Synopsis
Harvey, the arrogant and spoiled son of an indulgent absentee-father, falls overboard from a transatlantic steamship and is rescued by a fishing vessel on the Grand Banks. Harvey fails to persuade them to take him ashore, nor convince the crew of his wealth. The captain offers him a low-paid job, until they return to port, as part of the crew that turns him into a mature, considerate young man.
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Cast
- Freddie BartholomewHarvey Cheyne
- Spencer TracyManuel Fidello
- Lionel BarrymoreCaptain Disko Troop
- Melvyn DouglasFrank Burton Cheyne
- Charley GrapewinUncle Salters
- Mickey RooneyDan Troop
- John CarradineLong Jack
- Oscar O'SheaCaptain Walt Cushman
- Jack La RuePriest
- Walter KingsfordDr. Finley
Recommendations
- 100
TV Guide Magazine
For once, a script perfectly suited to its director and star and one of the most lyrical children's classics ever made. - 90
Los Angeles Times
The production values are incredible; in both drama and visuals, I'd put this sea tale up against the unsinkable "Titanic" any day. It's emotionally engaging too, though it's a different kind of love story. Director Victor Fleming (before "The Wizard of Oz" and "Gone With the Wind") makes chopping fish heads seem romantic. [04 Mar 1999, p.F18] - 80
The New York Times
With its rich production, magnificent marine photography, admirable direction and performances, the film brings vividly to life every page of Kipling's novel and even adds an exciting chapter or two of its own. - 80
Orlando Sentinel
The 1937 movie excels with outstanding performances by child star Freddie Bartholomew and Spencer Tracy. [20 Jun 1999, p.56] - 80
Variety
The Kipling yarn, built around a wealthy, motherless brat who accidentaly lands with a cod-fishing fleet, and undergoes regeneration during an enforced three months’ piscatorial quest, has been given splendid production, performance, photography and dramatic composition. - 75
The A.V. Club
On either end of Harvey’s adventure, Captains Courageous goes on a bit too long; the circumstances of his boarding-school transgressions are needlessly overcomplicated, and the emotional denouement is less than concise. But the seafaring section that makes up the majority of the film is well-crafted and gives way to surprising emotion. - 70
The New Yorker
One of M-G-M's powerhouse moralizing "family" entertainments, it's beefy and rousing, with almost guaranteed tears and laughter for children.
