Treasure Island available on DVD from Warner Archive

[Michael O'Hara]

http://www.wbshop.com/Treasure-Island-1 ... html?cgid=

[RayKelly]

I expect to have a copy in my hands within a few days. I will post a review.
I own two other Warner Archive titles and was satisfield.

[Joshua]

Haven't seen it--how is the film?

[Le Chiffre]

It has it's moments, but Welles's performance as Long John Silver is one of his hammiest. Still, I've only seen it from a crummy VHS recording, so DVD quality might make it play better. Welles wrote the screenplay (as "OW Jeeves").

[RayKelly]

It's been YEARS since I saw it, but I remember being disappointed. I am hoping I was wrong then.

[RayKelly]

I fell asleep an hour into watching the DVD-R from Warner Archive last night.
The film print and transfer was excellent, however, the direction is pedestrian and Orson's performance, sadly, is far from engaging.

[tonyw]

How could even Orson compete with Robert Newton - "Ah ha, Jim, lad!"

[RayKelly]

I prefer the Charlton Heston - Christian Bale version

[Le Chiffre]

Those are both pretty good ones. I also remember seeing at a film fest in the 80's, an interesting one by Raul Ruiz, with Vic Tayback (from the "Alice" TV show) as Long John Silver. Had a nice atmosphere to it. The '34 version with Wallace Beery is not bad either. But overall, I've never seen a TREASURE ISLAND film that really did justice to the book.

[DexyMan]

I've never seen this movie but it's been around for years on cheap European DVDs with poor prints. Is the DVD the correct aspect ratio? I've also heard that there is a version where they dubbed over Orson's voice. I'm assuming this version retains Orson...

[Roger Ryan]

I've never seen this movie but it's been around for years on cheap European DVDs with poor prints. Is the DVD the correct aspect ratio? I've also heard that there is a version where they dubbed over Orson's voice. I'm assuming this version retains Orson...

The Warner Archives website lists the aspect ratio as "16 X 9 Full Frame" which makes me think it's a 4 X 3 image with black bars on the sides! They also mention that no restoration or remastering was done for this film and that they used the best available video master, which could very well be a 4 X 3 pan and scan version. Can anyone else confirm the aspect ratio on this? Is it Welles on the soundtrack?

[RayKelly]

It's Welles' own voice... no pan and scan
I just loaded the disc into my PC.
720x480, frame rate is 29.97

[DexyMan]

I have to admit that before I watched this DVD, I had never seen or read any version of Treasure Island. Possibly because of this, I actually found the movie pretty engaging. I agree that the direction is nothing special but the story is interesting and I actually enjoyed Orson as Long John. The boy did quite well as Jim Hawkins as well. The one exciting shot, for me, was when we see Jim Hawkins through the eyeglass and then it quickly pans back to the other end of the telescope.

How faithful is this version to book? I wonder why Welles would choose such an obvious pseudonym for his writing credit, it seems strange that he didn't either just pass on the credit or take it full-on. Either way I believe this is the only other script that he didn't direct that gave him a credit (along with the U.K. Journey Into Fear.)

One question I have, how did they get back on to the boat? It seemed like Jim set the boat free but if he'd done that then they'd never gotten away. I think I missed a line of dialogue along the way.

Well, I was pleasantly surprised with this one, now I'm on to Warner Archive's other OW movie - Get To Know Your Rabbit. Hopefully this one will surprise me as well!

[Wich2]

Orson's turn as Silver in the Mercury radio version is excellent, as is that of my friend Arthur Anderson as Jim. Though only the second out of the gate (it had been planned as first, but they swapped in DRACULA at the last minute), I think it's one of the most effective one-hour Mercs.

-Craig

[tonyw]

Definitely so. These Mercury Radio broadcasts are superb especially since several use sound and music techniques that will later occur in Welles's own films.