MISTER ROBERTS – Liberty 1965
This is the second episode of the 1965-66 television series based on the 1955 film of the same name. The film starred Henry Fonda, James Cagney, Jack Lemmon, William Powell and Ward Bond. The series stars Roger Smith as Mr. Roberts, Francis X Slattery in the Cagney role, George Ives in the Powell bit and Steve Harmon as Ensign Pulver. Jack Lemmon won an Oscar for his role in the film. The series ran for a total of 30 episodes.
This one starts with the crew helping out Ensign Pulver (Harmon) on one of his crazy ideas. The crew has rigged up a fake periscope on a washtub from the laundry. They toss this overboard in the dark and then call an alarm. The Captain, Slattery, believes in the dark that it is a Japanese sub and orders the crew to open fire. They pull the remains out of the sea and present it to the Captain.
Harmon hopes the Captain will be so pleased with the sub kill that he will give the crew leave at the next port. Mr. Roberts, (Smith) points out to Harmon that the Captain will most likely show the sub trophy to the higher ups. There is no way that the debris will fool a Navy expert.
Now the crew try to retrieve said debris from Slattery's cabin. This of course goes nowhere as Slattery has posted an armed guard at his door. They finally use a cutting torch to breach the Captain's outside wall and grab up the fake sub parts. Over the side it goes.
Slattery in not in the least amused and has the crew stand to quarters on the deck. He intends to keep them at attention without food or water till someone confesses. After half a day, Slattery offers four days leave if the item is returned. This is of course impossible since the thing was tossed overboard.
Smith makes a deal with Slattery to have the item returned, if Slattery lets the men off drill, and promises to give them the leave he offered. Slattery agrees. Smith soon has Harmon and the crew down below making up another fake periscope etc. This is handed over to the Captain.
The next day the ship hits port and Slattery can hardly wait to present the war trophy to the Admiral. Smith tells the Captain that the whole thing was a gag to wangle leave. Smith does not want Slattery to embarrass himself or the ship by taking the fake to the Admiral. Slattery of course does not believe him, and thinks it a plot to rob him of a promotion.
Needless to say, the Admiral, Barry Kelly and his staff, see the fake for what it is. They order Slattery to have a full medical exam and three days bed rest at the port hospital. Slattery now refuses to honour his deal for crew leave. Smith gets around these orders by having a big shin-dig on the ship, with plenty of nurse types from the hospital.
I was rather surprised just how humorous the episode was. Smith is quite good as the straight man to Harmon's over the top acting. Smith had just finished a long 136 episode run on the popular private detective series, "77 Sunset Strip". The guy has been married to Ann Margret since 1967. (Lucky Dog) Steve Harmon left show business in 1968 after only appearing in six different roles.
The cast includes Henry Gibson in an early role. Gibson would hit it big as a regular on the popular "Laugh In" series.
This is the second episode of the 1965-66 television series based on the 1955 film of the same name. The film starred Henry Fonda, James Cagney, Jack Lemmon, William Powell and Ward Bond. The series stars Roger Smith as Mr. Roberts, Francis X Slattery in the Cagney role, George Ives in the Powell bit and Steve Harmon as Ensign Pulver. Jack Lemmon won an Oscar for his role in the film. The series ran for a total of 30 episodes.
This one starts with the crew helping out Ensign Pulver (Harmon) on one of his crazy ideas. The crew has rigged up a fake periscope on a washtub from the laundry. They toss this overboard in the dark and then call an alarm. The Captain, Slattery, believes in the dark that it is a Japanese sub and orders the crew to open fire. They pull the remains out of the sea and present it to the Captain.
Harmon hopes the Captain will be so pleased with the sub kill that he will give the crew leave at the next port. Mr. Roberts, (Smith) points out to Harmon that the Captain will most likely show the sub trophy to the higher ups. There is no way that the debris will fool a Navy expert.
Now the crew try to retrieve said debris from Slattery's cabin. This of course goes nowhere as Slattery has posted an armed guard at his door. They finally use a cutting torch to breach the Captain's outside wall and grab up the fake sub parts. Over the side it goes.
Slattery in not in the least amused and has the crew stand to quarters on the deck. He intends to keep them at attention without food or water till someone confesses. After half a day, Slattery offers four days leave if the item is returned. This is of course impossible since the thing was tossed overboard.
Smith makes a deal with Slattery to have the item returned, if Slattery lets the men off drill, and promises to give them the leave he offered. Slattery agrees. Smith soon has Harmon and the crew down below making up another fake periscope etc. This is handed over to the Captain.
The next day the ship hits port and Slattery can hardly wait to present the war trophy to the Admiral. Smith tells the Captain that the whole thing was a gag to wangle leave. Smith does not want Slattery to embarrass himself or the ship by taking the fake to the Admiral. Slattery of course does not believe him, and thinks it a plot to rob him of a promotion.
Needless to say, the Admiral, Barry Kelly and his staff, see the fake for what it is. They order Slattery to have a full medical exam and three days bed rest at the port hospital. Slattery now refuses to honour his deal for crew leave. Smith gets around these orders by having a big shin-dig on the ship, with plenty of nurse types from the hospital.
I was rather surprised just how humorous the episode was. Smith is quite good as the straight man to Harmon's over the top acting. Smith had just finished a long 136 episode run on the popular private detective series, "77 Sunset Strip". The guy has been married to Ann Margret since 1967. (Lucky Dog) Steve Harmon left show business in 1968 after only appearing in six different roles.
The cast includes Henry Gibson in an early role. Gibson would hit it big as a regular on the popular "Laugh In" series.
