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her elegant home and community in
England, and wishes to somehow be rescued and return. The father slowly convinces her that living in the natural environment is better for the family and that they are meant to be there. In the end, Fritz and Jack board a ship home while the rest of the family stay on the island.
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wrote a mixed review, criticizing the change of the character of the mother from resourceful in the book to "fretful" and "discontented" in the film, a mood that "pervades the story and saps the vigor of the adventure element." However, Mosher thought that "Some pleasant domestic animals and a pet or
447:
When it stays with the book, which was adventure plus instruction, the film is considerably better. The storm sequences—there are three of them—are properly noisy, drenching and spectacular. The salvage trips to the reef-bound brig, the lessons in candlemaking and ostrich-taking, the recipe for Mrs.
302:
The family members collaborate to create a home for themselves in the alien jungle environment. They gradually learn to use the unfamiliar plants and animals to create what they need to live and thrive. They have many adventures and challenges and make many discoveries. The mother, however, misses
551:
Walt Disney is said to have bought the rights to the RKO film in an effort to suppress its re-release and avoid comparisons to his 1960 version. Currently the Walt Disney Co. holds the rights to the RKO version, and 20 minutes of it was featured in the "Vault Disney" DVD release of their 1960
448:
Robinson's fish stew, some of the family's minor naturalistic adventures are amusingly, and often excitingly, depicted. They and the uniformly competent performance of the cast make it a moderately entertaining, if rather somnolently paced, story-book film.
563:, on their own "Vault Collection" DVD label, a library of "rare and forgotten" films, produced "in only small quantities and available for a limited time." A limited on-demand DVD release by Retro Flix has also been produced.
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Although the RKO version has not been released theatrically for decades, and no home formats from Disney were previously made commercially available, the film's 92-minute version was briefly made available on DVD in 2010 from
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292:, whom he considers his hero. His middle son, Jack, is a foolish dandy who cares only about fashion and money. And his dreamy son Ernest is preoccupied with reading and writing to the exclusion of all else.
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calls the 93-minute version an "Excellent adaptation of Johann Wyss book", and writes that it "boasts impressive special effects, strong performances, and much darker elements than the Disney film
507:'s favorite movies. Ivory is quoted as saying that he liked the idea of the Robinsons transforming their deserted island with their London furnishings salvaged from their shipwreck, saying, "
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used the RKO adaptation as "an example of what not to do", that is, avoiding the 1940 film's soundstage reproductions and focusing instead on location shooting and realistic art direction.
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called it "a good adventure yarn" but suggested that the tropical storm sequences went on too long, and that Edna Best's hairdo seemed "always too perfect" for a believable castaway.
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In London in 1813, a Swiss father, William
Robinson, wishes to escape the influence of the superficial profligacy of London on his family. His eldest son, Fritz, is obsessed with
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834:
Film
History: An International Journal, 2007, Vol. 19, No. 2; Pages 125-143: "Forgotten Faces: Why Some of Our Cinema Heritage is Part of the Public Domain", by David Pierce
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bound for the faraway country. Following a long voyage, the family is shipwrecked on a remote deserted island after the captain and crew are washed overboard during a storm.
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article that Walt Disney and producer Bill
Anderson chose to make their version of the film after viewing the RKO version. According to a July 1959
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account included both the 1940 and 1960 versions of the film amongst a list of the content available on the streaming service at its launch.
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William
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A version running 108 minutes (15 minutes longer than the generally available print) is also screened occasionally.
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The Screen: On a Tropic, Slightly
Toporific, Isle Lands Wyss's 'Swiss Family Robinson' at the Music Hall
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called it "an appealing picture for the family trade" and "a genuine accomplishment."
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Schallert, Edwin (Aug 8, 1939). "DRAMA: Glamour Cast Named for 'Ziegfeld Girl'".
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English Landscape: Rooms, Views and Anglo-Saxon Attitudes
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The producers specialised in making films based on public domain texts.
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Bobbie
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two add variety", and he found the tropical storm "satisfactory."
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and is the first feature-length film version of the story.
532:. Associate producer Basil Keys stated in a December 1960
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Films about survivors of seafaring accidents or incidents
803:, by John Pym, pg. 21. Harry N. Abrams, New York 1995.
652:"The 13th Academy Awards (1941) Nominees and Winners"
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Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1982. p145
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511:… appealed to my boyhood taste for disasters."
503:The film is one of Oscar-winning film director
395:, who went uncredited as the story's narrator.
594:Richard Jewel, 'RKO Film Grosses: 1931–1951',
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253:Swiss Family Robinson film 1940 advertisement
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765:(February 10, 1940). "The Current Cinema".
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1560:Films based on The Swiss Family Robinson
865:Voyages Extraordinaires, September, 2009
782:Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide
483:The movie recorded a loss of $ 180,000.
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1089:The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson
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528:was adapted again for film in 1960 by
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637:Richard Jewell & Vernon Harbin,
262:is a 1940 American film released by
784:, 2001 Edition, pg. 1372. Signet,
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270:. It is based on the 1812 novel
167:The Play's The Thing Productions
1585:Films scored by Anthony Collins
1540:Films directed by Edward Ludwig
714:. February 7, 1940. p. 14.
1530:American black-and-white films
1260:The Man Who Reclaimed His Head
1068:Flone of the Mysterious Island
1:
1082:The New Swiss Family Robinson
1075:Beverly Hills Family Robinson
383:was the first star assigned.
1535:1940s English-language films
1364:They Came to Blow Up America
1228:They Just Had to Get Married
1575:Rediscovered American films
612:. Feb 4, 1940. p. 122.
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191:February 8, 1940
16:1940 film by Edward Ludwig
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982:The Castaways of the Flag
962:The Swiss Family Robinson
840:10.2979/FIL.2007.19.2.125
708:"Swiss Family Robinson".
608:"THE AGELESS ROBINSONS".
566:On October 14, 2019, the
525:The Swiss Family Robinson
273:The Swiss Family Robinson
70:The Swiss Family Robinson
26:
1565:1940s rediscovered films
1525:American adventure films
1348:The Man Who Lost Himself
751:: 27. February 17, 1940.
367:as Narrator (uncredited)
1133:Adventureland Treehouse
820:Turner Classic Movies,
675:Turner Classic Movies,
598:, Vol 14 No 1, 1994 p57
1300:Adventure in Manhattan
1284:Three Kids and a Queen
1252:Friends of Mr. Sweeney
1128:Swiss Family Treehouse
734:: 7. February 1, 1940.
692:, By Frank S. Nugent,
554:Swiss Family Robinson.
254:
1404:Wake of the Red Witch
1340:Swiss Family Robinson
1122:Space Family Robinson
1060:Swiss Family Robinson
1052:Swiss Family Robinson
1017:Swiss Family Robinson
1009:Swiss Family Robinson
920:Swiss Family Robinson
902:Swiss Family Robinson
853:Swiss Family Robinson
822:Swiss Family Robinson
677:Swiss Family Robinson
561:Turner Classic Movies
535:Saturday Evening Post
515:Legacy and home media
509:Swiss Family Robinson
497:Swiss Family Robinson
322:as Elizabeth Robinson
259:Swiss Family Robinson
252:
22:Swiss Family Robinson
1580:1940s American films
1550:Films set in Oceania
1545:Films set on islands
1520:1940 adventure films
1476:Flame of the Islands
1380:The Fighting Seabees
487:Contemporary critics
421:Best Special Effects
1268:Age of Indiscretion
905:– DVD by Retro Flix
696:, February 9, 1940
385:Freddie Bartholomew
326:Freddie Bartholomew
316:as William Robinson
104:Freddie Bartholomew
1570:RKO Pictures films
1484:The Black Scorpion
1444:The Blazing Forest
1396:The Fabulous Texan
1196:The Man Who Waited
1174:Films directed by
1001:Perils of the Wild
888:2011-09-12 at the
870:2015-07-01 at the
748:Harrison's Reports
694:The New York Times
544:article, director
466:Harrison's Reports
440:The New York Times
402:Critical reception
334:as Ernest Robinson
264:RKO Radio Pictures
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177:RKO Radio Pictures
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1420:Smuggler's Island
1388:Three Is a Family
1316:The Last Gangster
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967:Johann David Wyss
625:Los Angeles Times
541:Los Angeles Times
520:Johann David Wyss
359:Herbert Rawlinson
340:as Fritz Robinson
278:Johann David Wyss
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373:Production notes
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266:and directed by
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365:Orson Welles
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207:Running time
184:Release date
143:George Crone
124:(uncredited)
122:Orson Welles
68:
1332:Coast Guard
546:Ken Annakin
530:Walt Disney
505:James Ivory
471:John Mosher
118:Narrated by
82:Produced by
39:Directed by
33:Film poster
1515:1940 films
1509:Categories
1292:Fatal Lady
1036:Television
731:Film Daily
661:2013-06-19
656:oscars.org
577:References
460:Film Daily
361:as Captain
240:Box office
211:92 minutes
195:1940-02-08
160:Production
87:Gene Towne
59:Gene Towne
49:Written by
1105:(2018–21)
1046:(1965–68)
413:nominated
355:as Ramsey
353:John Wray
349:as Thoren
320:Edna Best
243:$ 890,000
235:$ 681,000
139:Edited by
100:Edna Best
1452:Sangaree
1096:Stranded
1054:(Canada)
886:Archived
868:Archived
381:Tim Holt
338:Tim Holt
290:Napoleon
224:Language
149:Music by
112:Tim Holt
92:Starring
65:Based on
824:, Notes
711:Variety
679:, Notes
571:Twitter
568:Disney+
454:Variety
443:wrote:
415:for an
227:English
216:Country
193: (
162:company
1495:(1963)
1487:(1957)
1479:(1956)
1471:(1954)
1468:Jivaro
1463:(1953)
1455:(1953)
1447:(1952)
1439:(1952)
1431:(1952)
1423:(1951)
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1223:(1932)
1215:(1927)
1207:(1927)
1199:(1922)
1191:(1921)
1028:(1998)
1020:(1960)
1012:(1940)
1004:(1925)
985:(1900)
807:
788:
232:Budget
1212:Spuds
1114:Other
993:Films
417:Oscar
1062:(US)
925:IMDb
805:ISBN
786:ISBN
419:for
387:and
307:Cast
297:brig
284:Plot
965:by
923:at
836:doi
500:".
473:of
437:of
431:).
276:by
74:by
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