It sank off the coast of the Carolinas during Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.Īccording to Allmovie, Charlton Heston "plays the character of Long John Silver as written: a cold, crafty, cunning rogue, by turns charming and deadly, but never to be underestimated" and, unlike other filmed versions of the story, the movie "adheres with utter fidelity to the Stevenson novel". It was originally constructed for the film "Mutiny on The Bounty", and was set to be destroyed at the end of the film but Marlon Brando protested and the ship was kept intact. The replica ship Bounty II was used as the fictional Hispaniola on film. It was filmed in 1989 on location in Cornwall, England, in Jamaica, and also at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England. I’ve never been a big fan of the over-actor I like to call “Cheston.” However, Cheston makes one of the best movie Silvers, capturing both the ruthlessness and the folksy charm that the part requires.Jim Hawkins (Christian Bale) discovers a treasure map and embarks on a journey to find the treasure, but pirates led by Long John Silver (Charlton Heston) have plans to take the treasure for themselves by way of mutiny. Finally, in the pivotal role of Long John Silver, Heston has cast his dad. A teenage Christian Bale makes an admirable Jim Hawkins noted drunkard Oliver Reed is perfectly cast as the boozy Billy Bones and Christopher Lee is wonderfully slimy as Blind Pew. The production values are excellent (with the tall ship from the 1962 version of Mutiny on the Bounty standing in for the Hispanola), the cinematography is lush, and the soundtrack by The Chieftains is appropriately seaworthy. However, the most faithful and in my opinion the best of all of the Treasure Island movies was a 1990 made-for-television production, produced, written, and directed by Fraser Clarke Heston (the son of the most forceful of all ham actors, Charlton Heston).ĭon’t let the fact that the picture was produced for basic cable stop you from seeking out Fraser Heston’s take on the oft-filmed tale.
The story has been adapted for film and television more than fifty times, including multiple silents, iconic MGM and Disney classics, animated shorts and features, and a Muppetized version. Not only is Treasure Island the most important of all pirate tales it is also the most often filmed. Rum continues to serve as Hawkins’ ally for the remainder of the book, as the dim-witted buccaneers are defeated at nearly every turn by their weakness for the drink. Hawkins is nearly discovered overhearing the mutineers’ plans, but his neck is saved when the pirates are distracted by their thirst for rum.
When the boy hero takes to sea in search of pirate gold, he discovers that most of his crewmates are old shipmates of Bones with plans of mutiny, larceny, and murder. Overindulgence in the drink leads to Bones’ death and in turn fuels the plot, as Jim Hawkins, the inn-keeper’s son, discovers a treasure map amongst the dead man’s possessions. When ex-buccaneer Billy Bones takes lodging at the Admiral Benbow Inn, he spends his evenings swilling rum and singing the seafaring song printed above. Rum plays a central role throughout Treasure Island.