Captains Courageous Overview:

Captains Courageous (1937) was a Adventure - Drama Film directed by Victor Fleming and produced by Louis D. Lighton.

The film was based on the novel of the same name written by Rudyard Kipling published in 1897.

SYNOPSIS

Perfect family entertainment in the classic Hollywood style. In this Kipling story, the spoiled son of a shipping magnate (Bartholomew) falls overboard from a luxury liner and is picked up by a Nantucket fishing schooner captained by the Oscar-winning Tracy. Forced to earn his keep, the boy's extended voyage and warm relationship with the captain show him what's important in life. Remade for television in 1977 and 1996. Four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

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Academy Awards 1937 --- Ceremony Number 10 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best ActorSpencer TracyWon
Best Film EditingElmo VeronNominated
Best PictureMetro-Goldwyn-MayerNominated
Best WritingJohn Lee Mahin, Marc Connelly, Dale Van EveryNominated
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BlogHub Articles:

Captains Courageous (1937, Victor Fleming)

By Andrew Wickliffe on Aug 15, 2017 From The Stop Button

As Captains Courageous enters its third act, Spencer Tracy (as a Portugese fisherman) reminds Freddie Bartholomew (a spoiled blue blood kid Tracy rescues after he falls overboard from an ocean liner) it’s almost time to go home to his regular life. It’s a shock for Bartholomew, but also ... Read full article


CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS.

By Crystal Kalyana on Dec 28, 2014 From In The Good Old Days Of Classic Hollywood

Today comes my second last review for Novembers installment of “Random Movies Month” to be exhibited on Monty and Desiree’s website, so for Friday’s feature I’m reviewing “Captains Courageous” starring Spencer Tracy and Freddie Bartholomew. Spencer Tracy and... Read full article


Captains Courageous (1937)

By Beatrice on Sep 19, 2013 From Flickers in Time

Captains Courageous Directed by Victor Fleming Written by John Lee Mahin, Marc Connelly, and Dale Van Every based on a novel by Rudyard Kipling 1937/USA Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer First viewing #104 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die I thought this one was very moving, with some great performanc... Read full article


Captains Courageous (1937) at The Somerville Theater

By Google profile on Jun 25, 2011 From Out of the Past - A Classic Film Blog

About MeBlogger, Out of the Past - A Classic Film Blog and more. Please add my Google profile to your circles. One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn't belong. Does your local theater have this kind of variety? I doubt it! Please, sir. Could you show me the... Read full article


Captains Courageous

By Alyson on Jun 18, 2010 From The Best Picture Project

How do you teach a spoiled brat some respect? ?Throw him aboard a?fishing boat. That’s what happens to young Harvey Cheyne (Freddie Bartholomew). ?When we first meet the boy, he’s spoiled rotten and believes that his father’s money can get him anything. ?He uses it as a threat agai... Read full article


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Quotes from

Harvey: I bet I know a lot of things you don't know. I know that's not French you're singing.
Manuel Fidello: That's right. About ten million people know it's Portugese.
Harvey: I bet you can't speak French.
Manuel Fidello: Right now, I sorry I speak *English*.


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


Manuel Fidello: I gonna get nifty suit. You know, purple colored. Oh, very nifty suit, with shoes to match and big pearl buttons. Oh, and then I get new tie with big yellow flowers. Oh, then I walk up and down Duckett Street, and I say "Hey, girls, girls. Hey, look, look. Manuel is in town."
Harvey: Girls?
Manuel Fidello: Oh sure, beautiful girls. I got maybe five, six girls in Gloucester. I tell each one I like her best. You gotta tell big lies to girls to make them happy.


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Facts about

Spencer Tracy initially turned down the role of Manuel because he thought it was too secondary to the boy. He did not attempt a Portuguese accent but instead based his accent for the film on a Yiddish voice he had used during an early theater performance. He initially hated his performance in the movie until it won him good reviews and an Oscar nomination.
The only film where Freddie Bartholomew was allowed to play a less-than-virtuous character.
Spencer Tracy was initially reluctant to take on the part of Manuel, mainly because he had to sing in several scenes and get his hair curled. His new curly locks provided a lot of amusement to his friends and fellow actors. Joan Crawford, for instance, referred to him as Harpo (after Harpo Marx, the curly-haired Marx Brother).
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Best Actor Oscar 1937






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Also directed by Victor Fleming




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Also produced by Louis D. Lighton




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