Treasure Island (1934)

Popularity:

Down 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Victor Fleming

Writers:

Robert Louis Stevenson (novel)
John Lee Mahin (screen play)
(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 | Long John Silver | Treasure | Search | Captain

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 Inn (uncredited)
Ed Brady	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Wes Clark	...	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)
John Kerr	...	Pirate (uncredited)
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Tom Morgan - 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		(screen play)
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		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Blanche Sewell		(film editor)

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)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ellsworth Fredericks	....	assistant camera (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) (presents) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1934) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1935) (France) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1983) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Archive Collection (2014) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2014) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R)

Other Companies

• Turner Entertainment  VHS package design

Also Known As:

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:

Australia:G | USA:TV-G | USA:Not Rated (DVD Rating) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:Approved (PCA #9)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Jackie Cooper was one of the few child stars to keep a successful Hollywood career after growing up, evening starring in a tv series "Hennessey" for three years.

Quotes:

Long John Silver:Silver's the name, Long John Silver they calls me. At your service, sir.
Squire Trelawney:Mr. Silver, Trelawney's my name, Squire Trelawney. And this is our cabin boy: Jim, Jim Hawkins.
Long John Silver:Aye, Matey. Smart as paint I'll warrant.
Jim Hawkins:Smart enough to see you've only one leg, sir.
Squire Trelawney:Jim Boy!
Jim Hawkins:Yes, sir.
Long John Silver:You're pretty smart, Jim. So was that French gunner who touched off the ball that blew that ol' leg o' mine overboard.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Rule Britannia

Accomplished Film For this era

It is easy to spot great acting in this movie. Wallace Beary is great cast as Long John Silver. Jackie Cooper gives another fine child performance. As a matter of fact, the entire cast does very well.

What might be over looked often is that part of the reason this is so so good is that it is well based on the Robert Lewis Stevenson novel. The rest goes to the most often overlooked Direction of Victor Fleming.

Fleming proves in this early film that his work in the films Wizard of Oz & Gone With The Wind is no accident (some critics have called him an erratic Director for hire). He does a great job directing this cast & this story. Some of the sequences show how good a director Fleming really is.

After seeing this film recently, I am now convinced that Victor is a much better director than his detractors give him credit for. While this film does not have all the whiz bang special effects that newer pirate films have created, the great acting & directing more than makes up for that.

Add to that the amazing fact that this film brings in so much good stuff that it only needs 101 minutes to cover a major novel is enough to make you wonder if some of the new longer films about pirates just aren't very efficient in telling their tales.