Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N.

Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N.

Year: 1966

Runtime: 113 mins

Language: English

Director: Byron Paul

AdventureFamilyComedy

After his aircraft suffers engine failure, Navy pilot Lt. Robin Crusoe is forced to parachute to a tropical, uninhabited island. He builds a shelter, learns to survive, and enjoys the island’s natural beauty. Trouble begins when a local girl, banished there by her father, arrives, and the vengeful patriarch soon tracks Crusoe to the island.

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Timeline & Setting – Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. (1966)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. (1966). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1960s

The story unfolds in a mid-20th-century setting, blending naval missions with postwar relics and space-age references. Modern elements like a NASA chimp and military hardware coexist with ancient island rituals. The era gives a backdrop of Cold War optimism and technological curiosity versus wilderness survival. The exact year isn’t specified, but the tone aligns with the 1960s.

Location

Uninhabited island, Pacific Ocean

A remote tropical island serves as Crusoe's shelter and workshop for survival. Its lush landscapes conceal wreckage from World War II and the mysterious rituals of a native culture. The island's isolation creates a constant tension between improvisation and the looming confrontation with local traditions.

🏝️ Isolated Island 🌊 Ocean Setting 🗺️ Adventure Locale

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:20

Main Characters – Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. (1966)

Meet the key characters of Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. (1966), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Lt. Robin Crusoe (Dick Van Dyke)

A skilled Naval Aviator who crashes on the island and must adapt to survival life. He demonstrates leadership, wit, and stubborn resourcefulness as he builds shelter, crafts gear, and forges a tenuous alliance with Floyd. His humor helps defuse danger, even as he renegotiates his relationships with the island's inhabitants.

🧰 Resourceful 🌊 Survivalist

Wednesday (Nancy Kwan)

An intelligent island girl who meets Crusoe and embodies the island’s dual pull between tradition and modern longing. She resists an arranged marriage while offering loyalty and curiosity to Crusoe. Her presence deepens the island's social tensions and romantic subplots.

💃 Independent 🗺️ Curious 🧭 Culture

Tanamashu (Akim Tamiroff)

The island's chieftain and patriarch who enforces ritual authority and fears losing control over tradition. His plan to sacrifice women to the Kaboona statue reveals a ruthless streak guarding ancestral power. His eventual clash with Crusoe triggers a fragile peace built on negotiation rather than conquest.

👑 Leader 🗿 Ritualist

Floyd the NASA chimpanzee

Crusoe's unlikely companion who brings a slice of space-age science to a tropical survival tale. Floyd helps with tasks, learns from Crusoe, and symbolizes how modern knowledge can intersect with wilderness life. The chimp's presence adds humor and a practical assistive role to survival efforts.

🎯 Helpful 🧠 Smart

Umbrella Man (Arthur Malet)

A quirky, enigmatic figure who punctuates the island's oddities and adds a touch of whimsy to Crusoe's misadventures. His presence hints at the unpredictable mix of characters a castaway might encounter. He contributes to the film's lighter, comedic tone.

☔️ Quirky 🗺️ Eccentric

Captain (Tyler McVey)

The captain associated with Crusoe's naval mission, whose authority and actions anchor the return to civilization. His role underscores the pull between wilderness survival and the pull of the aircraft carrier. He also represents the broader military world beyond the island.

⚓ Captain 🧭 Leader

Co-Pilot (Peter Duryea)

Crusoe's companion in the air during the mission who shares the ordeal of the ejection and survival. He embodies teamwork, loyalty, and the practical problems of piloting and survival in hostile environments.

✈️ Aviator 🤝 Teamwork

Native Girl (Nancy Hsueh)

Another member of the island's native presence who contributes to the island's cultural fabric. She interacts with Crusoe and Wednesday, helping shape the island's social dynamics.

🌺 Islander

Native Girl (Bebe Louie)

A second native girl who shares the island's community and rituals, adding depth to the portrayal of island life and tradition.

🌴 Local

Crew Chief (John Dennis)

A Navy crew member who anchors the shipboard world back home and witnesses Crusoe's island misadventures from a distance. His perspective highlights the contrast between mission discipline and survival improvisation.

🛰️ Navy 🛡️ Observer

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:20

Major Themes – Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. (1966)

Explore the central themes of Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. (1966), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧭 Survival & Ingenuity

Crusoe must improvise with scarce resources after being stranded. He repurposes a WWII submarine's gear to build shelter, craft clothing, and create new social routines, turning the island into a functional frontier. His resourcefulness, aided by Floyd, shows how human wit can outpace isolation. The theme highlights resilience when civilization is stripped away.

🗿 Culture & Ritual

The arrival of Wednesday and the island's chieftain Tanamashu exposes a clash between tradition and outsider influence. The plan to sacrifice Wednesday and her sisters to the Kaboona statue reveals the power of myth and ritual. Crusoe's interference disrupts the ritual order, culminating in a fragile peace and shifting loyalties on the island.

🛠️ Technology vs Myth

Modern tools and science intrude on an isolated world: a submarine's blueprints, a NASA chimp, and a mail system transform daily life. The clash between technology and island myth drives key confrontations, including the destruction of the Kaboona statue. The narrative suggests that invention can either empower or destabilize belief.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:20

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Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. Summary

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Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. Summary

Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. Timeline

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Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. Timeline

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Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. (1966) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

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