The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938)

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

Mark Twain (novel)
John V.A. Weaver (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 February 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Adventure

Tagline:

Everybody knows him! Everybody loves him! He's everybody's favorite boy! Mark Twain's most beloved story

Plot:

Misadventures of a mischievous boy in 1850 Missouri.

Plot Keywords:

Missouri | Cave | Island | Murder | Graveyard

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

May Robson	...	Aunt Polly
Walter Brennan	...	Muff Potter
Victor Jory	...	Injun Joe
David Holt	...	Sid Sawyer
Victor Kilian	...	Sheriff
Nana Bryant	...	Mrs. Thatcher
Olin Howland	...	Mr. Dobbins - Schoolmaster
Donald Meek	...	Sunday School Superintendent
Charles Richman	...	Judge Thatcher
Margaret Hamilton	...	Mrs. Harper
Marcia Mae Jones	...	Mary Sawyer
Mickey Rentschler	...	Joe Harper
Cora Sue Collins	...	Amy Lawrence
Philip Hurlic	...	Little Jim
Ann Gillis	...	Becky Thatcher

Runtime:

Spain:77 min | USA:91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:K-12 (1951) | Finland:S (1938) | USA:Approved (certificate #3745)

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Company:

Selznick International Pictures

Trivia:

Spring Byington (Widow Douglas) in studio records/casting call lists, but did not appear or was not identifiable in the movie.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Soundtrack:

Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean

Colorful and quick

This review is of the full 91 minute version. There's another one out that's about 77 minutes.

I haven't read "Tomy Sawyer" since I was a kid (I'm in my 40s now) but this movie bought back a lot of good memories! Tom Sawyer (Tommy Kelly) is being bought up by his Aunt Polly (May Robson) along with cousin Mary and the vicious Sid (David Holt). Tom is constantly getting into trouble with his buddy Huckleberry Finn (Jackie Moran). In the course of the movie Tom falls for cute Becky Thatcher (Ann Gillis), runs away from home, witnesses a murder and it ends with him and Becky being chased by the killer. OK--this is far from perfect. Kelly was an unknown--and it shows. He's not good at all. Also the film is episodic...but so was the novel. There's also a young black kid here who comes across as an idiot and is treated pretty badly. I realize that's a sign of its time but it's uncomfortable to watch now. Still this is worth catching.

The color is beautiful and the film moves very quickly. Kelly aside all the acting is good (Robson does wonders with her stereotypical role) and I was never bored. The very last bit with Sid and Aunt Polly was just perfect! It also bought back the book to me--I was remembering entire sequences I haven't read since I was a kid. This is also perfect viewing for the entire family. Well-made and worth catching. Try catching the full version.