June 2, 1963 - Burl Ives and Walter Matthau have been signed for featured roles in “Ensign Pulver,” a Warner Brothers comedy. Robert Walker Jr. will portray the title character, while Mr. Ives and Mr. Matthau will play Captain Morton and a U.S. Navy doctor respectively. Joshua Logan, who directed the stage and screen versions of “Mister Roberts,” will produce and direct the film from his own screenplay based on the late Thomas Heggens’ “Mister Roberts” novel. Mr. Logan also shot scenes for the screen version of “Mister Roberts” after director John Ford fell ill. The story of “Ensign Pulver” deals with the U.S.S. Reluctant, a cargo ship in the waning days of World War II, which is at anchor beside a tropical island. The ship's captain (Ives) is as much of a tyrant as ever. In “Mister Roberts,” Jack Lemmon portrayed Ensign Pulver in an Oscar-winning performance.
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