Its themes are entirely relevant to this day, and even technically %u2013 with the integration of sound stage and open sea footage %u2013 it stands the test of time
Captains Courageous (1937)
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Reviews Counted: 14
Fresh: 13
Rotten:1
Average Rating: 7.6/10
Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: Based on Rudyard Kipling's classic novel, cast with top-notch actors, and helmed by Victor Fleming, an A-list director at the height of his craft, CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS is a golden-era classic. Freddie Bartholomew plays Harvey Cheyne, a... Based on Rudyard Kipling's classic novel, cast with top-notch actors, and helmed by Victor Fleming, an A-list director at the height of his craft, CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS is a golden-era classic. Freddie Bartholomew plays Harvey Cheyne, a wealthy, spoiled 12-year-old who falls overboard on his way to Europe. When he regains consciousness on a Gloucester fishing boat, the ship's captain (Lionel Barrymore) puts him to work next to his own son (Mickey Rooney). Harvey sulks at first, then begins a warm relationship with Manuel (Spencer Tracy), a simple Portuguese fisherman. Manuel and the other crew members teach Harvey about life at sea. In the process, he learns to care deeply for the experienced fisherman while becoming a valued crew member himself. But Harvey has one more lesson to learn before he is reunited with his father (Melvyn Douglas). The impact of Kipling's tale collides with Harold Rosson's gorgeous photography and the stellar ensemble troop to make this film a lasting favorite. [More]
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Freddie Bartholomew, Lionel Barrymore, Mickey Rooney
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Freddie Bartholomew, Lionel Barrymore, Mickey Rooney, Melvyn Douglas, Charley Grapewin, Christian Rub, John Carradine, Walter Kingsford, Leo G. Carroll, Charles Trowbridge
Director: Victor Fleming
Director: Victor Fleming
Screenwriter: John Lee Mahin, Marc Connelly, Dale Van Every
Story: Rudyard Kipling
Producer: Louis D. Lighton
Composer: Franz Waxman
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Release:
Jan 31, 2006
Reviews for Captains Courageous
One of the all time best. Adventure, love, and tears. Tracy and Bartholomew are terrific.
Once you accepted Spencer Tracy as a Portuguese fisherman, Victor Fleming's version of Kipling's sea-adventure novel is enjoyable and well-crafted by standards of the times.
While perhaps not the "all-time classic" that some of its contemporaries are, Captains Courageous still stands up pretty well today.
Bartholomew's transition from evil brat to nice kid is so subtle that it's surprising when you notice it.
Well-directed, well-acted coming-of-age tale that may have the most hard-bitten viewer in tears by the end.
One of cinema's greatest classic adventure stories is Captains Courageous (1937), an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's novel.
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