A drunken pirate stumbles into a pub overseen by young Jim Hawkins and his mother. Soon the old pirate is murdered and among his belongings, Jim finds an old treasure map. Soon Jim has booked a ship and hired a crew, among which is the treasonous scurvy dog Long John Silver and his men who have signed on the galley and plan to overtake the ship and keep the gold for themselves. Now the impressionable Jim's loyalty is torn between his own men and that of the charismatic but amoral Captain Silver. Robert Louis Stevenson's classic children's tale receives an excellent treatment in this early MGM production helmed by Victor Fleming. Having read "Treasure Island" as a child, I had forgotten (or maybe didn't realize) how brutal and calculated the actions of Long John Silver are. As the lovable tyrant, Wallace Beery is ideal, fully capturing the particulars of his complex character. As Jim, Jackie Cooper is often criticized for his performance, but I thought he wonderfully embodied a wide-eyed and confused young boy (the last bit of deceit between him and Beery is a doozy). Classic supporters round out the cast including Lionel Barrymore and Nigel Bruce. "Treasure Island" is a fine adaptation that captures the adventurous and often wicked spirit of the novel.
