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Captains Courageous
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Captains Courageous (1937) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   3,048 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 11% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Victor Fleming
Writers:
Rudyard Kipling (novel)
John Lee Mahin (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Captains Courageous on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 June 1937 (USA) more
Genre:
Adventure | Drama more
Tagline:
The Most Exciting Picture Since "Mutiny On The Bounty" more
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... more | add synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations more
User Comments:
"Yo Ho, Little Fish, Don't Cry Don't Cry" more

Cast

  (Complete credited 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)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Rudyard Kipling's Captains Courageous (USA) (complete title)
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Runtime:
115 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Portuguese
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
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 | Australia:G | Finland:S

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The only film where Freddie Bartholomew was allowed to play an evil character. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Harvey's position, and his hat, change after being hit by the captain. more
Quotes:
Manuel Fidello: Wake up, Little Fish. Hey, wake up, wake up! Somebody think you dead, they have celebrations. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies (2006) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Blow The Man Down more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
27 out of 30 people found the following comment useful:-
"Yo Ho, Little Fish, Don't Cry Don't Cry", 5 November 2005
10/10
Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

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.

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