1960 - SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON - one Disney's best live action films

When the Walt Disney company put their minds to it they could make very entertaining live action films.  Swiss Family Robinson is one of their best films with most of the film shot on location in Tobago using Disney's go to English film crew and a mixed group of American and English actors.  

English actor John Miles is the head of the Swiss Family Robinson who end up being deserted on a tropical island.  American actor Dorothy McGuire is his wife.  Disney regulars James MacArthur and Tommy Sands play his grown up sons and the very annoying child actor Kevin Corcoran who like a bad cold constantly showed up in a lot of Disney TV shows, is their youngest son.  British actor Janet Munro is MacArthur's love interest and Bridge on the River Kwai actor Sessue Hayakawa is the pirate captain.  A real mishmash of acting talent.

 

The screenwriter and director threw out the original story and devised a plot that emphasized constant action and adventure.  Once the family ends up on the island the plot kicks into high gear with lots of clever and exciting scenes.  The Disney technicians slo devised an exciting action climax during the final pirate battle essentially a live action cartoon.

 

Swiss Family Robinson is quality family film making at a high level, a very entertaining film. 

 

The film was written by Lowell S. Hawley, the running time is 126 minutes.