El estricto capitán Queeg (Humphrey Bogart), un hombre aquejado de agotamiento nervioso y fobias neuróticas, asume el mando del Caine, un dragaminas norteamericano cuya tripulación carece de disciplina. En contra de la opinión de los demás oficiales, introduce cambios y toma medidas tan arbitrarias que la tripulación empieza a considerarlo un neurótico peligroso. Durante una tempestad, Queeg pierde el control de la nave; entonces, el segundo oficial lo obliga a dejar el mando y lo releva. Este incidente dará lugar a un consejo de guerra.
Crédito: Columbia Pictures
Crédito: Columbia Pictures
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00:00Good afternoon, gentlemen. I assume command of an extremely sloppy, badly handled ship. I was
00:21determined to bring this ship in line. Lieutenant Maric, I may say, opposed me from the very first.
00:26Maybe he thought I was crazy to keep trying. In your judgment, was your ship on the verge of
00:33foundering when the executive officer assumed command? Well, now, as you gentlemen know,
00:38a typhoon is an extreme hazard at all times, but the ship was riding well. Lieutenant Maric,
00:44however, went into a panic and ran amok. He acted under the delusion that he and he alone could save
00:49the ship. Ensign Willis Keith, a totally unreliable and disloyal officer, combined with him against me
00:55at this crucial time. It was bad luck for them, really. I bear them no malice. I'm extremely
01:01sorry for them. No more questions. A word of caution before you proceed with the examination,
01:07Mr. Greenwald. The court recognizes that the defense is compelled to try to challenge the
01:11competence of Lieutenant Commander Quigg. Nevertheless, all the requirements of legal
01:15ethics and military respect remain in force. Thank you, sir. Mr. Quigg, during a period when the
01:22cane was towing targets, did you ever steam over your own tow line and cut it? Objection. I beg the
01:28court's indulgence, but I must say the defense outrages the dignity of this proceeding. The
01:33judge advocate wants the defense to switch to a guilty plea. He thinks the report of the psychiatrist
01:37closes the case, but I say it is up to you line naval officers, not doctors, to judge the captain's
01:42performance of duty, and I must review that performance of duty for the Navy to render a
01:46judgment. Objection overruled. Now, sir, did you ever steam over your own tow line and cut it? Well,
01:53I for one am happy to dispose of this particular slander. During the time we were towing the target,
02:00I noticed some anti-aircraft bursts close aboard, and naturally I turned to avoid them. And you
02:05continue to turn in a full circle? Well, my helmsman, a very unreliable man, failed to warn me that we
02:10were coming around 360 degrees. I caught it in time, an instantly reversed course. To the best
02:15of my knowledge, we didn't steam over the tow line. I see. Now, besides the anti-aircraft bursts,
02:21did nothing else distract you? Well, not that I recall. Captain, weren't you engaged in reprimanding
02:27a seaman named Lugach at length for having his shirt tail out while the ship turned 360 degrees?
02:34Well, yes, I reprimanded him, but that only took two seconds. Now, on the morning the cane escorted
02:41attack boats of Marines to the beach. Did your orders include dropping a yellow die marker?
02:46Um, I don't recall. Did you drop a yellow die marker? I don't recall. Now, Captain, didn't you
02:56steam several hundred yards ahead of the attack boats, drop a yellow die marker, and retire at
03:01high speed, leaving the boats to make the beach on their own? The question is abusive and flagrantly
03:06leading. Mr. Greenwald, there can be no more serious charge against an officer than cowardice
03:10under fire. Sir, may I make one thing clear? It is not the defense's contention that Lieutenant
03:16Commander Quigg is a coward. Quite the contrary. The defense assumes that no man who rises to
03:22command the United States naval ship can possibly be a coward, and that therefore, if he commits
03:26questionable acts under fire, the explanation must be elsewhere. You may resume your examination.
03:33Captain, you seem to be the victim of constantly disloyal officers. Now, I didn't say that. Only
03:39some of them were disloyal. Mr. Keith and Mr. Merrick, for instance. Yes. Now, Mr. Quigg, this is a
03:45fitness report you wrote on Mr. Merrick, 1 July 1944, one month before he relieved you. Do you
03:51recognize it? Yes, I do. Would you mind reading your comments on Mr. Merrick? I don't believe the
04:02court can hear you, Mr. Quigg. This officer has improved in performance of duty since his last
04:09fitness report. He is consistently loyal, unflagging, thorough, courageous, and efficient. He is
04:13recommended for transfer to the regular Navy. Now, in relation to that report, I'd like to say that...
04:17Thank you, sir. Captain, did you ever turn your ship upside down in a vain search for a key that
04:21did not exist? I don't know what lies have been sworn to in this court, but I'd like to set you
04:27straight on this matter right here and now. A key definitely did exist. May it please the court,
04:30the witness is understandably agitated by this ordeal, and I request a recess to give him a
04:34I don't want a recess. I'll answer all questions right here and now. Did you conduct such a search?
04:39Yes, I did. As usual, my disloyal officers failed me and the key couldn't be found. As a matter of
04:46actual fact, wasn't this whole fuss over a quart of strawberries? The pilfering of food in large
04:51amounts of small is one of the most serious occurrences on board ship. Yes, but didn't you
04:56learn the mess boys had eaten the strawberries and that you were conducting a search for an
04:59imaginary key? I repeat, the key was not imaginary, and I don't know anything about mess boys eating
05:05strawberries. Captain, have you no recollection of a conversation with an Ensign Harding just prior
05:10to his leaving the cane? What about it? Well, didn't Ensign Harding tell you that the mess boys ate
05:15the strawberries? All that I remember is that he was very grateful for his transfer. His wife was
05:22ill in the States. Captain, do you know where Ensign Harding is now? I have no way of knowing.
05:27Ensign Harding is in San Diego. His wife is fully recovered. He has already been summoned and can be
05:32flown up here in three hours if necessary. Would it serve any useful purpose to have him testify?
05:36No, I don't see any need of that. Now that I recall, he might have said something about mess
05:49boys and then again he might not. I questioned so many men and Harding was not the most reliable
05:55officer. I'm afraid the defense has no other recourse than to produce Ensign Harding. Now,
06:01there's no need for that. I know exactly what he'll tell you, lies. He was no different from any other
06:05officer in the wardroom. They were all disloyal. I tried to run the ship properly with a book,
06:10but they fought me at every turn. If the crew wanted to walk around with their shirt tails
06:13hanging out, that's all right, let them. Take the tow line, defective equipment, no more no less,
06:17but they encouraged the crew to go around scoffing at me and spreading wild rumors about scheming in
06:23circles and and then old Yellowstain. I was to blame for Lieutenant Merrick.