Treasure Island 1972

[Karriem Drewery]

TreasureIsland is a 1972 adventure film, based on the 1883 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. The film stars Orson Welles as Long John Silver (albeit later dubbed by a different actor), Kim Burfield as Jim Hawkins, Walter Slezak as Squire Trelawney, Rik Battaglia as Captain Smollett, and ngel del Pozo as Doctor Livesey.[1]

Jim Hawkins (Kim Burfield) is a young boy who works at a tavern with his mother (Maria Rohm). When a drunken old sailor named Billy Bones (Lionel Stander) comes in for a drink and dies, Jim gets his hands on a map which shows the whereabouts of pirate Captain Flint's treasure. Immediately taking action, he then enlists the help of Squire Trelawney (Walter Slezak) and Dr. Livesey (Angel DelPozo) to join him as he locates the island on the map. Together, they join a ship commanded by Captain Smollett (Rik Battaglia) that will lead them to their destination.

Word of the treasure map gets around and most of the crew are recruited with the help of the ship's cook, Long John Silver (Orson Welles), an ex-pirate who had sailed with Captain Flint and intends to get the treasure by mutiny and murder.

Already on the island is a marooned pirate, Ben Gunn, who has spent his time gathering the treasure. With his help Jim, the Squire, the Doctor, the Captain and a number of loyal crewmen outwit the pirates, killing most of them in gun battles.

After Welles had failed to convince numerous producers to finance his film, he tried an alternative approach: he wrote a screenplay for the more commercially appealing Treasure Island, and promised to make both films, back to back, filmed on the same sets and with the same cast, for barely more than the cost of one film. As well as having written the script, he proposed to direct Treasure Island and play Long John Silver.

According to Welles' assistant Juan Cobos, Welles was "afraid that Chimes wouldn't be a very appealing film at the box office and he proposed a remake of Treasure Island to the (producers). It was a way to cover the money deficit of Chimes with a more popular film based on (Robert Louis) Stevensons classical novel."[2]

He would direct from a script by Welles. "We had a good script," said Welles. "It was loyal to Stevenson; my contribution was to keep it clear about just where the people were on the island, which Stevenson didn't always bother about... You don't notice it when you are reading, just when you are making a film script."[2][4]

Filming took place for a week on the Mediterranean coast of Alicante in 1964. It used a rented ship originally built for the Spanish-shot John Paul Jones (1959) and subsequently used in a number of other films.[2][5]

Several scenes were allegedly shot, some of which Welles reportedly directed. Franco went on to help Welles for three weeks on shooting Chimes at Midnight. The two men had a disagreement after funding from Piedra ran out. Franco got Harry Saltzman to finance the completion of Chimes. Welles was unhappy with the arrangements and Franco left the project.[2]

He said the film would be in colour, the budget would be $1.5 million and that part of the finance had been secured from Seven Arts Productions, who would distribute in the US and Canada. Fergus McIntosh would play Jim Hawkins and Hugh Griffith would play an unspecified role.[7] By December however it was clear the film was not going to be made.[8]

Welles remained contractually tied to the project as both actor and writer. Eight years later, he was brought in to make the film again by producer Harry Alan Towers who had worked with Welles in radio. Welles still wanted to direct but Towers said he could not get a completion guarantee if that was the case so John Hough was brought in to do the job.[10]

Welles said, "A lot of people wanted me to do Treasure Island in Greece. But the colonels have locked up a lot of my friends so naturally I never considered going there. Besides, Spain is my home and this is the place I would rather work."[12]

Towers sourced a boat to play the Hispaniola in the Thames. It was a floating restaurant. He arranged for it to be shipped to Spain but it sank. John Hough managed to find another boat two weeks before filming.[10]

According to one contemporary report the director at one stage was Italian Andrea Bianchi who said, "I knew all about the 'black legend' of Orson Welles. When he is in front of the camera, no matter who is in the director's chair, it is Welles who directs."[12] After a tense initial two day period, Welles and Bianchi established a working relationship.[12]

Welles claimed his performance was dubbed by another actor without his permission. Welles did record a dubbing session, but it was over one long night in Paris, and it was felt that Welles' dubbing could not be understood. Because this was only a few weeks before the US release, that version used Welles' voice. However, Towers says Nat Cohen, who was in charge of the film's release in Britain and on American TV, insisted the voice be dubbed again. They hired Robert Rietty to do the job.[10][2]

This film version of Treasure Island has a complicated pre-production history, something to be expected when researching projects in which Orson Welles was a driving creative force. He proposed the film as part of a finance deal to help secure investors for Chimes at Midnight, and though this deal fell apart with producers after Chimes was released in 1966, Welles had already worked on (completed?) a screenplay and was hopeful to direct Treasure Island himself. Despite many fits and starts and changes in financing, filming commenced in June of 1972.

Might be the edgiest Treasure Island Adaptation out there. Lots of blood and squib loads, it is almost shot like a western when they're on the island. Long John Silver has a Monkey for some reason????

I'm surprised this functions as well as it does given its turbulent production but while the early 70s spanish/italian vibes are excellent they can only do so much against the vortex of Orson Welles' dub voice, clearly done by him while totally shitfaced in a Paris hotel. Long John Silvers charisma is one of the fundamental pillars of a good Treasure Island adaptation and it's practically nonexistent here given Welles is truly fighting for his damn life trying to record his life. Lot of fun camera work at times, good eye zooms, Welles has a great shot where his head dramatically slips into frame and he give ya one of these ?, good stuff. Wish he were comprehensible because this would otherwise be a favorite

slightly Golden Harvest fanfare feel opening

OW's rather super hat

Beautiful brig

When I woke up it had turned into a western

I do have a soft spot for John Hough because of his interesting output and glad this kicked off a trawl of his works

As much as I wish Orson had gotten to make his version, a Harry Alan Towers-produced Italian-based (mainly) production works for this! Welles is like incredible, one of the very best Long Johns and easily the highlight (only actor who really comes close here is Lionel Stander, and on occasion Walter Slezak), but I would give my left arm to see him in this undubbed, probably hilarious.

Treasure Island is an adventure novel written by Robert Louis Stevenson, which created and popularized many iconic tropes about pirates in fiction. It has been adapted many times in various mediums, as listed below.Treasure Island and its many adaptations include:Literature Treasure Island (1881) - The original novel by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Television series Treasure Island (1966) - A French-West German television series starring Ivor Dean as John Silver. It was shown in four instalments (on the four Advent Sundays) in West Germany and in thirteen episodes in France. The 360 minutes of the series were cut to 84 for an unsuccessful US cinematic release in 1970. Ivor Dean wrote a script for a sequel series with Robert S. Baker, but that came to naught because he died in 1974. The script was dug up again in 1986 (see below). Treasure Island (1977) - A BBC TV series that includes Patrick Troughton as Israel Hands and David Collings (Silver from Sapphire and Steel) as Blind Pew. Treasure Island (1978) - A 26-episode Japanese anime series, produced by TMS Entertainment and directed by Osamu Dezaki. Treasure Island (1983) - A Soviet-Russian three-part miniseries that also incorporates elements from Stevenson's The Merry Men short story collection in its portrayal of the pirates' backstory. Oleg Borisov as John Silver gives a deliciously chilling performance that changes his personality from a flamboyant Lovable Rogue to a stone-cold psychopath hiding behing a facade of a dorky middle-aged man. Treasure Island in Outer Space (1987) also named Pianeta Del Tesoro - Treasure Planet - A 5-episode German and Italian collaboration series, produced by Creator/and directed by Antonio Margheriti and set in 2300. The Legends of Treasure Island (1993) - UK Funny Animal In Name Only animated series with Jim as a puppy (voiced by Dawn French) and Silver as a fox (voiced by Richard E. Grant). Many will recognise the cast members, especially Hugh Laurie playing Squire Trelawney as a member of the George family. Search For Treasure Island (1998) - Australian series by Grundy Television in which stepsiblings Mark and Jacqui Raymond (plus their mother Sally) travel to the namesake island in search of their lost father, Paul. Notable for, among other things: Introducing modern technology-particularly the internet-into the franchise. Having the titular treasure reduced to a secondary goal at best (As stated, the kids top priority is finding their dad and getting out quick-silver, gold and/or jewels be damned!) Exploring the concept of Treasure Island as an inhabited landscape populated by several feuding tribes (most being the descendants of previous castaways). This in turn allows for the addition of many original characters-including a new Big Bad known only as Dante. Heck, Hawkins and Silver don't even show up until season 2! Treasure Island (2012) - Sky 1 two part Mini Series, starring an All-Star Cast including Eddie Izzard and Elijah Wood. Slightly Darker and Edgier. Black Sails (2014-2017) - A prequel series on Starz, notably featuring Captain Flint and a young John Silver as its protagonists. Treasure Island (2016) - A CGI animated Italian series co-produced by Mondo TV and Rai Fiction.

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