by Hal Erickson
synopsis
This pioneering screen version of Daniel Defoe's The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe was produced by Rex Films, a division of Universal Pictures. Sporting a genuine beard and dressed in form-fitting rags, Robert Leonard starred as legendary castaway Robinson Crusoe. Somehow, the adaptors were able to squeeze Defoe's long and quite complex novel into a mere three reels (about 45 minutes' running time). Evidently, the character of Friday was played for comedy relief, while the bloody mutiny on board Captain Hardy's ship was unusually savage and brutal (though the weapons were clearly wooden props). Judging from the evidence of existing stills, portions of Robinson Crusoe were filmed on Catalina Island.
