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| Swiss Family Robinson - 1960 |
Coming up next we have 1960's "Swiss Family Robinson", that classic Robinson Crusoe tale that sees a family bound for New Guinea stranded after a shipwreck. They must make the best of their new life on a deserted island. Wild animals, pirates, and aventure abound!
The film's cast includes John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, James MacArthur, Janet Munro, Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran, and Cecil Parker.
A storm at sea puts a ship on the rocks in the South Pacific. The entire crew abandons ship, leaving the Robinson family, aiming at moving from Switzerland to New Guinea, alone on board.
After building a makeshift raft, the Robinsons set off for the nearest island. The captain's two dogs, Duke and Turk, also left behind, make the move from the ship to land with them.
Once they make it to land, the Robinsons drop to their knees to thank God for seeing them safely to shore.
The safety of shore, however, is not all that it seems. A deadly tiger is watching their every move from a distance, and even dares to get too close for comfort on occasion.
After they build some shelter, Father Robinson sets up watch, wondering what on earth he and his family are going to do.
A pirate ship is spotted in the water and the family knows that it must prepare to have visitors to their island refuge.
In the meantime, the men of the family return to the site of the shipwreck and collect all of the livestock that had been left behind. Using barrels to keep them afloat, the guys guide them to shore.
A wide variety of wild animals also call the island home. The youngest of the Robinsons, Francis, captures an elephant, and it becomes a pet. He also takes a shine to the monkeys that scurry through the trees.
The family works to build a refuge from the threatening elements on the ground. A house in the trees is constructed, complete with running water and a refrigerator. Skylights, a pipe organ, and staircases that can be drawn up are just a few of the features of this ingenious house.
The eldest two Robinson boys, Fritz and Ernst, do some exploring on the island. They come upon a pirate band that has a couple of captives. A sea captain and a cabin boy need their help. While they succeed in rescuing the cabin boy, the sea captain goes with the pirates. It turns out that the cabin boy is not a boy at all, but the captain's granddaughter who disguised herself as a boy to protect herself from the pirates. Her name is Roberta.
On the way home, the group comes across a zebra stuck in some mud. After fending off some hyenas intent on having zebra for dinner, they tame it and bring it home with them.
All of the Robinsons take Roberta to their hearts, but Fritz and Ernst find themselves vying for her attentions.
Unfortunately for Ernst, Roberta finds herself very drawn to Fritz, who returns her affections.
Naturally, the pirates return to the island. The Robinsons and Roberta have to mount a defense if they are to remain unscathed. The plan of attack includes a tiger trap (thought of by Francis) and some explosives (thought up by Ernst).
Their defenses work for a while, but it is Roberta's grandfather who sails in and blows the pirates out of the water. The Robinsons are thrilled wave him down to let him know they are there.
Ernst decides to return to Europe so he can attend university. The rest of the group decides to live on the island, happy in the home they never intended to like so much.
Cast rundown:
John Mills............................Father Robinson
Dorothy McGuire..................Mother Robinson
James MacArthur..................Fritz Robinson
Janet Munro........................Roberta
Tommy Kirk.........................Ernst Robinson
Kevin Corcoran....................Francis Robinson
Cecil Parker.........................Captain Moreland
And that's it for Swiss Family Robinson. While set in the South Pacific, this was actually filmed on the island of Tobago. Animals used during the filming included eight dogs, two giant tortoises, forty monkeys, two elephants, six ostriches, four zebras, one hundred flamingos, six hyenas, two anacondas, and a tiger. The film was significantly popular enough to earn its own attraction at Disneyland. In 1962, the Swiss Family Treehouse was unveiled at Disney's Anaheim amusement park. It remained until 1999, when it was remodeled to become Tarzan's Treehouse.
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