Captains Courageous (Blu-ray Review)
Director
Victor FlemingRelease Date(s)
1937 (April 28, 2026)Studio(s)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Warner Archive Collection)- Film/Program Grade: A-
- Video Grade: A
- Audio Grade: A
- Extras Grade: B
Review
In its heyday, MGM prided itself on having under contract “more stars than there are in the heavens.” That’s apparent in the Academy Award-nominated Captains Courageous, based on Rudyard Kipling’s adventure novel. Spencer Tracy leads a roster of well-known actors in the tale of a spoiled rich kid who learns about the qualities that form a good person’s character.
Harvey Cheyne (Freddie Bartholomew), son of a widowed business tycoon (Melvyn Douglas), is suspended from his private boarding school for attempting to bribe a teacher. Recognizing he has spent far too little time with Harvey, his father plans a trip to help bond them. On a luxury liner bound for Europe, Harvey leans over the ship’s rail and falls overboard. No one sees the accident and the boy flounders in the ocean until he’s rescued by Portuguese fisherman Manuel (Tracy), who works on the Gloucester, Massachusetts fishing vessel called We’re Here. Captain Disko Troop (Lionel Barrymore) informs the boy that there’s no radio on board and he can’t return to port and contact Harvey’s father until after the summer catch.
Harvey’s sense of entitlement and high-minded demands alienate the crew almost immediately. Many resent the brat who won’t do his share of work. Manuel explains that everyone on a fishing vessel must work and eventually, though reluctantly, Harvey pitches in, if only to be fed.
The bulk of the film deals with the growing relationship between Manuel and Harvey as the boy learns to admire and respect this simple man’s humanity, morality, and skill. With daily fishing expeditions, rough seas, squalls, and competing boats vying for prime fishing locations, the film chronicles the hardships of life at sea while it highlights Harvey’s transformation from a spoiled rich brat to a decent, caring human being. Manuel becomes the boy’s surrogate father, teaching him ethics by example and spending time with him.
Tracy is excellent as Manuel despite his unconvincing Portuguese accent. The chemistry between him and Bartholomew is excellent, which is essential for the story to work. Irascible, impatient, and annoyed with Harvey at first, Manuel comes to see him as an emotionally starved kid who has never been properly taught right and wrong. Money has taken the place of human affection. Harvey has been overindulged by his father but never experienced a close relationship with him, preoccupied as he always was by business. Tracy is masterful at performing Manuel’s tasks aboard the ship, making them look second nature. Manuel’s form of tough love ultimately succeeds in breaking through Harvey’s self-centered veneer.
Tracy delivers an outstanding performance (if you excuse that accent) as an inspiring father figure with upstanding values, work ethics, honesty and courage. When he refers to Harvey as his “little fish,” Tracy establishes a connection with the kid who everyone else on board finds ungracious and rude. The art of Spencer Tracy is his ability to make acting look natural and spontaneous. His delivery is authentic and he artfully channels a simple fisherman with a strong moral compass.
Though Tracy is top billed, Bartholomew is the central focus. Captains Courageous, in addition to being an adventure tale, is also a coming-of-age saga. Harvey changes dramatically because of his experiences on board a working fishing vessel under Manuel’s tutelage. Bartholomew is a fine actor who makes his character’s transformation absolutely convincing. From clenched fists, gritted teeth, and a scowl when he’s first brought on board the ship to his later scenes when Harvey has learned the basics of being a decent person, Bartholomew manages to turn disdain for Harvey into admiration.
Directed by Victor Fleming (Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz), Captains Courageous was shot off the coast of California. Location filming was uncommon in the 1930s, so the scenes at sea provide tremendous production value. The supporting cast includes Mickey Rooney, John Carradine and Charley Grapewin.
Captains Courageous was shot by director of photography Harold Rosson on 35mm black & white film with spherical lenses and presented in the Academy aspect ratio of 1.37:1. Actual fishing boat footage on the open ocean with studio-shot scenes using back screen projection effectively portray life at sea. Full-scale sets of the ship’s deck show a working fishing vessel with men scurrying to ready the nets, raise the sails, and lower the dories that the men use to catch the fish. In many scenes, the film is documentary-like as it shows the daily activities of the crew. Scenes of Harvey’s home are lavish, reflecting cultured taste and affluence.
The soundtrack is English 2.0 Mono DTS-HD Master Audio. English SDH subtitles are an option. Franz Waxman’s score adds drama when competing fishing boats race to get to the best fishing places and sentiment when tragedy befalls a major character. Tracy plays an old hurdy-gurdy and accompanies himself with song, adding dimension to Manuel’s character. Sounds of the raging sea, wind rushing across the deck, and water crashing against the ship’s hull accentuate the dangers of the profession.
Bonus materials on the Blu-ray release from the Warner Archive Collection include the following:
- Wayward Pups (8:28)
- How to Start the Day (10:10)
- Leo Is On the Air (12:23)
- Original Theatrical Trailer (3:33)
Wayward Pups – In this 1937 Technicolor MGM cartoon directed by Rudolf Isling, the cat of the house has his nap interrupted when two puppies, playing with a balloon, hit him with it. He chases the pups, crashing into objects. He sneaks off in time for the puppies to get blamed and thrown outside. But the gate isn’t locked and the puppies escape from their yard and go exploring. They get into serious difficulty, which culminates in a fast-paced chase involving most of the neighborhood. Voice talent is provided by Rosemary DeCamp, Barbara Brewster, Gloria Brewster and Harry Lang.
How to Start the Day – In this 1937 comedy short directed by Roy Rowland, humorist Robert Benchley plays a pompous lecturer demonstrating the correct routine to wake up, get dressed, and arrive at work refreshed and on time. He presents his points by reconstructing situations. This is part of MGM’s “How to” series.
Leo Is On the Air – This audio-only extra is an MGM radio promotion for Captains Courageous. A narrator provides background on the author of the original novel, Rudyard Kipling. Excerpts feature stars of the film and Franz Waxman’s rousing music.
Captains Courageous skillfully balances adventure and spectacle with wonder and sentiment. MGM’s high standards are evident in the casting, acting, cinematography, and production design. This was one of the studio’s major productions. It received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. Spencer Tracy won for Best Actor.
- Dennis Seuling