Billy Bones

Billy Bonesis afictionalcharacterappearing in the first section ofRobert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novelTreasure Island.

Billy Bones
Treasure Islandcharacter
Illustration byN. C. Wyethfor 1911 edition.
First appearance	Treasure Island 1883
Created by	Robert Louis Stevenson
Portrayed by	Herschell Mayall(1918) Lionel Barrymore(1934) Finlay Currie(1950) Dante Maggio(1966) Lionel Stander(1972) Jack Watson(1977) Leonid Markov(1982) Martin Landau(1986) Ernest Borgnine(1987) Oliver Reed(1990) Michael Elphick(1995) Billy Connolly(1996) Patrick Bergin(1999) Justin Jones (2006) Tom Hopper(2014–2017)
Voiced by	Ryo Kurosawa (1978) Takeshi Aono(1987) Viktor Andriyenko (1988) Patrick McGoohan(2002)
In-universe information
Nickname	Bill
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Occupation	Pirate
Nationality	English

Among other things, he is notable for singing the "Dead Man's Chest"sea song.

In the novel

Billy Bones appears at the very outset of the story with a mysterious sea chest, looking for a waysideinnwith a view of the sea. Bones decides upon theAdmiral Benbow Innwhere he asks to be addressed merely as "Captain". Though his down-payment for lodgings is adequate, even generous, he stays for many months and browbeatsJim Hawkins' father out of asking for more money even when his deposit has been spent. He does, however, pay Jimfourpencea month to keep watch for "a seafaring man with one leg".Though he seems sometimes on the verge of deciding this was a waste of money, he invariably relents. Most of the daytime is spent walking the cliffs and looking out to sea.

A heavily addicted alcoholic, the Captain terrorizes the customers of the Benbow with his swearing, singing and general bullying. Yet he begins to attract customers by his very notoriety, and earns some admiration from locals who consider him a "real old salt". The winter after his arrival, the Captain is visited byBlack Dog,a villainous-looking man with two fingers missing from his hand. There is a noisy argument between the two, which turns into a lively sword fight and the Captain drives off a wounded Black Dog. As soon as the unwelcome visitor is gone, the Captain suffers astroke.He is tended to byDr. Livesey,who discovers the real name of the Captain to be Billy Bones when his arm is bared as a prelude to a surgicalbloodlettingand the name is found tattooed there.

The doctor saves Bones' life and tells him to lay off the alcohol, but Bones is unable to heed Livesey's warning. He is plainly weakened by his stroke and the shock of Black Dog's visit, and at one point Hawkins even hears him sing a country love song, a gentle relic of his innocent days as a youth. He admits to Jim Hawkins that he sailed withCaptain Flint,the notorious pirate, and was first mate on his ship. This explains much of the mysterious circumstances and solitary behavior of the early part of the story.

A few days later, ablindpirate known only asPewreaches the inn, and Bones is plainly terrified. Pew slips aBlack Spotinto Bones' hand and departs. Immediately, Bones suffers a second stroke and dies. The pirates come nonetheless and ransack the inn. The attackers fail to find the map, as it is now in Hawkins' possession, but they destroy the inn, ruining the Hawkins' livelihood. This prompts Hawkins and his companions to embark on a search for the treasure.

Fictional biography

Bones'account book,read byJim HawkinsandDr. Livesey,says that Bones was apiratefor nearly 20 years.

According to the map notes of Treasure Island,Captain Flinthid his treasure in August 1750 and Bones received the Map in July 1754 while Flint was dying.

According toLong John Silver's conversation with Dick Johnson,Blind Pewspent his share of treasure in one year and that for two years until his accidental death under the Revenue Officer's horse, he was starving and murdering—thus a tentative date for Treasure Island is 1756–1757.

Other media

• Herschell Mayallplays Captain Bill Bones in the prologue to the1918 silent filmTreasure Island.
• He is portrayed byLionel Barrymorein the1934 film adaptation ofTreasure Island.
• In the 1967Lost in Spaceepisode "Treasure of the Lost Planet" (season 2, episode 23), which contains many in-joke allusions toTreasure Island,a gang of inept spacefaring pirates arrive on the planet where theSpace Family Robinsonare stranded, and declare that they are searching for "Beelibones' treasure."
• In the 1971 anime filmAnimal Treasure Island(Dōbutsu Takarajima), Billy Bones is portrayed as a one-legged,anthropomorphiccat on the run from the ruling council of Pirate Island because of his possession of Flint's map. He is later killed (off-screen) by a band of pirate assassins in the "Admiral Bembo Inn" soon after entrusting the map to Jim, the film's protagonist.
• Lionel Standerplays the character inTreasure Island(1972).
• Billy Bones is mentioned in the 1974 song "The Tomahawk Kid" byThe Sensational Alex Harvey Bandfor their albumThe Impossible Dream.
• He is the subject of the song "Billy Bones and the White Bird" (written byBernie Taupin) onElton John's 1975Rock of the Westiesalbum.
• The character is portrayed byLeonid Markovin the1982 Soviet filmTreasure Island(Oстpoв сoкpoвищ).
• InTreasure Island(1986),the character is simply known as "Old Captain" and is played byMartin Landau.
• Viktor Andriyenko voices the character in the Soviet animated filmTreasure Island(1988).
• Oliver Reedplays the character inTreasure Island(1990).
• Billy Bones is portrayed byBilly ConnollyinMuppet Treasure Island(1996).
• Patrick Berginplays the character inTreasure Island(1999)
• Billy Bones appears briefly in Disney's animated filmTreasure Planet(2002), voiced byPatrick McGoohanin his final role, and portrayed as atortoise/salamander-like alien.A fatally wounded pilot, he crash-lands his ship near Jim's home while fleeing from pirates. He gives Jim a map and tells him to "beware the cyborg" (i.e.,Long John Silver) before succumbing to his injuries.
• Billy Bones is mentioned in the 2003 song "Time For Heroes"bythe Libertines.
• Billy Bones is portrayed byTom Hopperin theStarzoriginal seriesBlack Sails(2014–2017). In the episode "VI.",Billy's full name is revealed as William" Bones "Manderly. The episode"XVI."revealed that he was the son of anti-impressmentactivists inKensington,and was himself press-ganged while handing out pamphlets on the subject. He was essentially enslaved for three years untilCaptain Flintfreed him, at which point Billy killed his former captor and chose to remain a pirate because he felt he couldn't go home and face his family after doing so.
• Other actors who have portrayed Billy Bones includeErnest Borgnine,Michael Elphick(1995),Finlay Currie,Dante Maggio,Jack Watson,Ryo Kurosawa,Takeshi Aono,and Justin Jones (2006).