Marine Dress/movie question

[Chaz]

In the movie "The Caine Mutiny," Jose Ferrer played a Marine lawyer named Greenberg. During the interview scenes he wore the olive uniform of a Marine pilot but later wore a Navy dress blue uniform during the trial. Was the switch to the Naval uniform a normal practice 50-60 years ago or might the director have done it for artistic effect in the movie? Thanks, BK

[Oyaji]

I'm not familiar with the scene you mentioned but, could it be the lawyer in question was actually a naval officer wearing the aviation green uniform and then later on wearing his dress blues? Aviation greens are oftentimes mistaken for a USMC uniform. Just a thought.

[Conductor]

In the scene where you first see Jose Ferrer AKA Barney Greenwald, he is wearing a US Navy uniform that was called "Aviation Winter Working Greens". The uniform closely resembles a Marine "Winter Service" uniform, but you will notice that Greenwald/Ferrer has the two stripes of a Navy Lieutenant on his sleeves. In addition, he is wearing a black tie, while a Marine would be wearing a khaki tie.
This uniform was regulation for Naval Aviators (including CPOs) up into the 1980s, but I haven't seen one in the past 20 years or so.
Since Greenwald was a Naval officer, his appearance at the court-martial would require him to wear his dress blues.
And by the way: Did you notice that one of the witnesses had his rating badge on his right arm, instead of his left? There were five ratings that were called "right-arm rates": Boatswain's Mate, Gunner's Mate, Machinist's Mate, Quartermaster, and Torpedoeman.

[Chaz]

Lee Marvin played that witness. Thanks to both of you for the education on Naval aviator uniforms. B

[Conductor]

Actually, Lee Marvin played the character known as "Meatball", who was a Seaman 1/c. If I remember correctly, the guy with the right arm rate was a First Class Quartermaster named Stillwell, the guy who was on the helm at the time of the mutiny. Captain Queeg wanted to come about to heading 180, and Lt. Maryk, the officer of the deck (Van Johnson) wanted to continue on their present course of 000. After several go-arounds, the Quartermaster at the helm turned to Robert Francis, who played the part of Ensign Willis Keith, and said "Mr. Keith! What do I do?"

I've got the videotape in my WW2 film library. I'll have to fish it out and look at it tonight.

[Chaz]

All I recall at the moment is that it's a wonderful movie. But I think Conductor is correct. It's time for me to watch it for the umteenth time. And yes, it was Greenwald, not Greenberg. His line "I'm drunker than you are so it might be a fair fight" is one of the great ones from literature. Thanks again to you all. B