Treasure Island (1972)

Too much of everything

Sick Product of a Sick System

Great Film overall

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

TREASURE ISLAND is a European-made version of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson novel mostly watchable thanks to an overbearing performance from Orson Welles as Long John Silver. The main problem isn't his overacting, which is fine, but rather the fact that he's dubbed in some of his scenes, which is a real travesty. The rest is a workable little production that utilises some nicely exotic Spanish locations and a seasoned cast of Euro genre actors including Rik Battaglia, Maria Rohm, Aldo Sambrell, and Paul Muller to make things work. This has a noticeably gloomy tone with some sequences which feel like they've come straight from a horror film, which is little surprise given that Andrea Bianchi (BURIAL GROUND) and Antonio Margheriti (WEB OF THE SPIDER) worked on the direction alongside John Hough, the man behind THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE. It's no classic and can't really be considered the definitive version of the story, but it's worth a look regardless.

This version may be one of the weaker versions of the classic story, it's nowhere near as good as the 1990 Charlton Heston or the 1934 Wallace Beery versions(Muppet Treasure Island is great too) but it is a long way from bad. And I really do have to respectfully disagree with the commentator who said that this was the worst Treasure Island, the uncomfortably bizarre 1998 Jack Palance version is by far the worst. The film may be lower in budget than most of the versions of Treasure Island, with some of the camera work(which can be too reliant on close ups though most of it is inventive and appropriate) and the handsomely rendered if very undersized Hispagnola it does show but it was decent compared to most lower-in-budget films personally seen, the shadowy lighting was quite effective and the locations are splendid. The script is amusingly tongue in cheek with some darkly tense moments too.The story is suspenseful and lots of fun on the most part with the storytelling at least coherent and structurally relatively faithful. The start of the film suitably intense and sets up the story well and the action is staged surprisingly well with a Spaghetti Western vibe in places. Some of the treasure hunting scenes are a little leisurely however and are slightly lacking in urgency. The acting is mostly good with Orson Welles giving the most memorable one, he can be charmingly sympathetic but he drips with evil as well, some of the performance is very fruity but I appreciated the restraint he gave the character here. Kim Burfield is an appealing Jim, Walter Slezak brings out the conflicts of Squire Trelawny's character very well- sometimes blustering, other times refined- and Jean Lefevbre an amusing Ben Gunn. Lionel Stander however is too gangster boss-like as Billy Bones and Angel del Pozo is a dull Dr Livesey.Where the film is least successful is in the music score and especially the dubbing. The score is nowhere near "rousing adventure"-like enough, sounding more like at points like "sentimental television" scoring. The dubbing is unfortunately shoddy, very stiff and some of it sounds like they're mumbling their way through their lines. Robert Rietty is the least bad, he does sound like how Welles would speak but some of his line delivery sounds like he was drunk at the time. On the whole, a long way from great or being the best version, but it's still pretty good and is miles ahead of the Palance adaptation. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Fabulous and appealing adventures starred by two unforgettable characters , Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver . Again we live the roaring adventure of men against the sea . We share the struggles , the heartaches , the laughter of courageous souls who leave their houses they love to dare the wrath of the angry pirates . Upright men and greedy pirates in conflict with their destiny enacting the Robert Stevenson's most thrilling story . Jim Hawkins (Kim Burfield) encounters the map that leads to a distant island where is a buried treasure . Jim , captain Smollett (Rik Battaglia) , Squire (Walter Slezak's final film ) , Doctor Livesey (Angel Del Pozo) and , of course , a boisterous Long John Silver (a brilliant triumph by Orson Welles who was paid $150,000) carry out a journey to isle of hidden bounty . The young cabin boy Hawkins has a treasure map and a boatload of kill-crazed pirates eager for the riches hidden on Treasure Island . Unfortunately, a large number of Flint's old pirate crew are aboard the ship . But even greater risks lie ahead when Hawkins finds out that his trusted colleague Long John is actually a nasty pirate with mutiny on his mind . As 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 . Fun story with plenty of adventure , intrigue , fights and action . The whole piece of adventure teems with emotion , thrills , humor , exotic atmosphere and being pretty amusing . Orson Welles who is also screenwriter hands perfectly the role as rogue pirate and gives a memorable acting , as always , though Yul Brynner was also chased by the producers for the Long John Silver part . Delightful performance by Jean Lefebre as Ben Gunn , as well . At the film appears usual secondary actors in several Spaniard-Italian co-productions, such as Paul Muller , Barta Barry , Victor Israel , Jose Jaspe and Aldo Sambrell . Colorful cinematography , the opening scenes were filmed in Italy : Mount Gelato Falls , Lacio , and remaining ones were shot in Mojacar , Almeria , Andalucia , Spain . The motion picture was middlingly directed by John Hough and uncredited by Andrew White . This production is powered by the great Orson Welles. Rating : Acceptable and passable .Other renditions based on this classic novel are the followings : vintage version (1934) by Victor Fleming with Wallace Beery , Jackie Cooper and Lewis Stone ; Disney take on (1950) by Byron Haskin with Robert Newton and Bobby Driscoll ; (1999) retelling by Marc Charlesbois with Jack Palance , Patrick Bergin and Kevin Zegers ; TV recounting by Fraser C Heston with Charlton Heston , Christian Bale and Richard Johnson ; ¨Treasure Island in Outer Space", TV miniseries (1987) set in space directed by Antonio Margheriti with Anthony Quinn as Long John Silver , David Warbeck as Doctor Livesy and Philippe Leroy as Squire ; ¨Muppet's Treasure island¨ (1996) and recent rendition (2012) by Steve Barron , starred by Eddie Izzard , Rupert Penry-Jones , Daniel Mays , Donald Sutherland and Elijah Wood . In addition , a cartoon-Sci-Fi version as ¨Treasure planet¨ (2002) directed by John Musker and Ron Clemens .

I saw this film as a child and the only things I remember were that it was very slow paced and that Orson Welles was completely unintelligible. He makes James Dean look like a linguist. A sad misstep for an often brilliant actor.