The Old Man and the Sea (1958)

An old Cuban fisherman's dry spell is broken when he hooks a gigantic fish that drags him out to sea. Based on Ernest Hemingway's story.

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Ernest Hemingway (novel), Peter Viertel

Stars:

Spencer Tracy, Felipe Pazos, Harry Bellaver

Won 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Spencer Tracy	...	The Old Man / Narrator
Felipe Pazos	...	The Boy (as Felipe Pazos Jr.)
Harry Bellaver	...	Martin
Don Diamond	...	Cafe Proprietor
Don Blackman	...	Hand Wrestler
Joey Ray	...	Gambler
Mary Hemingway	...	Tourist
Richard Alameda	...	Gambler
Tony Rosa	...	Gambler
Carlos Rivero	...	Gambler
Robert Alderette	...	Gambler
Mauritz Hugo	...	Gambler

Storyline

Now an old man, a lifelong fisherman sets out to sea to ply his trade as he has done all of his life. He's not had much good fortune of late and has gone almost three months without a major catch while others are catching one or even two large marlins every week. Many of the locals make fun of him and some say he's too old now to be fishing but he still loves what he does and is encouraged by a young boy who loves him and has faith in him. On this day he hooks the fish of a lifetime, a marlin that is larger than his skiff. As it slowly pulls him out to sea, the old man reminisces about his past, his successes and the high points of his life. When he does finally manage to land the fish he has to fight off sharks who are feeding on it as he tries to return to his Cuban village.

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Plot Keywords:

fish | fisherman | sea | cuban | old man | 

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Taglines:

SPENCER TRACY in his most suspenseful role...ERNEST HEMINGWAY'S story of Heroism...Defeat...Victory!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 October 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

El viejo y el mar

Filming Locations:

Cojimar Bay, Havana, & Boca de Jaruco, Cuba

Company Credits

Production Co:

Leland Hayward Productions, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Warnercolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mary Hemingway, who was Ernest Hemingway's fourth wife and widow, played the shocked tourist at the end of the film.

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Goofs

(at around 30 mins) There's a white fishing line extending upward from the marlin as it jumps out of the water, which is impossible because Spencer Tracy is sitting at water level. As explained in the end titles, this footage was obtained when a man named Gassell caught a record-sized Marlin at the Cabo Blanco Fishing Club in Peru.

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Connections

Version of The Old Man and the Sea (1999)

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Soundtracks

"Cancion del Pescador"
(uncredited)
Music by Dimitri Tiomkin
Lyrics by Nestor Amaral

User Reviews

Excellent adaptation that consistently supports that main point of the story throughout

Excellent adaptation of Ernest Hemmingway's award winning work makes the following point: That catching the ordinary one is a function of individual luck. Catching the extraordinary one, however, is a delicate balance of an individual's strength, experience, and skill. Storyline: An old, master fisherman, second-guessed by his younger peers for a failure to make a catch in 84 days, nevertheless perseveres day-after-day -- steadfastly driven by a tremendous belief in self, ability, and the anticipation that puts him only one day's luck away from landing the "big one." When the big one is finally hooked, it turns out that hauling it in is more important for reaffirming belief in self and disproving detractors than it is for the prize itself.