Manuel (film)

Movie
German title	Manuel
Original title	Captains Courageous
Country of production	United States
original language	English
Publishing year	1937
length	115 minutes
Rod
Director	Victor Fleming
script	Marc Connelly , John Lee Mahin , Dale Van Every
production	Louis D. Lighton
music	Franz Waxman
camera	Harold Rosson
cut	Elmo Veron
occupation
Freddie Bartholomew : Harvey Cheyne Spencer Tracy : Manuel Lionel Barrymore : Captain Disko Melvyn Douglas : Mr. Frank Cheyne Charley Grapewin : Uncle Salters Mickey Rooney : Dan Troop John Carradine : Long Jack Oscar O'Shea : Captain Cushman Walter Kingsford : Dr. Finley Jack La Rue : Pastor Donald Briggs : Bob Tyler Sam McDaniel : "Doc" Bill Burrud : Charles Jamison

Manuel (Original title: Captains Courageous ) is an American adventure film directed by Victor Fleming from 1937 based on the novel Captains Courageous (1896) by Rudyard Kipling . In the GDR the film was released under the title Manuel, the fisherman .

action

The spoiled Harvey, whose father is a successful entrepreneur, is suspended from class after attempting a bribe. His father should bring him to his senses, despite his work. The two go on a cruise in which the boy goes overboard. The fisherman Manuel saves the boy, who is now trying again to get his way. The captain had to change course immediately and bring him home. But the captain has other plans. For a small fee, Harvey is supposed to stay on board as a seaman. Work is really not Harvey's forte, but the experiences on the journey make him a different person over time.

background

Fleming and the scriptwriters changed the basic story decisively: here it was the fisherman Manuel and not the captain Disco Troop who decisively determined the upbringing of the boy. Also, unlike in the book, the character of Manuel was left to die when he was protecting the boy. The film thus followed the sentimental line that Kipling tried to avoid.

A surprised Spencer Tracy discovered that his Oscar was marked "Dick Tracy" - an engraver 's mistake. Tracy later got a new statue with his name on it. Since this incident, only statues without names have been awarded. The names will be engraved later.

This production was the first Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film to be shown on television (1955).

Reviews

The lexicon of international films described the production as "[p] sychologically exact [n], unobtrusive and excitingly told adventure film". The Protestant film observer was also full of praise: "Kipling's Roman Fischerjungen in a still magnificent film by Fleming from 1937. Not least because of Spencer Tracy's exemplary representation of Manuel worth seeing from 10."

Awards

• 1937: Oscar for Best Actor (Tracy), three other nominations
• 1937: Photoplay Award for the producer Lighton

Web links

• Manuel in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Manuel at Rotten Tomatoes (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Manuel. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed April 9, 2017 .  
2. ↑ Evangelical Press Association, Munich, Review No. 28/1970.