The Caine Mutiny

Today you are full-fledged ensigns.

Three months ago, you assembled here | from all walks of life. -

- Field, factory, | office and college.

Each of you knew | what the fighting was about.

Each of you knew that the American | way of life must be defended.

From here on, your education | must continue in the school of war.

As an ensign | in the United States Navy. -

- You go down to the sea to fight in | the toughest conflict of all time.

We Americans are confident that | you will serve the Navy with honour.

Good luck and good hunting.

Willie, over here!

- Darling, I'm so proud of you. | - Congratulations, Willie.

I hope the Navy | makes full use of your abilities.

Perhaps I could help you | be placed somewhere else.

Good luck for now.

Mother, I'll have to skip your party | tonight. The fellas are celebrating.

But the party's in your honour.

Your friends will forgive you. | You can call them from the house.

I'll see you at ten.

May...

- You were wonderful. | - Your mother let you out?

I had to be with her. I should | have told you yesterday. I'm sorry.

- Get me a drink, then we'll fight. | - Leo, two Scotch and waters.

Let's not spoil the night. | I've only got a couple of days left.

- I'm leaving Sunday. | - How do you expect me to feel?

You left me standing there alone. | Why couldn't I meet your mother?

- There's a time for everything. | - I'm sure.

To the most important woman | in your life... Mom.

- May, stop it. | - I'm sorry, Willie.

I didn't mean to ruin your evening. | I just bruise easily.

What do we do to celebrate?

We can go to the Fairmont... | Or we don't have to go to a club.

- Meaning what? | - I've only got 48 hours.

- Willie, don't. | - May, I love you.

All right. | Will you marry me?

If there were more time...

I didn't expect you to.

I forgot who I was. Just another | nightclub singer for a big weekend.

I don't want any more of it. | Not another minute.

- Good luck, Mr Keith. | - Thanks, George.

Goodbye, Mother.

Cable me from Pearl Harbour. | Your ship's been in lots of battles.

Do you have enough spending money? | You'd better take this extra $100.

- Mother, please don't cry. | - You're all I have left.

Promise me you'll be careful. Don't | volunteer or do anything dangerous.

I won't. I promise. | Goodbye, sweetheart.

Request permission | to come on board.

- The Caine's a real beauty. | - The Caine is the inboard ship.

This way, Keith.

Watch that enthusiasm. | This is the Caine.

- I'm sorry, I lost my footing. | - This is Lieutenant Tom Keefer.

Your orders. They transform | ex-civilians into men without minds.

- I hate to do this to you. | - Gangway, lady with a baby!

Meatball, Horrible, | pick up Mr Keith's gear.

This is our executive officer, | Steve Maryk.

Steve's the guy | who gets things done.

Come on, let's meet the captain.

- Watch your feet, sir! | - Come on, Keith!

It's a mistake scraping this ship. | The rust is keeping the water out.

- What do you want? | - He's here, sir.

- Bring him in. | - In here, Keith.

Captain DeVriess, | this is Ensign Keith.

May I see your orders, | or are they a military secret?

I'm sorry, sir.

Princeton, 1941...

Top five percent | in midshipman's school...

Pretty good background, | pretty good record.

- Disappointed it's a minesweeper? | - To be honest, yes, sir.

- You saw yourself on a battleship? | - I had hoped that...

I only hope that | you're good enough for the Caine.

- I'll try to be worthy of the job. | - The Caine is a beaten-up tub.

After 18 months of combat, it takes | 24 hours a day to keep her together.

I don't think you understand. | You're in the junkyard navy.

Steve, put in with Keefer | in Communications. -

- And have Tom show this Princeton | Tiger and the other ensign the ship.

And Keith...

Don't take it so hard. | War is hell.

- Ensign Keith, Ensign Harding. | - My condolences.

Let's get with it. | The USS Caine is a minesweeper.

These paravanes carry sweep wires | off both sides of the ship.

The wire saws the mine in two.

We've been in combat a year and a | half, and we've never swept a mine.

This ship was designed by geniuses | to be run by idiots.

This is the engine room. To operate, | all you need is a monkey.

99 percent of what we do is routine, | one percent requires intelligence.

- That does it. Any more questions? | - Where do we go to surrender?

- It's not that easy. | - You don't like the Navy.

Just one more thing to do. | Climb the mast.

What for?

A tour is from the keel | to the foretop. That's the foretop.

I'm very fond of my wife and kid. | I'll probably never see them again.

Well done!

- I'm glad he liked it. | - Yeah.

Keith, I'm gonna be sick. | I'm sorry.

Height bothers me. | Those poor sailors down there.

- This is the only hat I've got. | - I have two others.

That's darn cordial of you.

What's keeping you up there? | Lunch!

- Excuse me, sir. | - It's all right.

Now that you've studied the Caine | up close, do you like her better?

- The tour was very interesting. | - Is the ship too messy for you?

The question is, | "Is this mess a ship?"

It's decent of you to join us. | I didn't think you had time.

Even the greatest of | literary artists gets hungry.

Pull up a chair, Tom, and | cast some pearls before the swine.

I have to protect these fresh young | faces from the captain's badgering.

I'm just conducting | a one-man board of inquiry.

I'm trying to find out if | Ensign Keith wants to stay on board.

There is no escape from the Caine. | We are all doing penance.

Sentenced to an outcast ship, manned | by outcasts, named after an outcast.

- Here we go again. | - It's a fact.

I've been trying for two years to be | relieved of command without luck.

But then... I don't have | Ensign Keith's influence.

I don't understand.

I received this dispatch from | Admiral Wards about an hour ago.

"Will request transfer to my staff | for Ensign Willis Steward Keith."

"Understand of course | needs of USS Caine have priority."

- I didn't know anything about this. | - Could be coincidence.

Or someone pulling strings.

What'll it be? The admiral's staff | or the hell of the Caine?

- I don't know. | - Do you want to fight a war?

- He shouldn't have to decide here. | - A good officer would be able to.

- Come on, we haven't got all day. | - Well, sir...

- I'll stay on board, sir. | - That takes care of that.

You will live to regret this day.

Sir, I spotted a Japanese aircraft | off the starboard bow. Angle 20.

See him?

If you stay ten years, you may learn | to tell an aircraft from a seagull.

Man all stations | for minesweeping drill.

Launch sweep gear.

Port paravanes in the water.

- That was a lousy performance. | - Stand by to stream starboard side.

Retrieve sweep gear.

Snap it up. | The Jones is beating us.

- Stop the engines. Get me a line. | - The water's full of sharks.

- Stand by the line. | - Yes, sir.

This dispatch just arrived.

I'll take care of it right away.

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