Ah, but the strawberries! That's where I had them.
— LT. COMDR. PHILIP FRANCIS QUEEG
We probably had heard about Caine Mutiny for most of our lives, I guess. Yet, neither my wife, Miss Pat, nor I had ever seen the movie. We knew nothing about its plot, but as I picked up a copy in our local library, we could tell it would be the kind of story we would like. We were not disappointed.
The movie, of course, is based on a novel by Herman Wouk. In 1952 Wouk won the Pulitzer Prize in literature for his account of a mutiny aboard a World War II minesweeper. The incident was completely fictitious, but Wouk’s emphasis on qualities such as loyalty and valor imparted a sense of timelessness to what he wrote.
The movie version came out two years later in 1954 and included a plethora of recognized Hollywood personalities— Humphrey Bogart as the veteran and experienced Lt. Comdr. Philip Francis Queeg, who has been at war far too long and whose grasp of reality remains uncertain. Van Johnson portrays the dedicated but undecided Lt. Steve Maryk. Fred MacMurray as Lt. Keefer questions the rationality of the ship’s captain, only to disavow any responsibility in precipitating the hurtful crisis. Jose Ferrér is Lt. Greenwald, the reluctant defense lawyer who will later speak in defense of the humiliated Lt. Comdr. Queeg and by so doing, upbraid the conduct of the ship’s officers for their deleterious disloyalty and lack of character. The cruel breakdown of the Lt. Comdr Queeg could have been averted.
Caine Mutiny was among the last movies the legendary Humphrey Bogart made. In fact, Bogart died just three years after its release. Perhaps, the most memorable lines in the movie itself are those spoken by Lt. Comdr. Queeg, his composure unraveling and with it, his career and life. Only Bogart could recite such feeling and couple it with such insight—
Ah, but the strawberries! That's where I had them. They laughed at me and made jokes, but I proved beyond the shadow of a doubt, and with geometric logic, that a duplicate key to the wardroom icebox did exist! And I'd have produced that key if they hadn't pulled Caine out of action!
Ah, but the strawberries! Wouk’s lines hit home here, taking us far beyond World War II, far beyond any sea. The words literally force us to reflect, “Would things have been different if I had upheld a sense of understanding, if I had upheld a sense of loyalty? Am I the reason for the hurt?” To be sure, this movie is about ships and waters, and things like that. To be equally sure, Caine Mutiny is far more than nautical scenery and setting— far, far more than senseless entertainment. This movie is intended to make us reflect, reflect on ourselves, and reflect on that vast ocean of lives who surround us. No man is an island unto himself. Ah, but the strawberries! That's where we are had.
Back Yard Yacht Builders
A non-commercial association of amateur boat-builder enthusiasts.
All our wooden boats are Stevenson designs.