Treasure Island

Walt Disney's first fully live action film was born out of necessity more than anything else. Both Disney and RKO had money "frozen" in Great Britain from film revenues there, and they could not be spent anywhere else but England. Disney was still hurting from World War II and so leaving money in Great Britain was not the answer. Walt's solution was to make a movie there, but since he was considered as American as apple pie he wanted to make it a British story so as not to receive resistance from the country. It would have been too expensive to bring over animators and set up a new studio in England so this basically forced Walt's hand into making his first fully live action film. Walt would make three more movies in England to use the frozen funds, but his first would have to be a story that was British, but well known to American audiences. That story would end up being Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island.

Story Background

Treasure Island is probably one of the better known stories that the Disney company had adapted for live action. The story concerns a young boy named Jim Hawkins, who finds himself inexplicably whisked away on a treasure hunt that involves pirates, mutiny, and murder. The book's original title was The Sea Cook: A Story For Boys, so I think we should all be thankful that Stevenson changed it to Treasure Island. Seafaring books about military men, pirates, and explorers were all popular during the 1800's, and Stevenson basically borrowed themes and ideas from many of those books that came before his. That being said, many of the stereotypical things we associate with pirates came from Treasure Island, including treasure maps with an X to mark the spot, parrots on shoulders, peg-legs, tropical locales, and the Black Spot. First released as a serial in the children's magazine Young Folks from 1881-1882, it was later released as a book in 1883 under the title Treasure Island, or the Mutiny of the Hispaniola.Treasure Island proved to be a massive hit for Stevenson, who went on to author other classic stories like The Strange Case of Mr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Kidnapped. Treasure Island has been adapted countless times since it's publication and remains Stevenson's seminal work.

Production Background

Walt had been thinking about adapting Treasure Island for quite a few years, but it was meant to be an animated film. Once the issue with frozen assets came about, it ended up being the perfect opportunity to adapt the movie, but in live action instead. Unfortunately, Disney did not own the rights to adapt Treasure Island, so Walt had to make a deal with MGM, the studio that did own the rights, to be able to make his film.RKO, which in the past had only distributed Disney films, partnered with Disney since they also had frozen funds they needed to use too. RKO became a partner production company with Disney, forming the RKO Walt Disney British Productions LTD. Walt was a bit more hands-off with the production, only visiting every once in a while due to the distance. Luckily, Walt trusted the direction of Byron Haskins, who would go on to direct The War of the Worlds (1953) and Long John Silver (1954).Walt had still wanted to include some animation in the film, and planned on having Long John Silver tell Jim Hawkins the story of Reynard the Fox. Obviously this did not happen, but concept drawings for this animated segment would later be used for Disney's animated version of Robin Hood. Of what little drama there was with the production, it all came from the film's pint sized star, Bobby Driscoll. Driscoll was the lone American actor on the film, something that Disney had done on purpose to help appeal the movie to American audiences who had seen Driscoll in Song of the South and So Dear To My Heart. Driscoll did not have a permit to work in England, and incidentally could not receive one since he was under fourteen. Disney was refused in court to allow Driscoll to work, though Disney put in an appeal. Though Driscoll was ordered not to work, production continued and they filmed all of his scenes as quick as possible. By the time the appeals court went back in session and they upheld the original verdict, Driscoll was already done working. The judge was not pleased, as you would imagine, and all the trouble led Walt to scrap the thought of bringing Driscoll back into the country to do a live action Robin Hood. Many of the wide shots that are supposed to be Driscoll are in fact his body double.

Cast

Bobby Driscoll, in his third Disney role, played Jim Hawkins. Driscoll would only go on to do one more project for the Disney company, voicing Peter Pan in the 1953 animated film. After this point he was abruptly dropped from his contract. Walt, who had always been fond of Driscoll, was starting to see the young boy as not a plucky main character, but a young bully. Officially the reason for his canning was a bad case of acne, which necessitated heavy makeup to be used in any production he was in. Driscoll's life quickly fell apart after being let go by Disney and he would die from a heart attack brought on by drug use in 1968. I would highly recommend looking into his whole story if you have the time. Robert Newton plays the menacing but magnetic Long John Silver. Newton plays Long John with such overexaggerated gusto that you can't help but focus in on him when he is on screen. Newton can be thanked for what we know as the "pirate accent". The accent that is now attributed to pirates at large was really just an exaggerated West Country accent, which is where Newton grew up in southwest England. Newton would be so highly regarded for the role of Long John Silver that he would reprise the role in Long John Silver (1954), which was not made by Disney, and a TV miniseries based on that movie.

Release

Much was done to promote the film, with the most ambitious being a country-wide treasure hunt in the U.S that involved more than 400 retailers in 30 cities. The studio provided merchandise, along with a treasure map, and kids could collect items from participating stores to win prizes. In the end, Disney shelled out over $250,000 in prizes. The BBC aired a serial of the story with vocal excerpts from Driscoll and utilized music from the film. The film had its premiere in London on June 22nd, 1950 and was released to a wider audience on July 29th. The film ended up being a smash hit for Disney, with critical reception mostly positive. British film critics weren't fond of Driscoll in the film, seemingly because of him being the sole American in the cast. British critics also considered it a watered-down version of Treasure Island, though it ultimately didn't hurt the film too bad. Praise was heaped on Newton's performance, which would lead to more pirate roles for him in the future, somewhat type-casting him.

The film was actually aired on television in 1955 on The Magical World of Disney before it would be re-issued theatrically in 1975. The MPAA asked for cuts to be made to the film in order to achieve a G rating. The MPAA voluntary film rating system wouldn't be implemented until 1968, so they didn't have the ratings when Treasure Island first came out. The MPAA thought that the film contained just enough violence to warrant a PG rating, which Disney was vehemently against. PG really did mean that you needed parental guidance back in the day, so this would have tarnished Disney's squeaky clean reputation. Disney begrudgingly agreed to the cuts to the film to achieve a G rating. The movie was released on video in its edited form in 1981 and 1986, but restored it to its original form for the 1991 release. Unfortunately for Disney, they forgot to change the rating on the video tapes to PG and got in trouble with the MPAA. Disney had to send out a bunch of stickers to cover up the G rating. Though Disney would relax their no PG ratings on films in the late 70's they would end up retroactively having their very first fully live action film be rated PG. Disney would later adapt the film again, though it ended up being a little bit different. Treasure Planet not only was an animated movie, but also ditched the classic tropical setting for space.

Underrated Disney Songs: Part II

1. "Jig" (The Little Mermaid)

This is another one of those songs that I completely forgot existed until today. The funny thing is now I remember enjoying this song a lot when I was a kid. That being said, I haven't seen The Little Mermaid since I was very young, so I also only found out today that this plays when Ariel first sees Eric on the ship. This is a very catchy...well...jig. It's one of those songs you can put on repeat and not get tired of. This is one of those times where I actually like listening to the song without the movie scene. I know this is an instrumental, but it's too good and underrated not to put on this list. The Little Mermaid has some great songs, but this one is probably my favorite (I know I just said I rediscovered it today, but come on). I also think "Daughters of Triton" is hilarious for some reason. 

2. "He Lives in You" (The Lion King)

This song technically belongs to The Lion King II since it's actually featured in that movie, but it was first on The Lion King soundtrack sequel, "Rhythms of the Pridelands." In that case I count it as part of the canon. It's honestly one of my favorites of The Lion King. Too bad nobody remembers it compared to The Lion King hits. It's a very powerful song and I was always confused on why it wasn't in the original movie. Luckily the song is also part of The Lion King Broadway musical so that helps it out, too. In The Lion King II it serves as the opening sequence, which I think works very well. The Lion King II version is slightly different than the "Rhythms of the Pridelands" version, and honestly I like the latter much better. It's just a great song and worthy of being part of The Lion King. 

3. "Listen With Your Heart" (Pocahontas)

I really didn't care for Pocahontas as a child. Not sure why I didn't now, but I think it's one of the better Disney movies today. Well, if not one of the better movies, at least one of the best musicals. Pocahontas has a really good soundtrack with a lot of really solid songs, but a few are forgotten compared to the others. One is Grandmother Willow's song "Listen With Your Heart." It's a very short, but very beautiful song that ultimately leads to Pocahontas discovering the Old World voyagers. There's not much else to say about this song, but it's very good and shouldn't be forgotten as it has. 

4. "Ma Belle Evangeline" (The Princess and the Frog)

I admit that I'm fairly new to The Princess and the Frog. I've seen bits and pieces over the years, but just recently watched the whole thing. The movie is filled with some excellent songs, but the one that I keep going back to is "Ma Belle Evangeline." Sung by the great Jim Cummings, it's a very touching song and it's the part in the movie where Tiana and Naveen start to fall for each other. Ray is also my favorite character from this movie, so it's easy to see why I like this song so much.This is the most current of any of my picks, so don't expect anything from Tangled or Frozen. This song is so low key that it kind of gets pushed to the background of the movie, with "Almost There," "Down in New Orleans," and "Dig a Little Deeper" taking the main focus.They are great songs and all, but I'll take "Ma Bell Evangeline."

5. "Out There" (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

I decided to get rid of my other Hunchback song because I realized that all of the movie's songs are underrated. They are all really good songs, but nobody cares about them. What gives? Part of it probably has to do with the source material. Hunchback is probably one of the most adult of the Disney canon, and it goes for the songs too. I love "Heaven's Light"/"Hellfire," but "Hellfire" is so dark and creepy! Probably the only song that even comes close to being mainstream is "Topsy Turvy", and even that one barely is. My favorite of these underdogs however is "Out There." My wife pointed out that most Disney movies revolve around a character wanting to feel included, and this song proves that this movie is no different. It's a very moving, powerful song about Quasimodo (sung by Tom Hulce) longing to spend one day among the rest of Paris. Hulce has a pretty good voice and makes the song really work. It's definitely the highlight song for me, plus maybe "The Court of Miracles," just because it's morbid and fun. 

6. "The Gospel Truth" (Hercules)

Hercules is by far my favorite Disney movie, so it's hard for me to say that any of these songs are underrated, since I love them all. That being said, if there was any song that doesn't get as much credit as it should, it's "The Gospel Truth." It sets the tone for the rest of the movie and literally lets you in on everything that's going on. I love the gospel sound of this song, which is in three parts by the way (I couldn't find all three together so click each word in the title to watch all of them), which sets it apart from any other Disney song. I just like how unique it is I guess, plus it's tons of fun. You think you're in for a boring Greek story, and then they hit you with this song. I knew I loved this movie from the very beginning. Everybody knows" Zero to Hero" and "I Can Go the Distance," but this is a great hidden gem from a fantastic movie.

7. "Steady as the Beating Drum" (Pocahontas)

I almost had three songs from Pocahontas on this list, but that would be far too much from one movie. My other choice would have been "If I Never Knew You" which is a pretty touching song and all, but it's not as good as the other songs included in the film (it was left on the cutting room floor but eventually they animated a sequence for it for video releases). I really enjoy the opening song "Steady as the Beating Drum." Combined with "Virginia Company (Reprise)" it makes one of the better openings for a Disney movie. The song is great by itself, but it also acts as a contrast to the English settlers's own song. This also happens later in the movie with "Savages." That's one thing I have always liked about this movie is that it doesn't tell just one story, but two complete ones. This is a great opening song, and while it may not be as bombastic or epic as some of Pocahontas' other songs, it's still a solid addition.

8. "I'm Still Here" (Treasure Planet)

I like Treasure Planet a lot, even if it was a box office bomb and was released in the black hole that was the 2000's for Disney. I honestly had completely forgotten about this song until a little while ago, but I think it's perfect for the whole mood of the story. Jim goes through many hardships in this movie and this song clearly shows that side of him that's hurting. John Rzeznik, frontman of The Goo Goo Dolls, provides the vocals, something he was chosen for by Disney because of his "rebel-with-a-cause angst." Rzeznik felt right at home writing the song, claiming that he "felt a lot like Jim when he was his age." The song was a moderate success by itself, but it's largely forgotten, as is the movie. I think most people forget that the non-musicals still have some music in them.

9. Good Company (Oliver & Company)

Maybe I just like songs with only piano. This is a sweet little song sung by Jennifer (Myhanh Tran) to Oliver, the recently rescued kitten. It's honestly kind of a short song, since most of it is an instrumental montage. It's a nice change of pace from the 80's music fest that is Oliver & Company. You've got Billy Joel, Huey Lewis, Ruth Pointer, and Bette Midler's song written by Barry Manilow. How more 80's can you get? I guess I just like simple songs sometimes. Most of the other songs are pretty underrated too, save for "Why Should I Worry." If I had to pick another favorite, it would probably be "Once Upon a Time in New York City." Probably because Huey Lewis is awesome. Anyway, it's a great underdog (no pun intended?) song.

10. Small Wonders (Meet the Robinsons)

I have a small confession: I didn't know that this song had anything to do with this movie. I don't even remember any songs for this movie. I've heard this song, performed by Rob Thomas, on the radio and at work all the time, and I really, really like it, but I assumed it was just another Matchbox-Twenty song. Little did I know that this was made specifically for Meet the Robinsons, another non-musical made in the 2000's, though this movie did much better than Treasure Planet. In fact, I would probably pinpoint Meet the Robinsons as being the turning point of the Disney canon, though many claim it's The Princess and the Frog. The reason that I've included this song on this list is because I'm assuming that most people don't know this is a Disney song, or have long forgotten. It's honestly one of the better songs performed by a professional musician.