Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.

Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. (1966) starring Dick Van Dyke, Nancy Kwan, Akim Tamiroff

Synopsis of Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.

 Lt. Robin Crusoe is a navy pilot who bails out of his plane after engine trouble. He reaches a deserted island paradise where he builds a house, finds an abandoned submarine with lots of gadgets that he can use, and also finds a marooned chimp from the US Space program and a native girl named Wednesday who was exiled by her father. Wednesday thinks Crusoe wants to marry her, and when her father arrives on the island to collect her and Crusoe refused to marry her, chaos ensues.

Product Description of Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.

Escape to an island full of castaway comedy as Disney favorite Dick Van Dyke and Nancy Kwan star in this hilarious South Pacific adventure. Lt. Robin Crusoe (Van Dyke) is an all-thumbs Navy pilot who ditches his plane after engine trouble. He survives a riotous raft ride only to find himself marooned on a lush tropical island with a poker-playing chimp, a gadget-rich abandoned sub, and Wednesday (Kwan) — a wild but beautiful native girl in exile for disobeying her overprotective father. You won’t stop laughing as all the natives get restless in this paradise of clowning and chaos — on DVD for the first time!|This is the only movie for which Walt Disney received a story credit (as Retlaw Yensid — Walter Disney spelled backward).

Editorial review of Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N., courtesy of Amazon.com

Shortly after Dick Van Dyke played Bert in Mary Poppins, he starred as Lt. Robin Crusoe in this lesser-known 1966 comedy, splendidly showcasing his myriad comedic talents in a South seas setting. Families who remember Van Dyke’s riotous romp as Navy-pilot-turned-island-native will appreciate this digital release of the original film. The laughs begin from the moment Crusoe is marooned at sea on a military-issue rubber raft and fights off a shark while reading a step-by-step survival guide. By the time he washes ashore on the island, discovers the wonders of bamboo, and stumbles upon a poker-playing astro-Chimp, audiences are given over to the gigglefest.

Nancy Kwan, as Wednesday, adds to the merriment as the island’s other castaway who plays a humorous game of charades with Crusoe before revealing her status as an exile, having escaped her overprotective father. With the battle cry, “Women have rights too,” Crusoe and Wednesday prepare for the inevitable patriarchal showdown, a madcap misadventure. While special features are sorely lacking–such as an interview with Van Dyke–this decent family flick remains a rich Disney relic. (Ages 4 and older) –Lynn Gibson

Cast of characters

• Dick Van Dyke (The Comic, Dick Van Dyke Show: Complete First Season) … Lt. Robin Crusoe
• Nancy Kwan (The World of Susie Wong) … Wednesday
• Akim Tamiroff (Black Magic, Anastasia) … Tanamashu
• Arthur Malet (Mary Poppins, The Secret of NIMH) … Umbrella Man
• Tyler McVey (Night of the Blood Beast, Attack of the Giant Leeches) … Captain
• Peter Renaday (Million Dollar Duck) … Pilot
• Peter Duryea … Co-Pilot
• John Dennis … Crew Chief
• Nancy Hsueh … Native Girl
• Victoria Young … Native Girl
• Yvonne Ribuca … Native Girl
• Bebe Louie … Native Girl
• Lucia Valero … Native Girl