- The fishing schooner We’re Here has just pulled up a different kind of fish: rich, 10-year-old Harvey Cheyne, who tumbled off the side of a sleek ocean liner. Harvey will have to wait months before the We’re Here returns to harbor, months that will transform him from a spoiled whiner into an honorable young man – all because of the life lessons he learns from Manuel, the humble fisherman who befri
The fishing schooner We’re Here has just pulled up a different kind of fish: rich, 10-year-old Harvey Cheyne, who tumbled off the side of a sleek ocean liner. Harvey will have to wait months before the We’re Here returns to harbor, months that will transform him from a spoiled whiner into an honorable young man – all because of the life lessons he learns from Manuel, the humble fisherman who befriends him. From Rudyard Kipling’s classic, Captains Courageous thrills with its seagoing action, grand scale and all-star cast. But what gives it full-masted magnificence is the chemistry between Freddie Bartholomew (Harvey) and Spencer Tracy (Manuel). Tracy won his first Best Actor Academy Award?* for his towering portrait of the father we all wish for: virile, patient, wise and protective. Set sail for cinema glory.The award-winning 1937 version of Kipling’s classic Captains Courageous finds spoiled-rotten brat Harvey Cheyne (Freddie Bartholomew) well on the way to becoming a horrible adult, under the illusion that money can buy all happiness. The little monster falls off a cruise ship, and is fished out of the drink by Portuguese fisherman Manuel (Spencer Tracy) and brought back to his fishing boat. Though the overprivileged lad initially chafes at being put to work aboard the smelly vessel, he eventually learns the value of a day’s work and learns lessons in life that make him a functional person and bring him several steps closer to manhood. Despite Tracy’s indeterminate accent, he excels in his role as the boy’s friend, and enthusiastic performances from the rest of the cast bring this coming-of-age tale to life. It’s a film that has lost none of its sentimental appeal (or occasional hamminess) over the years and should have an all-ages appeal to fans of Hollywood classics. –Jerry Renshaw
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May 2, 2008
#1
The movie itself was ok, especially Freddie bartholomew’ acting. But Spencer Tracy gave a horrible performance. I sure hope he didn’t win any awards for this. He doesn’t even come close to a Portugese accent, or any other kind of accent for that matter.
Spencer Tracy’s take on a Portugeese accent is to talk in broken english. Like they used to portray the Indian’s in the old westerns. It comes off more as some sort of mentally deficient person speaking in broken english, such as ‘Manuel no like you. Wish you not here’.
It’s got to be the worst accent in the history of film making.
And then there’s the lack of realism. Half the time there is no one steering the ship. In real life, someone would be at the helm 24 hours a day. On this ship, no one steers at night. When the ship is racing back to port at the end of the movie, in the distant shots it’s pounding through heavy 10 foot sea’s. But when they close in on the actors, the deck isn’t moving at all. They just stand there as if the ship were floating on a pond.
And at the end of the movie, when Spencer Tracy’s character is cut in half below the waist. He’s not even in pain. He survives in the water for at least 5 minutes with nothing but a torso and a head. This is what really spoiled the movie. The only saving grace is Freddie Batrholomew’s portrayal of Harvey.
May 2, 2008
#2
This movie is a great story, but Mickey Rooney did not have enough part in this film. He is only seen a couple times for a brief moment. I bought this film hoping to see more of him since he is my favorite actor and was sorely disappointed. Spencer Tracy is just great in this movie. This is one of Spencer Tracy’s best performances. So, if you are a Tracy fan I would highly recommend this movie. Freddie Barthomew was outstanding and was the main character of the movie. So, I say all that to say this. It’s a great movie, but if you are a Mickey Rooney fan you will be sorry not to see him in the movie often.
May 2, 2008
#3
Rudyard Kiplings beautiful novel, Captain’s Courageous, is about the experiences of a rich, spoiled 15 year old boy who must adapt to the working man’s life on a fishing schooner after falling off a luxurious ocean liner. The part didn’t really fit Freddie Bartholonew, who was about 13 at the time and looked no more than 10. But he was a very popular child actor with lots of box office draw, so Hollywood destroyed the character of Harvey Cheyne in an effort to make it fit Freddie Bartholomew. It wasn’t Bartholomew’s fault, but it spoiled the film. Another version was released in 1977 starring Karl Malden, Ricardo Montalban, and Jonathan Kahn as Harvey Cheyne. This is an execellent version, and the one I would like to see made available on DVD.
May 2, 2008
#4
In my opinion, this is the among the worst movie adaptations of a great novel! The writers thought they could improve upon Kipling’s great story by killing the Mother, ignoring the great relationships between Harvey, Captain Disko and his son, creating a private school scene, to name some of the horrific changes to this great story of the sea and of redemption.
May 2, 2008
#5
Captains Courageous begins with Harvey (Freddie Bartholomew), a spoiled rich kid who uses bribes and cheats his way to getting what he wants. When his father (Melvyn Douglas) finds out what his son is up to, he plans a vacation together so that his son can learn how to be a decent human being and so the two can bond. However, Harvey falls off the boat on the way and is salvaged by a Portuguese fisherman named Manuel (Spencer Tracy) who brings him aboard his fishing boat and teaches his how to be a proper man.
The film is filled with sentiment, wonderful acting, and good pacing. It never gets boring; there is always something happening even if the set (the fishing boat) is limited.
The cast is wonderful. Outside of Bartholomew, Douglas, and Tracy, Lionel Barrymore and Mickey Rooney grace the cast list.
The film is slightly dated. There are scenes between Bartholomew and Tracy that pull at one’s heart-strings, but sometimes they come off as being too close and slightly creepy, especially in a modern world of child molesters. However, taking in the time period in which the film was made and the sincerity of the actors, these cultural differences can be overlooked.