MovieChat Forums > Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) Discussion > Bounty 1962 EPILOGUE - does anyone remem...

Bounty 1962 EPILOGUE - does anyone remember it?

posted 18 years ago by duraflex
18 replies | jump to latest

Does anyone remember that the 1962 version of Mutiny on the Bounty had an Epilogue? About 24 years after the mutineers arrived on Pitcairn Island, a British ship finally discovered where the mutineers had landed. In the movie epilogue, of the original crew, only one of the Bounty crew was still alive.

In the movie epilogue, I think that it was Brown the botantist who survived but I am not sure if I am remembering that correctly. The rest of the crew all died or killed off one another before they were discovered.

Fletcher Christian probably did not die as depicted in the 1962 movie. Some legends have it that he actually returned to England but that is widely doubted.

In reality, John Adams (aka Alexander Smith - the character played by swarthy Hugh Griffith) was the last survivor of the British crew. The original inhabitants numbered 28 including 9 Englishmen, 6 Tahitian men, 12 Tahitian women and one baby.

While alive on Pitcairn, the crew fathered children with the native women and many remained there for generations. In 1937, the population was 233. Most descendants emigrated to other places - many to New Zealand. Only 47 descendants of the mutineers live there to this day. The island made news in 2004 when 6 of the men were accused of child molestation. Several pleaded guilty.

A fascinating 9 minute documentary "Pitcairn Island today" is included on the DVD release of the 1935 film. With 50 some families, it looked like a far different place than it is in 2006.

Anyway, I only ever saw the 1962 movie epilogue once. Hopefully it will be included on the upcoming U.S. release of the DVD. Does anyone else remember it?

[–] SnorrSm1989 18 years ago

I have heard that the crew began to rebel against Christian, and that they actually killed him at last.

I didn't know that there was a epilogue, thank you very much for that information! Do you remember the title?

[–] lightcloud 18 years ago

Hi, the music for the scenes you discribed are on the 3 disc set from the film, the missing graveyard scene I hope will be in the forth coming S/E dvd.

It would be fantastic if a movie is made about the events after the Mutiny, although the real story may never be known , that is the facination.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] duraflex 18 years ago

The epilogue was at the end of the 1962 movie.

Since I first posted this thread, I have listened to the FULL Bounty trilogy books on tape which were researched and written by Nordhoff and Hall in the 1930s.

Contrary to the 1962 movie, Fletcher wanted the Bounty burned so that it could not be seen by passing ships. The mutineers and their Polynesian compatriots salvaged all that they could from the ship before destroying it.

Also, by their account, the Tahitian males killed all but three or four of the white men including Fletcher Christian. The Tahitian men were also killed by the survivors and their Polynesian wives. Main source of the problem - not enough women to go around. One of the white men built a still and a period of debauchery began. Eventually this was overcome when two of the mutineers used the Bounty's Bible as the cornerstone of their new civilization.

The Bounty landed at Pitcairn in 1790. Eighteen years later, only one Englishman - Adams/Smith - several middle-aged Tahitian women, and many children ranging from youngsters to Christian's 18 year old son were still alive when the American ship Topaz showed up in 1808. All the native adult men and the other English sailors were dead.

[–] dalves-1 18 years ago

And I though I was the only person who remembers this. Only I remember it as
a prolog. At the beginning of the picture. There is evidence of this in an alternate
recording of the Main Title which included a Prologue. See this link:
http://www.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm?ID=4135
This may have been in a roadshow version of the picture, and did not survive the
initial release of the movie.

[–] Mark_Marcon 18 years ago

I'm glad that there is an epilogue because I remember seeing it but was not sure. This is not on the video release which is 186 minutes and the new DVD states 185 minutes so hopefully it will be in as a deleted scene. It is Brown I believe.

[–] vorkapich 18 years ago

I saw this version of Mutiny on the Bounty in its original theatrical release. The ending then was as it is on versions I've seen on television: Christian dies, there are tears from the actress Tarita, there is a cut to a long shot of the scene, then a pan and tilt to a scene of the Bounty burning and slipping beneath the water, as the Bronislau Kaper soundtrack wells up and then subsides with a Tahitian chant--end title. No epilogue, and a good thing, too, as it would be flatly anticlimactic. Perhaps the viewer saw a sneak preview, or a very early release print? Or another movie entirely?

[–] brianfitz 17 years ago

Have just received my copy of the S/E DVD and yes the prologue and epilogue are contained as extras. The prologue starts with the last few seconds of the main credit titles and then goes on to scenes of HMS Briton arriving at Pitcairn in 1814 and the crew landing for fresh water supplies. There they discover the botanist Brown who proceeds to tell them the story which unfolds as a flashback starting with the Portsmouth Harbour sequence that we all know. The epilogue starts with scene of Maimiti grieving over Christians death,then the pan to the burning ship. This dissolves back to Brown finishing his story to the Captain and crew of HMS Briton. The film itself is spread over two discs and contains of course the Overture and Entr'acte (and as mentioned in other threads,the 3 disc CD issue of the score is a simple "must have" for anyone interested in Bronislau Kaper's wonderful score).

Brian

[–] lightcloud 17 years ago

Brin , please , where did you get the dvd from?, I cant find it yet, thanks.

[–] brianfitz 17 years ago

Hello Lightcloud. I ordered the dvd from the Canadian website DVDBOXOFFICE.COM I've always found their deliveries are quick and shipping is free. in fact I was surprised it arrived here in the UK some 5 days or so before the official release date! The cost was approx 33 canadian dollars (about £16.00). There are no additional commentaries on the discs but there is one up-to-date documentary about the Bounty now in Boothbay Harbor,Maine and some footage of the construction of her in Lunenberg. In addition there are some short vintage documentaries and promos from the early 60's. I haven't been through all the items yet but its good that this film has finally been released on dvd. Apparently the prologue and epilogue were removed before the release of the film but they last saw the light of day when the film was shown on tv in America in 1967. Hope you get hold of a copy soon. Regards Brian

[–] duraflex 17 years ago

Brianfitz- Very interesting update. Glad to hear you confirm the scenes with botanist Brown years after the Bounty was burned and the other male mutineers dead and gone.

How is the video and audio quality on the DVD? Is it a widescreen edition and did you play it on a standard 4x3 format TV or a widescreen flat panel HDTV?

Thanks, duraflex

[–] brianfitz 17 years ago

Duraflex. haven't had a chance to go through whole film yet-just first few minutes, but audio and video seem very good. It is widescreen (slightly wider than an old vhs copy that I have- now that really is grainy and washed out compared to this new dvd!) An HDTV? I wish!! No, I did play it on a widescreen tv but a crt one. I guess a flatscreen tv and upgraded dvd player would improve matters though!

Brian

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] brianfitz 17 years ago

Mike, Thats ok regards Brian

[–] dinky-4 15 years ago

I saw this on a reserved-seats "roadshow" run at the Capri Theatre in Kansas City back in 1962. There was no prolog and epilog. The ending was as "vorkapich" described in an earlier posting. It's remarkable that the four big spectacles of the early 1960s end with the death of their main characters: "Mutiny on the Bounty," "Spartacus," "Cleopatra," and "Lawrence of Arabia."

[–] duraflex 17 years ago

Finally got the "Mutiny on the Bounty" DVD. What a treat!!!

Loved seeing the EPILOGUE and PROLOGUE again for the first time in 40 years!

Interesting how some scenes can stick with you that long even if you've only seen them once.

DVD available for purchase through amazon.com - about $22 for the 2-DVD set.

[–] dalepostema 17 years ago

I remember well the prologue and epilogue as I mention in my posting on the
alternate versions and am delighted to see both are included in the new special
edition DVD.

[–] mariakelly-04164 7 years ago

I was going to repeat what the previous poster just said. BTW, I got my copy of the special edition for only $4.99 at a 7-11 of all places!

Laugh while you can, Monkey Boy!