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:

When Spencer Tracy received his Oscar statuette for this movie, he was surprised to find it inscribed to comic-strip hero "Dick Tracy". An embarrassed Academy replaced the statuette.

Goofs:

Continuity: Captain Troop smacks Harvey knocking him to the floor. Harvey has a hat on when is hits the floor, but in the next edit the hat is gone.

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:

Referenced in "M*A*S*H: Captains Outrageous (#8.13)" (1979)

Soundtrack:

What Shall We Do with The Drunken Sailor?

We all need a lesson in selflessness.

Some people don't know selflessness until they experience something extreme, like what happens in "Captains Courageous". Harvey Cheyne (Freddie Bartholomew) is the most spoiled kid whom anyone could ever imagine. After falling off of a ship, he gets picked up by Portuguese fisherman Manuel Fidello (Spencer Tracy), who teaches him selflessness and various other life lessons.

Spencer Tracy won a well deserved Oscar for his performance. Manuel is a person who, while not having much materially, has a lot to teach. He humbly improvises songs and just loves to go fishing, a stark contrast to Harvey's life of luxury. It doesn't suffice to call "Captains Courageous" a morality lesson; it's about life in general. 10/10.