The Adventures of Mark Twain (1986)

Director:

Will Vinton

Writers:

Susan Shadburne (writer)
Mark Twain (segments)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Family

Tagline:

Where dreams become reality.

Plot:

Based on elements from the stories of Mark Twain, this feature-length Claymation fantasy follows the adventures of Tom Sawyer...

Plot Keywords:

Mark Twain | Claymation | Portal | Race | Stowaway

Cast

James Whitmore	...	Mark Twain (voice)
Michele Mariana	...	Becky Thatcher / The Mysterious Stranger / Girl In Crowd (voice)
Gary Krug	...	Huck Finn (voice)
Chris Ritchie	...	Tom Sawyer (voice)
John Morrison	...	Adam (voice)
Carol Edelman	...	Eve (voice)
Dal McKennon	...	Jim Smiley (voice) (as Dallas McKennon)
Herb Smith	...	The Stranger (voice)
Marley Stone	...	Aunt Polly (voice)
Wilbur Vincent	...	The Mysterious Stranger (voice)
Wally Newman	...	Captain Stormfield (voice)
Tim Conner	...	Three-Headed Alien (voice)
Todd Tolces	...	Saint Peter (voice)
Billy Scream	...	The Indexivator / Animals (voice)
Bob Griggs	...	First Heckler (voice)
Coward Wholesale	...	Second Heckler (voice)
Tom Gasek	...	Man in Crowd / Homer / Calaveras Miner / Mud People (voice)
Sally Sopwith	...	Woman in Crowd (voice)
Will Vinton	...	Dan'l Webster (voice) (as Wilf Innton)
Andrew Edwards	...	First Miner (voice)
Harvey Brown	...	Second Miner (voice)
Craig Bartlett	...	Calaveras Miner (voice)
Mark Gustafson	...	Calaveras Miner (voice)
Bruce McKean	...	Calaveras Miner (voice)
Billy Victor	...	God (voice)
Compton Downs	...	Injun Joe (voice)
Nell Suza	...	Animals / Mud People (voice)
Tim Kahn	...	Animals (voice)
Stashu Beencof	...	Animals (voice)
Kim Tonner	...	Mud People (voice)
Gary Thompson	...	Baby Cain (voice)

Directed by
Will Vinton

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Susan Shadburne		writer
Mark Twain		segments "The Jumping Frog of Calavaras County, " "The Diary of Adam and Eve, " "Captain Stormfield's Diary, " "The Mysterious Stranger"

Produced by
Susan Shadburne	....	associate producer
Hugh Kennedy Tirrell	....	associate producer
Will Vinton	....	producer

Original Music by
Billy Scream

Film Editing by
Kelley Baker
Michael Gall
Ed Geis
Skeets McGrew
Will Vinton

Set Decoration by
Joan C. Gratz

Production Management
David Altschul	....	production supervisor
Andy Wiskes	....	post-production supervisor

Art Department
Joan C. Gratz	....	stage design
Don Merkt	....	stage design

Sound Department
Kelley Baker	....	sound effects editor
Kelley Baker	....	sound recordist
Jan Baross	....	sound editor
Paul Diener	....	sound effects editor
Luther Greene	....	foley artist
Luther Greene	....	sound mixer
Will Harvey	....	sound mixer
Gary McRobert	....	sound recordist
Larry Oatfield	....	foley mixer
Andy Wiskes	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Gary McRobert	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
George Lockwood	....	special optical effects
Sam Longoria	....	front projection designer/camera
Sam Longoria	....	motion control designer/camera
Pat O'Neill	....	special optical effects
Will Vinton	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Bruce McKean	....	still photographer

Animation Department
Barry Bruce	....	character designer
Barry Bruce	....	lead animator

Editorial Department
Kelley Baker	....	negative conforming
Bob Zurcher	....	negative conforming

Music Department
Paul Diener	....	music editor
Will Vinton	....	music editor

Other crew
Douglas Aberle	....	claymation artist
Craig Bartlett	....	claymation artist
Arnold Biskar	....	accountant
Peter Dekom	....	legal consultant
Michael Duffield	....	title designer: main titles
William Fiesterman	....	claymation artist
Jim Fischer	....	synthesizer effects
Tom Gasek	....	claymation artist
Mark Gustafson	....	claymation artist
Carol Hart	....	production assistant
James McAllister	....	claymation artist
Bruce McKean	....	claymation artist
Don Merket	....	claymation artist
Walter Murch	....	creative consultant
Billy Scream	....	synthesizer effects
Leslie Sears	....	assistant to director (as Leslie M. Sears)
Dennis Tbor	....	title designer: main titles
Will Vinton	....	claymation artist
Matt Wuerker	....	claymation artist
Marilyn Zornado	....	assistant to director
Marilyn Zornado	....	title layout

Production Companies

• Harbour Towns
• Will Vinton Associates
• Will Vinton Productions

Distributors

• Clubhouse Pictures (1985) (USA) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Lookout Mountain Films (special optical effects)

Other Companies

• Studio C. San Francisco  post-production sound services
• Teknifilm  negative cutting

Also Known As:

Comet Quest (UK) (video title)
Mark Twain

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | UK:U | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Portland, Oregon, USA

Company:

Harbour Towns

Trivia:

Some television broadcasts of the film have omitted the "Mysterious Stranger" segment because it was considered likely to disturb some viewers (particularly children).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): All the characters pronounce Halley's Comet with a long a. The comet is named for Sir Edmund Halley, whose name is pronounced with a short a.

Quotes:

Becky Thatcher: Well, Tom and Huck and l, well, see, we're not so sure...
Mark Twain: That l know what l'm doing up here? Angelfish, it's just like piloting a river. You get to know the shape of it. Like following a hall at home in the dark. And even if you feel some fear, you know no harm can come to you because you've traveled that hallway a hundred times in nothing but bare feet and faith.

Movie Connections:

References Neighbours (1952)

Soundtrack:

Heroes

wonderful, yet dark

My mother brought this movie home from the library once when I was a young child, about 4. I didn't understand it very well, but I was thrilled by the clay animation. When I was about 13, I came across it tin the library again and after checking it out, I found a post-it note stating: "May not be understood by children under Junior High level."

When I watched it again, I understood it. There was the story of Adam and Eve and how they didn't understand what each other did, and thought each other foolish. Then there was the dark side. I still didn't understand it quite as well after watching it a second time, but it was slightly understood.

This may not being a good movie for younger children, but they do get a thrill out of the animation, although they may not fully understand it.