I Watch Films: Robinson Crusoe (BBC Play Of The Month, 1974)
Robinson Crusoe (Play Of The Month 1974) Robinson Crusoe (Stanley Baker), cast away on a remote island, has been living alone and made himself relatively comfortable. As the play opens he sees a footprint. A man (Ram Jan Holder) is fleeing others. Crusoe rescues him using his musket, and takes him in, naming him Friday as that is the day they met. He attempts to teach Friday European ways, some fairly reasonable (no to cannibalism) others more complicated (Christianity). Friday good naturedly accepts this teaching, along with his position as servant, though he has a variety of awkward questions. Eventually a ship arrives and Crusoe is rescued; he discovers he has got the days wrong somewhere. This one hour play cuts short the mechanics of Crusoe’s survival, concentrating on his relationship with Friday. Despite being on a distant island he attempts to recreate the society he comes from, trying to teach Friday to be a good Christian. Or maybe not despite; this is the onl...
