Long John Silver

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Summary: The Return of the great Adventurers!
Review: 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!

Rating:
Summary: LOW-BUDGET
Review: THE STORY NEVER SAYS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS TO THE DR.SQUIRE,ETC...CAPTAIN...EXCEPT HOW THEY WERE MET BY PIRATES... I WON'T GIVE IT AWAY...BUT... THEY COULD HAVE HAD A BETTER SCRIPT...BUT SUCH IS THE WAY HOLLYWOOD MESSES THINGS UP...LOL... IF YOU LOVE TREASURE ISLAND... THEN YOU SHOULD TAKE THE TIME TO CHECK THIS ONE OUT... JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY...

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Summary: Ahoy, Mateys . . . Long John's TV Series is on DVD!
Review: 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