Stubs - Treasure Island (1950)

Treasure Island (1950) Starring: Bobby Driscoll, Robert Newton, Basil Sydney, Walter Fitzgerald, Denis O'Dea Directed by Byron Haskin Screenplay by Lawrence Edward Watkin Based on the novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (London, 1883) Produced by Perce Pearce. Run Time: 96 minutes. USA Color Adventure

In 1949, Disney was known as an animation studio, but namesake Walt Disney had bigger plans. He was about to make his first entirely live-action film and for source material, he had chosen one of the classics, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. According to studio publicity materials, Disney had been working on the idea for fifteen years and had originally planned to produce the story as an animated feature.

The decision to make it live-action may have been affected by British law. Due to British quota laws, a percentage of the money made by American film companies could not be withdrawn from the country and had to be used for production in Great Britain. To utilize the "frozen" currency due to both companies, RKO, which previously had only distributed Disney films, joined the studio as a production partner and the company "RKO Walt Disney British Productions Ltd." was formed. 80% to 90% of the production's costs were funded by "frozen" or "blocked" money made by RKO and the Disney Studio from the exhibition of their pictures in Great Britain.

The cast was led by Bobby Driscoll, who had previously appeared in Disney’s Song of the South (1946) which was a mixture of live-action and animation, with a pinch of racism thrown in for good measure.  His appearance in this film, however, was not without its own controversy. Being only twelve years old at the time, Driscoll was too young to apply for the Labour Ministry permit required for foreign workers. Even though Driscoll was prohibited from working on the film, production continued while his case was on appeal. When the appeals court ruled against them, Driscoll was sent back to the states while the production wrapped up without him. The studio’s plans to return to England and use Driscoll in a live-action Robin Hood were scuttled.

With the exception of Driscoll, the entire cast was made up of British actors. At one point, Robert Donat was announced as being in the case as was Liam Redmond though neither appeared in the film. Cast instead was Robert Newton as Long John Silver, perhaps best known on film for his role in Alfred Hitchcock’s Jamaica Inn (1939). Basil Sydney, cast as Captain Smollett, was best known for his role in Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet (1948). Walter Fitzgerald, cast as Squire Trelawney was best-known previously for his film roles as Simon Fury in Blanche Fury (1948), and as Dr. Fenton in The Fallen Idol (1948).

On a budget of $1.8 million, production ran from July 4^th to November 11, 1949, using locations in Cornwall (River Fal, Falmouth, Carrick Roads, Gull Rock, and Helford River), Devon (cliff scenes), Bristol (wharf), and Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire. Interiors were shot at Denham Film Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire.

Jim Hawkins (Bobby Driscoll) serves Black Dog (Francis de Wolff).

The film takes place in 1765. Young Jim Hawkins (Bobby Driscoll) lives with his widowed mother, who runs the Admiral Benbow Inn on the west coast of England. Living there is an ailing pirate Capt. Billy Bones (Finlay Currie), who becomes alarmed when a sinister stranger Black Dog (Francis de Wolff ) comes into the Inn and asks for a double rum and asks about him. When Black Dog sees a bag with the pirate’s name on it, he is convinced he’s there, even though young Jim denies he’s ever heard of him.

Ailing pirate Capt. Billy Bones (Finlay Currie) lives at the inn.

When Jim tries to go to get help, he encounters Blind Pew (John Laurie) who brings the Captain a note with a black dot on it, and the warning until dark. Captain Bones knows what the pirates are after and has given Captain Flint’s treasure map for safekeeping. Bones cautions Jim about a one-legged man before he collapses.

Blind Pew (John Laurie) brings the Captain a note with a black dot on it.

Jim goes for help but when he returns with Dr. Livesy (Denis O'Dea) and Squire Trelawney (Walter Fitzgerald). They chase away the men after they’ve ransacked the tavern and discover Bones is dead. Jim shows the map to the two men, and the Squire becomes determined to find the treasure. Jim is thrilled when he is offered a chance to go. He hopes Dr. Livesy, who is going with them as the ship’s doctor can convince his mother to let him go.

Dr. Livesy (Denis O'Dea) and Squire Trelawney
Walter Fitzgerald) review Capt. Bones' map.

Later, in Bristol, where Trelawny has gone to plan the voyage, the doctor and Jim join him. Trelawny has hired Captain Smollett (Basil Sydney) to sail their ship, the Hispaniola, but unwittingly endangers the mission by hiring Long John Silver (Robert Newton), a seemingly honest sailor, as the ship's cook. The grizzled veteran is actually the one-legged pirate of whom Bones was afraid, and Jim is upset at first when he meets Silver, remembering Bones’ warning.

Long John Silver (Robert Newton) presents himself as a possible
 cook to Livesy and Trelawney for their voyage.

Impatient with Smollett's hiring methods, Trelawny allows Silver to hire his own friends as the rest of the crew and the voyage commences. Suspicious, Smollett keeps the guns locked away, but the charming Silver wins Jim's confidence.

Setting off on the voyage.

Silver begins his scheme to commandeer the ship by getting first mate Mr. Arrow (David Davies) drunk and tossing him overboard during a storm. Later, when Jim climbs into an apple barrel to get ones at the bottom, he overhears the mutineers discussing their plans. He hears Silver, who was Flint's quartermaster, urge his men to wait until Smollett has set the course.

The pirates are supposed to wait for the course to be set before they mutiny.

Jim warns the captain and Smollett asks him to remain friends with Silver to be privy to his plans, and Jim reluctantly agrees.

Silver negotiates with a knife to Jim's throat.

When the ship reaches Flint's island, Silver and some of his men, accompanied by Jim, board a longboat to go ashore. The mutiny is begun prematurely by Silver's confederate, George Merry (Ralph Truman), but the mutineers aboard the Hispaniola are captured by the captain's men.

Silver, holding a knife to Jim’s throat, demands the map in exchange for the boy, but the resourceful youngster escapes when the boat lands.

On the island, Jim meets Ben Gunn (Geoffrey Wilkinson), a crazed castaway
marooned by Silver during Flint's voyage to the island five years previously.

On the island, Jim meets Ben Gunn (Geoffrey Wilkinson), a crazed castaway who was marooned by Silver during Flint's voyage to the island five years previously.

Back on the ship, after locking the mutineers in the hold, Smollett goes ashore with some men to rescue Jim, leaving two behind to watch the ship. Smollett's men occupy an old stockade they’ve spied on the island, but during their absence, Silver's pirates capture the Hispaniola and Silver takes over as captain.

Silver tries to negotiate for the map.

Jim, who has been led to the stockade by Ben, watches as Silver comes to the stronghold and promises to send help eventually if Smollett turns over the treasure map. Smollett refuses, and a bloody gunfight begins. Silver shoots and wounds Smollett, and that night, a worried Livesy gives Jim the map and orders him to buy his life with it if necessary.

Pirate Israel Hands (Geoffrey Keen) is about to get shot in the face by Jim. 

Hearing Smollett state that they must beach the Hispaniola, Jim uses Ben's small boat to row up to the large ship. Pirate Israel Hands (Geoffrey Keen) and the other pirate on board the ship get into an argument over rum and their duties and Hands kills him. He then spots Jim, and chases the terrified boy up the rigging. In a standoff, Hands stabs him in the shoulder and Jim shoots Hands in the face with his pistol and the pirate falls to his death in the water below.

Jim then runs the Hispaniola aground and returns to the stockade, but there finds Silver and his men have overrun the barricade.  Silver takes the map when Jim faints from terror. Silver refuses to allow Merry to kill Jim, insisting that they need the boy as a hostage, although he does not reveal to his conspirators that he has the map.

Worried about Jim's injury, Silver tries to summon Livesy, but the other pirates, suspicious of Silver's motives, vote to depose him. Silver refuses to step down and instead allows Livesy to tend to Jim. Silver, who thinks that Smollett's men have regained the Hispaniola, vows to protect Jim in exchange for being spared from the gallows upon their return to England.

Using the map, the pirates find the treasure but realize Silver has tricked them.

Livesy promises to help Silver, and Jim stays with him as Silver turns over the map to his pirates. The pirates then locate Flint's chest but suspect that Silver has double-crossed them when they find only one coin. Livesy and his men arrive while the pirates are fighting and succeed in taking control.

They then learn that Ben had dug up Flint's gold and taken it to his cave, and there Jim pleads with Smollett to spare Silver's life. Smollett agrees to return the pirate to England for trial, but when they row to the Hispaniola with the gold, Silver gets Jim's and Smollett’s pistols and makes all but Jim jump off the longboat. At gunpoint, he demands that Jim steer him to the opening in the bay.

Jim helps Silver shove off after running the boat aground.

Jim, however, steers them aground and will not shove off even though Silver threatens to shoot him. The old pirate, who genuinely cares for the boy, cannot shoot him. Silver tries in vain to free the boat as the crew approaches. Realizing that Silver is indeed his friend, Jim pushes the boat off and helps the pirate to escape, then watches as Silver sails away with the money.

The film was released on July 29, 1950 and made $4.2 million worldwide in its first release with $2,100,000 being generated in the United States and Canada. It also garnered very positive reviews from the critics of the day.

Treasure Island is a popular story and had been made several times as a movie before Disney made this film. The first was a 1918 silent film from Fox Film Corporation, directed by Sidney Franklin. Two years later, Paramount made another one starring Charles Ogle and Shirley Mason. This film is now considered lost.

MGM made the first sound version in 1934 starring Jackie Cooper and Wallace Beery. Three years later, there was a loose adaptation made in the Soviet Union.

Since this adaptation, there  have been 16 film versions, including a 1972 version starring Orson Welles; The Treasure Planet (1982), a Bulgarian animated science fiction version; a  made for TV version in 1990 starring Charlton Heston, Christian Bale, Oliver Reed, Christopher Lee and Pete Postlethwaite; Muppet Treasure Island (1996); and Treasure Planet (2002), an adaptation from Walt Disney Animation Studios set in space, with Long John Silver as a cyborg and many of the original characters re-imagined as aliens and robots.

Despite all of these versions, Disney’s 1950s version is considered the gold standard. It’s not necessarily because of the Disney name but is due to Robert Newton’s tour-de-force take as Long John Silver. His portrayal has not only become the standard for the character but for pirates in general. He has become the "patron saint" of the annual International Talk Like a Pirate Day. He would continue to portray pirates in Blackbeard (1952_ and Long John Silver again in the 1954 film of the same name and The Adventures of Long John Silver TV series in the 1950s spawned by that film.

Many of our cinematic pirate stereotypes are based on Newton’s performance in Treasure Island.

You see lingering impressions of this film even in more modern pirate films like The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. As much as Keith Richards may have been an inspiration for Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Jack Sparrow, it also relies on Newton’s performance as well. It seems that everything we know cinematically about pirates has roots in this Treasure Island.

Jimmy Driscoll plays Jim Hawkins.

Jimmy Driscoll’s performance is also very good. He may have only been 12 when the film was made but he manages to carry it without becoming obnoxious or whiney. But despite how good he may be, he does not overshadow Newton.

There are some pretty good production values as well. The action is big but tempered. When Jimmy shoots Hands in the face, we’re not shown the shot itself and we don’t need to be. I don’t know but that sequence may have been one of the reasons the film, when re-released in 1975 initially received a PG rating. At the time, Disney had a G-only policy and cut out about nine minutes out of the film to get the coveted G-rating.  In subsequent home video releases, the film was restored to its original and PG-rated version.

One of the interesting notes is that even though this film was made during the Production Code Administration, the villain seems to get away not only from justice but also with the ill-gotten gains of a life of piracy. In the past, even films based on novels with such endings had to be restructured to fit into the rigors of the Code. Maybe, in this case, the Disney name was enough to get past this rule.

I will say that I enjoyed the film and would highly recommend it. This is truly a film that parents and children can both enjoy. It doesn’t embarrass either and is really good fun. If you like pirate films and have never seen this version of the story, then you need to see this version of Treasure Island. It is the roots of everything we think we know when it comes to pirates in film.