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The Old Man and the Sea

Play trailer Poster for The Old Man and the Sea 1958 1h 26m Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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75% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
An old Cuban fisherman (Spencer Tracy) has not caught anything in 84 days. Despite the devotion of the young boy (Felipe Pazos) who brings him coffee and food, the fisherman fears he has become perpetually unlucky. On his 85th day of fishing, the old man catches a small fish and decides to keep fishing. When one of his multiple fishing lines hooks a large marlin, he decides to not return to shore until he reels in the fish. For two days and nights, the man sits alone, waiting to redeem himself.
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The Old Man and the Sea

Critics Reviews

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Moira Walsh The Catholic World The emotional impact is second hand and the narrative seems unnecessarily padded. Aug 24, 2023 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy A real curio, a thoughtful movie that entertains without ever really convincing. Rated: 3/4 Jul 11, 2023 Full Review George Bourke Miami Herald There is as much raw excitement as you'd find at a bullfight or in a Hitchcock suspense movie. Aug 19, 2021 Full Review Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine Leland Hayward's massive production of Hemingway's short novel has been acclaimed in some critical quarters as a timeless masterwork, but 1 found it a disappointment and a bit of a bore... Dec 2, 2019 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews The film can't do proper justice to the literary masterpiece. Rated: B- Sep 26, 2010 Full Review Christopher Lloyd Sarasota Herald-Tribune The 1958 film, made six years after publication of the book, is a faithful adaptation - virtually a word-for-word copy of Hemingway's dialogue and prose - that is not without its faults. Rated: 4/5 Sep 6, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Isaiah Y Faithful adaption featuring a decent performance by Spencer Tracy Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/19/25 Full Review Andy F An absolutely magical piece of cinema, all of its own. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/10/25 Full Review Russ G From a short story by Poppa Hemingway. Saw this on late night TV decades ago - it was still a fairly "recent" film at the time, but five to ten year old movies ended up on TV as there was no other market for them once they'd been through movie theatres. I liked it because Tracy didn't have an opportunity for dialog so he didn't stink up the joint as he usually does. The special effects with the fish and the sharks were well done for the time - no CGI. The story qualifies as a true tragedy and triumph simultaneously. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/07/25 Full Review Gisle B I've reacently read the book and I think the movie mirrored the book very well. Those who played the main roles acted very good. The movie was also nice to watch with idyllic surroundings, although limited by the opportunities they had in 1958. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/27/24 Full Review babarizam D I was a little boy when I first saw this movie in early 90s. I couldn't remember much apart from sea, old man sitting in boat, holding a robe and talking to himself. After that I watched it so many times over the years but that first time sensation remains intact. It was an unforgettable experience, an 8 years old sitting , trying to understand. "Luck comes in many forms, who can recognise her" Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/15/24 Full Review dave s Sadly, the film adaptation of Hemingway's classic novel The Old Man and the Sea sinks under the weight of its excesses. True to the novel, the simple story follows the battle between a beleaguered fisherman (Spencer Tracy) and the massive marlin that takes his bait. However, the movie fails on a number of fronts, including a music score (while fashionable at the time) that never seems to quit, narration that never seems to quit (it's a movie – let the visuals and dialogue tell the story), and continuity issues and errors that never seem to quit, like the large harpoon hole in the fish that can be seen before the harpoon strikes or the inconsistencies in the water surface between the stock footage of the fish jumping and the calm water surrounding the boat in the studio water tank. It's a noble effort, but ultimately, just like the old man, falls short. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Old Man and the Sea

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Cast & Crew

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John Sturges

Director

Spencer Tracy

The Old Man

Felipe Pazos

The Boy

Harry Bellaver

Martin

Donald Diamond

Cafe Proprietor

Don Blackman

Hand Wrestler

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The Old Man and the Sea

The Old Man and the Sea (1958) The Old Man and the Sea (1958) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis An old Cuban fisherman (Spencer Tracy) has not caught anything in 84 days. Despite the devotion of the young boy (Felipe Pazos) who brings him coffee and food, the fisherman fears he has become perpetually unlucky. On his 85th day of fishing, the old man catches a small fish and decides to keep fishing. When one of his multiple fishing lines hooks a large marlin, he decides to not return to shore until he reels in the fish. For two days and nights, the man sits alone, waiting to redeem himself.
Director
John Sturges
Producer
Leland Hayward
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Leland Hayward Productions
Genre
Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 11, 1958, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 10, 2008
Runtime
1h 26m
Sound Mix
Stereo
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