Captains Courageous (1937)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

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

Colour:

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:

Manuel Fidello: Wake up, Little Fish. Hey, wake up, wake up! Somebody think you dead, they have celebrations.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Red Skelton Show: Captains Outrageous (#12.31)" (1963)

Soundtrack:

Ooh What a Terrible Man

"Yo Ho, Little Fish, Don't Cry Don't Cry"

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.