possible for a coward, in peacetime, to rise to the command of a military unit, especially a small one like a destroyer-minesweeper. Does anybody know how well they will perform when they realize that people are actually trying to kill them? I've always talked a good fight but since I've never been in combat I can't guarantee that I wouldn't be the biggest chicken in any outfit. I think, given human nature, the people who accurately predict that they will perform poorly in combat will outnumber those who will predict accurately that they will perform well in the same situation. the real surprise comes, I think, when the soldier in combat finds he CAN function in his first engagement. But then there's also that reaction to having killed your first man...