Swiss Family Movie Sites Revisited - a revisit 60 years later, of filming locations used by Walt Disney in the movie

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Screenshot from Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson where the Robinson family escape from the shipwreck on a makeshift tub raft. This scene was filmed at Quashie Bay, now Shipwreck Bay, Belle Garden, Tobago 1959.

I cut the cable and pushed off (page 25)
Illustration by Victor Cooley in the Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd. edition of the classic novel - Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss.

The 1960 Disney movie Swiss Family Robinson was filmed entirely in Tobago from August 1959 to January 1960.

Tobago in a classic novel!

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1960s Swiss Family Robinson Coloring Book.

Quashie Bay, Belle Garden, Tobago (renamed Shipwreck Bay after filming) was the filming location for the shipwreck and the tub raft scenes.

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In 1959, Richmond Bay, Tobago was the most used beach filming location for Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson. The Robinson fort was built on the headland in the background.

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Walt Disney’s 1960 movie - Swiss Family Robinson (Rereleased- 1976).
British Quad Movie Poster (30" x 40").

The shipwreck and tub raft scenes (left and center illustrations in poster) were filmed at Quashie Bay, Belle Garden, Tobago (renamed Shipwreck Bay after filming).

The pirate attack on the family fort (right illustrations in poster) was filmed at Richmond Bay, Tobago.

The treehouse (top right illustration in poster) was built on a Samaan tree in Goldsborough, Tobago. The tree is still there … now, well over 200 years old!

Filming of Swiss Family Robinson commenced in August 1959 and was completed in January 1960.

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1960 Disney movie - Swiss Family Robinson.

Fritz (James MacArthur) and Ernst (Tommy Kirk) movie screenshot inserted in the present day film location - Shipwreck Bay, Belle Garden, Tobago.

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Walt Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson note card from Kevin Kidney, Disney Creator and Art Director.

The card was printed in Anaheim, California by Old Colony Press using an antique letter press and authentic SFR printing block. It's a handmade work of art in itself.

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La Cuidadela de los Robinson - Spanish movie release of Swiss Family Robinson

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A CIDADELA DOS ROBINSON - The Citadel of the Robinsons

Composite photo
The shipwreck was built at Belle Garden Bay and the Robinsons landing was filmed at Richmond Bay, Tobago

After filming was completed in January 1960, the tub raft prop movie was abandoned on Richmond beach. A resident of the area salvaged one of the fiberglass coated wine barrel halves. Today, the prop is proudly displayed at the home of his nephew in Glamorgan, Tobago.

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The Consulate General of Trinidad and Tobago , André Laveau, visited Connecticut yesterday and was presented with a copy of The Disney Film Heritage of Tobago by Jazad N. Ali & Clement G. Williams.

Thank you Francis Cowie-Rowley for ‘bigging up ’

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Walt Disney’s Story of Swiss Family Robinson - 33 1/3 LP Record Narrated by Kevin ‘Moochie’ Corcoran.

Behind the scenes photo of Swiss Family Robinson. Kevin Corcoran enjoying a wheelbarrow ride to the movie set at Richmond Bay. He was just 10 years old when he played Young Francis in Swiss Family Robinson. He played Tommy Kirk’s brother in 5 different movies - Old Yeller (1957), Shaggy Dog (1959), Swiss Family Robinson (1960), Bon Voyage (1962) and Savage Sam (1963).

Kevin Corcoran (Moochie) autograph October 1959 - signed during a weekend trip to Buccoo Reef, Tobago with some of the Swiss Family Robinson cast and crew. Autograph courtesy Daniel Slo-Joe Archer.

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Recent acquisition …

THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON

THEIR LIFE AND ADVENTURES ON A DESERT ISLAND

Illustrated

Publisher - W. & R. CHAMBERS, LIMITED LONDON AND EDINBURGH

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Walt Disney Productions rented the Blue Haven Hotel and cottages, Bacolet Bay, Tobago for 6 months during the filming of Swiss Family Robinson in Tobago from August 1959 to January 1960

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Swiss Family Robinson - Illustrations by T.H. Robinson. Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press.

Swiss Family Robinson Film location for the shipwreck Sparrow. Quashie Bay, Belle Garden, Tobago . After filming of the movie in 1959, the bay was renamed Shipwreck Bay!

THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON movie was filmed entirely in Tobago from August 1959 to January 1960 (except for the opening scenes with the ship caught in a storm - this was done using a model ship which was done in a studio in the U.K.).

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An emotional review of the book The Disney Film Heritage of Tobago - Swiss Family Robinson.
Review by Zita Devis. U.K. - Wife of James Devis - Focus Puller, Second Filming Unit, Swiss Family Robinson movie set Tobago - August 1959 to January 1960.

Sadly, Jim Devis passed away soon after the publication of the Second Edition of the book.

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Swiss Family Robinson - Illustrations by T.H. Robinson. Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press.

Tommy Kirk (Ernst) lassoes the giant sea turtle to pull the raft and flotilla of animals (rescued from the shipwreck) ashore.

Boat Bay, Belle Garden was the film location for the rescue of animals from the shipwreck Swallow.

SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON was filmed entirely in Tobago from August 1959 to January 1960.

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Tobago tee shirt … check out ‘O’ - The original set of SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON

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A friend saw this Tobago tee shirt online and sent me the link … I couldn’t agree more about the ‘O’ in TOBAGO - The original set of the 1960 movie SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON …

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Swiss Family Robinson Book Edition - William Clowes and Sons, Limited
London and Beccles.

Walt Disney Swiss Family Robinson FAMILY FILM COLLECTION VHS Front Cover

Disney even got the wardrobe colors matching with the vintage book illustrations!

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Looking down Richmond Bay - the filming location where the Robinsons landed on the desert island.

NOTE: The filming of the tub raft scenes in the deep water and around the treacherous rocks were done at Quashie Bay (renamed Shipwreck Bay after filming) in Belle Garden.

Walt Disney Swiss Family Robinson FAMILY FILM COLLECTION VHS BACK COVER

After filming was completed the tub raft was left on the beach — a local salvaged one of the fiberglass coated tubs. It’s in his collection of movie memorabilia at his home in Tobago.

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Disney pin featuring the treehouse - countdown to the Swiss Family Robinson Movie on December 10, 1960.

Movie storyboard illustrating the Christmas dance scene, and at bottom right the 200 year old tree today at Goldsborough, Tobago.