The Old Man and the Sea
Short description
The Old Man and the Sea is an adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's novella about Santiago, an aging Cuban fisherman whose long run of bad luck has left him poor and mocked by other fishermen. A young boy named Manolin remains loyal to him, though the boy's parents no longer want him going out on Santiago's boat. Determined to prove himself, Santiago sails far into the Gulf Stream alone, where a giant marlin takes his bait and pulls him into a prolonged struggle. Sharks eventually threaten the catch on the journey home.
John Sturges directed the film, the fourth of the eighteen features he made, following Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and preceding The Law and Jake Wade. Peter Viertel wrote the screenplay, and Leland Hayward produced for Warner Bros. Spencer Tracy plays Santiago, with Felipe Pazos as Manolin and Harry Bellaver as Martin. The production cost about five million dollars, a substantial sum at the time.
The film has drawn modest ratings from viewers, registering 6.9 on IMDb from roughly 9,300 votes and 6.5 on TMDB from a much smaller sample of about 170 votes. Its critics' rating of 6.5 from twelve reviews sits close to the audience scores, suggesting broadly similar reactions across both groups.
What's left behind the scenes
- Initially, Ernest Hemingway took a direct part in the work on the film. He was asked to go out to sea off the coast of Peru and try to find a place where he could catch a large marlin. However, it ended with the producers deciding to use a rubber fish dummy, and the film included fishing scenes in which Hemingway himself did not participate.
- In the final scene of the film, Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) himself sits at a table in a cafe. The writer is talking to fishermen. This was his first appearance on screen.
- After watching the film, Ernest Hemingway was disappointed and even stated that Spencer Tracy did not resemble a poor Cuban fisherman, but rather a wealthy elderly actor (which he actually was). Nevertheless, Tracy was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in "The Old Man and the Sea".
- In 1952, Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957) attempted to acquire the film rights to Hemingway's novella through his production company, Santana Productions. The actor saw himself in the role of the Old Man and planned to invite Nicholas Ray (1911-1979) to direct. All his attempts were unsuccessful, and the film was released only a year after his death. Spencer Tracy, a close friend of Bogart, starred in the main role.
- Before filming, Spencer Tracy (1900-1967), who played the Old Man, personally flew to Cuba to get Ernest Hemingway's approval.
- The tourist in the final episode of the film is played by Mary Hemingway, the writer's fourth wife and later widow. She crosses the street and sits down at a table in a cafe. Her character has no lines.
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