JLRVancouver Beery's Long John Silver and Barrymore's Billy Bones are the quintessential pop-culture pirates, parrots and all, and for that alone 1934's "Treasure Island" is worth watching. The black and white cinematography is great (I gather that there is a colourised version but who cares) and the music, with the iconic "Yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum" theme, is perfect. The gang of pirates are as scurrilous a band of brigands as you could ask for: the embodiment of treachery with bad teeth, led by the conniving Silver, played to the cutlass hilt by the great Wallace Beery. The only real weak point is child-star Jackie Cooper's Jack Hawkins character. Cooper's characteristic pouting lower lip and Shirley Temple delivery just didn't work in the generally grim and dark tale – every time he spoke, I expected Wheezer or Stymie to show up (apparently Cooper himself was not pleased by his delivery of the role). Other than that, and the studio-approved alteration to the end of the story, this is a fine version of the Robert L. Stevenson's classic novel.

Uriah43 "Jim Hawkins" (Jackie Cooper) is a good lad who does his best to help his widowed mother manage "The Admiral Benbow Inn" which is situated on the shore overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Everything appears to be running smoothly until one particular evening when a seedy man by the name of "Captain Billy Bones" (Lionel Barrymore) appears with a large chest and demands a room. Although his very presence is rather disturbing it soon becomes obvious that he is quite nervous about something. Not long afterward some other rogues come after him and their mere appearance causes him to have a heart attack and die. Unfortunately for them, Jim finds the hidden treasure map before they do and soon he and the local magistrate, "Doctor Livesay" set off in a ship in search of the island where treasure is buried. What they don't realize however is that the recently hired cook—and Jim's new friend--named "Long John Silver" (Wallace Beery) knows quite a bit more than he lets on and he has a secret agenda all of his own. Now, rather than reveal any more of the film I will just say that this was a pretty good pirate movie which is suitable for the entire family. I should probably also add that even though the movie I saw happened to be in color from what I understand it was originally filmed in black and white. So if that makes a difference then it might be best to check which version is available if necessary. That said, while I cannot comment on how good the original black and white version was I can say that the colorized version managed to capture the surroundings in a superb manner. In short, while this movie may be old it's still fairly decent and I recommend it for a family night at home should the opportunity presents itself.

bkoganbing Every generation sees a new adaption of Robert Louis Stevenson's eternal classic Treasure Island. It's a timeless adventure story that will always appeal to the young and young at heart. And it has one of the great acting roles of all time, one you can really eat a whole living room set with and still be in bounds.For a scene stealing actor like Wallace Beery playing Long John Silver is no stretch at all. He dominates this version over the entire cast and as he's in most of the scenes after Lionel Barrymore as Captain Billy Bones dies and leaves his map to that intrepid band of treasure hunters. Barrymore gets his innings in as well as the bloodthirsty pirate captain who double-crossed his crew and had the presence of mind to die in Dorothy Peterson and Jackie Cooper's inn.It's a real toss up between who is loudest, biggest eyerolling, larger than life Silver, be it Wallace Beery or Robert Newton in the later version done by Walt Disney. Both these men were remarkably similar in acting styles. But Beery was a cheap soul who had few friends in Hollywood and Newton was the life of that alcoholic party that was his life. I wouldn't want to choose which was better.Beery and Cooper had their act down pat from The Champ. It's always a source of amazement to me how Cooper couldn't stand Beery and Beery among his dislikes was children in general. Yet you'd never know it seeing them together as Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver.Otto Kruger as Dr. Livesey, Nigel Bruce as Squire Trelawney, and Lewis Stone as Captain Smollett are perfectly cast in their roles. But they really have trouble keeping up with Beery. MGM gave the film the usual high gloss production values and Treasure Island is one of those films that always seems to be so right for screen that few variations are ever made on the book. A great tribute to the visual quality of Stevenson's writing.And you can enjoy this and the Disney version for generations to come.

Robert J. Maxwell Robert Louis Stevenson has written a fine tale of adventure, life on the high seas, pirates, treasure chests, betrayal and intrigue, and all that. This was the first book I can remember being given as a child. I was too young to understand the vocabulary or even the general thrust of the narrative. Of course I knew Jim Hawkins (Jackie Coogan) hid in the apple barrel because the illustration showed that. But what was really needed was a glossary for kids and landlubbers. Some glosses in the margins, indicating that "the black spot" was what was left over after a Mexican meal. And informing the reader that "helm" was the opposite of "heavenm." And that "pole star" was an allusion to Paweł Wojciechowski, the Pole vaulter. Fortunately, the movie is couched in easily understood images and accompanied by dialog the meaning of which can be interpolated into the context.Young Jim Hawkins and his mother come across a treasure map. Doctor Livesey (Otto Kruger), Squire Trelawney (Nigel Bruce), and Captain Smollet (Lewis Stone) hire a crew to sail the Hispaniola to Treasure Island and dig up the chests. Alas, half the crew are subordinates of the crafty, evil Long John Silver (Wallace Beery). There is a mutiny when the ship reaches the island. Jim is captured by one side and rescued by the other, and in-between he cuts the ships anchor lines and beaches her to save her from the pirates. A couple of fierce fire fights and one or two cutlass engagements ends with the good guys sailing away with the treasure and with Silver as a captive. Silver, cunning as ever, talks Jim into letting him go in Jamaica, rather than hang. We feel, though, that despite Silver's unsavory past, he genuinely likes Jim and Jim is optimist enough to believe what Silver says about reforming. Considerable sentiment in the scene, but not an excess.No great acting skills are called for, and none are on display. Coogan isn't really believable. So few kids his age are. The most outrageous performance is given by Wallace Beery, with his big flabby mouth and his calculating eyes darting in all directions. Beery has been dismissed by critics as a big ham but I rather enjoy his overplaying, and he was in a couple of neat pictures, such as "China Seas." The story has been remade several times but this version strikes me as the best. Much of the humor depends on Beery's demeanor and Jim's naivte. Here's an exchange. Beery is the cook and is assembling dinner. Jim: "Doctor Livesy is no sailor but he can cut you up and sew you back together again." Beery: "That 'sewing up' part must be difficult." (The "cutting up" part doesn't faze him.) Jim: "But so's the cutting up." Beery: (Pauses a moment, looks thoughtful.) "Experience, Jim."Stevenson's book still has the power to enchant a reader, even -- or maybe especially -- an adult. Jim Hawkins, the author of the narrative, is as naive as Candide or Matty Ross in "True Grit" and he misses some things an older person would pick up. Stevenson died young -- a tall, thin, ascetic-looking leptosome. He's buried now at Vailima, in Western Samoa, where he was known as "tusitala," which some have made sound like an honorific, whereas it just means "writer" or "someone who tells stories." (Good enough, I guess.) He borrowed some details of geography (eg., Spyglass Hill) from features of the terrain on the Monterey Peninsula, where he'd spent some time.See the movie, and read the book too. It's short.