Expert: Jim Kason - 9/22/2009

Question
I am looking for the Title to an old Black & White movie that depicts a spoiled rich kid on a cruise vacation with his parents and falls overboard.  He is rescured by a fishing vessel that is out to sea working and will not put in to shore until fishing is complete.  The boy is made to work for his keep and is befriended by one of the crew.  After making an impact on the young boy the crew member is killed after being caught in the fishing nets and drowns.  The boy is reunited with his family as a changed person.

Answer
Hi John,

The film you've described is the black and white Classic, "Captains Courageous" (based on the novel by Rudyard Kipling), released by MGM Studios in 1937.   It starred Spencer Tracy and Freddie Bartholomew,...and also had Lionel Barrymore, Melvyn Douglas, and Mickey Rooney in the cast.

In 1977, it was remade in color, with Ricardo Montalban and Karl Malden, and in 1995,  TV version was made with Robert Urich.

The complete synopsis, and a scenne, can be found at:   http://www.tcm.com:80/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=76
and tha DVD is available at Amazon.com

Sincerely,

Jim Kason