The Old Man and the Sea is a 1958 film starring Spencer Tracy, in a portrayal for which he was nominated for a best actor Oscar. The screenplay was adapted by Peter Viertel from the novella of the same name by Ernest Hemingway, and the film was directed by John Sturges. Sturges called it "technically the sloppiest picture I have ever made." Dimitri Tiomkin won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for his work on the film, one that was also nominated for best color cinematography. Spencer Tracy is the Old Man, a Cuban fisherman who tries to haul in a huge fish that he catches far from... shore. He has gone 84 days without a catch - his only friend, a young boy , is barred by his father from accompanying him to sea. On the 85th day the old man hooks a huge marlin. For three days and nights he battles the fish as a trial of mental and physical courage--and the ultimate test of his worth as a man. In addition to Tracy, the cast included the following: Fred Zinnemann was the film's original director; after he withdrew, he was replaced by John Sturges.
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| Release date: | 1958 |
| Directed by: | John Sturges, Fred Zinnemann |
| Runtime: | 86 Minutes |
| Producer: | Leland Hayward |
| Editor: | Arthur P. Schmidt |
| Cinematography: | Underwater photography, Turner Classic Movies, Floyd Crosby, James Wong Howe |
| Screenplay by: | Peter Viertel |
| Estimated budget: | $5,000,000 |
| Adapted from: | The Old Man and the Sea |