TREASURE ISLAND
US, 1934, 103 minutes, Black and white.
Wallace Beery, Jackie Cooper, Lionel Barrymore, Otto Kruger, Lewis Stone, Nigel Bruce.
Directed by Victor Fleming.
Treasure Island is one of about thirty versions of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel. Made into a film during the silent era, this 1934 was the first mainstream version, directed by Victor Fleming (Gone With The Wind, The Wizard of Oz) and made with all the finesse of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer? production values. Wallace Beery had won an Oscar for his performance in The Champ in 1931, had been a character actor and villain but made his name again with his Long John Silver, much more friendly than some other versions, with his rolling eye and wooden leg. Jackie Cooper, the child actor who had appeared with Beery in The Champ, is Jim Hawkins. Many Metro character actors appear in supporting roles, especially Lionel Barrymore as Billy Bones, Otto Kruger as Doctor Livesey, Lewis Stone as Captain Smollett and Nigel Bruce, blustering as always, as he did in the Sherlock Holmes films as Doctor Watson, as Squire Trelawney.
The film seems somewhat overacted in hindsight – is very American in its accent, is a touch more genial than later versions. The film is fairly matter-of-fact about deaths and killings, not emotionally involved, as perhaps was the attitude at the time. Nevertheless, the film does show Long John Silver as an ambiguous hero, letting him off at the end. He bonds well with Jim Hawkins.
Treasure Island was to be filmed by Disney in 1950 with Robert Newton rolling his eyes as Long John Silver (and star of the film Long John Silver as well as the television series) with Bobby Driscoll as Jim Hawkins. Later Long John Silvers include Orson Welles in 1972 and Charlton Heston in 1990.
1.The perennial appeal of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel? The variety of film versions? The story, piracy, adventure, Long John Silver as villain, the other characters, Jim Hawkins as hero – and younger audiences identifying with him?
2.MGM production values, black and white photography, the locations on Catalina Island? The re-creation of England in the 18th century? The inns, the towns? The ship, on board ship? The island, the beaches, the stockade? The musical score?
3.Audience familiarity with the plot? Identification with Jim Hawkins as young hero? The fascination with Long John Silver?
4.England, the inn, the customers, Jim and his mother working? The hard life? The rough and tumble? Captain Billy Bones and his arrival, his drinking, singing about the dead man’s chest? His fear of Long John Silver? The arrival of Blind Pugh? The threat, Billy Bones and his confiding in Jim? To be on the lookout for Long John Silver? The black spot? His death?
5.The treasure, the map, the black spot? Doctor Livesey and his attitude towards Billy Bones, the confrontation? The gentleman? The friendship with Squire Trelawney? Squire Trelawney and his blustering, unable to keep quiet about information? The plan to hire the boat? Going to Bristol? Jim and his mother and the decision for him to go to sea?
6.Going to Bristol, the ship, Squire Trelawney and his talking? The discussions with Captain Smollett? The issues of the crew? The encounter with Long John Silver, his conman talk, his ingratiating himself with the captain, coming on board, offering to be cook? Going to see his men? The friendship with Jim? At the inn, his smooth talk, getting the men to enlist?
7.The voyage, the role of Captain Smollett, his severity, his suspicions of the crew? Shifting the quarters? Life on board, the work, Jim? Long John Silver and his influence, rousing the mutiny?
8.Silver, Wallace Beery’s style, jovial, a villain, smooth-talking? Ingratiating himself? The bond with Jim? Jim as an earnest young boy?
9.On the island, the mutiny, the confrontations, the fighting, the deaths? The wounding of Captain Smollett? Doctor Livesey and Squire Trelawney? The stockade?
10.The individual members of the crew, their styles, personalities? Sinister? The arrival on the island? Ben Gunn and his survival? The confrontation with Silver?
11.The irony of Ben Gunn and his moving the treasure? Silver finding it? The attack on the stockade? Silver being taken, put in the cage? The treasure? His burrowing into it, taking the coins? Everybody going on shore – and the danger to Silver, the arrest, his being executed?
12.The talk with Jim, persuasive, Jim helping him, freeing him, his promises about the money? Jim letting him go – and his promise that he would be back?
13.The popular pirate ingredients? The adventure on sea? Villains and heroes? The constant appeal of buried treasure?
