"You're a smart one, Jim! As smart as paint you are!" Long John Silver

As a kid, nothing fired my imagination like stories of pirates and buried treasure. I remember many pleasant hours of imagining myself among the buccaneers on the Spanish Main after reading Robert Louis Stevenson's wonderful Treasure Island. There were movies and even a television series based on this magnificent book. Robert Newton was the star of the television series and also Walt Disney's 1950 color film, Treasure Island.

The film opens at the Admiral Benbow, an inn on the wild and lonely coast of England. A scar-faced man enters the inn and enquires of the young tavern master Jim Hawkins (Bobby Driscoll) whether he knows of the whereabouts of a seafaring man, a Captain William Bones. Denying he knows of such a man, the stranger spies a weathered sea chest under the stairs marked with the telltale initials WB. Making a fast exit, who should come down the stairs but Captain Billy Bones himself, a sick man, demanding rum. Jim tries to keep it from him but the elder man pushes behind the counter and helps himself, coughing. Jim runs outside to see where the man went but a blind stranger grabs him, enters the inn, and forces Jim to take him up to the Cap'n, putting a scrap of paper into his hand, then fleeing. The captain looks at the paper and exclaims, "the black spot!" then turns it over and reads, "until dark." Visibly shaken, he struggles to drag the heavy sea chest from below the stairs and cuts open the lining, taking a folded paper from within and stuffing it in his shirt. The exertion proves too much and he collapses. The Captain sends Jim for the doctor but first gives him the paper and says that if the strangers return at least they won't find the map and promises Jim a share in the treasure.

When Jim and the local men return, the inn has been ransacked and Captain Bones is dead. Squire Trelawney (Dennis O'Dea) and Dr. Livesey (Walter Fitzgerald) are introduced and Jim shows them the map. The squire recognizes the map as their ticket to wealth but the level-headed doctor is hard to convince. "Are you scared, doctor?" asks the squire. "I'm only scared of one man; that's you, squire, for you don't know how to keep a secret." replies the doctor. Nonetheless, the doctor agrees to accompany the squire and Jim on their treasure hunt. The three meet in Bristol where the Squire has hired The Hispaniola, a trim a craft as ever sailed the seven seas, and a sailing master, Captain Smollett (Basil Sydney). Captain Smollett is not hiring a crew as quickly as the Squire likes, so he engages a local tavern keeper, Long John Silver (Robert Newton), whose only obvious qualifications are his excellent ham and eggs, a glib tongue, and quick, obsequious manner, to hire a crew so they can set sail. The crew quickly hired, the friends set sail for Treasure Island. Once safely arrived at Treasure Island, the crew shows their true colors and it's war between the Squire and his small devoted band and the cutthroat pirates headed by Long John Silver - avast! Needless to say, I'm going to leave the rest to your viewing pleasure.

Treasure Island came about because Walt Disney was restricted from transferring the profits from his animated adventures out of England. He therefore decided to use the money to make his first live action drama and made even more profits from worldwide distribution. The success of this film also prompted Disney to make a whole slew of live action films including Davy Crockett and many others. While the film appears dated from what we see today regarding special effects, it was state of the art for 1950. Even more important to the film than the story is the way the characters play their roles, with Robert Newton (Henry V) chewing the scenery like few other actors can. Newton's wild-eyed stare and vocal mannerisms will have the whole family rapt in attention to his wonderful characterization, while Bobby Driscoll's Jim Hawkins is just as strong a character for the good guys. The supporting cast is populated by a wonderful group of British character actors and split among bloodthirsty pirates and stalwart heroes, each performance memorable.

The Walt Disney DVD is presented in Technicolor in the 1.33:1 theatrical format. The only extra is English subtitles but there are trailers from about seven other Disney features. The kids will play this one over and over.

I would recommend Treasure Island as solid family entertainment and also recommend the 1934 version Treasure Island (1934) starring Wallace Beery, as a similarly well-made action adventure film that the whole family will love. Another Walt Disney sea story I highly enjoyed was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea , starring Kirk Douglas. Thanks for reading!

Enjoy a good film tonight!

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening