Captains Courageous

This version of the classic Kipling novel takes a kinder, gentler approach to Harvey's dilemma at sea.

Its very different from the much more famous Spencer Tracy vehicle, for in this version Captain Disco takes the reigns of the teacher/mentor of the fated hard-headed Harvey. Karl Malden is a soft turn compared to the rough and scramble Lionel Barrymore.

Its obvious that this version is a TV offering because of the sound quality and overall feel but it makes up for any lesser quality with its sincerity and attention to detail. We get to see more of how a ship works in this one.

Manuel is played intelligently by Ricardo Montalban (I bought this right after his death) but instead of being Harvey's main teacher, he's just part of the crew. But that might be part of the charm of this film, the entire crew adopts Harvey as their own and the sharper edged individuals from the earlier film, Long Jack with a sincere dislike for Harvey and Captain Disko, who takes no crap from a mouthy and surly youngin', and we get a more genteel telling of the classic novel.

Harvey is played brightly by Jonathan Kahn, but one cannot help but to compare his efforts with Freddie's from 40 years before.

A worthy offering for they compromised not at all.

This is the middle of three movie versions of the same novel by Rudyard Kipling. All versions are true to the story of the boy going bad who is reformed by the kindness and love of people around him. Sort of like The Secret Garden story by Frances Hogdson Burnett, also made into three movie versions, except that instead of a bratty girl in that story, Kipling writes about a bratty boy.

Both are unloved children, left in the care of servants, yet each yearning to love and be loved. Johnny Doran plays the young Harvey, who falls off a ship in mid-Atlantic. He is a thorough brat, mean and bullying to all around him. Loving no one, and being loved by no one.

He is rescued by the captain, his son, and crew of a humble fishing boat. They put him to work, else he doesn't eat. Harvey then learns the value of work, and of acceptance and sharing with friends. Like Mary in Secret Garden, he ceases to be a brat and comes to love those who care for him.

This is perhaps the best movie that Johnny Doran made in his brief career, yet his acting is eclipsed by Kenny Vardas' Harvey in the 1997 version of the same story.

This is a reasonably good telling of the Kipling novel. The first part is the best with the personal development of Harvey Cheyne. This, of course, is the story of a spoiled young man who falls overboard on his father's ocean liner. He finds himself rescued by a fishing boat, going to the Grand Banks. He is a pariah on the boat (a Jonah, they call him). He insists that the captain stole a large amount of money from him and he continuously antagonizes the crew, including the one other boy, Danny, whom he forms a friendship with. Of course, over time, he comes to maturity aboard the boat.

The story is a little plodding during the middle, but there are some things that are of interest. There is a rivalry presented with Captain Troop's boat and the other fishermen who are out there. There is also the fear of the huge ships who have little or no regard for the little fishing boats. One character is Manuel, played by Ricardo Montalban. He adds a joy to the whole thing. Of course, if one were to see what it was like on one of these boats, it would appear romanticized. They do make an effort to show the danger of the sea and what it holds. The other issue is the strained relationship of Harvey and his father. It's a pretty decent story. I would still like to see a really good movie version of this book.

This version of "Captains Courageous" is far better than the original starring Freddy Bartholomew and Spencer Tracey.

The main credit for this goes to Karl Malden who plays Capt. Disko Troop of the fishing packet "We're Here." In the role of Manuel, played by Tracey in 1937, is Ricardo Montalban. Jonathan Kahn reprises the role of Harvey Cheyne and does an excellent job. Neville Brand and Fred Gwynne, two wonderful character actors, provide great support to Malden and Montalban. This version, unlike the original, follows the book far better than the original.

If you can find a copy of this movie, grab it. It aired as a TV movie on ABC and they do not have a copy any more.

Sailing to Europe in 1898, "Young Harvey Cheyne Jr. is snobbish and arrogant. He enjoys having others at his service and flaunting his money," according to the VHS sleeve synopsis. Harvey's "life takes a significant turn when he falls overboard from his father's ship. He is rescued by fishermen who are just beginning their three month fishing season, and they do not have time to return him to his home." They also do not believe young Harvey is, as he claims, the son of a multi-millionaire.

At sea, "The leader, Captain Troop, tells Harvey that he will work on the ship and be returned to his home at the end of the season. At first, Harvey refuses to work because he feels he is above physical labor. Eventually he realizes that he must work and do his part. With the patience and guidance of Captain Troop, Harvey learns to respect others and the value of hard work." Teenager Jonathan Kahn plays Rudyard Kipling's seafaring kid, with Karl Malden assuming the fatherly captain's role.

In this case, being truer to the classic "Captains Courageous" doesn't make a better motion picture; for comparison, see the 1937 version starring Freddie Bartholomew (as Harvey) and Spencer Tracy (as Manuel). Therein, the emotional bond is narrowed to young Bartholomew and "feesherman" Tracy. The condensing made the older film a powerful tearjerker, as Tracy's role was elevated to co-starring. His counterpart in this version, Ricardo Montalban (as Manuel), is a more minor player.

Mr. Kahn does very well as the bratty Harvey, especially during the early running; but, he and his cast-mates suffer through some laborious middle ground. The character actors are, as always, a lot of fun - but, you always know WHO you're watching. An relative exception is Neville Brand, who essays his tragic preacher role rather auspiciously . The ending is disjointed - a startling "return" to narration indicates the film's structure may have undergone some changes during (or post) production.

****** Captains Courageous (12/4/77) Harvey Hart ~ Jonathan Kahn, Karl Malden, Johnny Doran, Ricardo Montalban