'Mr Roberts' defends his crew against the petty tyranny of the ship's commanding officer during World War II. Nearly all the action takes place on a backwater cargo ship, the USS Reluctant , that sails from apathy to tedium with occasional side trips to monotony and ennui. This irreverent, often hilarious story about the crew of the Reluctant has enjoyed wide and enduring popularity. Heggen based his novel on his experiences aboard the USS Virgo in the South Pacific during World War II, and began as a collection of short stories. Filmed in 1955 starring Henry Fonda, James Cagney and Jack Lemmon.