Not in the book
1. Long Jane Silver

2. The doctor as the magistrate, whereas, in the book, it is the squire who is the magistrate.

3. Blind Pew's death
Film: blown up by dynamite
Book: trampled by a horse
Which would you choose?

What is in the book.
For all that is in the film and is not in the book, there are several things that are in both the book and the film. For example: Ben Gunn's fancying cheese.

Next time: what does not work. what does work.

I agree on the novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, a great book with so many memorable scenes- the old pirate at the Admiral Benbow Inn, the black spot, Long John Silver as the friendly cook, the boy hiding with the apples etc etc.

I like his other novels as well, Dr Jekyll and Mister Hyde (it would be great to read it not knowing the story in advance), and the Scots dialect novels Kidnapped and Catriona.

A lot of the Treasure Island films are pretty boring, I can't remember which ones I have seen.  I did note that Oliver Reed is in one, playing Billy Bones.

No wonder, I don't remember Oliver Reed, as he appeared in the version with Charlton Heston as Silver. I think one of the few film versions I have never seen. It might be worthwhile for me to see if I can find it and watch it, as it also stars Christian Bale as Jim, Christopher Lee as Pew, Richard Johnson as the squire, Julian Glover as the doctor, and Peter Postlethwaite as Merry.

Realism and anachronisms

While Ken's biographical and historical films, such as . . .
Prisoner of Honor -- Gothic -- Valentino -- Lisztomania -- Mahler -- Savage Messiah -- The Devils -- and The Music Lover . . .
have their moments of reality, and . . .

The Boyfriend
. . .which is somewhat exaggerated, is still a fairly realistic look at what goes on on stage and behind the scenes, and while . . .

Lair of the White Worm
. . . is even more exaggerated, there are moments of reality in it. Unlike . . .

Ken Russell's Treasure Island
. . . which is filled with anachronisms. If we date the story in the film from 1765, which the film does.

Anachronisms
cola -- dynamite -- a rifle that fires multiple times without reloading -- slot machines -- stethoscopes -- t-shirts
. . . are all products of the 19th century. And while the . . .
whistle
. . . dates back to the time of the Ancient Greeks, the metal one in the film, again dates back to the 19th century.

Not anachronisms
There are something things seen in the film that may seem like an anachronism, but may not be,  such as . . .
bingo, 16th century Italy -- the cuckoo clock, 18th century Germany --
and while the use of tobacco in Europe dates to the 16th century, the cigar in Europe dates to the middle of the 18th century, so it may or may not be an anachronism.

Next time: typical and atypical Ken

Introduction

Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island," which I hold is one of the greatest sea stories ever written, and one of the few books I can read over and over again.

And one of the most filmed books ever written. With . . .
Wallace Beery as Long John Silver. Seen
Robert Newton as Long John Silver. Seen
Orson Welles as Long John Silver. Seen
Charlton Heston as Long John Silver. Unseen
Jack Palance as Long John Silver. Seen

The last is a version I dislike, because it turned Long John Silver from the villain in the story to the hero of the story.

And then there are the variations of the story.
the western Scalawag with Kirk Douglas as the Long John Silver type of character
the animated Treasure Planet with Brian Murray voicing the Long John Silver type of character
and Muppets Treasure Island with Tim Curry as Long John Silver. More on this later.

Next time: realism and anachronisms

Sound
--I finally found a PAC, where the sound worked, so I could listen to this, while I watched it. I don't know whether this increased my appreciation or not. As an artist, I have found Ken more of a visual artist, then a verbal artist, exept, in films like Lair of the White Worm, where he is more unrestrained than he is here.

Eating and drinking
--People are seen eating and/or drinking 5 more times in the 2nd half of the film.
--If the people in the nightclub are drinking champagne, then they are using the wrong glassware. It is only, when they are in the car, that they are using the right glassware to drink champagne.

Motifs
--the sea
--stockings

Sir Arnold Bax
--has Ken ever made a film about a composer, where the composer is happy?
--Yet, seemingly the unhappiness of Bax works better here, than if he had been portrayed as being happier.
--I hope that Bax was in better physical condition than Ken, if and when he did his interpretive dance on the beach, I kept waiting for Ken to have some sort of physical attack.

Sir Alec Guinness
--no wonder his picture, as Fagin in Oliver Twist, is so prominently displayed in the film here. Bax wrote the music for the film. While I have seen the film, unlike an Elmer Bernstein or a John Williams, whose film music is memorable, I can remember nothing about Bax's music in the film.

Next time: Ken's Treasure Island