Captains Courageous (1937)

Director:

Victor Fleming

Writers:

Rudyard Kipling (novel)
John Lee Mahin (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

25 June 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

The Most Exciting Picture Since "Mutiny On The Bounty"

Plot:

Harvey Cheyne is a spoiled brat used to having his own way. When a prank goes wrong onboard an ocean liner Harvey ends up overboard and nearly drowns...

Plot Keywords:

Fishing | Overboard | Fishing Boat | Spoiled Child | Sailing

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Freddie Bartholomew	...	Harvey Cheyne
Spencer Tracy	...	Manuel Fidello
Lionel Barrymore	...	Captain Disko Troop
Melvyn Douglas	...	Frank Burton Cheyne
Charley Grapewin	...	Uncle Salters
Mickey Rooney	...	Dan Troop
John Carradine	...	Long Jack
Oscar O'Shea	...	Captain Walt Cushman
Jack La Rue	...	Priest (as Jack LaRue)
Walter Kingsford	...	Dr. Finley
Donald Briggs	...	Bob Tyler
Sam McDaniel	...	'Doc' (as Sam McDaniels)
Bill Burrud	...	Charles Jamison (as Billy Burrud)

Also Known As:

Rudyard Kipling's Captains Courageous (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Portuguese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

UK:U | Norway:A (1937) | USA:TV-G | USA:Approved (certificate #2051) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | New Zealand:G | Germany:6 | Sweden:Btl (DVD rating) | Australia:G | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

This was one of the final films Lionel Barrymore made before his degenerative arthritis crippled him. The following year, he was hobbling around on crutches in Frank Capra's "You Can't Take It with You" (1938); after that, he was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Goofs:

Continuity: In one scene later in the movie, Manuel has Harvey by the neck with his left hand, but then changes to the right.

Quotes:

Frank Burton Cheyne: Elliot, I'm going to be a father again.
Elliott: Good Heavens, Mr. Cheyne.
Elliott: No, no no Elliot... just that it seems that smart little boys from so-called wealthy well-bred parents don't grow up very successfully by themselves.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Another Romance of Celluloid (1938)

Soundtrack:

Ooh What a Terrible Man

"Yo Ho, Little Fish, Don't Cry Don't Cry"

That was quite a catch that Spencer Tracy made that day in the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.

Young Freddie Bartholomew the spoiled son of tycoon Melvyn Douglas falls overboard off an ocean liner. By the merest chance, Spencer Tracy is in his dory fishing and reels in young Bartholomew. After his catch is made, Tracy returns to the boat that captain Lionel Barrymore is commanding.

It's quite a culture shock to the lad. He's fallen in literally with a bunch of people who work for a living and have no real interest in him because his Daddy's the richest guy around. Truth is Melvyn Douglas has been neglecting the kid for business and young Bartholomew is not really as bad a kid as originally thought. He joins the crew and becomes close to Tracy.

Of Tracy's two Oscar winning performances, the part of Manuel the Portugese fisherman, transplanted to New England is a bit more showy than Father Flanagan. It's a good blend of the roughneck characters Tracy was used to playing and the new father figure persona he adopted in San Francisco.

By necessity Tracy had to adopt an accent if for no other reasons than to distinguish him from the other members of Lionel Barrymore's crew and their clipped New England speech. The Portugese are a hearty, seafaring group though and I certainly never heard any complaint that his performance was in any way demeaning. Manuel's a simple guy, but with a good way of life and an appreciation for the important things life has to offer. That is what he imparts to Freddie Bartholomew.

Melvyn Douglas does not get enough recognition for this film. Just as Freddie Bartholomew is not a bad kid at heart, Douglas is not a bad man either. His performance as a man who lost his only child and then had him miraculously returned from the dead is touching. And the scenes where he tries to repair his relationship with young Bartholomew are poignant.

Lionel Barrymore is the perfect conception of a hearty New England fishing boat captain. As Freddie Bartholomew watches the interaction between Barrymore and Mickey Rooney, father and son, sharing not just playtime, but the father's profession, he realizes what he and Melvyn Douglas have missed out on.

Of the crew also pay close attention to John Carradine who resents and then accepts Bartholomew with the crew.

The fishing scenes are well done and Director Victor Fleming gives you a good picture of life on a commercial fishing vessel.

Captains Courageous is a fine family film in every sense of the word.