Die Schatzinsel

An interesting low-key adventure film adapted from Stevenson's novel Treasure Island. Filmed in '72 in Italy, England and Spain - the Port of Bristol scenes were filmed at Garrucha, Almeria while the fort-coastal footage was filmed at Mojacar also in Spain. The Georgian settings, period detail and costumes are sumptuous albeit photographed with a slightly subdued pastel and grainy patina by the ace Italian cameraman, Cecilio Paniagua. The tropical island has a mellow pastel lemony colour. The naturalistic and humanist aspects of 17th/18th- Century life - the period of Cook, Bach etc is very much to the fore. Young curlyhaired English actor, Kim Burfield shows purpose and is charming. Orson Welles was allegedly drunk in the dubbing room in Rome. The scene where the adventurers hit the jackpot relating to the bursting forth of the bounty from the cave wall is evocative. The early-'70s were pioneering years.

The level of production values,the caliber of the sets,the quality of the writing tend to make me think of the peplum films and cheap swashbucklers made in Europe during the post-war period and the 1950s and early 1960s that we used to see at Saturday afternoon matinees at the cinema or on Television.Let's face it,it doesn't even come up to the level of bad entertainment.Where do we begin? 1.)The ship is so small and shoddy that it couldn't even qualify as a fishing boat,let alone a deep-water vessel. 2.)The fort on the island,described as a sturdy log cabin in the story,is a stucco and brick hacienda,with a stone wall rather than the log stockade required. 3.)The casting is really quite strange:a.)Stander is so benign as to be unbelievable;b.)Slezak,as the squire is too refined and much too Middle-European to portray the blustering,blowhard Stevenson intended;c.)Who,in the name of all that's holy,suggested that Welles play Silver?He's too old,too lethargic,and too unhealthy looking to gives us the strong,powerful,vital villain we all think of.The only truly piratical trait he has is a genuine penchant for evil.

Interestingly enough,they do show Ben Gunn as was the original concept.And the scenes at the Benbow Inn are quite realistic and accurate.In addition,the scenes at Silver's inn,interactions among the pirates there,and the introduction of Silver's mulatto wife give this production it's only redeeming moments.Watch this ,and see what not to do.

In my childhood, this was a perennial on Italian TV over Christmas - but, somehow, I never got to watch it! It's surely the least of the three most renowned film versions of the R.L. Stevenson classic but, in itself, is decent enough...if still mainly interesting for the contribution (both as actor and writer) of Orson Welles.

Welles' presence alone elevates any film he appears in - though he's quite restrained here (certainly in comparison to Robert Newton) and, unwisely, adopts perhaps the silliest accent since THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (1948)! As for his script - co-written, under the pseudonym O.W. Jeeves, with Wolf Mankowitz - it's reasonably faithful to both the spirit and letter of Stevenson's original. However, the low-budget hurts the overall effort (Welles must have identified with such a predicament, as his own films were too often plagued by compromise!) and the 'modern' score composed by Natale Massara is quite inappropriate.

Still, despite a good cast - including Kim Burfield (unexceptional but not bad as Jim Hawkins), Walter Slezak (as Squire Trelawney), Lionel Stander (as Billy Bones), Paul Muller (as Blind Pew) and Maria Rohm (as Mrs. Hawkins) - it's essentially a 'kiddie' film and is, therefore, in sharp contrast with most of producer Harry Alan Towers' output (particularly his collaborations with Jess Franco)!

So far as I've seen, this is the most commendable of all interpretations of Robert Lewis Stevenson's stirring book; yet, still a great disappointment.

Most of the cast did well enough in their rolls, with the exception of, believe it or not, Orson Welles. Mr. Welles so severely under played the part of Long John Silver he made the character completely uninteresting; that and his unintelligible mumbling fatally scuttles what should have been a great and memorable film.

The music of Natale Massara, another problem, while expertly orchestrated, is derivative of other works and does nothing to convey the feeling of a thrilling tale of the sea. It would have been better suited to an episode of "Little House On The Prairie" with it's ocean of grass.

I certainly won't say that it is a waste of time to watch this version, but if it were not for Wolf Mankowitz writing the screenplay, this might well have been a complete failure.

For a real treat, go see "Muppet Treasure Island". You won't be sorry! More information at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117110/ .

Fabulous and appealing adventures starred by two unforgettable characters , Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver . Again we live the roaring adventure of men against the sea . We share the struggles , the heartaches , the laughter of courageous souls who leave their houses they love to dare the wrath of the angry pirates . Upright men and greedy pirates in conflict with their destiny enacting the Robert Stevenson's most thrilling story . Jim Hawkins (Kim Burfield) encounters the map that leads to a distant island where is a buried treasure . Jim , captain Smollett (Rik Battaglia) , Squire (Walter Slezak's final film) , Doctor Livesey (Angel Del Pozo) and , of course , a boisterous Long John Silver (a brilliant triumph by Orson Welles who was paid $150,000) carry out a journey to isle of hidden bounty . The young cabin boy Hawkins has a treasure map and a boatload of kill-crazed pirates eager for the riches hidden on Treasure Island . Unfortunately, a large number of Flint's old pirate crew are aboard the ship . But even greater risks lie ahead when Hawkins finds out that his trusted colleague Long John is actually a nasty pirate with mutiny on his mind . As 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 .The greatest adventure of all time !. Now Orson Welles as "Long John Silver". The greatest pirate adventure ever!.Sail away into the all-new excitement of the greatest pirate adventure ever!

Fun story with plenty of adventure , intrigue , fights and action . The whole piece of adventure teems with emotion , thrills , humor , exotic atmosphere and being pretty amusing . Orson Welles who is also screenwriter hands perfectly the role as rogue pirate and gives a memorable acting , as always , though Yul Brynner was also chased by the producers for the Long John Silver part . Delightful performance by Jean Lefebre as Ben Gunn , as well . At the film appears usual secondary actors in several 60s and 70s Spanish-Italian co-productions, such as Angel Del Pozo , Paul Muller , Rick Battaglia , Barta Barry , Victor Israel , Jose Jaspe and Aldo Sambrell . Colorful cinematography by Cecilio Paniagua , the opening scenes were filmed in Italy : Mount Gelato Falls , Lacio , and remaining ones were shot in Mojacar , Almeria , Andalucia , Spain . The motion picture was middling but professionally directed by John Hough and uncredited by Andrew White and Antonio Margheritti. This production is powered by the great Orson Welles. Rating : Acceptable and passable .

Other renditions based on this classic novel are the following ones : vintage version (1934) by Victor Fleming with Wallace Beery , Jackie Cooper and Lewis Stone ; Disney take on (1950) by Byron Haskin with Robert Newton and Bobby Driscoll ; (1999) retelling by Marc Charlesbois with Jack Palance , Patrick Bergin and Kevin Zegers ; TV recounting by Fraser C Heston with Charlton Heston , Christian Bale and Richard Johnson ; ¨Treasure Island in Outer Space", TV miniseries (1987) set in space directed by Antonio Margheritti with Anthony Quinn as Long John Silver , David Warbeck as Doctor Livesy and Philippe Leroy as Squire ; ¨Muppet's Treasure island¨ (1996) and recent rendition (2012) by Steve Barron , starred by Eddie Izzard , Rupert Penry-Jones , Daniel Mays , Donald Sutherland and Elijah Wood . In addition , a cartoon-Sci-Fi version as ¨Treasure planet¨ (2002) directed by John Musker and Ron Clemens .