Robert Louis Stevenson's oft-filmed tale was first made as a silent movie in 1917 and has been regularly remade since. This version by director Delbert Mann is the one that is most faithful to the book and it benefits from the witty performance of Michael Caine as charismatic outlaw Alan Breck, who stirs some otherwise rather stiff porridge into life. There are also strong turns from Trevor Howard as the Lord Advocate and Lawrence Douglas as the young David Balfour that keep the narrative moving along.

Scottish orphan David Balfour is betrayed by his wicked uncle Ebeneezer, who arranges for David to be kidnapped and sold into slavery so that he cannot claim his inheritance. The boy is rescued and befriended by Alan Breck, a Scottish rebel fighting on behalf of his country's independence from the British.