The Came Scrutiny

Herman Wouk's bestselling novel, The Caine Mutiny, seemed at first to be perfect movie material. The story of Lieut. Commander Queeg, U.S.N., a weakling, petty-minded skipper, and his incompetent reign over the destroyer-minesweeper Caine had romance, action, villainy, and as miserable a crew of sailors as ever took over a ship (TIME, April 9). The U.S. Navy, without whose "cooperation" the picture cannot be successfully filmed, let loose a broadside at the whole movie project. To Producer Stanley (Champion) Kramer, Information Chief Rear Admiral Robert Hickey wrote: "I believe your production would plant in the minds of millions the idea that life in the Navy is akin to confinement in a psychiatric institution."

If Kramer wants to go ahead with The Caine Mutiny, the Navy suggests that he l) drop the word "Mutiny" from the title, 2) clean up the Caine so it will seem to be a better ship, 3) raise the I.Q. of the enlisted men, and clean them up a little too, 4) go easy on Queeg's cowardice, 5) perk up the Caine wardroom so the officers will appear to be "ordinary, well-trained, neat, efficient people rather than a scurvy lot of misfits," 6) tone down one character's references to the "morons' who run the Navy, 7) present one episode, in which Queeg all but turns the ship upside down looking for a quart of! pilfered strawberries, as more the work oi a madman than of an Annapolis man.

Prodded from astern by the Reserve Officers' Association, Hickey also disclaimed all credit for the suggestion that Annapolisman Queeg be made a reserve officer instead of a regular. "Our reserves,' he assured one & all, "are the backbone of the Navy."

Producer Kramer, "amazed" at the Navy's blast, said last week: "This is all silly. Nobody has seen the screenplay yet. It isn't finished." When it is, Kramer is sure the Navy will like it fine.

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