SYNOPSIS

Midshipman Roger Byam joins Captain Bligh and Fletcher Christian aboard the HMS Bounty for a voyage to Tahiti. Bligh proves to be a brutal tyrant and, after six pleasant months on Tahiti, Christian leads the crew to mutiny on the homeward voyage. Even though Byam takes no part in the mutiny, he must defend himself against charges that he supported Christian.

Director: Frank Lloyd
Producer: Irving G. Thalberg, Albert Lewin
Screenplay: Talbot Jennings, Jules Furthman, Carey Wilson
Based on the novel by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall
Cinematography: Arthur Edeson
Editing: Margaret Booth
Art Direction: A. Arnold Gillespie
Music: Herbert Stothart
Cast: Charles Laughton (Bligh), Clark Gable (Christian), Franchot Tone (Byam), Herbert Mundin (Smith), Eddie Quillan (Ellison), Dudley Digges (Bacchus), Donald Crisp (Burkitt), Henry Stephenson (Sir Joseph Banks), Spring Byington (Mrs. Byam), Movita (Tehani), Ian Wolfe (Maggs), James Cagney (Extra), Ray Corrigan (Able Bodied Seaman), Dick Haymes (Extra), Hal Le Sueur (Millard), David Niven (Extra)
BW-132m.

Why MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY Is Essential

Mutiny on the Bounty still ranks as the greatest maritime adventure film of all time with its combination of thrilling action, tense dramatics and spectacular tropical locales.

Mutiny on the Bounty was the top box-office film of 1935, part of Hollywood's move to historical films in response to a Depression-weary audience's need for escapism. Although set in the late 18th century, the film's tale of a revolt against tyranny struck a chord with economically challenged audience members who often felt as trapped and oppressed as Captain Bligh's crew.

Although its historical accuracy is questionable, the film remains the best screen rendition of the historic mutiny.

Although Clark Gable was already a popular star at the time he made Mutiny on the Bounty, the picture's success spurred his move into the ranks of MGM's top stars.

To critics of the day, Charles Laughton's performance as Captain Bligh was ranked among the finest ever put on film. Released the same year as his comedy classic Ruggles of Red Gap, the film also marked a major spur in the character star's popularity. With Henry VIII, Bligh remains Laughton's most famous role and is still his most imitated performance.

by Frank Miller