Treasure Island (1920 film)

Treasure Island
Directed byMaurice Tourneur
Screenplay byJules Furthman (credited as Stephen Fox)
Based onTreasure Island
1883 novel
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Produced byMaurice Tourneur
StarringLon Chaney
Shirley Mason
Charles Ogle
Sydney Deane
Charles Hill Mailes
CinematographyRené Guissart
Production
company
Distributed byParamount-Artcraft Pictures
Release date
  • April 4, 1920 (1920-04-04)
Running time
6 reels (one hour)[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguagesSilent
English intertitles

Treasure Island is a 1920 silent film adaptation of the 1883 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, directed by Maurice Tourneur, and released by Paramount Pictures. Lon Chaney played two different pirate roles in this production, "Blind Pew" and "Merry", and stills exist showing him in both makeups.[2] Charles Ogle, who had played Frankenstein's Monster in the first filmed version of Frankenstein a decade earlier at Edison Studios, portrayed Long John Silver. (Jack Holt was originally supposed to play that part.) Wallace Beery was supposed to play Israel Hands, but that role went to Joseph Singleton instead.[3][4] The film was chosen as one of the Top Forty Pictures of the Year by the National Board of Review.

The film is now considered a lost film.[5][6] Reproductions of the film's posters still exist.[7] [8]

  1. ^ Blake, Michael F. (1998). "The Films of Lon Chaney". Vestal Press Inc. Page 101. ISBN 1-879511-26-6.
  2. ^ "Treasure Island (1920)".
  3. ^ Blake, Michael F. (1998). "The Films of Lon Chaney". Vestal Press Inc. Page 102. ISBN 1-879511-26-6.
  4. ^ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films:Treasure Island(Wayback)
  5. ^ "Silent Era : Progressive Silent Film List". www.silentera.com.
  6. ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog:Treasure Island
  7. ^ "Maurice Tourneur - Treasure Island" (GIF). lonchaney.org.
  8. ^ "Maurice Tourneur presents Treasure Island" (GIF). lonchaney.org.