TREASURE ISLAND

Jim Hawkins (Kim Burfield) is a young boy who at the start of the story works at his mother's (Maria Rohm) inn. A drunken old sailor named Billy Bones (Lionel Stander) moves in and proceeds todrink heavily, terrorise locals with pirate songs and stories, and keeps watch for seafaring men. He dies of a stroke after violent confrontations with old shipmates. Jim gets his hands on a map which shows the whereabouts of pirate Captain Flint's treasure. Immediately taking action, he then enlists the help of Squire Trelawney (Walter Slezak) and Dr. Livesey (Angel DelPozo) to join him as he locates the island on the map. Together, they join a ship commanded by Captain Smollett (Rik Battaglia) that will lead them to their destination.

Word of the treasure map gets around and most of the crew are recruited with the help of the ship's cook, Long John Silver (Orson Welles), an ex-pirate who had sailed with Captain Flint and intends to get the treasure by mutiny and murder.

Already on the island is a marooned pirate, Ben Gunn, who has spent his time gathering the treasure. With his help Jim, the Squire, the Doctor, the Captain and a number of loyal crewmen outwit the pirates, killing most of them in gun battles.

Silver is captured, but escapes when the ship reaches harbour in the West Indies. Much of the plot and the linking narrative – spoken by Jim Hawkins – is faithful to the original book.

Jim and his allies, with the help of Ben Gunn, outwit the mutinous pirates and secure the treasure, while Long John Silver escapes once they reach harbor in the West Indies.

The ending sees the traditional triumph of loyalty and cunning over greed and betrayal, with Jim and his companions prevailing against the pirates’ violent ambitions. Long John Silver’s escape preserves the character’s legendary ambiguity, leaving him both a villain and a survivor. The film closes true to the novel’s bittersweet finale, blending adventure with a sense of lost innocence.