- Title
- Santiago Goes Hollywood: The Old Man and the Sea and the 1958 Screen Adaptation
- Author/Creator
- James Plath
- Publication Details
- Critical Insights: The Old Man and the Sea, pp.203-218
- Annotation
- Detailed examination of the making and reception of Hollywood's big-budget adaptation starring Spencer Tracy as Santiago. Sums up the problems and tensions plaguing the production throughout, including the miscasting of Santiago and disruptions in shooting due to inclement weather and the natural world's failure to produce a marlin and sharks on cue. Recounts Hemingway's considerable investment of time and money in the project, coupled with his frustration over the film's lack of realism and fidelity to his novella. Also sums up the film's dismal box office receipts and poor reviews. Concludes that the novella's failed translation onto the big screen was due in part to screenwriter Peter Viertel's editorial changes, which altered Hemingway's major themes about heroism, perseverance, and religion and stripped Santiago of his mythic dimensions.
- Publisher
- Salem Press; Ipswich, MA
- Academic Unit
- Hemingway Bibliography
- Resource Type
- Book chapter
- Record Identifier
- 991015212698903691
Book chapter
Santiago Goes Hollywood: The Old Man and the Sea and the 1958 Screen Adaptation
Critical Insights: The Old Man and the Sea, pp.203-218
Salem Press
2022
Appears in Hemingway Bibliography
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