TV Review: The Adventures of Long John Silver
Ye’ll likely be familiar with the basic plot of Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson. ‘Tis a fine tale of the sea, with adventure and pirates a-plenty. But if by some sad mischance ye are not, feast your eyes on me review of the book! There have been several adaptations over the years, including one by Disney in 1950, when the company were not quite the scallywags they’ve become since. It starred Robert Newton as Long John Silver, the wily sea-cook and pirate leader. He did a bonny turn, and was so identified with the role that it were decided he needed his own show!
Happily, Long John was in the public domain, but some changes were needed for the Australian-produced series. The setting was Porto Bello, on the Spanish Main. Jim Hawkins (Kit Taylor) is an orphan who’s placed into the tender care of “reformed” pirate Silver by Governor Strong (Pat Twohill) as the rogue had once saved his daughter’s life. But not entirely trusting Captain Silver, he also required him to work with Miss Purity Pinker (Connie Gilchrist), the proprietor of a local inn and John’s longtime sweetheart.
Miss Purity wanted Long John to marry her and live an honest life, but Captain Silver loved his freedom too much to ever be fully pinned to the shore. Besides, whenever deviltry’s afoot, everyone’s first thought is that Silver’s involved, so there’s not much profit in being law-abiding. His one true moral chain was loving Jim Hawkins like a son, so it was. Otherwise, his loves are his ship, the Faithful, and his scurvy crew, for all that they’re the most disreputable gang of sea rats ashore.
I watched six episodes of this series on a DVD that was titled “Pirates of the High Seas” though the back copy made it clearer what the contents were.
“Dead Reckoning”: Learning that Squire Trelawney, Jim’s proper guardian, is sending someone to fetch young Hawkins back to England, Long John and Miss Purity pack him off to a boarding school in Bermuda. Along with him is a boy of “quality”, Algie, who is fact a mischievous brat. Despite Algie’s pranks constantly getting him in trouble, Jim refuses to peach on him, as one of the moral standards Captain Silver has taught him is to never be an informer. By the end of the tale, Jim and Algie’s true colors have been revealed. (Content note: the schoolmaster uses a switch on the boys.)
“Dragon Slayer”: Long John and Miss Purity have quarreled, and neither of them is willing to be the first to apologize, making everyone else miserable. Rival pirate captain Redbeard convinces each of them to participate in a charade that will bring about reconciliation, but it’s a trick to steal both their money. Captain Silver informs us that there are no actual dragons in Caribbean waters.
“Pieces of Eight”: Just when Captain Silver is in need of some ready cash to pay taxes, along comes a slippery fellow named Salamander with a plan to raise some. He knows of gold shipments in Panama for the Spanish crown (England is enemies with Spain at the moment and thus Spanish gold is fair game) that a small group of bold men could raid. It is of course a trap, as Salamander plans to betray his colleagues to the Dons to facilitate his own escape with bullion. Much of the tale is a forced march through the jungle fighting hunger, thirst, poisoned springs, and the deadly natives. We see a lot of Long John’s concern for his crew and especially Jim Hawkins.
“Ship o’ the Dead”: While out sailing in his small boat, Jim Hawkins runs across a ship, the Rachel, dead in the water. Her crew are dead on the decks. When he reports this, no one believes this tall tale except for Long John. But when the old man goes with the boy to check, there’s no sign of the Rachel! (Arr, Blind Pew could have seen that coming.) Jim is further humiliated and accused of lying when the Rachel sails into port a couple of days later with a full crew of living men. Jim is determined to prove he’s no fibber, and stows away aboard the Rachel–and learns its terrible secret!
“The Execution Dock”: When Long John falls ill, the doctor says it’s quite serious, possibly lethal if Captain Silver does not get absolute quiet and bed rest, and absolutely no alcohol! (Arr, the agony!) The old pirate falls into a fever dream in which he is finally brought to trial for his crimes, and is to be hanged at Execution Dock. This is the most visually interesting of the episodes, with dreamlike sets and costuming. I was reminded of a factoid: during the golden age of piracy, pirates used to while away idle hours by putting each other on trial for piracy. This is also the episode that most hearkens back to the book, with Captain Flint making an appearance.
“The Necklace”: When a rich couple is robbed of their jewels, the husband lives just long enough to identify the ringleader of the robbers as “a man with one–“. As it happens, Long John Silver has come into possession of a fancy necklace, easily identifiable as one of the items stolen. And he rather notoriously is a man with one leg. So it is not surprising when he is arrested for the crime. But the actual marauder is a man named Slygo, who has one *ear*. Miss Purity is able to devise a plan to capture the real criminal, but over-reaches when she tries to use this to trap Captain Silver into at long last marrying her and going straight.
The budget is low for a color series, and it shows in places, like “Panama” being the same half-acre of woods being shot from several different angles. It works to best advantage in the dream episode where unfinished sets add to the mood. While the banter between Long John and Miss Purity is fun, it devolves into painful sitcom moments, especially in “Dragon Slayer.”
The disability representation is pretty good, as several of the pirates have lost body parts. In addition to Long John’s missing leg, Iron Hand is short a hand, Patch is short an eye, and so is Salamander. They’re not bad people because of their missing parts, and they’re (mostly) not missing parts because they’re bad people, they just happen to live in a dangerous world and this is a part of their lives.
There’s some period sexism, including outdated words for women like “chit.”
Mostly, though, this is a star vehicle for Mr. Newton, who is having a ball playing his breakthrough role.
While dated like the wooden ships of old, this series should be enjoyable to anyone who loved the Disney movie it’s kind of based on.
Or to put it as Robert Louis Stevenson did,
If sailor tales and sailor tunes, / Storm and adventure, heat and cold, / If schooners, islands and maroons / And buccaneers and buried gold, / And all the old romance retold / Exactly in the ancient way / Can please as me they pleased of old / The wiser youngsters of today… So be it! Ar-har! And fall on!
