![]() Laughton’s brilliance and depth of talent overflow in the scene (and all throughout the film), and his multi-faceted performance makes this monstrous captain real and believable. Frank Lloyd died in 1960 at the age of 74.įrom that point on “Bligh” never looks at “Christian” in the same way. He was married twice, the second time to screenwriter Virginia Kellogg. Directing over 130 films (the bulk of which were silent), he earned five Best Director Oscar nominations, winning two (one for 1929’s "The Divine Lady”, and a second for 1933’s “Cavalcade”, which also earned a Best Picture Oscar). Scottish born Frank Lloyd started his film career as an actor and writer in 1913, and began directing the following year. He earned a Best Director Academy Award nomination for his work (his fifth and final). ![]() Lloyd did a five-star job moving the story at a thrilling pace while with a captivating tone (even in harrowing moments). Donning sideburns and a mustache, Cagney did a day’s work as a shipmate extra, and David Niven, Dick Haymes, and Johnny Weissmuller were also reported as uncredited extras. Actor James Cagney (a family friend of Lloyd) was sailing around the island between film contracts and jokingly asked to be an extra in the film for some cash. A lot of the film was shot at Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles, a haven for Hollywood folk. Much of that footage became unusable, but some remains in the film (often as rear projection in scenes with the stars). Some cast, crew, and over 100 tons of film equipment sailed with one of the newly built Bounty ships to Tahiti to film exteriors, backgrounds, villages, and scenes with Tahitians. Actor Charles Laughton (playing "Bligh") requested they reproduce the uniform using the same material, and they did, which Laughton lost over fifty pounds to fit into. They were still in business and had retained Bligh’s measurements. Lloyd also tracked down the Gieves Company, who made the real Captain Bligh’s uniform. Under the supervision of MGM Art Director Cedric Gibbons, three exact replicas of the ship were built (two full sized, and one to scale at ⅕ the size used for special effects). With a desire for authenticity, Lloyd obtained copies of the original plans for the HMS Bounty. Though uncredited, head of MGM production Irving Thalberg produced the film with the intention of making it the studio’s prestige film of 1935, and gave it an enormous budget of just under $2 million. Enthralled with the story, he bought the rights to the 1932 novel and sold them to MGM with the caveat that he direct. The film came about because of its director, Frank Lloyd. This is the stuff that makes movies irresistible. The film methodically introduces us one by one to its colorful cast of characters, including the HMS Bounty, and a simple moment such as when the men lower the sails to begin their voyage turns it into a gloriously exciting explosion of pageantry and joy. MGM housed directors, cinematographers, musicians, composers, film editors, seamstresses, antiques, props, and just about everyone and everything needed to create a polished and satisfying look at life anywhere in the world in the late 1700s. ![]() With their vast wardrobe department and huge roster of actors, they could easily supply a bevy of supporting players, hundreds of extras, and the world’s hottest new star to lead them – all in full costumes, wigs, and make-up. With hundreds of carpenters, painters, art directors and designers on staff and at their disposal, they were able to build two full-sized HMS Bounty vessels, an English port off the California coast, and film exotic locales in both California and Tahiti. “Mutiny on the Bounty” clearly displays the strengths of the studio system, in particular MGM. There were eight major Hollywood studios, of which MGM was the largest and most profitable (in the world). Over 500 films were produced in Hollywood that year alone. According to “The MGM Story” by John Douglas Eames, in 1935 worldwide movie attendance had reached 220 million tickets per week. In addition to being a spectacular film that stands the test of time, “Mutiny on the Bounty” is a dazzling example of the well-crafted, masterful entertainment that Hollywood studios were capable of producing by the mid 1930s.
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