Treasure Island (1934)

Director:

Victor Fleming

Writers:

Robert Louis Stevenson (novel)
John Lee Mahin (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

17 August 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure

Tagline:

Sail The High Seas Of Adventure Again !

Plot:

Young Jim Hawkins is torn between his loyalty to his benefactors and his affection for lovable rogue Long John Silver in their struggle to recover a buried pirate treasure.

Plot Keywords:

Pirate | Treasure | Long John Silver | Young Boy | Map

Cast

Wallace Beery	...	Long John Silver
Jackie Cooper	...	Jim Hawkins
Lionel Barrymore	...	Billy Bones
Otto Kruger	...	Doctor Livesey
Lewis Stone	...	Captain Smollett
Nigel Bruce	...	Squire Trelawney
Charles 'Chic' Sale	...	Ben Gunn
William V. Mong	...	Pew
Charles McNaughton	...	Black Dog
Dorothy Peterson	...	Mrs. Hawkins
Douglass Dumbrille	...	Pirate of the Spanish Main (as Douglas Dumbrille)
Edmund Breese	...	Pirate of the Spanish Main
Olin Howland	...	Pirate of the Spanish Main
Charles Irwin	...	Pirate of the Spanish Main
Edward Pawley	...	Pirate of the Spanish Main
Richard Powell	...	Pirate of the Spanish Main
James Burke	...	Pirate of the Spanish Main
John Anderson	...	Pirate of the Spanish Main
Charles Bennett	...	Pirate of the Spanish Main
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Adair	...	Tom (seaman) (uncredited)
Robert Anderson	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Bernice Beatty	...	Woman at inn (uncredited)
Wilson Benge	...	Friend at inn (uncredited)
Bruce Bennett	...	Man at Tavern (uncredited)
Red Berger	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Robert Bolder	...	Mild man at ynn (uncredited)
Ed Brady	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Westcott Clarke	...	Allan (uncredited)
Cora Sue Collins	...	Young girl at the inn (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Henry (pirate) (uncredited)
Sidney D'Albrook	...	Joyce (uncredited)
Jill Dennett	...	Streetwalker (uncredited)
Kay Deslys	...	Streetwalker (uncredited)
Billy Dooley	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Vernon Downing	...	Boy at inn (uncredited)
Frank Dunn	...	Hunter (uncredited)
Harold Entwistle	...	Ship's chandler (uncredited)
Matt Gilman	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Jack Hill	...	Pirate (uncredited)
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Tom Morgan (pirate) (uncredited)
John Kerr	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Edith Kingdon	...	Wife at inn (uncredited)
A.B. Lane	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Tom Mahoney	...	Redruth (uncredited)
Jim Mason	...	Pirate (uncredited)
King Mojave	...	Pirate (uncredited)
John Northpole	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Ethel Ransome	...	Streetwalker (uncredited)
Yorke Sherwood	...	Mr. Arrow (uncredited)
Shirley Simpson	...	Woman friend at Inn (uncredited)
Robert R. Stephenson	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Jane Talent	...	Streetwalker (uncredited)
Hal Wilson	...	Oldster (uncredited)
Tom Wilson	...	Pirate (uncredited)

Directed by
Victor Fleming

Writing credits
Robert Louis Stevenson		(novel "Treasure Island")
John Lee Mahin		(screenplay)
John Howard Lawson		contributor to treatment (uncredited)
Leonard Praskins		contributor to treatment (uncredited)

Produced by
Hunt Stromberg	....	producer

Original Music by
Herbert Stothart

Cinematography by
Clyde De Vinna		(photographed by) (as Clyde DeVinna)
Ray June		(photographed by)
Harold Rosson

Film Editing by
Blanche Sewell

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Costume Design by
Dwight Franklin		(uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Horace Hough	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Merrill Pye	....	associate art director
Edwin B. Willis	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
Robert Shirley	....	sound (uncredited)

Music Department
Wayne Allen	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Bob Davis	....	singing voice: Charles 'Chic' Sale (uncredited)
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Lamkoff	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Charles Maxwell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Dwight Franklin	....	technical advisor

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Inc.)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1934) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Runtime:

USA:103 min (Turner library print) | USA:110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:TV-G | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Australia:G | USA:Approved (PCA #9)

Filming Locations:

Alameda, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Quotes:

Long John Silver: I like this boy, and if you understand the King's English, you better not lay a hand on 'im!
[the pirates seem to react aggressively]
Long John Silver: . You want to have it out with me?
[They back down]
Long John Silver: . That's better, George Merry. Why, this boy's got more fight than the whole of you!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hollywood's Magical Island: Catalina (2003)

Soundtrack:

Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum

The best of the rest, and top 10 of all time

We would always gauge films with the old test of... if you were going to be shot off in a capsule into space and could only take 10 movies... this one would be the first I would chose. Dialog is excellent and follows the story from the book. Casting is spot on with the obvious out of the park home run for the choice of Wallace Beery as Long John Silver. The mark of his skill and acting in this film, is that even though he describes in some detail the murders he committed of his shipmates (there were too many to share the treasure) and is seen in the film.. as best as it was shown in the '30's... killing yet again... by the end of the film you have forgotten his evil. How can this happen? Simply because he is that wonderful in the part. Nigel Bruce (Dr. Watson) as the bumbling Squire, and Harold Stone (Judge Hardy)round out the cast in glowing Technicolor. Jackie Cooper has been knocked for giving a "stiff" performance, but I thought he was great. Give the kid a break. Many great lines, memorable moments and favorite scenes that will stay with you long after the movie ends. This is one that I can happily watch once a week forever.

For me this will always be the classic and definitive version, everything else is just chasing this one and none have come close.