''Tillamook Treasure'', also known as ''The Legend of Tillamook's Gold'', is a 2006 American independent

family film A children's film, or family film, is a film genre that generally relates to children in the context of home and family. Children's films are made specifically for children and not necessarily for a general audience, while family films are made ...

directed by Jane Beaumont Hall. It is set in the city of

Manzanita, Oregon Manzanita is a coastal city in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. It is located on U.S. Route 101 about equidistant from Seaside to the north and Tillamook to the south. The population was 603 at the 2020 census. History The indigeno ...

. Based on a Native American legend about a treasure buried on

Neahkahnie Mountain Neahkahnie Mountain is a mountain, or headland, on the Oregon Coast, north of Manzanita, Oregon, Manzanita in Oswald West State Park overlooking U.S. Route 101, that has a pass elevation of approximately , which is the third highest point of the ...

by Spanish sailors in the 1590s, a 14-year-old girl discovers what is important in life.

Production and distribution

''Tillamook Treasure'' played the film festival circuit in 2006 and 2007, and was released theatrically in 2008 as ''The Legend of Tillamook's Gold''. The film opened in one theater in

Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 504,258 at the 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Arizona, third-most populous city in Arizona, after Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, T ...

on March 28, 2008 as a theatrical test by Maitland Primrose Group, publishers of '' Moving Pictures'' magazine, in conjunction with film festival producers Kids First! The film premiered in

Tillamook, Oregon The city of Tillamook ( ) serves as the county seat of Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on the southeast end of Tillamook Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The population was 5,231 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

in July 2007. The film was shot almost exclusively in Tillamook County.

Plot

Sixteenth century Spanish sailors beach their launch on the Manzanita beach. They carry a treasure chest up Neahkahnie Mountain, leading a manacled African slave. The treasure is buried and the slave is killed and laid on top of the ground to "guard" the treasure and frighten away the local Indians. Julie (Suzanne Marie Doyon), a lonely 14-year-old girl, and her family move from California to an Oregon seaside town as a last resort after her father loses his job. Her family has trouble adjusting to their new life and Julie is forgotten and ignored, as the family adjusts to living in uncle Jimmy's (

Brian Thompson Brian Thompson commonly refers to: * Brian Thompson (businessman) (1974–2024), UnitedHealthcare CEO killed in 2024 * Brian Thompson (actor) (born 1959), American screen actor It may also refer to: Sports * Brian Thompson (footballer, born 1938) ...

) seaside home. Julie has a dramatic mystical encounter with a

Roosevelt elk The Roosevelt elk (''Cervus canadensis roosevelti)'', also known commonly as the Olympic elk and Roosevelt's wapiti, is the largest of the four surviving subspecies of elk ('' Cervus canadensis'') in North America by body mass. Mature bulls we ...

on the beach. The elk's fur has black hand prints on its neck. Its hooves uncover an old Spanish gold coin in the sand. The elk becomes Julie's silent, watchful guide and protector as she becomes drawn to the legend of Tillamook's gold. She seeks the wisdom and guidance of her grandfather (

Max Gail Maxwell Trowbridge Gail Jr. (born April 5, 1943) is an American actor who has starred on stage, and in television and film roles. He is best known for his role as Detective Stan "Wojo" Wojciehowicz on the sitcom ''Barney Miller'' (1975–1982 ...

) and his good friend, Standing Elk (

Floyd Red Crow Westerman Floyd Westerman (August 17, 1936 – December 13, 2007) was a Sisseton Dakota musician, political activist, and actor. After establishing a career as a country music singer, later in his life he became an actor, usually depicting Native America ...

). The men tell Julie the legend of the Spanish treasure and also of an elk, saved from drowning by the slave who, before his death, had grasped the exhausted animal as it swam near the Spanish launch. Julie is confused because 400 years later, she is convinced that "her elk" is the same elk. Julie's desire to solve the treasure mystery becomes a passion that leads to further mystery and self-discovery. When she experiences visions of Indians, she is frightened. When she tells Grandpa and Standing Elk, the elders realize that she is having a magical experience. Grandpa and Standing Elk suspect that Julie has been chosen to find the treasure and to release the spirit of the slave. They watch and guide her on her quest.

Cast

Julia Campbell Julia Campbell (March 12, 1963) is an American actress. She began her career starring in the daytime television soap operas ''Ryan's Hope'' and '' Santa Barbara'', before playing the lead in the short-lived sitcom ''Women in Prison'' (1987–1988 ...

as Kathryn Kimbell * Janine Doyon as Susan Kimbell * Richard A. Doyon as Clyde Savage * Suzanne Marie Doyon as Julie Kimbell *

as Grandpa Jack Kimbell * Escher Holloway as Eddy * Phillip Huber as Puppeteer * Jan Michael Looking Wolf Reibach as Looking Wolf *

Brian McNamara Brian McNamara (born November 21, 1960, in Long Island, New York, USA) is an American actor. His first major role was in the film ''The Flamingo Kid'' (1984). He then went on to appear in a few films, such as ''Short Circuit'' (1986), ''Caddysh ...

as Robert Kimbell * Zale Parry as Hardware Store Owner *

Mary Stein Mary Stein (born June 17, 1958) is an American actress. Early life Stein was born in Marquette, Michigan on June 17, 1958 and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She began her acting career performing in plays. She graduated from Franklin High Scho ...

as Billie Stahl *

Bradley Stryker Bradley Stryker (born June 29, 1977) is an American actor who portrayed Trey Atwood in the series '' The O.C.'' on Fox. He has a lead role in the feature film, '' Tillamook Treasure'' (2006), playing Tom, the sidekick of logger Jimmy Kimbell. ...

as Tom *

as Jimmy Kimbell *

as Standing Elk

Awards

*2006 Achievement Award for Best Family Feature,

Newport Beach Film Festival The Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) is an annual film festival in Newport Beach, California, typically held in late April. In 2022, it was announced that the festival had permanently changed its date to be held in October, as the festival bega ...

*2006 Festival Prize for Best Family Film at the Toronto Fantasy Worldwide Film Festival *2007 Golden Reel Award for Best Children's Film at the Tiburon International Film Festival *2007 Best Indie Feature Age 5-12, Kids First! Film Festival

References

External links

The Legend of Tillamook's Gold
(official website) * {{IMDb title, 0462571, The Tillamook Treasure 2000s American films 2000s coming-of-age drama films 2000s English-language films 2006 drama films 2006 films 2006 independent films American coming-of-age drama films American independent films English-language independent films Films about animals Films about families Films set in jungles Films set in Oregon Films set on beaches Films shot in Oregon Tillamook County, Oregon