Robinson Crusoe (1954) on Netflix
Robinson Crusoe, a third son with few prospects, defies his father and goes to sea. A storm drives him off the ship, and he swims to a deserted island.
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- Netflix4.2/5
- IMDb6.6/105,155 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes100%
Trailer
Plot summary
Against his father's wishes, Robinson Crusoe, a third son with few prospects, sails from Brazil toward Africa on a voyage to buy slaves. A storm forces him off the vessel, and he swims to a deserted island in the Atlantic, reaching it on September 30, 1659. The ship lodges on an offshore rock, and before it sinks he salvages food, tools, firearms and other items. He hunts game, herds goats, makes clothes and builds a home. A dog named Rex and a cat named Sam are his only companions, and Sam's kittens are left to run wild. He captures a parrot, calls it Paul and teaches the bird to speak.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Robinson Crusoe (1954)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- More than 300 actors were considered for the lead, and the producers wanted Orson Welles, but Luis Buñuel refused, saying Welles was too loud and too fat; after a screening of Welles' Macbeth, Buñuel demanded Dan O'Herlihy, who played Macduff.
- Jaime Fernández, the younger brother of actor/director Emilio Fernández, was working as a grip when Buñuel discovered and cast him as Friday. He spoke no English and learned it on the set, much as his character did.
- The 60-person crew took daily doses of Diodoquin and aralen to guard against dysentery and malaria, while a security squad of local Manzanillans kept snakes, wild boar and other dangerous animals at bay with guns and machetes.
- Dan O'Herlihy said the script was used only for the first week of shooting; afterwards he and Buñuel would merely discuss the story and how he should act and react.
