beware! this is not the tv series as described by the first reviewer (not the reviewer's fault). this is instead, the movie version of "return to treasure Island", and the tv version is by a different distributor.
Ahoy, Mateys . . . Long John's TV Series is on DVD!
To the best of my knowledge, this is largest collection of episodes from "The Adventures of Long John Silver" on DVD. A total of 26 episodes were produced in 1955 and fully half of those episodes are contained in this 2-DVD set from Platinum Disc Corporation.
The series was produced by the same production company, Treasure Island Pictures, that made the theatrical release "Long John Silver" (a/k/a "Long John Silver's Return to Treasure Island") which, in turn, was a sequel to the earlier Disney film "Treasure Island." Most of the cast and crew of "Long John Silver" returned for the TV series, which was syndicated in the United States and it was the first television series produced in Australia to reach U.S. shores. Sadly, the series' star, Robert Newton, would make only one other film after the conclusion of this series, "Around the World in Eighty Days," before passing away in March of 1956.
As is the case with other classic TV releases from Platinum Disc Corporation, the prints used for this DVD set are not from the original film elements; rather, they are sourced from syndication prints. The series was filmed in color, but time has not been kind to the prints utilized for this release. Colors tend towards browns and a few episodes have that reddish look associated with the fading of color film but, in several episodes, colors are fairly vivid. If you're used to seeing the public domain prints of the film "Long John Silver," these TV episodes are comparable . . . watchable but certainly not "high definition." The bottom line is that if you like Robert Newton, pirate movies and/or classic television from the 1950s, this 2-DVD collection is a must.
The episodes included on the two discs are shown below and the discs can be purchased separately or as this 2-disc set.
Disc 1:
The Necklace Pieces of Eight The Orphans' Christmas Execution Dock The Eviction The Pink Pearl
Disc 2:
The Tale of a Tooth Ship o' The Dead Sword of Vengeance Turnabout Miss Purity's Birthday Dead Reckoning Devil's Stew
The Return of the great Adventurers!
The incomparable Robert Newton reprises his role as the kindhearted pirate Captain Long John Silver! In this "sequel" to Treasure Island, apparently made by another studio for the purpose of cashing in on the success of the Disney original, we find Long John passing time in an old tavern/inn on a British controlled Caribbean island, where he awaits the start of his next adventure. We don't have to wait long, when an unfortunate pirate stumbles into the pub with news of Jim Hawkins and treasure on his dying tongue. The word is that the ruthless pirate "El Toro" Mendoza has kidnapped the local Governor's beautiful young daughter for ransom, and captured Jim Hawkins along with her for use as a cabin boy. Around Jim's neck hangs a medallion that will help Long John find more of legendary Captain Flint's buried gold, still waiting to be discovered on Treasure Island. Immediately, Long John concocts a plan to get the kids back, and earn a little booty at the same time. He quickly confronts the Governor with his idea to help rescue the kids and capture El Toro, and in desperation, the Governor agrees to give Long John a chance. Putting his plan into action, Long John delivers the ransom money to El Toro in person, but he also attempts to strike a bargain with the cruel pirate. Long John tells El Toro that he'll send the Governor's warships in the wrong direction, so that he and El Toro would be free to sack the Governor's storehouse of valuables and rum. When the two pirates arrive at the storehouse, El Toro attempts to betray Long John, but Long John has his men hidden away within the stored goods, and a grand pirate battle immediately ensues. Long John's men soon have the upper-hand, and since he has told the children to run for their lives, he is now alone with El Toro and the other pirates, and free to reveal the next part of his plan. He sends the bad guys on their way, and takes all the booty for himself, blaming the ransacked storehouse on El Toro and his men when he arrives at the Governor's to receive a word of thanks for the rescue of his daughter. His plan a success, everyone has come out a winner except the evil El Toro, who has sworn revenge on Long John Silver. Now that Long John is reunited with his old shipmate, Jim, whom he hasn't seen in some time, though obviously not that long since Jim is still a boy, the old pirate is free to pursue the rest of Flint's treasure. His only obstacles are acquiring a ship and dodging Purity, the innkeeper woman who has plans to marry Long John and adopt Jim as their son. Before we know it, Long John has signed himself, Jim, and his crew of bloodthirsty pirates on as hands on The Thistle, bound for England, with secret plans to mutiny and return to Treasure Island! Little do they know of the dangers they will encounter along the way, including a confrontation with a cold-hearted pirate they had once left for dead! Long John Silver's Return to Treasure Island is a must own for any fan of the Disney original. If one can acquire a decent quality DVD or VHS (my VHS is quite a bit below par), it is definitely worth owning. It may not be as good as the original, but how can you go wrong with Robert Newton back as Long John, and a great new story with characters we already know and love! This is a great way to feed your love for carefree fun and adventure where the original film left off! Don't miss it!
Strap on your pantaloons and prepare to travel with Jim Hawkins and Blind Pew to one of the most famous fictional islands in history. Walt Disney's 1950 adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's swashbuckling masterpiece has held up extremely well, with action and characterizations that feel freshly minted (although it's unlikely that the Mouse of today would sanction the high level of booze flowing throughout the picture). Great fun, with nary a wasted frame and, in the character of Robert Newton's much-imitated Long John, one of cinema's most boisterously crowd-pleasing villains ever. (Proving that you can't keep a good--er, bad man down, Newton would return with director Byron Haskins for the enjoyable sequel, Long John Silver.) Watching this classic is like having a flashback to... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Bobby Driscoll - Robert Newton - Basil Sydney Director(s): Byron Haskin DVD Release Date: Released the 29 April 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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I love a good swashbuckler classic, & you get a pretty good collection here for a very low price. Captain Kidd stars Charles Laughton in another great villanous role, & Randolph Scott, who was 46 at the time(!), as the man determined to bring him to justice. Considering it was made in 1945, the picture quality is pretty good. This is a fun classic for swashbuckler fans. The Son of Monte Cristo is definitely one of the corniest movies I've ever seen! Most of the dialogue is unintentionally hilarious, but it was very entertaining & makes the perfect movie for a rainy night! It stars Louis Hayward, George Sanders, Joan Bennett (who was in several great film noirs), & Clayton Moore (the Lone Ranger!). Long John Silver's Return to Treasure Island is the fun sequal to Treasure Island, & Robert... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Rowland V. Lee DVD Release Date: Released the 28 January 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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"Pirates of Tortuga" is a low-budget swashbuckling flick, released in 1961. It is not particularly memorable, but can provide some good fun as long as the viewer doesn't think too much about classic pirate movies with the likes of Errol Flynn, Burt Lancaster or Tyrone Power. It would also be unfair to compare it to last year's big-budget smash, "Pirates of the Caribbean".
The plot is simple. Captain Bart and his crew have just docked their ship in London harbour after a long voyage. However, British Admiralty has an urgent assignment for our hero. He is asked to deal with the notorious pirate, Henry Morgan, who is terrorizing the Caribbean Sea, blocking sea-lanes and plundering ships. Recruiting some old ship-mates, our hero sets sail with his crew. To complicate matters--and add some... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Robert D. Webb DVD Release Date: Released the 20 April 2004 Usually ships within 24 hours
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"Blackbeard the Pirate" was one of the films that really freaked me out as a kid. This is not because this 1952 film is anywhere near a great film but because of the way that Blackbeard (Robert Newton) meets his fate at the end. That might be the first genuinely scary thing I ever saw in a movie on a Saturday afternoon (after the transformation of Elvira Gulch into the Wicked Witch of the West). You would expect more from director Raoul Walsh ("Captain Horatio Hornblower," "They Died With Their Boots On," "High Sierra," "Battle Cry") but this film is subverted by the over the top, eye rolling, leering performance by Newton. Come up with the most extreme seafaring pirate accent you can come up with ("Aarrr") and you will still fall short of what Newton uses in "Blackbeard the Pirate" (and... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Raoul Walsh DVD Release Date: Released the 01 July 2003 Usually ships within 3 to 5 weeks
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