Spotlight

Spotlight Date: 14-November-10
Spoiler Rating: Medium

Treasure Island (1934, 1950)

Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island begs to be read by kids of all generations from the author's day to the present — and to be made into a movie. In fact it has been filmed many times, including by MGM in 1934 and Disney in 1950. While the latter of these versions is superior, with a lavish outlay for scenery, both movies transport the audience to a world of high seas adventure.

The hero is an 18th-century boy named Jim Hawkins who leaves behind his family's inn to join a ship bound for treasure. The 1934 film emphasizes his need for a father figure, which sets up the central relationship of the story. Played by child star Jackie Cooper, Jim is first shown baking a cake, a none too subtle sign that he is being emasculated by his fatherless condition. (His haircut also threatens to do the trick.) His hunger for male company is further revealed when he attaches himself to an old sailor who stops at the inn, a meeting which the 1950 picture does not show. The sea dog instills in Jim the fear of a one-legged man who might appear at any moment and then dies of alcohol poisoning, leaving behind a map of an island where a famous pirate buried his loot. After eluding ruffians who arrive to take the map, Jim teams with a rich squire and the local doctor (Otto Kruger in '34, Denis O'Dea in '50) to go in search of the treasure.

Bobby Driscoll plays Jim in the Disney version, and I must say I prefer his more straightforward rendering to the cutesy style of Cooper's time. In any event, as soon as Jim sets sail he shares the spotlight with the other key character, Long John Silver, a literary legend of some complexity who inspires lusty performances from Wallace Beery ('34) and Robert Newton ('50). (Newton, so much the classic pirate that he says "Arrrmen" after a eulogy, went on to star in a Long John movie sequel and television show.) Although he is the very one-legged man of whom Jim was warned, Long John convinces the squire that he is an honest navy veteran and signs on as cook for the expedition. Before long he charms Jim and — to the extent his heart will allow — is charmed in return. Their chumminess lasts through the outgoing voyage until Jim overhears Long John plotting mutiny with the mates whom he wangled onto the crew.

Sides are clearly drawn by the time the ship reaches the island, with the captain, squire, doctor, Jim, and a few seamen in one camp, and Long John's pirates in the other. Skirmishes and negotiations ensue, with Jim playing a major part. The 1950 version does a particularly fine job with a scene where he is required to shoot a man: in shock and losing blood, he still hoists the Union Jack over the ship and banishes the skull and crossbones. A true laddie of the English crown! This version also adheres more closely to Stevenson's depiction of Long John's cunning, showing how he manipulates both sides to ensure his own success. Jim may have a better example of gentlemanly conduct in the doctor, but he couldn't find a better example of worldly smarts or instinctive affection than the pirate. Putting excitement and travel aside, one satisfaction of Treasure Island is that the hero is enriched in ways unrelated to gold.

Copyright © 2010 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.