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IMDb > The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   523 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 5% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Norman Taurog
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Writers:
Mark Twain (novel)
John V.A. Weaver (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
11 February 1938 (USA) more
Genre:
Family | Adventure more
Tagline:
Everybody knows him! Everybody loves him! He's everybody's favorite boy! Mark Twain's most beloved story more
Plot:
Misadventures of a mischievous boy in 1850 Missouri. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination more
User Comments:
Faithful version with Tommy Kelly an almost perfect Tom Sawyer... more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
Spain:77 min | USA:91 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:K-12 (1951) | Finland:S (1938) | USA:Approved (certificate #3745)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
H.C. Potter was the initial director but quit over "Selsnickian interference." His footage (in black and white) was completely discarded. more
Movie Connections:
Version of "Aventuras de Tom Sawyer" (1958) more
Soundtrack:
Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean more

FAQ

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2 out of 4 people found the following comment useful:-
Faithful version with Tommy Kelly an almost perfect Tom Sawyer..., 16 February 2007
7/10
Author: Neil Doyle from U.S.A.

Selznick's THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER is an extremely faithful version of the famous Mark Twain story, generally well acted and cast with the kind of precision the producer was famous for.

TOMMY KELLY, despite some drawbacks in his acting, makes an almost perfect Tom Sawyer. He's a bit too quick in flashing the full smile, the nervous sideways glances, the hesitant speech pattern when confronting strict adults--but then, in the '30s there was no HALEY JOEL OSMENT or DANIEL RADCLIFFE to fulfill requirements for more natural acting.

Likewise, ANN GILLIS is a bit too coy as Becky Thatcher and even VICTOR JORY is a bit too melodramatic as Injun Joe. MAY ROBSON makes a wonderful Aunt Polly, stern but all the time showing that beneath the gruff exterior she's got a warm spot for her troublesome Tom. The final scene, where she slaps Sid in the face, is priceless.

William Cameron Menzies created some wonderful effects for the cave sequence that he designed and the early Technicolor does justice to all the sets and costumes, giving the film the look of an illustrated children's version of the classic novel.

Well worth viewing, although it may not be fast paced enough to suit today's children used to more fast-moving stories.

Trivia note: Both TOMMY KELLY and JACKIE MORAN (in a small role as Huck Finn) had bits in Selznick's GONE WITH THE WIND the following year--and both were featured in the Gettysburg battle death announcements, Kelly as a member of the band with tears in his eyes and Moran as Phil Meade.

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Recycled Music? gosh717
MY FAVORITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME leroykevin
Restored print on TCM alan4artg
This movie needs to be on dvd. janvol22
A Wonderful Film csprin
a real fun and exciting movie keith-298
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