Much ado about strawberries

Rating: 8/10 (3 February 2014)

Exceptional military drama about a mutiny on board the USS Caine during WWII. The captain of the Caine is Lt. Cmdr. Philip Francis Queeg (Humphrey Bogart), a man who shows signs of mental instability and reacts badly under stress. Lt. Steve Maryk (Van Johnson) is convinced by cowardly Lt. Tom Keefer (Fred MacMurray) that Queeg is insane and removes him from command during a typhoon. Afterwards, Maryk is court-martialed, along with Ensign Willie Keith (Robert Francis), who helped him.
Bogie and MacMurray give excellent performances; two of the best of their long careers. Bogart was deservedly nominated for an Oscar. Jose Ferrer, as the defense attorney for Maryk and Keith, makes a valiant effort at stealing the picture from Bogart. Van Johnson does quite well considering he's more known for his musical comedy roles. Tom Tully shines as Queeg's predecessor. Supporting cast includes the likes of Lee Marvin, Claude Akins, and Jerry Paris. Robert Francis is OK but perhaps comes up short alongside the powerhouse vets in the cast. His romantic subplot is the weakest part of the film. Francis' career was brief as he died in a plane crash the following year. This is his best-known work. There are a lot of memorable moments from this fine film but probably the best is Queeg's insane search for who stole some strawberries! Top cast, director, and script. A classic everybody should see.