Charles Laughton, Clark Gable, Dudley Digges

The highlight of Mutiny on the Bounty is undoubtedly Charles Laughton's bracingly evil performance as Captain Bligh, a man so mean that he insists on having a dead sailor flogged. Bligh pushes ...( read more  read more... )his men beyond physical endurance, slashes their rations for his own profit, and drastically cuts down their frolicking time with scantily clad Tahitians. Finally, the moment everyone has been waiting for arrives: first mate Fletcher Christian (Clark Gable) hits his limit and all hell breaks loose. Gable holds doggedly onto his American accent through the entire movie, but in a way it makes Christian come off as a Regular Guy in opposition to Bligh's institutionalized cruelty. Once you get past the hurdle of his diphthongs, Gable makes an excellent Fletcher Christian--strong, fair, and noble, and he effectively conveys the struggle of a man who loathes the idea of mutiny but can't stand see his men mistreated. And Charles Laughton is just superb. His Bligh is thoroughly appalling, yes, but it's far from a one-note performance--when he is cast adrift on the open sea in a lifeboat and tries to make an impossible journey to land, you can't help but root for him. Mutiny on the Bounty won the 1935 Academy Award for Best Picture and picked up a Leading Actor nomination for each of its male leads. Check it out or be tied to the mizzenmast. --Ali Davis

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78% liked it

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27 critics

Unrated, 132 min.

Directed by: Frank Lloyd

Release Date: January 1, 1935

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DVD Release Date: February 3, 2004

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Flixster Reviews (241)


  • May 9, 2009
    1935 was a good year for seafaring adventure stories. this may be the best of all time and has to be laughton's greatest performance. clark gable's good too. not considered historically accurate but makes a great film :)
  • September 26, 2008
    Captain Blight's terrible cruelty on the Bounty affirms his position as one of the greatest villians. However it is not the final result of the voyage that interests, but rather how an honorable officer of the British fleet could have turned on his Captain. The story focuses on t...( read more)he journeys to and from the island because it is more important than the actual arrival at Haiti . More than anything a fascinating study of ship psychology based on a true story.
  • August 18, 2009
    I loved the Brando version and Gibson's was very good also.
  • November 24, 2009
    A superb and magnificent classic with an unforgettable performance from Charles Laughton, as Captain Bligh. Clark Gable and Franchot Tone also give great performances. Good supporting cast, impeccable MGM production. Very well written and directed. Outstanding in all areas.
  • November 15, 2009
    truly a classic film!!!! wat good films shood b made off....great mix of studio locations and real locations..... charles laughton and gable where amazin
  • September 12, 2009
    Clark Gable is the handsome guy in this perfectly shot and directed adventure-epic story about te ship's crew revealing against the cruel Captain Bligh. Your eyes will be filled with beautiful cinematography... in excess.

    91/100
  • July 21, 2009
    Wow. The front cover and Clark Gable is already shirtless!
  • June 21, 2009
    The Original classic! Perfect in acting, directing, and historical plot!
  • June 12, 2009
    Mutiny On the Bounty (1935)

    This story has been told countless times, but somehow, I always come back to this one again; Charles Laughton as Captain Bligh and Clark Gable as Fletcher Christian. I know that Marlon Brando may have been more accurate, and Mel Gibson may have been ...( read more)almost as hot, but Gable still did it pretty damned good.

    It dealt with how British sailors were mis-treated, basically like slaves to be kidnapped and whipped to death at the whim of the Captains. And, never there was more so drastically a difference shown than being in paradise in Tahiti.

    Although Gable's Fletcher Christian did the same things as Brando's or Gibson's, you could see it in his eyes how he had taken it too far, but needed to ride it out to the bitter end anyway. I know it's strictly Hollywood, but this movie is very well made.
  • May 27, 2009
    it really draws you in the the story.

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Mutiny on the Bounty Trivia


  • in the film" mutiny on the bounty" what was the name of the ship?  Answer »
  • What Best Picture winner failed to win any other Academy Awards?  Answer »
  • Marlon Brando star in the 1962 classic of the take-over on a sailing ship by its crew. Can you name the movie?  Answer »
  • Complete the title of this 1935 movie: "Mutiny on the ______"  Answer »

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