Captains Courageous (1937)

A spoiled brat who falls overboard from a steamship gets picked up by a fishing boat, where he's made to earn his keep by joining the crew in their work.

Director:

Victor Fleming

Writers:

Rudyard Kipling (novel), John Lee Mahin (screen play)

Stars:

Spencer Tracy, Freddie Bartholomew, Lionel Barrymore

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Freddie Bartholomew	...	Harvey
Spencer Tracy	...	Manuel
Lionel Barrymore	...	Disko
Melvyn Douglas	...	Mr. Cheyne
Charley Grapewin	...	Uncle Salters
Mickey Rooney	...	Dan
John Carradine	...	'Long Jack'
Oscar O'Shea	...	Cushman
Jack La Rue	...	Priest (as Jack LaRue)
Walter Kingsford	...	Dr. Finley
Donald Briggs	...	Tyler
Sam McDaniel	...	'Doc' (as Sam McDaniels)
Bill Burrud	...	Charles (as Billy Burrud)

Storyline

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. Fortunately he's picked up by a fishing boat just heading out for the season. He tries to bribe the crew into returning early to collect a reward but none of them believe him. Stranded on the boat he must adapt to the ways of the fishermen and learn more about the real world.

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Plot Keywords:

boy | fishing boat | fishing | fisherman | spoiled brat | 

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Taglines:

The Most Exciting Picture Since "Mutiny On The Bounty"

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Family

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Portuguese

Release Date:

25 June 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rudyard Kipling's Captains Courageous

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,645,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Months before principal photography began, Victor Fleming sent a second-unit crew to Massachusetts to shoot footage in and around the quaint fishing town of Gloucester. While there, MGM purchased an authentic schooner called the Oretha F. Spinney and promptly transformed it into the We're Here of the film's story.

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Goofs

When tucking in Harvey, Mr. Cheyne puts the sheet over him covering everything but Harvey's face. In the next shot the sheet doesn't even cover Harvey's chest.

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Quotes

Manuel Fidello: My father was the best fisherman on the whole Madeira islands! And that's everyplace.
Harvey: Well, that's not so much.
Manuel Fidello: How you mean not so much?
Harvey: Well, I mean he didn't do much for you. I mean, he didn't leave you anything.
Manuel Fidello: He didn't leave - ? He-he leave me this hurdy-gurdy that his grandfather leave him! He teach me how to fish, how to sail boat! He give me arms and hands and feet, feeling good outside and he teach me how to feel good inside! My father do all this and he have 17 other kids beside - ...

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits are letters on planks, like the lettering on the side of ships, and between screen-fulls, a foaming wave of water splashes over it and then runs off. In the initial sets of credits, these appear to be actually letter-forms attached to the wood, as the water gets deflected by some of the letters; in later sets of credits, this effect is harder to see and the sets may be credits superimposed upon wood.

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Connections

Referenced in Animaniacs: A Hard Day's Warners/Gimme a Break/Please Please Please Get a Life Foundation (1995)

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Soundtracks

Ooh What a Terrible Man
(1937) (uncredited)
Lyrics by Gus Kahn
Music by Franz Waxman

User Reviews

they just don't make them like this anymore...

this has to be one of my favorite films ever. I loved it as a kid and the last time I happened to catch it on TV, i loved it just as much and cried just as hard. Freddy Bartholomew! what a fantastic little actor this kid was! and of course, the unparalleled Spencer Tracy as Manuel the fisherman we all love so much, is simply fantastic. i did not realize that this was a Fleming film, that explains a lot. All of my favorites from this era seem to have had this man at the wheel. He sure knew the right combination of sentiment, humor, melodrama, and reality to come up with a winner most of the time. I'm glad to see so many other votes and comments that echo (i guess i'm the echo tho, huh?) my own feelings about this film Its nice to know others also feel as strongly and as warmly about it as i always have. it sure deserves it.

I sing "Yo, ho little fish, don't cry, don't cry, Yo ho little fish don't cry, don't cry" to my kids at night thanks to Manuel. It always works too!