1937 – Spencer Tracy
Captains Courageous
Spencer Tracy was an actor who was very often cast in the role of a kindly father figure. And in this movie, it was a perfect fit for him, as the movie was about a spoiled child who was in need of a kindly father figure to turn him from a brat into an upstanding, mature young man. Tracy was made for this role, despite the fact that the character of Manuel Fidello, a Portuguese sailor and fisherman. Ok, so his accent was a little inconsistent, but he was still wonderful.
I have seen several films with Spencer Tracy, and he is always good. He always seemed to have a genuineness about him that made him very believable on the screen. He just seemed so likeable, so kind, and so generous of spirit, that it had to be more than just acting. It was a part of the man, and as natural to him as breathing, which is just what Manuel needed.
And we got to hear him sing. His voice was soft and gentle, and was actually a bit of a plot point that endeared him to the young Harvey, excellently played by Freddie Bartholomew. His song, called Manuel’s love song, was like a sweet lullaby that made me feel all warm and fuzzy. His voice wasn’t beautiful, but the gentleness that Spencer Tracy put into his performance really sold the song, making the two scenes where he sang it poignant and memorable. And the soft sounds of the hurdy-gurdy he played gave it a sweet beauty that I really liked.
In this film, he had a rougher appearance than I am used to seeing from him. He wasn’t a priest or a wealthy patriarch. They gave him a bushy perm, and dressed him in the clothes of a working fisherman, and he actually pulled it off. He was a working class laborer with a heart of gold, who reluctantly develops a paternal relation with the spoiled Harvey. Just by being a kindly, honest man, he teaches the young boy about love and friendship. He drives home the point of the story, which is that children need love and attention in order to grow up into kind, responsible adults. Tracy was wonderful in this performance, and I’m glad that he took home the Oscar. Incidentally, this was the first of his two Oscar wins for Best Actor, out of his nine nominations.