Ensign Pulver (Warner Bros.) (1964)

The Cast MAE PERRIS oc... nu 3k an RAL SIAGUPORD cao Larry Mlagman 5.04 2a ee Billings Gerald O'Loughlin ..csc ee. LaSeur Ol PSGR. 5 ee ee Ai Preeiaa ited. eee ce a es Taru MTSE RTONUNIG seo congas Insigna WAINOS OOO s kore es Skouras on Dere ice s. aoatnurenies | Ne a ee Rober Maide f° oom a. Diane SanesstGdk cl ocee. Lanzisna®s cS RS FT ae ase ie eee are erp ee — The Credits — Produced and Directed by ........ Joshua Logan Assocate Producer ..........c.s.s0c0e0c0+0+ Ben Kadish Screenplayibysid mcs a. meso J. Logan and Peter S. Feibleman Based on a play by ................ Thomas Heggen and Joshua Logan From a Nevelsoy 2.68 Sau ae. T. Heggen As produced on stage by........ Leland Hayward Director of Photography .. . Charles Lawton, A.S.C Assistamt Dweetor: is4..3..4-0 Daniel McCauley DGS Ee eri oe tone ters emt. cae: George Duning NOUN GO Sie ribe ewe ime M. A. Merrick Art Direefot: xsiikantasaien oss Leo K. Kuter Costumes Designed by .......... Dorothy Jeakins Makeup Supervisor .......... Gordon Bau, S.M.A. Supervising Hair Stylst . . . Jean Burt Reilly, C.H.S. Set Decorator: ...625 24.3, William R. Kiernan ss Sue Tepes Joseph Curtis — The Billins — Warner Bros. 25% Pictures Presents 5% Joshua Logan's 100% production of “ENSIGN PULVER" 100% Starrng ROBERT WALKER 75% BURL IVES 75% WALTER MATTHAU 75% TOMMY SANDS 75% MILLIE PERKINS 37\/,% KAY MEDFORD 37\/4% Technicolor® 15% Panavision 20% Music George Duning 5% Associate Producer Ben Kadish 15% Based on the Play by Thomas Heggen and Joshua Logan |0% Screenplay by Joshua Logan 15% and Peter S. Feibleman 15% Produced and Directed by Joshua Logan 15% PAGE 8 The Synopsis (Not for Publication) Life aboard a U. S. Navy cargo ship in the South Pacific in the year 1945 is not happy. The overbearing manner of the captain (BURL IVES) has _ produced apathy and despair among crew and officers alike. But when the captain refuses a leave to Bruno (TOMMY SANDS) to attend the funeral of his child, the mood on the ship turns to seething rage. At the showing of a movie which the captain requires the crew to attend, Ensign Pulver (ROBERT WALKER) sees his chance to strike a blow for justice’s sake by converting his sling-shot from a toy to a weapon. With the encouragement of the ship’s doctor (WALTER MATTHAU), Pulver wings a_tack-studded pellet into the captain’s rear. In the ensuing uproar, the captain puts the whole ship on punitive duty, but the men rejoice at the vengeance wrought by one of their number whom they dub “The Great Assassin.” A crew party, complete with synthetic booze, is staged in the ship's laundry, a domain controlled by Ensign Pulver, and a secret ballot is taken as to the identity of the “Assassin.” When Pulver learns he received not a single vote, he chases the crew out of the laundry. The result for Pulver is the silent treatment from everyone. Landing on an obscure island for supplies, Pulver encounters a group of U. S. Army nurses who wait for their ‘plane to refuel. The head nurse (KAY MEDFORD) makes a half-hearted attempt to keep Pulver away from one of her charges, Scotty (MILLIE PERKINS), to whom he has taken a fancy. When the ensign and the nurse snuggle down for a bit of romance, Pulver confesses his feelings of inferiority. Scotty encourages him to study for the doctor he would like to be, and Pulver returns to his ship restored in spirit. Somewhat recovered from his wound, the captain orders the ship to proceed to a destination through a storm, and retires to his cabin. Bruno, carrying a stolen revolver, sneaks in and attempts to kill him. The sailor is stopped by Pulver, but the captain falls overboard during the melee. Against his own inclinations, Pulver cuts loose a life-raft and saves the captain's life. They wind up adrift together on the open sea. Under the rigors of ocean and sun the captain loses control of himself and rambles through confessions about his early life which reveal the reasons for his present-day conduct. Pulver makes a written record of the captain’s mouthings. Aboard the ship it is finally discovered the two are missing and the Navy is brought in to search for them, without success. The pair in the life-raft finally reach an island. There Pulver finds the head nurse and Scotty, victims of a forceddescent by their ‘plane. The head nurse confirms Pulver’s hunch that the captain is ill of appendicitis and in need of immediate surgery. She refuses, however, to perform the operation. Contact is made via the plane’s radio with Pulver’s ship, and the captain is prepared for the knife by getting him drunk. Under great stress, and following radioed orders from the doctor on the ship, Pulver successfully completes the surgery. The two men then return to their ship. His experience has taught the captain nothing. When he learns that Bruno was given leave while he was gone, the captain reverts to his characteristic tactics. Morale on the ship once more hits bottom. But Pulver will have no more of this. Waving his notes of the captain’s confessions, he forces the senior officer to ask for his own transfer. As the captain goes off in a launch, Pulver turns out to be the hero he always wanted to be. (Running Time: 104 Minutes) Campaign Plan Manager Warner Bros. Pictures 666 Fifth Avenue New York 19, N. Y. accessories: Order Blank for ENSIGN PUL VER’ Please send me the following ‘ENSIGN PULVER’ Sets of Door Panels (P. 2 and 3) Special Publicity Mat (P. 7) Sets of Window Cards for Book Tie-up (P. 4) Special 16 mm Featurette (P. 4) Television Spots (P. 5)