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For other uses, see Robinson Crusoe (disambiguation).
The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (French: Les Aventures De Robinson Crusoë) was a French children's television drama series made by Franco London Films (a.k.a. FLF Television Paris). The show was first aired in Germany in October 1964 under the title Robinson Crusoe as four 90 minute episodes by co-producers ZDF television, and syndicated in the USA the same year. It was first aired in the UK in 1965 as a 13 part serial, this english dubbed version produced by Henry Deutschmeister also had a new musical soundtrack composed by Robert Mellin and P. Reverberi which gave the serial a more strident and appealing theme tune than the music composed by George Van Parys for the French/German original. It was based on the first of Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe novels, but is perhaps best remembered for the haunting theme music composed for the English language version - recreated since by bands such as The Art of Noise.
[edit] DescriptionFor at least three generations of UK children this was the definitive TV version of Daniel Defoe's classic novel. After its debut in 1965 it soon became a staple part of the BBC's school summer holiday schedules. Often stripped daily, Mondays to Fridays, in the mid '70s, it was last screened in the early 1980s, after which the BBC's contract for repeat screenings expired. It is the story of a young Englishman's struggle for survival on an unknown desert island, and his recollections of his adventures prior to the shipwreck that brought him there, in particular his involvement with slave traders. He has his pet dog Dick, a parrot and a goat for company. In the latter half of the story a group of cannibals arrive on his island; he repels them by means of explosives, and in the process rescues a native from becoming their next meal; he names him Friday. In the end he comes to terms with his less than exemplary past, and becomes a better man thanks to his experiences on the island, befriending Friday and putting his life in order. The serial was filmed on Gran Canaria, the largest of the Canary Islands, off the coasts of Portugal and Morocco. Robinson's Island locations were shot at Playa del Ingles on the southern tip of Gran Canaria; the Moroccan scenes were filmed further along the coast at Playa de Maspalomas and the Dunes of Maspalomas; the small village of Tejeda located inland at the notional centre of Gran Canaria was used as the location for Robinson's Plantation in Brazil. Most of this footage was shot mute because of the lack of dialogue and the time it saved on location, the sound being dubbed on later. The English locations (York/Hull) were shot in Normandy, France. The filming took 4 months to complete. This was Austrian-born actor Robert Hoffman's first professional acting job after leaving the French actors school in Paris in 1964. Franco London Film made 3 different cuts of the show available - a 4 part version, a 6 part version and a 13 part version - to accommodate the broadcasting requirements of countries buying the serial. The success of this production led to a series of 16 French/German co-production adaptations of classic adventure and children's novels between 1964 and 1983. The man behind these mini epics was German producer/writer Walter Ulbrich. Franco London Film, in association with Deropa Films (Germany), were involved in the next 4 serials - Don Quixote the Man of La Mancha, produced by Walter Ulbrich and Henry Deutschmeister in 1965; (the last to be made in monochrome) 'Die Schatzinsel'/L'ile au Tresor' in 1966, an adaptation of Treasure Island that starred English actor Ivor Dean as Long John Silver; Les Aventures De Tom Sawyer in 1968 (broadcast in 13 parts on BBC1 from 1970 to 1974); and finally Die Lederstrumpf Erzahlungen an adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper's novels featuring Natty Bumppo, collectively known as The Leatherstocking Tales, (including The Last of the Mohicans) in 1969. The serial is known to have been dubbed into German, English, French and Italian. Currently no official copies of the Italian dub are known to exist. [edit] CastRobert Hoffman ...............Robinson Crusoe Jacques Berthier .............Robinson's Father Additional Cast of German Cut: Erich Bludau .......................Robinson's Father Note: Certain scenes were shot with different actors for the German cut of Robinson Crusoe, and some extra scenes were filmed, as an example Wooseley's Niece, the Blind man and Jenny do not appear in the French/English version. Stills from the German scenes can be seen in the photo gallery on the Network DVD of the series. Also, Lee Payant although born in the USA had been living in Paris since the late 1940's. [edit] Episode ListPart 1. First shown Tues. 12th. October 1965 on BBC 1 at 5pm. Whilst travelling on a ship form Brazil to Africa, a violent storm casts Robinson onto a desert island off the coast of South America. He spends his solitude in remembering his youthful escapades in York. Part 2. Shown 19th October 1965. Alone on his island, Robinson solves the problem of food and meets his first companion. Part 3. Shown 26th October 1965. Robinson remembers the day he left home and travelled to Hull to seek a ship. Part 4. Shown 2nd November 1965. Robinson brings ashore all he can salvage from the wreck of the "Esmerelda". Part 5. Shown 9th November 1965. In the intervals of building a shelter and making furniture, Robinson recalls how he was assumed to be dead by his friends and was sold into slavery. Part 6. Shown 16th November 1965. Robinson with fire in his hut and begins to make a canoe. Part 7. Shown 23rd November 1965. Robinson relates how he came to be involved in the wreck of the "Esmerelda". Part 8. Shown 30th November 1965. Robinson discovers an abandoned ship and pirate's treasure hoard. Part 9. Shown 7th December 1965. Having drifted with the pirate ship Robinson lands on another deserted shore. Part 10. Shown 14th December 1965. Robinson encounters the cannibals and rescues Friday. Part 11. Shown 21st December 1965. Robinson tries to teach Friday how to become civilised but Friday runs away. Part 12. Shown 28th December 1965. Friday returns and other unwelcome visitors arrive on the island. Part 13. Shown 30th December 1965. Friday and Robinson come to terms with the mutineers. [edit] BroadcastThe first German broadcast was over the period 3 October 1964 - 24 October 1964, at 8.00pm on ZDF and repeated: (27/11/66-18/12/66), (16/04/73-19/04/73) and (09/09/79-30/09/79), East German channel DDR1 screened the 6 part version twice in 1973, the last German broadcast was on Tele 5 (05/06/92-08/06/92). The first French broadcast started on 10th September 1965. The first BBC repeats began at 5.20pm from 13th of February 1967, then, beginning between BBC coverage of the Apollo 11 moon landing, 21st June - 15th September 1969 at 5.20pm and in the Summer of 1972 at 9.30am before coverage of the Olympics, and one last evening repeat (03/05/73-26/07/73) at 5.15pm. The BBC also stripped the serial during school summer holday morning schedules during 1974 & 1975. The next run was on Saturdays (05/03/77- 28/05/77) at 9.35am. The last BBC repeats began on Saturday April 3rd 1982 on BBC1 at 10.00am, (from part 3 the serial was incorporated into the programme 'Get Set for Summer' hosted by Mark Curry.) concluding on Saturday June 26th 1982. [edit] CrewDirector .....................Jean Sacha Adaptation ...................Jean Paul Carriere and Pierre Reynal Producer .....................Henry Deutschmeister Music composed by George Van Parys (original French/German version) Music composed by Robert Mellin and P.Reverberi (English version) The Franco London Orchestra conducted by P.Reverberi Production Manager/Script Editor ..........Walter Ulbrich (under the psuedonym Eugen von Metz) (German version) Note: Jean-Paul Carriere is the credit on the English/French film prints but other sources state his name as Jean-Claude Carrière. 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