Title: Mutiny on the Bounty
Year: 1935
Starring: Clark Gable, Charles Laughton, Franchot Tone
Director: Frank Lloyd
Runtime: 2 hrs 12 mins
Is It Any Good?: It’s pretty good. It’s overly long and that hurts it. And while 132 mins are bloated it doesn’t lag all that much. Laughton chews up every scene he’s given, and if you saw his Oscar turn as Henry the VIII you can see some of that in here. His turn here as Captain Bligh is so iconic that it was later parodied by Bugs Bunny in the short “Buccaneer Bunny”. Moving on from the 1933 Best Actor and onto 1934’s winner Clark Gable who is sincere in his intent as Mr. Fletcher Christian is here both likable, and admirable even though in reality he’s the bad guy.
Memorable Quote: Byam: “Captain Bligh, you’ve told your story of the mutiny on the Bounty, how man plotted against you, seized your ship, cast you adrift in an open nothing, two British ships lost. But there’s another story, Captain Bligh, of ten coconuts and two kinds of cheese. A story of a man who robbed his seamen, cursed them, flogged them, not to punish but to break their spirit. A story of greed and tyranny, and of anger against it, of what it cost.
Competition: This year featured tons of classic stuff. From two more stellar Laughton performances in both Les Miserables as Javert and as Marmaduke Ruggles in Ruggles of Red Gap. Alongside these are the seminal Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers film Top Hat featuring one of the best song and dance numbers in cinema history with its Cheek to Cheek gig which I’ve included. Go on click it and try not dancing with your cat! And when you’re done go watch Top Hat in its entirety. Lastly, we have The Lives of a Bengal Lancer which feature Mutiny’s Franchot Tone.
Next, we have 1936, and a showbiz film with a unique twist. We know we’ll see you then so don’t be shy go ahead and subscribe! If you don’t Captain Bligh will cut your rations, and we don’t want that do we! In this case remember I Love You! Even if it’s tough love.