Swiss Family Robinson (film)
"Swiss Family Robinson" is a 1960 family adventure film produced by Walt Disney, based loosely on the 1812 novel "Der Schweizerische Robinson" by Johann David Wyss. The film follows the Robinson family—Father, Mother, and their three sons—who, while fleeing Napoleon's influence in Switzerland, become shipwrecked on an uninhabited island en route to New Guinea. As they adapt to their new surroundings, the family faces various challenges, including pirate encounters and the task of building a new home, a tree house, using salvaged materials.
The story incorporates themes of self-sufficiency and family unity while adding new elements like a female character, Roberta, to engage younger audiences. The film was notable for its impressive production, requiring various animals to be shipped from around the world for filming in Tobago, where it faced weather-related production delays. Upon its release, "Swiss Family Robinson" achieved significant commercial success, grossing approximately $40 million and becoming one of Disney's most iconic live-action films, with lasting cultural impact and popularity.
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Swiss Family Robinson (film)
- Release Date: 1960
- Director(s): Ken Annakin
- Writer(s): Lowell S. Hawley
- Principal Actors and Roles: Dorothy McGuire (Mother); John Mills (Father); Kevin Corcoran (Francis); Tommy Kirk (Ernst); James Macarthur (Fritz); Janet Munro (Bertie)
- Book / Story Film Based On: The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
Swiss Family Robinson is a family film that tells the story of a family that, while en route to a new life in New Guinea to evade Napoleon’s influence on Switzerland, is shipwrecked on an unsettled island and their adventures battling pirates and building a new home. The film was based on the 1812 novel Der Schweizerische Robinson ("The Swiss Robinson"), written by Swiss pastor Johann David Wyss, who crafted the story as a lesson in self-sufficiency for his four sons. The 1960 Walt Disney film is only loosely based on the story, tweaking the original by adding a female love interest for the boys, as well as the pirates who attack the island.
Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson is actually the second feature film to be made based on the original novel. RKO Radio Pictures released the first film, directed by Edward Ludwig, in 1940, and it was after viewing this film that Walt Disney and producer Bill Anderson were inspired to make their own version. After buying the rights to the 1940 version, Disney made sure that all prints of the previous film were seized in order to eliminate any future comparisons between the films. To direct the new version of the story, Disney hired Ken Annakin, who had worked with Disney previously on the 1953 film The Sword and the Rose. In addition, sketch artist John Jensen was brought on board to create storyboards for the film pre-production. Annakin said that Jensen’s contributions heavily influenced the final version of the film, and many of his sketches inspired final dialogue.
Plot
Swiss Family Robinson takes place in the early 1800s, and is centered on the Robinson family: Mother and Father Robinson, and their three sons, Fritz, Ernst, and Francis. The family has set out from Switzerland to make a new life in New Guinea. However, on the way they encounter a pirate ship, which diverts their ship and sends it into a raging storm. The captain and crew of the Robinson family’s ship decide to abandon it, leaving the family alone as the boat shipwrecks on a deserted island.
The Robinsons attempt to make the best of their situation, salvaging what they can from the wreckage, and the family begins constructing their new home, a tree house. Francis, the youngest son, starts a collection of wild animals and Fritz and Ernst set off to explore the rest of the island. While far across the island, the two brothers spot the pirates, who have captured another ship. They see that the pirates have two captives, Captain Moreland and his grandson the cabin boy, Bertie. Fritz and Ernst successfully rescue Bertie, but the captain is left behind.
On their way back to the family’s camp, the trio evades hyenas and snakes, and Fritz and Ernst discover that Bertie is actually a girl, Roberta. Upon returning to the tree house, Father fears the pirates will come and try to reclaim Roberta, so the family begins preparing defenses and booby-traps. To prevent the pirates from remembering where the Robinsons are, they blow up the wreckage of their ship. Meanwhile, both Fritz and Ernst have developed feelings for Roberta and each try to woo her in their own way.
After declaring a holiday in the name of "New Switzerland," the family begins preparations for a race, with each family member on the back of a different animal. To signify the start of the race, Mother fires off a gun, unaware that the pirates are nearby searching for their location. Upon hearing the gunshot, the pirates realize where the Robinsons are and attack. The family is able to hold back the pirates with rocks and coconut bombs but are outsmarted when the pirates sneak around the back of their fort. Just in time, a ship, captained by Roberta’s grandfather, appears on the horizon and hits the pirates with a cannon.
Finally safe from the threat of the pirates, and with a way off the island, the family celebrates. Father, Mother, and Francis decide to stay on the island, Ernst decides to go back to Europe, and Fritz and Roberta plan to marry.
Significance
Discussions for where to shoot Swiss Family Robinson led producers to scout out locations in the Caribbean. After unsatisfying visits to both Trinidad and Jamaica, they decided to look at the nearby island of Tobago. It was instantly the obvious choice, equipped with six different beaches and a perfect tree in which to build the tree house. The downside to selecting Tobago as the filming location, however, was the lack of natural wildlife. The production had to ship wild animals from all over the world, as well as fourteen different trainers to wrangle them. Animals involved in the shoot included forty monkeys, two elephants, one hundred flamingos, and six hyenas.
Another setback experienced by the production was the weather in Tobago. While shooting, tropical storm Edith hit the island, causing flooding to many of the film’s sets and leading to a halt in production lasting several weeks. In addition, the crew could film for about three hours daily in the tree house set, because this was the total amount of daylight the set received due to vegetation. In addition, the entire film’s dialogue had to be re-recorded in London when an audio issue was discovered after principal filming had already wrapped.
Upon the film’s release in 1960 it was received with positive critical reviews. In addition, the film was an instant box office success, grossing about $40 million dollars. This made Swiss Family Robinson one of the most iconic live action Disney films ever, as well as the highest grossing film of 1960, beating out films such as Spartacus and Psycho at the box office. Including re-releases and adjusting for inflation, Swiss Family Robinson has grossed over $400 million, making it one of the biggest hits of all time.
Bibliography
Maltin, Leonard. The Disney Films. New York: Hyperion, 1995. Print.
Passafiume, Andrea. "Swiss Family Robinson (1960)." Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Turner Entertainment Networks, 2015. Web. 12 July 2015. <http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/203349|0/Swiss-Family-Robinson.html>.
Smith, Dave. Disney A to Z. New York: Hyperion, 1998. Print.
Thompson, Howard. "The Swiss Family Robinson (1960): New Version of ‘Swiss Family Robinson’" The New York Times 24 Dec. 1960. Web. 12 July 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C05E5DD1531EF3ABC4C51DFB467838B679EDE>.
Wyss, Johann D. The Swiss Family Robinson. 1812. London: Penguin, 2009. Print.