It seems almost natural to think of Walt Disney and pirates. Well before there was even a “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride, or even a Disneyland, Walt Disney produced his version of Treasure Island. The film is something of a classic, having more than any other film, provided the template for what makes a great pirate movie. Treasure Island also carries the distinction of being Walt Disney’s first totally dramatic feature, with no animated sequences.
Unlike the more recent pirate films, Treasure Island runs an efficient ninety-six minutes. Most people are familiar enough with the basic story that it is not needed for me to rehash the plot. For those of you who somehow missed one of the thirty or so versions or variations of the story by Robert Louis Stevenson, it’s about a young man who gets a coveted map of buried treasure. Pirate Long John Silver conives his way to be part of the crew in this tale of alliances, double crosses, and loyalty. Made in 1950, the film may strike some as surprisingly violent for family entertainment – there’s lots of rum drinking, shooting, some blood, and young Jim Hawkins gets knifed in his arm. There may not be the elaborate sequences as in the Pirates of the Caribbean and the sequels, but film fans should be interested in seeing the film that essentially set the bar for the genre.
The story of the talent for Treasure Island is equally dramatic. The movie was directed by Byron Haskin, a veteran filmmaker who started out in the silent era. Haskin hit his stride in the Fifties, and may be most famous directing War of the Worlds, the version that inspired Steven Spielberg’s own recent take. The cinematography for Treasure Island was done by Freddie Young who would peak with his work on Lawrence of Arabia. Robert Newton made the role of Long John Silver his own, starring in a non-Disney sequel titled Long John Silver and a television series of the same name. Newton also starred in Blackbeard, the Pirate. Whenever you hear some talking like a pirate, they’re imitating Newton whether they no it or not. Little Bobby Driscoll was twelve when he played Jim Hawkins. He was a popular child actor during the late Forties and early Fifties, but his career went downhill when Disney discontinued using him. The story is that getting into his teen years, Driscoll had extremely bad acne. Driscoll’s complexion problems weren’t enough to keep him from working on television, then only in black and white. Still making enough money to live comfortably, Driscoll developed a heroin habit at age 17, and died a homeless drug addict at age 31.
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