Product Details

• Actors: Spencer Tracy, Freddie Bartholomew, Lionel Barrymore, Melvyn Douglas, Charley Grapewin
• Directors: Victor Fleming
• Writers: Dale Van Every, John Lee Mahin, Marc Connelly, Rudyard Kipling
• Producers: Louis D. Lighton
• Format: Black & White, NTSC
• Language: English, Portuguese
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Warner)
• VHS Release Date: March 29, 1993
• Run Time: 115 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301965957
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,731 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The award-winning l937 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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

138 of 145 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why don't "THEY" make movies like this one any longer?, December 30, 2000

By 

Lawrence Rapchak (Whiting, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Captains Courageous [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"Captain's Courageous" is IT...the real thing....a truly great, heartfelt, classic film....arguably THE most emotionally compelling film of Hollywod's Golden Age.

Victor Fleming was known as a "MAN"S" director; so how did he produce one of the most perfectly paced, sensitive and outright BEAUTIFULLY loving "relationship" films of all time.....a story of a profound bond between a boy and a man who becomes his surrogate father? It's simply amazing.

OK...you have to overcome your initial reaction to Spencer Tracy's pseudo-"Portegoosie" (as John Carradine says) accent; after that...sit back and prepare to lose yourself in moviemaking at its finest.

Freddie Bartholomew....incredible performance! The growing bond between him and Spence....superbly wrought! The heaviness, the heartbreak of the film's final 15 minutes.....I experience it as if it were actually happening to me every time I watch it! This is one of those films that I am happy to know simply EXISTS...it's sitting there on the shelf, ready to be experienced any time, and that gives me great satisfaction.

The scene of conflict with Tracy and John Carradine....then the uncomfortable but caring bond that develops bewteen Carradine and Freddie Bartholomew near the end.....the reuniting of Freddie with Melvin Douglas....has there ever been a more revealing encounter? The final ceremony scene.....I've never been particularly moved by the hymn "Rock of Ages"; now the emotions well up when I even THINK about it.

Why Don't THEY make movies like this any longer????....BECAUSE THEY CAN'T! The world has changed..our values, our ways of viewing and expressing ourselves have become too "sophisticated" and cynical. Oh sure, Spielberg and others desperately TRY to go back to the sincerity and innocence of the age which produced "Captain's Courageous"....they do a decent job of conjuring, of IMITATING films of the Golden Age...but ...well, you simply CANNOT GO BACK.

If you want to experience the REAL THING----the sincere, honest, heartfelt emotional experience of a great story...GET THIS FILM.

AND FOR GOD"S SAKE (MGM, Turner...whoever..) GET IT OUT ON DVD! It's your RESPONSIBILITY to preserve these great films using the newest state-of-the-art technology. Believe me, when every last "BIG MOMMA's HOUSE" has been dead and buried as the CRAP that it is, "Captain's Courageous" will live on....and hopefully NOT only as a memory!

64 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lord, what a film!, December 14, 2000

By 

"songbear" (Ashburn, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Captains Courageous [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I don't profess to be an experienced movie critic, but this is one of the best movies I've ever seen. A wonderful story of a spoiled rich kid who gets taught some values by a lowly Portugese fisherman. I actually thought, after reading other reviews, that this might push the hammy side of things a bit, but I was wrong. The bond that develops between the two characters - slowly at first, and then stronger as the boy Harvey learns gets attached to Manuel and starts developing into a real person - is one of the greatest 'love' stories to ever hit the silver screen. Spencer Tracy won an Oscar for his performance, and Freddie Bartholomew's performance will move you to tears.

I still am impressed by the timeless screenplay (based on the Rudyard Kipling novel), the convincing special effects (remember this movie was released in 1937). The racing scenes and the storm scenes are still completely convincing.

Why this movie has not been restored and out on DVD one will never know. On one viewing it has become one of my all time favorites. It is a real gem.

49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Urge You To See This Film!, December 2, 2001

By 

djonn "djonn" (Toronto, On) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Captains Courageous [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a marvelous movie about a spoiled, insecure child who brags, manipulates, and uses his wealth & positon to feel strong & good about himself (sound like anyone you know?). After being suspended from school for his antics he is dragged to Europe to accompany his father on a business trip. En route, he accidentenly falls overboard from the oceanliner (that's how they travelled in those days - - airplane travel was new, rare and horribly expensive) and is rescued by a fisherman. He learns his lesson, matures and acquires integrity through his association with the crew of fisherman & in particular Spencer Tracy's character.

This fine cast consists of legends who give wonderful performances: John Carradine, Lionel Barrymore, Mickey Rooney, Melvyn Douglas and of course, Spencer Tracy.

The film also gives you a rare glimpse into a way of life past. Today we have huge fishing ships that net miles of fish and have the canneneries right on board. Without it being intentional, the movie shows one what life was like when people still cared about the work they did and had pride in the honest work they had accomplished. And how many of us still entertain ourselves and family by singing together and/or playing a musical instrument rather than turning to solitary pursuits with electronic machinery? I am not waxing nostalgic for the days before the advent of universal elecricity! However, the movie is a snapshot in time of a not so distant past that inspires much food for thought.

You may show this movie to your children without fear;not only is there nothing unseemly in it, it has a valuable lesson to teach us all. And it is of much better quality than any of the so-called "family films" that have been produced in the last two decades. Moreover, it opens up many interesting topics for discussion.

HOLLYWOOD TAKE NOTE: you don't need punchy soundtracks, death defying stunts and high tech wizardry to make a good movie - - just an honest story, a good script and a fine cast. This movie proves that. It was made 70 yrs ago and we're still buying it.

My only complaint with this film is that it's not available on DVD.

MARCH 2006: Thank goodness, this wonderful film has been released on DVD. There are no real 'special features' to speak of but after having not seen the movie for a long time (I gave up my VCR years ago) I was just so glad to have the movie and share it with my family.