CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS Most Inspiring Film, 1937 - 5-Star Masterpiece Spencer Tracy and the Sea Act as Surrogate Fathers to Freddy Bartholomew Rudyard Kipling’s classic boy’s tale of the sea is inhabited by Freddy Bartholomew as spoiled rich boy Harvey, Spencer Tracy as compassionate fisherman Manuel, Lionel Barrymore as good-natured Captain Disko, and Melvyn Douglas as Harvey’s negligent father. Freddy Bartholomew, who received top billing in this film, is perhaps the best child actor who has ever lived, simply because he really seems to be acting rather than just looking cute. Spencer Tracy, who won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role, is one of the best adult actors of all time. If that weren’t enough, Lionel Barrymore (It’s a Wonderful Life) and Melvyn Douglas (Ninotchka, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House) are two of the top character actors. And to top it off, you’ve got John Carradine and Mickey Rooney in supporting roles. You can’t beat the story or the cast. Victor Flemming (Wizard Of Oz, Gone With The Wind, The Good Earth) does a superb job directing his talented cast and crew through the John Lee Mahin/Marc Connelly/Dale Van Every screenplay, which tells the story of how a spoiled rich boy, out of sorts with himself and the world, falls off a cruise ship into the sea, and is fished out by a friendly Portuguese fisherman named Manuel. Once on board Manuel’s fishing schooner, Harvey learns he won’t be able to return to shore for three months, until the fishermen have finished their season of fishing. At first he fights his plight; but through the love and patience of Manuel, Harvey soon learns to fit in and become a contributing member of the crew. He makes mistakes; but Manuel helps him learn from them, so that, eventually, he grows into a boy of character. This is a great father-son film. It’s also a wonderful film about the sea and sailing. There are some breathtaking shots of the ships, especially during a race between two schooners. There are some wonderful relationships. It’s especially interesting to see how each adult deals with Harvey, and how each changes in that relationship as Harvey changes. One of the best scenes of the film, and one that has me laughing and crying every time I watch it, is at the very end, when Harvey is going home with his dad. First, we see the dinghy in which Harvey and Manuel fished together being pulled behind Harvey's dad’s car. He couldn’t bear to part with it, so his dad brought it with them. Then the camera pans to the back of the car, where we see Harvey and his dad in the back seat through the window. Harvey is animated with enthusiasm as he is obviously telling his dad about all his adventures - even to the point of exaggerating the size of the first fish he caught. It’s a great final statement about the difference Manuel has made in the boy's life. Waitsel Smith, October 25, 2006 Text, © 2006 Waitsel Smith. Pictures, © Warner Home Video. All Rights Reserved.

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