Treasure Island (1973 film)
| Company type | Animation studio |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation, Film production |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Animated films, Television series |
Treasure Island is a 1973 American animated musical adventure movie directed by Hal Sutherland, produced by Filmation, and distributed by Warner Bros.. This film adapts the 1883 novel of the same title authored by Robert Louis Stevenson.
An edited version was broadcast as a special on NBC in 1980.
Plot
The story begins with the elderly sailor Billy Bones and his rum-loving pirate mouse companion, Hiccup, arriving at an inn in Bristol managed by young Jim Hawkins and his widowed mother. Billy shares with Jim the legend of Captain J. Flint’s hidden treasure on a Caribbean island and cautions him about a one-legged man. After receiving "the Black Spot" from the blind beggar Pew, Billy suddenly passes away. Pew, along with Flint’s former pirate crew, attacks the inn searching for Jim and the treasure map that Billy concealed in a box, which Jim manages to find. With cleverness, Jim and Hiccup outwit the pirates and force them to retreat, aided by gunmen led by Squire John Trelawney, who arrives accompanied by his gamekeeper Tom Redruth and doctor Dr. David Livesey—all eager to pursue the map.
Trelawney arranges a voyage aboard the schooner Hispanola bound for the treasure island. Jim takes on the role of cabin boy under Captain Alexander Smollett. Suspicion arises between Jim and Hiccup as many crew members appear to be pirates, notably cook Long John Silver, who has one leg and wields a crutch that conceals a firearm. Silver befriends Jim, instructing him in nautical terminology. Later that night, Silver compels suspected mutineers to walk the plank. Concealed inside an apple barrel, Jim overhears Silver’s treachery and alerts Smollett’s loyal men.
As they near the island, Jim pretends to be ill to avoid going ashore with Silver and the pirates; some pirates also feign sickness to remain onboard with him. When the mutineers seize control of the ship, Smollett’s loyalists escape to shore using a lifeboat. Jim and Hiccup secretly hide inside a sack to follow them ashore. In the jungle, they encounter Ben Gunn, a marooned crewman who has developed a peculiar goat-like language due to his isolation. Gunn provides Jim with an escape boat.
Jim reunites with his friends at an abandoned stockade where they fend off pirate attacks until their enemies withdraw. That night, Jim and Hiccup sneak aboard the Hispanola, tricking two pirates—including knife-thrower Israel Hands—into falling overboard into shark-infested waters. Jim then sails the vessel into a hidden northern bay of the island for concealment.
The following morning, Silver’s crew captures Jim and taunts him about his companions’ fate. Guided by Flint’s map through dense jungle terrain, their numbers diminish due to jungle fever. At the designated treasure site, only Silver’s right-hand man Morgan and three German-speaking triplets remain. They discover nothing beneath the tree; Morgan suspects Silver deceived them to claim the true treasure alone and threatens Jim. Silver intervenes to protect Jim from harm. A confrontation ensues involving Jim, Hiccup, Silver, Morgan, and the triplets; Ben Gunn disarms Morgan with an arrow shot. Smollett’s group returns riding goats and defeats the mutineers.
With Silver captured, Smollett’s party locates the genuine treasure hidden within a mountainside cavern with assistance from Gunn.
Upon returning to Bristol, Jim secretly slips Silver a blade concealed inside stale bread as gratitude for saving his life, enabling Silver to escape with part of the treasure. Redruth intends to use his share to leave Trelawney’s service. Meanwhile, Jim embraces his future as an honest sailor while Silver joyfully resumes his piratical lifestyle.
Voice cast
- Richard Dawson portraying Long John Silver
- Davy Jones as Jim Hawkins
- Dal McKennon voicing Captain Flint and Ben Gunn
- Larry D. Mann in the role of Dr. Livesey
- Larry Storch as Captain Alexander Smollett
- Jane Webb playing Mrs. Hawkins
- Lou Scheimer providing voices for a bearded sailor and a pirate (uncredited)
Production
This movie was created as part of the Family Classics collection, a series adapting public domain literature commissioned by Warner Bros. Productions in early 1972. Production wrapped up by late 1973, alongside the adaptation of Oliver Twist. The overall budget amounted to $1,050,000, mostly financed by Warner Bros., with some additional funding from the studio.
Release
Treasure Island made its debut on April 29, 1980, as an edited special presentation on NBC's Special Treat, hosted by Melissa Sue Anderson. The first VHS edition appeared on September 30, 1997, under the Warner Bros. Classic Tales label. Subsequently, the DVD was released on September 3, 2002, through Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Family Entertainment. In 2005, Alliance Entertainment Singapore issued the title on VCD format.
External links
- Articles with short description
- Filmation animated films
- 1973 animated films
- 1973 films
- 1973 children's films
- Animated adventure films
- 1970s American animated films
- Animated Treasure Island films
- Warner Bros. animated films
- Warner Bros. films
- 1970s children's animated films
- Animated films directed by Hal Sutherland
- 1970s English-language films
- Films produced by Lou Scheimer
- Animated films set on ships
- Animated films set in the Caribbean