''Treasure of Matecumbe'' is a 1976 American

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by

Vincent McEveety Vincent Michael McEveety (August 10, 1929 – May 19, 2018) was an American film and television director and producer. Career Vince McEveety directed numerous Emmy Award-winning television series, including ''The Untouchables'', '' Gunsmoke ...

and produced by

Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...

. It was based on the novel ''A Journey to Matecumbe'' by

Robert Lewis Taylor Robert Lewis Taylor (September 24, 1912 – September 30, 1998) was an American writer and winner of the 1959 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Education Born in Carbondale, Illinois, Taylor attended Southern Illinois University for one year. The un ...

. The filming locations were in Danville, Kentucky,

Sacramento River The Sacramento River ( es, Río Sacramento) is the principal river of Northern California in the United States and is the largest river in California. Rising in the Klamath Mountains, the river flows south for before reaching the Sacramento� ...

Colusa, California Colusa is a city and county seat of Colusa County, California, located in the Sacramento Valley region of the Central Valley. The population was 5,971 at the 2010 census, up from 5,402 at the 2000 census. Colusi originates from the local Coru N ...

and Walt Disney Productions'

Golden Oak Ranch Golden Oak Ranch is an 890-acre (360 ha) movie ranch owned by the Walt Disney Studios subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company that serves as a filming location and backlot. The ranch is off of Placerita Canyon Road outside of Newhall, Santa ...

in California. The final scene at a beached shipwreck was filmed at Walt Disney World's Discovery Island.

Plot

In post-

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

, ex-slave Ben (

Robert DoQui Robert DoQui (April 20, 1934 – February 9, 2008) was an American actor who starred in film and on television. He is best known for his roles as King George in the 1973 film ''Coffy'', starring Pam Grier; as Wade in Robert Altman's 1975 fi ...

) arrives at Grassy, the decaying plantation where young Davie Burnie (

Johnny Doran Johnny Doran (1908 – 19 January 1950)Sleeve notes compiled by Jackie Small and published with ''The Bunch of Keys'' audio tape, Comhairle Bhéaloideas Éireann (CBÉ 001), 1988 was an Irish uilleann piper. Life and family Johnny Doran was bo ...

), his aunts Effie (

Jane Wyatt Jane Waddington Wyatt ( ; August 12, 1910 – October 20, 2006) was an American actress. She starred in a number of Hollywood films, such as Frank Capra's ''Lost Horizon'', but is likely best known for her role as the housewife and mother Marga ...

) and Lou (Virginia Vincent), and young ex-slave Thad (Billy Atmore) live. Ben reveals that Davie's father hid a treasure map in a book in the home. That night, Northern carpetbagger Captain Spangler (

Vic Morrow Victor Morrow (born Victor Morozoff; February 14, 1929 – July 23, 1982) was an American actor. He came to prominence as one of the leads of the ABC drama series '' Combat!'' (1962–1967), which earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstand ...

) and his men attack the plantation, but Effie helps the boys escape. Ben rips the map from the book and gives it to the boys before being shot and killed by Spangler. The boys book cheap passage on a steamboat headed down the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

. They find stowaway Lauriette Paxton (

Joan Hackett Joan Ann Hackett (March 1, 1934 – October 8, 1983) was an American actress of film, stage, and television. She starred in the 1967 western ''Will Penny''. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and won the Golde ...

), a "runaway bride". She cheats a gambler (

Dick Van Patten Richard Vincent Van Patten (December 9, 1928 – June 23, 2015) was an American actor, comedian, businessman, and animal welfare advocate, whose career spanned seven decades of television. He was best known for his role as patriarch Tom Brad ...

) out of $400 and a ring. One night, a thief steals Davie's wallet (which has his money and map). When Lauriette tries to stop him, he pushes her overboard. The boys jump into the river and save her. Lauriette trades her ring for a mule and cart and the trio make it to the next town. Lauriette turns the boys in as runaways, but they escape. Spangler hears of the jail break, and is back on the boys' trail. Davie and Thad meet

snake oil Snake oil is a term used to describe deceptive marketing, health care fraud, or a scam. Similarly, "snake oil salesman" is a common expression used to describe someone who sells, promotes, or is a general proponent of some valueless or fraud ...

salesman Dr. Ewing Snodgrass ( Peter Ustinov), and join his show. In the next town, Lauriette sees the show. Spangler and his men also see the boys on stage, and Davie flees. Just as Spangler is about to push Davie over a cliff, Lauriette intervenes and drives him off with a gun. Lauriette and Dr. Snodgrass now realize that the boys' tale of a treasure map is true. Based on Davie's description of the map, Snodgrass embroiders a rough copy of the map onto a handkerchief. Davie suggests they seek out his Uncle Jim ( Robert Foxworth), whose home is downriver at a place called Friar's Point. Using Snodgrass' boat, they arrive at Jim's home just as he is about to be lynched by the Ku Klux Klan for, or so their leader claims, interfering in the Klan's business. Taking one of the Klansmen's rifles, Davie shoots down the noose, while Thad and Dr. Snodgrass lob

Molotov cocktail A Molotov cocktail (among several other names – ''see other names'') is a hand thrown incendiary weapon constructed from a frangible container filled with flammable substances equipped with a fuse (typically a glass bottle filled with fla ...

s at the Klan, which drives them off. They continue downriver, and stop for the night with some rivermen. Lauriette's dancing proves too provocative for the rough men, and Jim rescues her from their advances. At the next landing, they are suddenly attacked by Spangler and his men, who have caught up to them aboard a small steamboat. Fleeing into the woods, Jim leads Spangler and his men off and is seemingly killed by Spangler's lieutenant, Catrell (

Mills Watson Mills Watson (born William Oscar Watson on July 10, 1940)shockcinemamagazine.com Issue No. 5cover/ref> is an American actor who is probably best known for his comedic portrayal of the law enforcement character Deputy Perkins, first on ''B. J. and ...

). Meanwhile, Snodgrass, Davie, Thad, and Lauriette double back and steal the steamboat, blowing up Snodgrass' keelboat to prevent pursuit. In New Orleans, the foursome boards a train headed for Florida, but are spotted by Spangler's men. Reaching

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

, the group hires a local guide, Cooter Skaggs ( Don Knight) to get them through the

Everglades The Everglades is a natural region of tropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissim ...

to Matecumbe. Skaggs betrays them and takes them to Spangler. Dr. Snodgrass turns his embroidered copy of the treasure map over to Spangler to save Davie's life. Spangler and his men abandon the group in the swamp and head for Matecumbe. Hours later, Davie and the others are surprised to see Uncle Jim arrive in a boat, guided by his

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

friend, Charlie ( Valentin de Vargas). The group uses Charlie's boat to head for the island and the treasure site even though Charlie says it is located in the territory of the dangerous "Cougar" tribe of Native Americans. The group finds the buried treasure just as a hurricane hits. Snodgrass is swept out to sea by a giant wave. The others stumble into a Cougar burial ground, and take refuge in a chief's tomb. After the hurricane passes, the group finds and digs up the treasure. Davie and his friends are spotted by Spangler and his men, and flee. Davie and Thad lead Spangler into the burial ground just as a large number of Cougars arrive. Spangler and his men desecrate several graves and structures as they chase Davie and Thad. Stopping when they see the treasure chest, Spangler and his men are caught by the Cougars. The Native Americans, uninterested in the chest, take the villains off to be made into "squaws"---slaves for the rest of their lives. Davie and his friends take the treasure and head back to the beach, where they find Dr. Snodgrass injured but alive. Jim and Lauriette, now in love, agree to move to Grassy with Davie and Thad, and Davie invites Dr. Snodgrass to come live with them.

Cast

as Davie * Billy Attmore as Thad * Robert Foxworth as Uncle Jim *

as Lauriette Paxton * Peter Ustinov as Dr. Ewing T. Snodgrass *

as Captain Spangler *

as Aunt Effie *

Virginia Vincent Virginia Vincent (May 3, 1918 – October 3, 2013) was an American film, television and theatre actress. She was known for playing the role of "Jennie Blake" in the 1958 film ''The Return of Dracula''. Vincent died in October 2013, at the ...

as Aunt Lou *

as Ben *

as Catrell * Don Knight as Cooter Skaggs *

Dub Taylor Walter Clarence "Dub" Taylor Jr. (February 26, 1907 – October 3, 1994),Dub Taylor, 87, Actor in Westerns, The New York Times, October 5, 1994, Section B, Page 12 was an American character actor who from the 1940s into the 1990s worked extens ...

as Sheriff Forbes *

as The Gambler *

George Lindsey George Smith Lindsey (December 17, 1928 – May 6, 2012) was an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his role as Goober Pyle on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and his subsequent tenure on '' Hee-Haw''. Life and ...

as Coahoma Sheriff *

John Myhers John Benjamin Myhers (December 18, 1921 – May 27, 1992) was an American stage and screen actor. His film roles included playing Mr. Bratt in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' (1967 ...

as Captain Boomer * Logan Ramsey as Coley * Valentin de Vargas as Charlie * Jonathan Daly as Paxton Farrow * Warde Donovan as Sheriff Coffey * James Brodhead as Groom *

John Steadman John Steadman (February 14, 1927 – January 1, 2001) was an American sportswriter for ''The Baltimore Sun''. His career spanned seven decades and he attended and reported on every Super Bowl from its inception until his death. Background Stead ...

as Guide *

Rex Holman Rexford George Holman (born 1935) is an American film and television actor. Holman was born in Oklahoma. He began his screen career in 1959, appearing in the anthology television series '' The Millionaire''. In 1960 he made his film debut in ' ...

as Informant *

Clint Ritchie Clinton Charles Augustus Ritchie (August 9, 1938 – January 31, 2009) was an American actor. Early life Ritchie was born on a farm near Grafton, North Dakota, to J. C. and Charlotte Ritchie, and his family moved to Washington state when he ...

as Flatboat Leader *

Ken Renard Ken Renard (1905-1993) was an actor in the United States. He had roles in '' Strange Fruit'' on stage in 1945, the film '' True Grit'' (1969) and the television series ''Robert Montgomery Presents'' (1950–1957). He was born on November 19, 1905 ...

as Customer *

Brion James Brion Howard James (February 20, 1945 – August 7, 1999) was an American character actor. He portrayed Leon Kowalski in ''Blade Runner'' and appeared in ''Southern Comfort'', ''48 Hrs.'', '' Another 48 Hrs.'', '' Silverado'', '' Tango & Cash'', ...

as Roustabout * John Hayes as Mule Driver * John C. Flinn III as Spangler's Men * Louie Elias as Spangler's Men * Richard Wright as Spangler's Men * David S. Cass Sr. as Spangler's Men

Reception

Blogger Dean L. Jones wrote of the film, "An adventure saga influenced by elements from the fiction of

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

, Mark Twain, and others—then illustrates those elements through the nostalgic and memorable prism of the

house style—''Treasure of Matecumbe'' is as wonderful a depiction of... whimsy and imagination. �� Treasure of Matecumbe includes murder, mystery and an exciting journey in the search of the treasure of Matecumbe ey" Upon its release in 1976, ''The Treasure of Matacumbe'' premiered throughout the U.S. and was a moderate success. As of 2020, the motion picture has been available on Disney+.

References

External links

* * * * {{Vincent McEveety 1976 films American adventure films 1970s adventure films American Western (genre) films 1976 Western (genre) films Walt Disney Pictures films Films directed by Vincent McEveety Danville, Kentucky Films shot in Kentucky Films shot in Florida Films shot in California Films set in the 1860s Films based on American novels Films scored by Buddy Baker (composer) Treasure hunt films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films