"Treasure Island" Movies Page at Magic Lantern Video & Book Store

Originally serialized in October 1881 to January 1882 issues of the British children's magazine Young Folks, under the title "The Sea Cook, or Treasure Island", then published as a book in 1883. The story was written by Robert Louis Stevenson and chapters were mailed off as they were completed.

Sometime after the year 1757, young Jim Hawkins is living on the west coast of England at the Admiral Benbow Inn, which is run by his parents. An old sea captain, Billy Bones, takes a room at the inn, and after some time he is visited by Black Dog; the two have an argument and Billy knifes Black Dog, who flees but is found dead of a stroke. Jim's father dies, and next day a blind seaman named Pew appears to present Billy with an ultimatum (in the form of 'The Black Spot'). Billy dies of a stroke that night, and Jim and his mother go thru Billy's sea-chest, in hope of finding payment for Billy's many months of unpaid lodgings. They find money, but less than the due amount; Jim snags a wrapped packet thinking it may make up the difference. They hear noises outside and hide as Pew sets a gang of seamen to ransack Billy's room and the inn, looking for 'Flint's list'. Alerted by neighbors, local police arrive and chase the men away; Blind Pew is trampled by horses, the others get away by small boat.

           Believing the packet to be the object of the gang's efforts, Jim takes it to gentry of the area, Dr. Livesey and Squire Trelawney. They find an account book and a treasure map inside the packet, and conclude that it will lead to the treasure of Captain Flint. Trelawney mounts an expedition, aboard his ship Hispaniola, and in ignorance & naiveté hires several men that were pirates with Flint, including the ship's cook, peglegged Long John Silver. Once at sea, good Capt. Smollett is overruled by Trelawney on several issues, in favor of the unsavory members of the crew; but Jim happens to hide in an apple barrel and eavesdrop on a meeting on deck where Silver explains his plan to mutiny and proceed to Flint's island as captain. Jim reports his news and Smollett regains full command.
           Arriving at the island, Smollett 'allows' the rebellious crewmen to go ashore first. Jim hides in the pirates' small boat and goes with them, then witnesses Silver kill a crewman who refuses to mutiny; Jim runs deeper into the tropical jungle that covers the island, and finds Ben Gunn, marooned there three years prior by Capt. Flint and driven mad in the isolation. Smollett and the loyal crew go ashore and find a stockade left by Flint, losing one man during a skirmish with the pirates. Jim seeks refuge in the stockade, then Silver tries to negotiate a deal; but Smollett refuses, and an hour later the pirates attack; the pirates lose several men and retreat.
           Jim sneaks away to set the ship adrift (preventing the pirates' escape), then climbs aboard to find that Mr. Hands has killed his fellow watchman while both were drunk. Jim takes control of the ship while Hands feigns helplessness; Hands then tries to kill Jim; Jim wins the fight by killing Hands, but is injured. After safely grounding the ship, Jim returns to the stockade without realizing that the pirates have taken it from the crew. Silver holds Jim hostage, and when the restless men present him with a 'Black Spot' and depose him as leader, Silver uses Jim and the treasure map to regain leadership (saving both Jim and himself from the twice-mutinous pirate crew).
           The next day, Silver leads the last five pirates (along with Jim) to the treasure trove, but find it already excavated and removed, except for two guinea coins. The pirates are enraged, and about to turn on Silver, when Dr. Livesey and Ben Gunn and others open fire, killing two pirates and running three others off. Silver is allowed to rejoin the crew, for having saved Jim's life at least once, and the loyal crewmen carry the Flint treasure from Ben Gunn's cave to the ship (a job of three days). The three mutineers beg to be taken aboard, but are left marooned on the island. Homeward bound, the ship stops at a Spanish port, where Silver sneaks away, taking along a small portion of the treasure.
           The further return voyage is uneventful. Dr. Livesey and Squire Trelawney settle back into country life, their new wealth not visible to others. Capt. Smollett retires from the sea; Benn Gunn spends all his fortune in nineteen days, then accepts a small pension and a cottage from Trelawney. Jim Hawkins runs the inn by himself, haunted at times from the adventure on Treasure Island, sometimes waking at night from dreaming that he heard Silver's parrot squawking "Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!".

"The Adventures of Ben Gunn" [1956] by R.F. Delderfield
which follows Ben Gunn from parson's son to pirate

"The Curse of Treasure Island" [2001 sequel] by Frank Delaney {writing as Francis Bryan}

"Return To Treasure Island"
[United Artists June 1954]

A girl finds a treasure map and gets help from a hunky beach boy to fend off Capt. Flint, Long John Silver, and their gang of modern pirates. Written & produced by Jack Pollexfen & Aubrey Wisberg; directed by Ewald André Dupont; starring Tab Hunter, Dawn Addams, Porter Hall, James Seay, Harry Lauter, William Cottrell, Lane Chandler, Henry Rowland, Dayton Lummis & Robert Long (as Long John Silver}
video/DVD not available; full credits from IMDb

"Treasure Island" [National General Oct 1972]

Directed by John Hough; based on the R.L.S. novel {above}; co-written by Wolf Mankowitz; co-written by & starring Orson Welles [1915-85] {as Long John Silver}; also starring Kim Burfield, Walter Slezak, Rik Battaglia, [blacklistee] Lionel Stander, Ángel del Pozo, Jean Lefebvre & Maria Rohm
Region 1 DVD not available; Warner color VHS [9/98] out of prodn/rare
full credits from IMDb

"Treasure Island" [U.K. TV movie 1982]

Directed by either Judith de Paul or Dave Heather; co-written by & starring Bernard Miles; co-starring Frank Gorshin, Christopher Cazenove, Piers Eady, Harold Innocent, John Judd, David Kernan, Norman Rossington & Christopher Wren
Trinity Home Ent. color DVD [4/2006] for $7.99
full credits at IMDb

"Ken Russell's Treasure Island"
[U.K. Channel 4 TV movie Dec 1995]
A rather skewed version, with a Marilyn Monroe-like 'Long Jane Silver' and much music; written & directed by
Ken Russell; starring Hetty Baynes {Russell's then-wife), Gregory Hall, Michael Elphick, Charles Augins, Bob Goody,
Georgina Hale & Stephen Tiller; video/DVD not available; credits at IMDb

"Die Schatzinsel" [2007]
A loosely adapted version, in German, starring German and Austrian actors

"Flint & Silver" [to be released in 2010?]

	Announced in February 2008: Material Entertainment of U.K. (a joint venture of Entertainment Film Distributors and New Line International) made a deal with author John Drake for movie rights to three books, beginning with "Flint & Silver", a prequel to "Treasure Island" that was published in Australia & U.K. in July 2008 video/DVD not yet available; lastest info at IMDb
	based on the novel [2008] by John Drake The pirate partnership of cunning John Silver and sadistic Joseph Flint is threatened with the arrival of the beautiful runaway slave Selena, who is wanted for murder. S&S 9x6¼ pb [5/2010] for $11.70 S&S 9½x6½ hardcover [5/2009] for $19.00

	classic 1883 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson Signet pb [12/98] for $3.95 Penguin 7¾x5 hardcover [12/99] for $5.95 Bookcassette UNABR audio [6/93] for $12.57 Tantor UNABR audio CD [12/2002] for $39.00 Robert Louis Stevenson movie credits at IMDb
	"Treasure Island" book illustrated by N.C. Wyeth [1882-1945] Atheneum 9¼x7¼ hardcover [10/81] for $19.79 N.C. Wyeth bookcover 18"x24" art print available at AllPosters.com N.C. Wyeth bookcover 16"x20" art print available at AllPosters.com N.C. Wyeth 25"x20" art print available at AllPosters.com "Pirate's Captive" by N.C. Wyeth 20"x25" art print available at AllPosters.com
	"Treasure Island" from DVD Bookshelf [2007] DVD Bookshelf presents the classic children's novel thru dramatic narration and full- screen text, with classic illustrations by Edumnd Dulac, Lyle Justis & N.C. Wyeth; reading time is 6 hours Ryko Music widescreen color DVD [6/2007] for $11.49

Magic Lantern Video & Book Store'Treasure Island' Movies

Magic Lantern Video & Book Store
'Treasure Island' Movies