Swiss Family Robinson (1960 film)

Swiss Family Robinson is a 1960 American family film starring John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, James MacArthur, Janet Munro and Tommy Kirk in a tale of a shipwrecked family building an island home, loosely based on the 1812 novel Der Schweizerische Robinson literally, The Swiss Robinson by Johann David Wyss. The film was directed by Ken Annakin and shot in Tobago and Pinewood Studios outside London. It was the second feature film version of the story the first film version was released by RKO in 1940 and was a commercial success.

A family on their way to New Guinea is chased by pirates into a storm. The captain and crew abandon the ship leaving the family shipwrecked off an uninhabited island. Father John Mills and his two eldest sons Fritz and Ernst Tommy Kirk and James MacArthur salvage as much as they can from the wreck including livestock, tools, and even an organ. As they gather what can be removed from the ship, the pirates return and begin shooting at the ship. Fritz and Ernst begin readying the ships cannon, but they only have one shot. Suddenly, the pirates turn around Father has put up a flag indicating the ship is under quarantine and that there is Black Death aboard. The three men construct a tree house home on the island while the youngest boy Francis Kevin Corcoran investigates the wildlife and starts an impressive collection of animals including a young elephant, a capuchin monkey and two Great Danes rescued from the ship which they name Duke and Turk. Mother Dorothy McGuire prays to be rescued. The boys, particularly Ernst, also build inventions to provide modern amenities to the family such as drawing water and preserving food.Fritz and Ernst head off to explore the island and try to see if anyone else lives on it or if it is connected to any other lands. While at a distant corner of the island, they again spot the pirates who originally drove them into the storm. The pirates have captured another ship and have the ships captain and cabin boy Bertie captives for ransom. Fritz and Ernst rescue Bertie but the captain, Berties grandfather, stays behind. The three dodge the pirates and head back to the familys tree house. En route, they discover that Bertie is really Roberta Janet Munro and not a boy at all. The three fend off snakes and hyenas as they head home and even rescue a zebra foal then lead it home. They arrive back at the tree house at Christmas. ........

Source: Wikipedia