Editing John Frankenheimer (section)

===''The Extraordinary Seaman'' (1969)===

Frankenheimer's first foray into “light comedy” represents a major departure from his often dystopian and dramatic work addressing social issues and his big budget action films.<ref>Axmaker, 2010 TCM: “...Though he'd shown darkly satire edges in ''The Manchurian Candidate'' (1962) and ''Seconds'' (1966), he was known as a director of serious dramas with social concerns.” And: “...more farce than satire...a light comedy.”<br>Pratley, 1969 p. 165-166: Pratley distinguished ''The Extraordinary Seaman'' from Frankenheimer's “big pictures” (e.g. Grand Prix and The Train)</ref> ''The Extraordinary Seaman'' presents a menagerie of misfit characters set in the final days of World War II in the Pacific theatre. British Lt. Commander Finchhaven, R. N. ([[David Niven]]), a ghost, is condemned to a [[Flying Dutchman]]-like existence, roaming the seas in his ship ''Curmudgeon'' in search of redemption for his shameful ineptitude during a [[World War I]] combat mission. During [[World War II]], the ''Curmudgeon'' is chartered, then beached on a remote Pacific Island by party goers. Four castaway American sailors stumble upon the unseaworthy vessel:  Lt. Morton Krim ([[Alan Alda]]), Cook 3/C W.W. J. Oglethorpe ([[Mickey Rooney]]), Gunner's Mate Orville Toole ([[Jack Carter (comedian)|Jack Carter]]) and Seaman 1/C Lightfoot Star ([[Manu Tupou]]). Jennifer Winslow ([[Faye Dunaway]]), the proprietor of a jungle garage, provides supplies to repair the derelict ''Curmudgeon'' for passage off the island. Commander Finchaven enlists the largely incompetent crew to seek out and sink a Japanese battleship and thus vindicate his family honor. The 79-minute picture depicts the crew's subsequent “hazards and misadventures.”<ref>Axmaker, 2010 TCM: “It's a wartime comedy of a misfit unit and a Captain of questionable pedigree, a military farce, a slapstick romance and a crazy ghost story all in one strange package...incompetence of the characters on screen.”</ref><ref>Pratley, 1969 p. 163-164: See Synopsis for detailed sketch.<br>Axmaker, 2010 TCM: “..the fourth feature for rising star Faye Dunaway, who was fresh off [director Arthur Penn's] ''Bonnie and Clyde'' (1967).”</ref> 
''The Extraordinary Seaman'', based on a screenplay and story by [[Phillip Rock]], is a spoof of war-time conventions and clichés which integrates newsreel clips from the period for comic effect.<ref>Pratley, 1969 p. 165-166: “...spoofing war…While [the characters] are not exactly endearing, they are treated and shown with sympathy and dignity.” And p. 172: Frankenheimer on the use of newreel clips and combat footage used for satire.</ref><ref name="ChamplinFrankenheimer1995">{{cite book |author1=Charles Champlin |author2=John Frankenheimer |author3=Directors Guild of America |title=John Frankenheimer: a conversation |url=https://archive.org/details/johnfrankenheime00fran|url-access=registration |date=May 1995 |publisher=Riverwood Press |pages=[https://archive.org/details/johnfrankenheime00fran/page/103 103]|isbn=9781880756096 }}</ref>
{{quote box|width=30em|bgcolor=cornsilk|fontsize=100%|salign=center|quote= “I don't think you can make an anti-war film by killing a lot of people and by showing ‘how horrible war is’ in the last five minutes after you’ve had two hours of fun with machine guns and bombs...I mean, one of the most atrocious war films ever made is ''[[The Green Berets (film)|The Green Berets]]'' (1968). I'm against violence like this...I think it's totally wrong that at the end of it they try to justify all this violence by some pretentious statement. I will not make a film like that. I don't believe in it.”—John Frankenheimer in Gerald Pratley's ''The Cinema of John Frankenheimer'' (1969)<ref>Pratley, 1969 p. 172</ref>}}

Frankenheimer engages in a [[mock-heroic]] burlesque, titling the film's episodes “Grand Alliance”, “The Gathering Storm”, “Their Finest Hour”, The Hinge of Fate” and “Triumph and Tragedy”, borrowed from [[Winston Churchill]]'s post-war memoirs.<ref>AFI: “The story is broken into segments, each titled to match five of U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill's six installments of his World War II memoirs.”</ref>

Filmed during the [[Vietnam War]], film historian Gerald Pratley discerns “a strong thematic relationship” between Frankenheimer's opposition to US invasion of Indo-China and ''The Extraordinary Seaman''. Frankenheimer recalls that he and screenwriter Phillip Rock “decided we could really use this premise [of a ghostly naval officer] to make an anti-war statement. I think we did, and it terrified MGM."<ref>Pratley, 1969 p. 169 “thematic relationship” And p. 171-173: Frankenheimer: Co-screenwriter [[Hal Dresner]] “is very much against the war in Vietnam (which I am too)...”</ref><ref>Axmaker, 2010 TCM</ref>

[[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] delayed the release of the film for two years, reportedly due its poor response among critics and “dismal screenings”, though Frankenheimer attributes the delay to legalities obtaining release of historic newsreel footage.<ref>Barson, 2021: “''The Extraordinary Seaman'' was released in 1969, after having sat on the shelf for two years. It was Frankenheimer's first comedy and one of his most poorly received films...”<br>Axmaker, 2010 TCM: “More likely, MGM was scared off after a string of dismal screenings for exhibitors and critics, where the response was tepid at best. MGM held up the film for two years, and then gave it a nominal release before it disappeared except for infrequent television showings.”<br>Pratley, 1969 p. 172</ref><ref>AFI: “...the picture contains at least ten minutes of newsreel footage...the release date had been delayed while filmmakers underwent the process of matching the material to the rest of the color Panavision footage.”</ref> The studio made only perfunctory efforts to promote and exhibit the film after ''The Extraordinary Seaman''’s poor critical reviews and weak box-office response.<ref>AFI: “Despite the high profile of director John Frankenheimer and the popularity of Faye Dunaway following her star turn in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), ''The Extraordinary Seaman'' was poorly received by critics and not distributed for a large scale release.” And: “Var box-office reports indicated scattered local openings” across the US.</ref>