WALT DISNEY'S TREASURE ISLAND {MOTION PICTURE}
Summary
A presentation of Walt Disney's 1950 live-action classic, an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's tale of a young boy hunting for treasure with pirates. The story begins on the west coast of England in 1765 as a stranger enters the pub where young Jim Hawkins works. He questions if the lad is familiar with Captain William Bones. Upon seeing a trunk bearing the initials W.B., the man leaves abruptly. Later, Billy Bones, a lodger at the inn, identifies the stranger as Black Dog and tells Jim that a man with one leg will soon arrive. When Jim goes for help, he runs straight into Blind Pew, who forces the boy to take him to Bill. Blind Pew gives Bill a sheet of paper with a black spot on it, and the words "until dark." When Blind Pew leaves, Bill pulls out his trunk and rips a map from its lining before giving it to Jim and keeling over. When Jim brings Dr. Livesy and Squire Trelawney, they find Bill dead. Jim then shows the map to the squire, who declares that it leads to the buried fortune of a legendary pirate, Captain Flint, on Treasure Island. Upon acquiring a ship, the Hispaniola, Squire Trelawney is joined by Jim and the doctor, as well as the newly hired Captain Smollett and a cook, Long John Silver. Jim is alarmed to see that Long John has only one leg, matching the description which the dying Bill gave of his nemesis. Long John convinces Squire Trelawney to let him hire his friends to fill out the crew. Later, Long John claims he never knew Bill. After dinner, Jim aids Long John until Black Dog stops by Long John's pub. Long John sends his men in pursuit of the scoundrel, then convinces Jim that he's doesn't know Black Dog. Later, the crew assembles aboard the Hispaniola and First Mate Mr. Arrow records the names of all of Long John's associates. Captain Smollett tells Squire Trelawney that he thinks the crew is untrustworthy. Regardless, the ship sets sail and Long John gives Jim a pistol to hold for him. Later, Long John runs up against crewman George Merry and takes away his concealed weapon. During a storm, Long John gets Mr. Arrow drunk and takes his gun before sending Mr. Arrow on deck. Mr. Arrow is subsequently swept into the ocean. The next day, Jim overhears Long John plotting mutiny with George and his mates, as well as admitting to setting up Mr. Arrow's death and having sailed under Captain Flint. The pirates are distracted when land is spotted. Jim then reports what he heard to Captain Smollett, Squire Trelawney, and Dr. Livesy. The doctor asks Jim to pretend to still be friends with Long John so that he can get more information. As Long John takes a rowboat to shore with some of his cohorts and Jim, George makes his own plan to get muskets. As George makes his move, gunfire erupts and Captain Smollett threatens to shoot Long John in the rowboat. Long John puts a knife to Jim's throat and says that he's in control, though George and the pirates aboard ship are locked in the galley. Upon reaching the island, Jim runs away. With Long John's minions in pursuit, Jim comes across hermit Ben Gunn, who's been marooned on the island for five years. Ben says that Long John left him there after they buried Captain Flint's treasure. Through his telescope on ship, Captain Smollett spots a fortress from which they can form a base of operations on the island. As the captain and his men go ashore, Ben shows Jim a small boat that he made. Meanwhile, the pirates who were locked in the ship's hold get loose, led by George and Israel Hands. Jim reunites with the captain as George, Israel, and the pirates secure the ship's stash of guns and get drunk on rum. Later, Long John and the pirates make their way to the fortress, where Long John proposes a truce. He offers to trade the map for the men's lives. When the captain refuses, Long John ordes the pirates to attack the fort. Ultimately, the pirates are sent on the run, though Long John manages to shoot the captain. Later, the doctor gives the map to Jim, telling him to save his life with it if necessary. Fearing that Long John may utilize the ship's cannon to level the fort, Jim uses Ben's boat to go to the ship and dismantle the anchor. On board, Israel sees Jim and discovers that he's got the map. Jim escapes up the rigging and is stabbed by Israel, after which he shoots the pirate dead. As the ship veers toward the shore, Jim disembarks and returns to the stockade, not realizing that the pirates now control it. He is subsequently captured by Long John, who gets the map. When Long John saves Jim from blood poisoning, George and the men threaten to revolt, giving Long John the black spot. At Long John's bidding, the doctor fixes Jim's wound, grudgingly admitting that Long John saved Jim's life of his own accord. Later, the pirates retract Long John's black spot and convince him to lead the way to the treasure. Upon finding the site, the pirates see that the treasure is gone and revolt against Long John. Long John kills George as the doctor and his men fire on the others. Ben then surfaces, admitting that he stole the treasure and stored it in his cave. As the captain resurfaces, he says that Long John must stand trial in England for mutiny, despite protestations from Jim and the doctor. Long John offers to give his parrot, named Captain Flint after Long John's predecessor, to Jim, but Jim refuses. During their conversation, Long John draws a gun on the captain and squire in the rowboat, then makes them jump overboard. Long John quickly puts Jim ashore, but can't move the rowboat out until Jim helps to push him. Long John subsequently escapes with the treasure as Jim wistfully watches him sail toward the horizon.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: 1950 Wednesday
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:00375
- GENRE: Drama, action/adventure
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, action/adventure
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Walt Disney … Executive Producer
- Herbert Smith … Executive Producer
- Perce Pearce … Producer
- Byron Haskin … Director
- Lawrence Edward Watkin (See also: Lawrence E. Watkin) … Writer
- Robert Louis Stevenson … Based on the book by
- Clifton Parker … Music by
- Bobby Driscoll … Cast, Jim Hawkins
- Robert Newton … Cast, Long John Silver
- Basil Sydney … Cast, Captain Smollett
- Walter Fitzgerald … Cast, Squire Trelawney
- Denis O'Dea … Cast, Dr. Livesy
- Finlay Currie … Cast, Billy Bones
- Ralph Truman … Cast, George Merry
- Geoffrey Keen … Cast, Israel Hands
- Geoffrey Wilkinson … Cast, Ben Gunn
- John Laurie … Cast, Blind Pew
- Francis De Wolff … Cast, Black Dog
- David Davies … Cast, Mr. Arrow
- John Gregson … Cast, Redruth
- Andrew Blackett … Cast, Gray
- William Devlin … Cast, Morgan
- Howard Douglas … Cast, Williams
- Harry Locke … Cast, Haggott
- Sam Kydd … Cast, Cady
- Stephen Jack … Cast, Job
- Harold Jamieson … Cast, Scully
- Diarmuid Kelly … Cast, Bolen
- Reginald Drummond … Cast, Vane
- Gordon Mulholland … Cast, Durgin
- Patrick Troughton … Cast, Roach
- Jim O'Brady … Cast, Wolfe
- Chris Adcock … Cast, Pike
- Tom Lucas … Cast, Upson
- Leo Phillips … Cast, Spotts
- Eddie Moran … Cast, Bart
- Bob Head … Cast, Tardy
- Ken Buckle … Cast, Joyce
- Paddy Brannigan … Cast, Hunter
- Jack Arrow … Cast, Norton
- Freddy Clark … Cast, Bray