Il ciclone dei Caraibi

I really did like "Treasure island" (1950) and very much wanted to enjoy this sequel featuring, as it does, the star of that film - Robert Newton - as the one legged cook/pirate and overall, all round, reprobate. This time, his young pal "Jim" (Kit Taylor) needs rescuing from the legendary pirate captain "El Toro" (Lloyd Burrell) before they can both pick up some treasure and head home to England. Of course it isn't going to be that simple, and once on the island of Hispaniola, "Silver" needs to use all his wits and guile to stay one step ahead of his rather untrustworthy crew, frequently stirred up by "Israel Hands" (Rod Taylor). There is plenty of adventure here with Newton on typically rambunctious form but the rest of the cast rather let it down, though, and the story is a pretty weak hybrid of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel with some new characters added - including a would-be spouse for our hero (Connie Gilchrist). I did enjoy it, but that might have been nostalgia: I was still a bit disappointed.

If you have seen the '50 Disney "Treasure Island", there is little point in watching this sequel, which is more of the same, although it is available free at YouTube, in case you are tempted. After a while, I got weary of the thick lingos of Robert Newton, as Silver, and Lloyd Barrell, as Mendoza, often making it difficult to understand what they are saying. Newton, of course, was famous for his portrayal of Silver in the '50 film, and I assume also in the present film. Actually, I liked Newton's portrayal of Blackbeard("Blackbeard the Pirate") better than his Long John Silver. Like the original, this was shot in Technicolor, but in various Australian locations. The main point is the competition between Silver and Mendoza to find a second stash of Captain Flint's treasure missed on the first journey to Treasure Island, in the '50 film.......Have a number of questions pertaining to the screenplay: 1) If Israel Hands is blind, how can he be picking off Silver's men with a musket or stealthily with a knife, when they are all huddled in the stockade, then chase Jim Hawkins all over the island, before toppling off a cliff? 2)How did Mendoza's crew get off Mendoza's Island, when Silver's crew stole their ship, after being marooned by Captain MacDougall for planning a mutiny? Did they manage to use shore boats to navigate from this island to Treasure Island? 3) Why did Jim Hawkins reveal Silver's plan of mutiny to MacDougall, since he wanted to go with Silver back to Treasure Island? 4)Why was Purity so intent on marrying a lowlife such as Silver? Did she think he would agree if she insisted that he drink milk rather than rum? 5)How did the containers of gunpowder work as hand granades if they lacked fuses? 6) It's confusing to me how the treasure map and gold medallion worked together to reveal the location of the treasure.

After Walt Disney's relatively well-produced version of "Treasure Island" (1950), timber-shivering Robert Newton (as "Long John Silver") returns. He is made to rescue kidnapped Kit Taylor (as Jim Hawkins) along with a damsel in distress, avoid the marriage-minded Connie Gilchrist (as Purity Pinker), and embark on a far less satisfying treasure hunt. This slight, long, and disappointing sequel rests its laurels almost entirely on Mr. Newton's top-heavy characterization. Late in the running time, young Hawkins and a vision-impaired Rodney "Rod" Taylor (as Israel Hands) give Newton a run for the money. Another "Return to Treasure Island" (also 1954), starring Tab Hunter, was even more peripheral to the original. Like Newton says, "Tis a long time since Treasure Island."

**** Long John Silver (12/16/54) Byron Haskin ~ Robert Newton, Kit Taylor, Connie Gilchrist, Rod Taylor

Having already played Blackbeard in Hollywood a couple of years earlier, Robert Newton travelled Down Under with director Byron Haskin to reprise his earlier star turn as Long John Silver, still searching for hidden treasure in an elaborate production in colour & 'scope that paved the way for a TV series.

Jim Hawkins seems scarcely a day older, courtesy of being played by a new young actor, Kit Taylor (son of Grant Taylor, who plays 'Patch'), while a hirsute Rod Taylor as mad, blind Israel Hands - a role previously played by Geoffrey Keen in the Disney version - makes Newton look restrained by comparison.

The scene with him and Master Jim shot on a piece of spectacular coastline near Sydney possibly confirms that the generally studio-bound look of the rest of the film probably owed more to Newton's inability by then to go out on location than budgetary constraints.

Robert Newton returns once again to his famous role from TREASURE ISLAND, that of Long John Silver. Once more he chews the scenery with gusto and is just grand fun to watch in this particular role any time you can catch him.

This time Long John sets out to save young Jim Hawkins (played by Kit Taylor who sadly doesn't possess the memorable screen presence that his predecessor Bobby Driscoll put into the role) from a cutthroat pirate named "El Toro" Mendoza (Lloyd Berrell) but also added into the mix are a slightly more memorable crew of pirates following after Long John's lead and Long John's frequently comedic interactions with his main squeeze Purity Pinker (Connie Gilchrist), who has her eyes firmly set on marriage and settling down the old sea Captain. Things become truly adventurous when the band of pirates set out for a return to Treasure Island and meet up with some most unexpected surprises and obstacles along the way.

In many ways, this unofficial sequel to the classic Walt Disney film, has a more gritty, real down to Earth feel about it although it really adds little new to the mix. Still any boy who ever dreamed of pirates and searching for lost treasure should find much to enjoy here. Great fun overall, Newton is just a pure delight to watch in this entertaining, surprisingly well-written and executed boys fantasy brought to life.