Treasure Island (1934)
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Synopsis: Jim Hawkins (Jackie Cooper) is a young man who helps his mother run the Admiral Benbow Inn outside Bristol, England. One fine day a strange-looking man named Billy Bones (Lionel Barrymore) arrives at the Benbow and drunkenly discusses treasure. Bones drops dead, and Hawkins finds a treasure... Jim Hawkins (Jackie Cooper) is a young man who helps his mother run the Admiral Benbow Inn outside Bristol, England. One fine day a strange-looking man named Billy Bones (Lionel Barrymore) arrives at the Benbow and drunkenly discusses treasure. Bones drops dead, and Hawkins finds a treasure map in the dead man's chest. A friend of Hawkins, Dr. Livesey (Otto Kruger), recognizes the map for what it is and convinces the local squire (Nigel Bruce) to raise the money for a voyage to recoup gold and jewels. But in hiring a crew, Hawkins and Livesy unknowingly put together a motley group of pirates, led by the one-legged Long John Silver (Wallace Beery). As the ship sails, non-pirate crew members begin to disappear, and by the time the boat reaches Treasure Island, Long John and his companions vastly outnumber Jim and Livesy's stalwart crew. Robert Louis Stevenson's novel is among the best children's adventures ever written, and numerous films have attempted to capture the never-a-dull-moment spirit of the book. Fleming's rendition was the first one filmed in the sound era, and for many, it remains the best and most faithful version. [More]
Genre: Action/Adventure
Starring: Wallace Beery, Jackie Cooper, Lionel Barrymore, Otto Kruger, Lewis Stone
Producer: Hunt Stromberg
Screenwriter: John Lee Mahin, Leonard Praskins, John Howard Lawson
Composer: Herbert Stothart
DVD Info
Release:
Oct 10, 2006
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A quality Hollywood adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson kiddie classic.
...young (Jackie) Cooper has a hard time holding his own against the older cast members, but that point aside, the film is a delight.
Five minutes into the picture, I pretty much forgot about its 1934 production date and was caught up in the characters and story.


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