Captains Courageous (1937)

Director:

Victor Fleming

Writers:

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

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)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Norman Ainsley	...	Robbins (uncredited)
Wally Albright	...	Boy (uncredited)
Betty Alden	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
C.E. Anderson	...	Fisherman (uncredited)
William Arnold	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Art Berry Sr.	...	Capt. Anderson (uncredited)
Wade Boteler	...	Skipper of Blue Gill (uncredited)
Don Brodie	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Tommy Bupp	...	Boy on Ship (uncredited)
Leo G. Carroll	...	Burns (uncredited)
Charles Coleman	...	Burns - the Butler (uncredited)
Jimmy Conlin	...	Martin (uncredited)
Lester Dorr	...	Corridor Steward (uncredited)
Dora Early	...	Appleton's Wife (uncredited)
Bill Fisher	...	Crewman (uncredited)
Larry Fisher	...	Crewman (uncredited)
Billy Gilbert	...	Soda Steward (uncredited)
Roger Gray	...	Nate Rogers (uncredited)
Sherry Hall	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Henry Hanna	...	(uncredited)
Richard Howard	...	Crewman (uncredited)
Lloyd Ingraham	...	Skipper of Ship (uncredited)
Gladden James	...	Secretary Cobb (uncredited)
Jack Kennedy	...	Captain of Flying Swan (uncredited)
Katherine Kenworthy	...	Mrs. Disko (uncredited)
David Kerman	...	Reporter (uncredited)
James Kilgannon	...	Crewman (uncredited)
Murray Kinnell	...	Minister (uncredited)
Stubby Kruger	...	Crewman (uncredited)
Boots Lebaron	...	Boy (uncredited)
Myra Marsh	...	Chester's Wife (uncredited)
Philo McCullough	...	Crewman (uncredited)
Mira McKinney	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Edward Peil Sr.	...	Fisherman (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Crewman (uncredited)
Richard Powell	...	First Steward (uncredited)
Gene Reynolds	...	Boy in Print Shop (uncredited)
Christian Rub	...	Old Clement (uncredited)
Goldie Sloan	...	Black Woman (uncredited)
William Stack	...	Elliott (uncredited)
Jack Sterling	...	Crewman (uncredited)
Reggie Streeter	...	Boy (uncredited)
Frank Sully	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Gertrude Sutton	...	Nate's Wife (uncredited)
David Thursby	...	Tom (uncredited)
Charles Trowbridge	...	Dr. Dick Walsh (uncredited)
Lee Van Atta	...	Boy (uncredited)
Monte Vandergrift	...	Sailor on Flying Swan (uncredited)
Jay Ward	...	Pogey Williams (uncredited)
Bobby Watson	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Dave Wengren	...	Lars (uncredited)
Kenneth Wilson	...	Alvin Savage (uncredited)

Directed by
Victor Fleming

Writing credits
Rudyard Kipling		(novel "Captains Courageous")
John Lee Mahin		(screenplay) and
Marc Connelly		(screenplay) and
Dale Van Every		(screenplay)

Produced by
Louis D. Lighton	....	producer

Original Music by
Franz Waxman

Cinematography by
Harold Rosson

Film Editing by
Elmo Veron

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Makeup Department
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Art Department
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	associate art director (as Arnold Gillespie)
Edwin B. Willis	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Camera and Electrical Department
Harold J. Marzorati	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Bob Roberts	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Music Department
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Charles Maxwell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Clifford Vaughan	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Clifford Vaughan	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Franz Waxman	....	conductor (uncredited)

Other crew
James Curtis Havens	....	marine director (as James Havens)
Frank Barnes	....	business manager (uncredited)
Hertzel Effensachs	....	marine coordinator (uncredited)
Harry Marble	....	marine director (uncredited)
Ewing Scott	....	business manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1937) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1937) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1937) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1937) (France) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (1937) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Ibérica S.A. (1940) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Turner Entertainment (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Spain) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Italy) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cooperativa Doppiaggio Cinematografico (CDC) (I) (II)  post-synchronization: Italian version

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:

The only film where Freddie Bartholomew was allowed to play a less-than-virtuous character.

Goofs:

Continuity: Harvey hits Manuel twice on the left shin with an oar. Just a bit later, Manuel boasts to the crew about forcing him to work, saying that Harvey would do anything for him. "Maybe he break my leg, too". Manuel holds up his right (the wrong) leg and rubs it.

Quotes:

Harvey: I bet I know a lot of things you don't know. I know that's not French you're singing.
Manuel Fidello: That's right. About ten million people know it's Portugese.
Harvey: I bet you can't speak French.
Manuel Fidello: Right now, I sorry I speak *English*.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

What Shall We Do with The Drunken Sailor?

The golden age of child actors

A movie like this could only have been made in the early days of cinema. Before the days when fancy camera angles, careful editing, and computer-effects combine to make any pretty-boy a big star, movies had to rely on genuine talent on the part of child actors.

Nowhere is this more evident than with Freddie Bartholomew. The character he plays is a spoiled rich-kid, used to getting his own way and obnoxious with everyone he meets. Yet he plays the role in such a way that we can sympathize with him, rather than detest him. We understand the character, but we do not hate him.

Watch any similar movie made today, and the child actors will whine and sneer and have smart-mouthed replies to everything. In this movie, however, the character is not taken to that extreme, and when he makes his transition in the film we are able to love him, and are able to forget how horrid he was before.

The boy can truly act. When he cries for his loved ones, we cry with him. When he is happy, we are able to smile. And when he does something foolish, we do not get the urge to punch him in the face. The character is attractive by the end of the film, and that is a quality which few (if any) child actors possess today.

If you want to see a touching movie with superb acting and genuine emotion, this is the one.