Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Mister Roberts Blu-ray Movie Review

Navy Blues.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III January 4, 2021

A somewhat forgotten entry within the deep filmographies of its talented cast, John Ford and Mervyn LeRoy's Mister Roberts is the rare war movie with no shots fired or blood spilled. It concerns the exploits of men aboard the U.S. Navy cargo ship Reluctant (nicknamed “The Bucket”) in the waning days of World War II, where its tired crew feels useless and in serious need of "liberty" -- or, in layman's terms, a vacation. The ship is quite literally ruled by stocky Lieutenant Commander Morton (James Cagney), whose ultra-strict demeanor makes him an unpopular leader. Instead, the men on board take their cues from Lieutenant Doug Roberts (Henry Fonda), a cargo chief who frequently stands up to Morton but, like the others, feels his talents would be better used elsewhere. Despite sailing on the impossibly blue waters of the south Pacific Ocean with occasional views of a nearby island and its pretty inhabitants, "The Bucket" is a generally toxic environment... and if the crew's stress isn't relieved soon, all Hell might break loose.

And break loose it does. The fire is mainly fueled by friction between Morton and Roberts, the latter of whom is usually egged on by members of the crew who seem to live vicariously through the charismatic Roberts. After all, he's the only one brave enough to fire back at the strict, surly Lieutenant Commander, whose only joy in life is watering a potted palm tree given to him for work that the crew did. Yet Roberts has wanted off the ship for a while now; he's regularly put in strongly-worded transfer requests that have been rejected every time, as Morton relishes the idea of keeping Roberts away from battles he'd love to fight. I think we've all had a boss like that at one time or another.

It all comes to a head with that prospect of "liberty", which again the Lieutenant Commander refuses to grant out of pure spite -- even when the crew completes an important supply run. But after finally relenting, Morton only does so under the condition that Roberts promises to "get in line" and cease the transfer requests. Suddenly, Mr. Roberts has a choice to make: does he sacrifice his own interests for the crew's sake, or stick to his guns and get a better job?

A strong box-office hit in its day, Mister Roberts capitalized on the success of its source material -- both the 1946 novel by Thomas Heggen, as well as its popular Broadway adaptation that ran for nearly 1,200 performances -- and spared no expense with an all-star cast led by celebrated director John Ford, who was replaced during production by Mervyn LeRoy. (A third director, Joshua Logan, is uncredited but contributed at least two scenes.) Accounts vary of the mood on set; even co-star Jack Lemmon, who plays rambunctious Ensign Frank Pulver, mentions in his accompanying audio commentary (carried over to this Blu-ray as a bonus feature) that "Pappy" Ford was very tough to work with. And though reasons for Ford's sudden departure likewise vary -- including a claim that he punched Henry Fonda in the jaw during a heated exchange -- the most likely reason was emergency surgery for a ruptured gallbladder.

That's a roundabout way of saying that Mister Roberts' production, ironically linked to is source material as far as friction is concerned, actually ended up being a remarkably cohesive adaptation that still plays great 65 years later. LeRoy went the high road and filmed remaining (replacement?) scenes to match Ford's particular style and, when combined with Logan's work, the result is a film that really does feel like it was shot by one person. What's more is that the lead and supporting performances really make Mister Roberts special: Cagney, Fonda, and Lemmon are terrific, of course, as are William Powell ("Doc"), Ward Bond (Chief Petty Officer Dowdy), and countless others -- and while some of the story's underlying "boys will be boys" mentality hits a little different these days, that same stubborn fire is also responsible for the film's blistering final sequence, a potent reminder that some people just won't be held down by authority. All told, Mister Roberts remains a uniquely entertaining show, and one that's been (predictably) supported extremely well by Warner Archive's Blu-ray presentation: the video and audio are absolutely first-rate, showcasing a great looking -- and sounding -- film that far surpasses most of its era in those departments.

Mister Roberts Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Filmed in an ultra-wide Cinemascope aspect ratio, Mister Roberts also marked an early use of the single-strip Eastmancolor process (trademarked here as "Warnercolor") just five years after its debut. Much easier to use than the beautiful but complex Technicolor, this technique produced absolutely excellent results where all the Pacific footage is concerned: the blue sky and water are extremely inviting with sunlit ship exteriors boasting a strong amount of image detail. Skin tones and other neutral colors also look terrific within the boundaries of this process, while rare bursts of vivid pinks, greens, and yellows (seen in the colorful clothes of welcoming South Pacific islanders) have never looked better. It's largely thanks to another fantastic restoration by Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging, which was sourced from a fresh 4K scan of the original camera negative and expertly authored to disc by Warner Archives. Although a handful of shots drop in overall quality with increased softness, the wide majority of what's seen here is jaw-droppingly good: barely a minute goes by when even the most ordinary sights -- cramped quarters, a rusty deck -- are replaced by another stunning view of Midway Atoll and the surrounding areas. As usual, this top-tier effort is certainly Mister Roberts's finest home video presentation to date and will surely please die-hard fans and newcomers alike.

For you visual types, Warner Archive has also uploaded a few HD clips of Mister Roberts to their excellent YouTube channel including the opening scene and this heated conflict of interest, both featuring the great scene-specific audio commentary by Jack Lemmon included on this Blu-ray as a bonus feature.

Mister Roberts Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Not to be outdone is Mister Roberts rousing DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track, tastefully mixed from the Academy Award-nominated original four-track stereo recording. Despite the lack of action, this is a routinely forceful mix thanks to Franz Waxman's original score, which dominates the front channels with terrific separation and a hefty dynamic range. Dialogue is cleanly recorded -- save for a handful of comically bad ADR clips, which also aren't synced very well -- and usually given top priority when the score takes a back seat. Rear channels are sparse but include a number of subtle touches including the sporadic loudspeaker announcements that often cast a dark shadow over the ship, as well as ocean waves and some of the film's rowdier exchanges, including the arrival of those welcoming South Pacific islanders. Altogether it's a flat-out fantastic track that leaps far beyond most films from the era, regardless of genre.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the film; they're formatted nicely with no sync issues.

Mister Roberts Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This disc arrives in a standard keepcase with attractive poster-themed cover art and no inserts. The bonus features, though appreciated, are lesser than those seen on Warner Bros.' 2001 DVD edition, which also included a brief tribute to Henry Fonda (narrated by daughter Jane) as well an Ed Sullivan Show segment featuring key cast members.

• Audio Commentary - Although technically a full-length track, this vintage audio commentary by the late Jack Lemmon is more scene-specific as there's a rather large gap during the film's middle segment (which is helpfully avoided thanks to a narrator's insturction). Nonetheless, it's an interesting listen that covers a decent amount of ground including the conflicts on set, John Ford's directing style, his first of only two Academy Awards, the film's beautiful South Pacific locations, his long friendship with co-star James Cagney, and much more.

• Theatrical Trailer (4:07) - Like those two HD clips linked above, this rousing vintage promotional piece has been recently uploaded to Warner Archive's YouTube channel. Watch it here.

Mister Roberts Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As scrappy as its source material implies, John Ford and Mervyn LeRoy's Mister Roberts still plays great over 65 years later, thanks to smooth direction and an all-star cast of talented performers. And what an ending! Warner Archive's Blu-ray follows suit with another outstanding 4K-sourced restoration that showcases the film in all its CinemaScope glory, which is also supported by a very strong six-channel surround track and two DVD-era bonus features. It's a very nice package for fans of this forgotten war comedy and comes heartily recommended to newcomers as well.