We covered the topic of the pirate Long John Silver back in May with one of
the portrayals from an alternate TV dimension. But today is my nephew's 8th
birthday and Thomas read the book earlier this year. So I want to tip my hat to
him with this ASOTV showcase of the Long John Silver from the main
Toobworld......
LONG JOHN SILVER
AS SEEN IN:
'Long John Silver'
CREATED BY:
Robert Louis Stevenson
PORTRAYED BY:
Robert Newton
TV STATUS:
Recastaway & Multiversal
(BookWorld, Cineverse, Toobworld)
TV DIMENSION:
Earth Prime-Time
From Wikipedia:
Long John Silver is a fictional character and the primary antagonist of the
novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Robert Newton followed up his two Long John Silver movies with an Australian-produced TV series.
Stevenson's portrayal of Silver has greatly influenced the modern
iconography of the pirate. Silver has a parrot, named Captain Flint in mockery
of his former captain, who generally perches on Silver's shoulder, and is known
to chatter pirate phrases like "Pieces of Eight," and "Stand by to go about."
Silver uses the parrot as another means of gaining Jim's trust, by telling the
boy all manner of exciting stories (many of them likely fake) about the parrot's
buccaneer history. "'Now that bird,' Silver would say, 'is, may be, two hundred
years old, Hawkins- they live forever mostly, and if anybody's seen more
wickedness it must be the devil himself. She's sailed with England- the great
Cap'n England, the pirate. She's been at Madagascar, and at Malabar, and
Surinam, and Providence, and Portobello ... She was at the boarding of the
Viceroy of the Indies out of Goa, she was, and to look at her you would think
she was a babby."
He is married to a woman of African descent, whom he trusts to manage his business affairs in his absence and to liquidate his Bristol assets when his actions make it impossible for him to go home. He confides in his fellow pirates, that he and his wife plan to rendezvous after the voyage to Skeleton Island is complete and Flint's treasure is recovered, at which point Silver will retire to a life of luxury.
According to Stevenson's letters, the
idea for the character of Long John Silver was inspired by his real-life friend
William Henley, a writer and editor. Stevenson's stepson, Lloyd Osbourne,
described Henley as "...a great, glowing, massive-shouldered fellow with a big
red beard and a crutch; jovial, astoundingly clever, and with a laugh that
rolled like music; he had an unimaginable fire and vitality; he swept one off
one's feet". In a letter to Henley after the publication of Treasure Island
Stevenson wrote: "I will now make a confession. It was the sight of your maimed
strength and masterfulness that begot Long John Silver...the idea of the maimed
man, ruling and dreaded by the sound, was entirely taken from you".
Happy birthday, Thomas!
BCnU!
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