Long John Silver facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Long John Silver |
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| Treasure Island character | |
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Long John Silver in Characters of Romance, illustration by William Nicholson
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| Created by | Robert Louis Stevenson |
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| Voiced by | Various Voices |
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| Gender | Male |
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| Nationality | |
Long John Silver is a famous character from the adventure novel Treasure Island. This book was written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1883. Silver is the main bad guy, or antagonist, in the story. He is known for his missing leg and his talking parrot. These features have made him a very popular image of a pirate in stories and movies.
Contents
Who is Long John Silver?
Long John Silver is a clever and tricky pirate. He used to be the quartermaster for a very famous pirate named Captain Flint. Stevenson's description of Silver helped create the modern idea of what a pirate looks like and acts like.
A Clever Pirate's Story
Silver is known for being very smart and always looking for chances to get what he wants. He was the only person Captain Flint ever truly feared. Even though Silver could be a traitor and would switch sides to help himself, he also had good qualities. He was smart enough to save his money, unlike many other pirates who spent everything quickly. He was also brave, even with his missing leg. For example, when the treasure was found to be empty, he bravely faced five angry sailors with only a young boy, Jim, by his side.
His Famous Parrot
Long John Silver has a parrot named Captain Flint. He named the parrot after his old captain. This parrot often sits on Silver's shoulder. It chatters pirate phrases like "Pieces of Eight" and "Stand by to go about." Silver uses his parrot to gain Jim's trust. He tells Jim exciting stories about the parrot's adventures with other pirates. Silver once said, "Now that bird... is, maybe, two hundred years old, Hawkins—they lives forever mostly, and if anybody's seen more wickedness it must be the devil himself."
His Appearance and Past
Silver says he served in the Royal Navy, which is the British navy. He claims he lost his leg while serving under a famous admiral named Hawke. The book describes him: "His left leg was cut off close by the hip, and under the left shoulder, he carried a crutch, which he managed with wonderful dexterity, hopping about upon it like a bird. He was very tall and strong, with a face as big as a ham—plain and pale, but intelligent and smiling."
Life After Treasure Island
At the end of the novel, Silver manages to escape. He takes "three or four hundred guineas" of the treasure with him. This makes him one of the few pirates to get some of the recovered treasure. Jim Hawkins, the young hero, wonders if Silver settled down for a comfortable retirement. Silver also had a wife who helped him manage his business and money while he was away. He planned to meet her after finding the treasure and live a life of luxury.
Who Inspired Long John Silver?
The author, Robert Louis Stevenson, said that his friend William Ernest Henley partly inspired the character of Long John Silver. Henley was a writer and editor. Stevenson's stepson 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." Stevenson wrote to Henley, "It was the sight of your maimed strength and masterfulness that begot Long John Silver."
Long John Silver in Books and Movies
Long John Silver is a very popular character. He has appeared in many other stories, movies, and TV shows.
Books About Silver
- Porto Bello Gold (1924) by Arthur D. Howden Smith is a prequel novel. It tells stories that happened before Treasure Island.
- Dennis Judd wrote The Adventures of Long John Silver (1977) and Return to Treasure Island (1979).
- Björn Larsson wrote a fictional autobiography called Long John Silver: The True and Eventful History of My Life of Liberty and Adventure as a Gentleman of Fortune and Enemy to Mankind (1995).
- Silver also appears in Andrew Motion's 2012 sequel, Silver: Return to Treasure Island.
Silver on the Big Screen
- Wallace Beery was the first actor to speak as Long John Silver in the 1934 film.
- Robert Newton played an unforgettable Long John Silver in Disney's 1950 live-action film. He also starred in a 1954 film called Long John Silver.
- In the 1971 anime film Animal Treasure Island, Silver is shown as an anthropomorphic pig.
- Orson Welles portrayed Silver in the 1972 live-action film.
- Tim Curry played Long John Silver in Disney's 1996 Muppets musical film. In this version, his pet was Bad Polly Lobster instead of a parrot.
- Jack Palance played Silver in the 1999 film.
- In the Disney 2002 animated science fiction film Treasure Planet, Silver is a space pirate and a cyborg. He was voiced by Brian Murray.
- The character of Tobias Beckett in the 2018 film Solo: A Star Wars Story was inspired by Long John Silver.
Silver on TV
- Robert Newton continued playing Silver in the 1955 TV series The Adventures of Long John Silver.
- The BBC made several TV versions. Bernard Miles played Silver in 1951 and 1957. Peter Vaughan played him in 1968, and Alfred Burke in 1977.
- Brian Blessed played Long John Silver in the 1985 Disney TV series Return to Treasure Island.
- Charlton Heston played a darker Long John Silver in the 1990 TV movie.
- Eddie Izzard played Silver in the 2012 Sky mini-series.
- Luke Arnold played John Silver in the Starz TV series Black Sails (2014–2017). This show tells a story set 20 years before Treasure Island.
Other Appearances
- Long John Silver is a popular French-Belgian comic book series.
- The rock band Jefferson Airplane released an album called Long John Silver in 1972.
- A fast-food seafood restaurant chain, Long John Silver's, is named after the character.
- In the video game Cyberpunk 2077, a character named Johnny Silverhand is a reference to Long John Silver.
- Long John Silver is a playable character in the video game Tropico 2: Pirate Cove.
