Captains Courageous (1937)

Director:

Victor Fleming

Writers:

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

Release Date:

25 June 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Family

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:

Sea Rescue | Boat Accident | Fishing | Spoiled Child | Sailing

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Aug. 31

8:00 PM

TCM

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
Clifford Vaughan		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Harold Rosson		(photographed by)

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
Gus Kahn	....	lyricist
Franz Waxman	....	composer: songs
Clifford Vaughan	....	orchestrator (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) (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Turner Entertainment (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

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:

New Zealand:G | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | UK:U | Norway:A (1937) | USA:TV-G | USA:Approved (certificate #2051) | 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 an evil character.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Camera shadow on the dory at the end.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies (2006) (TV)

Son meets father - in his heart

A wonderful film I only discovered about ten years ago. A low key beginning, hardly anything to attract the viewer to sympathize with the predicament that befalls young Harvey. With a wonderful cast, fairly average story but told and beautifully understated brings a wonderful balance and heart-tugging restoration for young Harvey, plucked from the sea by Spencer Tracy, a Portuguese fisherman. Having to become a fisherman for two months, young Harvey finds out what he has not known in life. He begins the story as a spoilt young irritating brat but ends it restored to life and his father. A message for us all, begun and ending in eternity. Poignant, sad and enriching. Great cinema.