MovieChat Forums > Treasure Island (1990) Discussion > About Capt Smollett

About Capt Smollett

posted 17 years ago by pufnstuff
9 replies | jump to latest

Has anybody ever noticed that in every other production of "Treasure Island", Capt Smollett comes off as an oddly weak man, not in command of his ship, refusing to believe the pirates are a threat or some other such garbage?

TI was always one of my favorite books. For some reason it seems that every other movie I've sen wants to somehow blame the entire set of events on Smollett.
And it was only when this version was made that I have seen a good depiction of Capt Smollett... who, after all, was a Royal Navy officer, and not given to be weak, neurotic, or blind to danger. In this version, with Clive Wood in the role, we see a strong captain with military skills, discipline, a will of iron, and a sterngth of command that has never been brought to the character before.

Other thoughts?

fnord.

[–] AK-18 17 years ago

I'd definitely agree with you. He was a really good Smollett. This was the first Treasure Island I ever saw all the way through. Followed by the Muppets version (which is my favorite of the post-Henson Muppet movies, though "The Muppet Movie" will always be my favorite...whoops, sidetracked) Anyway, this 1990 version was hands down the best Treasure Island I've seen. It's almost a shame I saw this one first because none of the others have come close to living up to it. I did see a GOD AWFUL version from 1999 or 2000, where it seemed like the writer had read the book as a kid, forgotten most of it, and wrote a screenplay based on his foggy memory without ever looking at a page of the original book, then a bunch of executives made changes and then some drunk guy said "Hey, you know what? I was always bummed out that Jim and Long John's friendship couldn't continue, so let's have them kill everybody off and sail away with Ben Gunn and all the treasure!" I spent the first half an hour of that movie going "Oh, okay, well, they changed that...not great, but I can deal" (I mean, I understand that films never follow a book word-for-word and I'm able to enjoy film adaptations) and from then on, my jaw dropped and I just kept going "Wha-?!?!" I actually watched this '90 version the next day just to get that horrible one out of my mind.

"it's sad that we weren't born like horses & sheep, to know where we’re going, to know what we need" -Melanie

[–] boll-weavil 17 years ago

Smollett (along with the doctor) is clearly the mainstay behind the success of the mission you are right.It's success is due to him and the doctor as much as anybody else. The villian of the piece is clearly the Squire. If you follow the early part of the story, you can work out that he, with his notions of calling himself 'Admiral'and playing at being a sailor, has gone to Bristol and tried to get a crew whilst blabbing his mouth off everywhere about why he's actually going.Silver,has put the frighteners on the sailors there seeking work so that no one volunteers.He can then step in with his own crew, ready made (remember most of them were left over from 'The Walrus' - Flint's ship so they'd all sailed together before) and move in.When they land, the rest of the crew not in the plot are persuaded or shot.In the book I think even one of the Squire's servants becomes a mutineer.

[–] peggygeordie 15 years ago

I'm so thrilled to find someone else who loves Captain Smollett! From the first time I saw this version in 1990 to the last (and I just watched my old VHS two days ago) I have thought Clive Wood as Smollett was the standout in a standout cast -the best ever assembled for this story. He is everything you say - and sexy besides. Not because he is classically handsome, which he isn't though he has some excellent features, but because he is commanding and dashing in action - poetry in motion with sabre and pistol - and the smartest of the bunch, with barely disguised contempt for the Squire but a determination to move forward and get them alive out of a bad situation. He just blazes with intelligence and determination.

[–] osurpless 13 years ago

I too have always loved Clive Wood's performance "I am Captain ALEXANDER SMOLLETT!" to the point that when Clive Owen's career was first taking off, I thought it was Wood they were referring to, mostly because they described the actor as "being long overdue for fame".

I could not use better words to describe Clive Wood as an actor!

[–] peggygeordie 13 years ago

No argument from me. I've tracked down every performance of his available on video (including some I had to buy a multi-region DVD player for) and deeply mourn being unable to see him in his acclaimed stage performances - but "My name is Alexander Smollett..." just rules.

I suspect Clive Wood's performance inspired other casting directors to start thinking of Smollett as a charismatic man of action, or we wouldn't be seeing Philip Glenister in an upcoming production (with Eddie Izzard as Silver). However, intriguing as that casting is, I'm afraid Clive will always own the role for me.

[Added after seeing the Eddie Izzard version] About the most you can say is that Smollett is the least ruined character in that distorted "adaptation" - at least he's not villainous or craven, though the only good scene he was given was when he insisted on flying the flag. Well, I won't blame Glenister when the script was a travesty of Stevenson's adventure story, but suffice to say - Clive Wood still RULES as Smollett!

[–] conker203 13 years ago

I absolutley loved Captain Smollet in this movie. From the first time he was shown in the movie he was bold, and blunt. "Gentlemen. I don't like this cruise, I don't like the men, and I don't like my first officer. Thats it short and sweet."

I thought he was a great leader, fighter, and one of the key figures of the survival of the good guys :)

[–] coleburg83 13 years ago

I agree. I also like that they made Long John into a real murderous villain and didn't go over the top with his relationship to Jim. Rather than having him as this comically reluctant pirate or treating Jim as his son, rather than a boy he liked and liked to manipulate.

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You did just fine, Clarence. Now go git yo'self some hot cornbread!

[–] Bilwick1 9 years ago

The only other version of TI I've seen is the 1930s MGM version with Jackie Cooper and Wallace Beery. I thought Lewis Stone's Capt. Smollett was pretty good.

[–] liscarkat (19031) 21 days ago

Lewis Stone was great as Smollett. In the 1934 version, and the 1990 version, Smollett was strong and authoritative. The OP has completely missed the boat.