Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

A Swiss family must survive being shipwrecked on a deserted island.

Director:

Ken Annakin

Writers:

Lowell S. Hawley (screenplay), Johann David Wyss (novel) (as Johann Wyss)

Stars:

John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, James MacArthur

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Mills	...	Father Robinson
Dorothy McGuire	...	Mother Robinson
James MacArthur	...	Fritz Robinson
Janet Munro	...	Roberta
Sessue Hayakawa	...	Kuala - Pirate Chief
Tommy Kirk	...	Ernst Robinson
Kevin Corcoran	...	Francis Robinson
Cecil Parker	...	Captain Moreland
Andy Ho	...	Auban - Pirate
Milton Reid	...	Big Pirate
Larry Taylor	...	Battoo - Pirate

Storyline

A family in route to New Guinea is shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island. They are forced to remain on the island because of the damage to the ship and the pirates that are roaming the islands. They create a home on the island (centering around a huge tree house) and explore the island and its wildlife. Plenty of adventure ensues as the family deals with issues of survival and pirates, and the brothers must learn how to live on the island with an uncertain future.

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Plot Keywords:

tropical island | survival | stranded on an island | tropical island paradise | remake | 

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Taglines:

THE GREATEST ADVENTURE STORY OF THEM ALL! (original print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Adventure | Family

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 December 1960 (USA)

Also Known As:

La ciudadela de los Robinson

Filming Locations:

Bacolet Beach, Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$40,356,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

On the DVD Commentary, Director Ken Annakin said the man that the tiger is chasing in the scene with the fight with the pirates was actually the trainer of the tiger. The trainer, knowing how hard tigers are to train, and with the man having his back to the tiger would make the tiger naturally predatory, he could not trust the tiger to not maul the actor playing the pirate.

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Goofs

The crew is said to have abandoned the ship during the storm. This seems highly illogical. In the days before inflatable life rafts, the only escape vessels on board would have been small wooden life boats, similar to a canoe. It's hard to imagine a canoe fairing any better in a storm at sea than a large sailing vessel.

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Quotes

[reflecting on their island paradise]
Mother: It's wonderful for today, but what about tomorrow?

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Son of Sleepaway Camp (2012)

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Soundtracks

My Heart was an Island
by Terry Gilkyson

User Reviews

Exciting Family Fun!

This is a Disney adventure film at its best. Excitement, adventure, far off exotic places, shipwrecks, pirates - all the ingredients for a thrilling recipe of family ties that bind (love), and respect for a father who protects and leads his family to battle the hostile elements of the outside world in order to survive.

Tigers in pits, wild animals domesticated, outside fresh air away from all civilization, this is a movie for the whole family to watch together, preferably on a big screen at a theatre, where the producers designed to have it seen in the first place.

This movie is fun, exciting and scary with pirate ships and uphill battles that make this one worth owning.

I remember my Dad took me to see this film when I was 7 years old and the nostalgia of security of family rooted in a firm grounding and foundation of family tradition, for me made this film a memorable one for all time. I hope you enjoy this one too for old time's sake.