The Old Man and the Sea

"SPENCER TRACY in his most suspenseful role...ERNEST HEMINGWAY'S story of Heroism...Defeat...Victory!"

1958 1h 26m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 170

AdventureDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Santiago is an aging, down-on-his-luck, Cuban fisherman who, after catching nothing for nearly 3 months, hooks a huge Marlin and struggles to land it far out in the Gulf Stream.

“SPENCER TRACY in his most suspenseful role...ERNEST HEMINGWAY'S story of Heroism...Defeat...Victory!”

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Cast

Spencer Tracy
The Old Man
Felipe Pazos
Manolin, the Boy
Harry Bellaver
Martin, the Cafe Bartender
Don Diamond
Cafe Proprietor (uncredited)
Mary Hemingway
Tourist (uncredited)
Joey Ray
Gambler (uncredited)
Mauritz Hugo
Gambler (uncredited)
Tony Rosa
Gambler (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Sturges
Writers: Peter Viertel
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America, Peru

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

68 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Peru.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Directed by John Sturges, shot by James Wong Howe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Dimitri Tiomkin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Arthur P. Schmidt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Spencer Tracy and Felipe Pazos and Harry Bellaver carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Sturges directs. James Wong Howe behind the camera. Dimitri Tiomkin scores. Arthur P. Schmidt cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America, Peru. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
268 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Peru.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by John Sturges, shot by James Wong Howe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Dimitri Tiomkin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Arthur P. Schmidt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Spencer Tracy and Felipe Pazos and Harry Bellaver carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "SPENCER TRACY in his most suspenseful role...ERNEST HEMINGWAY'S story of Heroism...Defeat...Victory!".
10IMDB entry: tt0052027 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.