Year: 1954
Runtime: 106 mins
Language: English
Director: Byron Haskin
In this sequel to Treasure Island, Long John hopes to rescue his friend Jim from a rival pirate and return for more treasure.
Warning: spoilers below!
Haven’t seen Long John Silver yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!
Read the complete plot breakdown of Long John Silver (1954), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Set after Treasure Island, the tale follows Long John Silver, Robert Newton and his weathered crew as they drift through Portobello, a bustling port in the British West Indies, with little money and even less luck. Silver guards a map to a second treasure cache on Treasure Island, but the clue is useless without a special medallion to decode it. The city’s shadows deepen when Mendoza’s maniacal plot lands a much darker trap before Silver’s eyes.
The kidnapping of Elizabeth Strong, the daughter of Governor Strong, muddies the waters even further. Elizabeth, Thora Smith is seized to force the hand of the island’s rulers, while Jim Hawkins, the young cabin boy pressed into service, finds himself entangled in a conspiracy that could ruin any chance at amnesty. Jim’s fate becomes a pressing concern for both sides: the governor’s family, and Silver’s crew who would rather see the ransom paid than see the medallion discovered by anyone else. Dodd Perch, Elwyn Daniel, who has secretly aided Jim, is captured and beaten by Mendoza’s men, but his dying words point toward Mendoza, the governor, and Hawkins, setting in motion a chain of events that forces Silver to choose between old loyalties and new opportunities. The Governor, Harvey Adams Sir Henry Strong, and his wife must decide how far they will go to save Elizabeth, even as they fear what their city might become if a pirate’s plan unfolds.
During a tense ransom handoff, Silver joins forces with Billy Bowlegs to confront Mendoza aboard his ship. The two men subvert Mendoza’s plan by exposing the treacherous scheme to hoard the ransom and lure away the governor’s warships. In a cruel twist, Jim possesses the pirate medallion that reveals the map’s long-hidden location. Mendoza, seeing a chance to double-cross Silver, attempts to seize the warehouse fortune, but Silver’s crew ambushes Mendoza and wins the haul. Jim and Elizabeth seize their moment and slip away, leaving behind a scene of smoke and chaos as the two fugitives press toward a future that might end in England or on Treasure Island.
Back at the governor’s house, Jim is offered a chance to return to England, but Silver has a more ambitious plan: to take Jim with him on a second voyage toward treasure. With most of their rivals defeated and the warehouse loot in their hands, Silver sets his sights on Captain Asa MacDougall’s ship, a grim slave-ship bound for Bristol, hoping to shape their destiny on the open sea. The mission forces Silver to swerve away from an impulsive wedding with Purity Pinker, Connie Gilchrist, and instead push deeper into danger as he threads his way toward Treasure Island.
On the voyage, Silver’s mutinous thoughts surface, and he schemes to overturn Captain MacDougall. Hawkins uncovers the plan, and Captain MacDougall—staunch and puritanical—decides to maroon Silver and his men on a hidden island that serves as Mendoza’s secret hideout. Jim, in a desperate bid for freedom, torches Mendoza’s warehouse to create a distraction that allows Silver to seize Mendoza’s ship. The pirates set sail, leaving Elizabeth’s fate to be decided by the treacherous seas and the shifting winds of fortune.
Treasure Island looms as Silver and his men anchor their hope against the island’s defenses. They shelter inside a rugged stockade, where Israel Hands—now blind but once a deadly marksman—still stalks the fort. Israel’s presence tests Silver’s loyalties as Mendoza’s forces converge. The stockade is burned to the ground in the blaze of escape, and Israel’s offer to ally with Silver becomes a gamble with a price. Silver, ever calculating, accepts a temporary alliance that ensures passage to Cornwall, while vengeance against Jim remains a lingering motive for both sides.
Jim returns to the caves where the treasure is buried, pursued by Mendoza and his men. Israel attempts to kill Jim, but the resourceful boy leads him to the coast, where the vengeful pirate meets a fatal fall. Mendoza captures Jim, intending to use him as bait to lure Long John Silver into a final trap. Silver capitulates to Mendoza, but only to give his crew one last chance to strike back. A brutal battle ensues, and Mendoza’s forces are cut down, while the remaining ship’s crew is left marooned in the wake of the chaos.
With the island’s treasures secured and the last obstacle vanquished, Silver returns to Portobello as a wealthy man and dines with the Governor. The ending hints at a surprising pardon for his long history of crime, paid for with a generous donation to Government House that supposedly arms the harbor against pirates. Silver and Jim ride off into the sunset—two figures bound by a fragile truce, ready to face whatever the future holds—just as Purity Pinker looks on, her shotgun wedding dreams abandoned for the moment by the tides of fate.
Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 11:16
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
High-seas adventures where loyalties are tested and treasure is never easily won.If you enjoyed the high-stakes world of Long John Silver, you'll find more movies like it here. This collection features similar swashbuckling adventures filled with pirates, treasure hunts, and stories of loyalty and betrayal on the high seas.
These narratives typically follow charismatic but morally ambiguous characters on a quest for treasure or glory. The journey is perilous, punctuated by double-crosses, ambushes, and mutinous schemes, forcing characters to rely on wit and a fragile code of honor to survive.
Movies in this thread share a core vibe of high-energy adventure mixed with tense moral ambiguity. They feature fast-paced plots, high-stakes conflicts, and a world where fortune favors the cunning, creating a coherent experience for fans of classic pirate lore.
Stories where success comes at a personal cost, leaving future happiness uncertain.Viewers who liked the complex ending of Long John Silver will appreciate these movies. This list captures stories with similar fast-paced action and adventure that conclude on a note of mixed emotions, where success is shadowed by personal cost.
The narrative pattern involves a protagonist pursuing a clear objective—rescue, treasure, revenge—through a series of high-stakes challenges. The resolution sees them attain the objective but often lose something personally valuable, like a friendship or a dream, resulting in an ending that is victorious yet somber.
These films are grouped by their unique emotional blend of thrilling action and a poignant, ambiguous conclusion. They share a specific pacing and tone that balances high-intensity sequences with a final emotional pay-off that is more thoughtful than purely celebratory.
Don't stop at just watching — explore Long John Silver in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Long John Silver is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.
Track the full timeline of Long John Silver with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Long John Silver. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.
Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Long John Silver that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.
Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Long John Silver: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.
Discover movies like Long John Silver that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.
Long John Silver (1954) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline
Long John Silver (1954) Movie Characters, Themes & Settings
Long John Silver (1954) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow
Movies Like Long John Silver – Similar Titles You’ll Enjoy
Treasure Island (1950) Spoiler-Packed Plot Recap
Treasure Island (2002) Plot Summary & Ending Explained
Pirates of Treasure Island (2006) Film Overview & Timeline
Treasure Island (1990) Film Overview & Timeline
Treasure Island (1986) Full Movie Breakdown
Treasure Island (1987) Ending Explained & Film Insights
Treasure Island (1982) Full Summary & Key Details
Treasure Island (1989) Ending Explained & Film Insights
Blackbeard, the Pirate (1952) Spoiler-Packed Plot Recap
Return to Treasure Island (1954) Detailed Story Recap
Treasure Island (1971) Plot Summary & Ending Explained
Treasure Island (1973) Film Overview & Timeline
Treasure Island (1972) Movie Recap & Themes
Treasure Island (1934) Plot Summary & Ending Explained
Pirates of the Plain (1999) Film Overview & Timeline