Something I never noticed before X-Rated scene

You may be reading too much into that scene, though if it was deliberate it seems in keeping with John Ford's broad and heavy-handed "humor", which is what both Henry Fonda and Joshua Logan thought ruined the film, at least compared to the play, which was much better.

Two other things, though. First, I wouldn't call Mister Roberts a "war film". Yes, it's set during the war, but there is no "war" in it. The whole point was to examine the problems and frustrations of the men who served but never saw any fighting. MR is not a war film as that term is normally used, and everyone involved with it rejected any such characterization.

Second, the censor was called the "Hays" Office, although if you were making a double entendre of your own by spelling it "Haze", you were pretty much onto something. They spent most of their time in a haze.

Ha ha, I came here just to see if anyone else caught that. The sailor is gripping the telescope firmly with both hands, and it's pressed against his pants, just below the belt buckle, and pointing up at 45 degrees. He says, "I was just gettin' the hang of this thing, too." It had to have been done on purpose! They were just busted for spying on the showering nurses on the island.

I don't think it went too far. Kids watching wouldn't notice a thing. It's a perfect double entendre, and I'm impressed that the director got it in. It deftly illustrates one of the driving forces of the film that is otherwise tiptoed around, which is that the crew is incredibly horny after a year of no shore leave.

Another one I liked is when Martin Milner playing a shore patrol officer lists off the things that got thrown through a plate glass window by the drunken crew, including: "Bust of Balzac." (pause) "The French writer."

Bust of Balzac...hee hee.