Captain courageous, MGM 1937

The film is based on an 1897 novel, by Rudyard Kipling,with the same name.
Harvey Cheyne, played by Freddie Bartholomew, is a spoiled brat used to having his own way.When a prank goes wrong onboard an ocean liner Harvey ends up overboard and nearly drowns.Fortunately he's picked up by a fishing boat just heading out for the season.On board the fishing boat Harvey learns in a hard way about the realities of life, work, friendship and love. 


Freddie Bartholomew was born Frederick Llwellyn in Dublin, Ireland, in 1924. He became one of the most popular child actors in film history. He was raised in England by an aunt, Millicent Bartholomew, from whom he took his surname. 
The title role in The Personal History, Adventures, Experience, & Observation of David Copperfield the Younger (1935)by MGM. made him an overnight star and he went on to appear in such classics as Anna Karenina (1935),Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936), and Captains Courageous (1937).His salary soared to $2,500 a week making him filmdom's highest paid child star after Shirley Temple.
With the advent of young manhood, his dimpled, angelic good looks began to fade.
In 1954, he went to work for an advertising agency and remarked at the time that the millions he had earned as a child had been spent mostly on lawsuits, one of which involved a headline court battle in 1937 between his parents and his aunt
for custody of young Freddie. "I was drained dry," he said.
Freddie Bartholomew died in Florida in 1992 at the age of 67. He leaves a legacy of some of the greatest adventure films of the 1930s.

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).
When Spencer Tracy received his Oscar statuette for this movie, he was surprised to find it inscribed to comic-strip hero "Dick Tracy".
An embarrassed Academy replaced the statuette.

Warning!
This film will mainly be appreciated by viewers with nostalgic traits and sentimental hearts that love stories about boys growing up to the realities of life, friendship and love.

Warning!
Kleenex should be at hand for the latter part of the movie. When Harvey/Freddie looks up to Manuel/Spencer Tracy and says "I want to be with you Manuel." you will definately need them.

Warning!
For the black and white blind - this film is not in colour!

AVI, 1,38 Gb, 116 min. Subtitlefile-english is included.
IMBD rating 7,9/10. tt0028691

Enjoy!

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