The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960)

Huckleberry Finn, a rambuctious boy adventurer chafing under the bonds of civilization, escapes his humdrum world and his selfish, plotting father by sailing a raft down the Mississippi ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Mark Twain (novel), James Lee (screenplay)

Stars:

Tony Randall, Archie Moore, Eddie Hodges

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tony Randall	...	The King of France
Archie Moore	...	Jim
Eddie Hodges	...	Huckleberry Finn
Patty McCormack	...	Joanna Wilkes
Neville Brand	...	Pap Finn
Mickey Shaughnessy	...	The Duke
Judy Canova	...	Sheriff's wife
Andy Devine	...	Mr. Carmody
Sherry Jackson	...	Mary Jane Wilkes
Buster Keaton	...	Lion Tamer
Finlay Currie	...	Capt. Sellers
Josephine Hutchinson	...	Widow Douglas
Parley Baer	...	Grangeford man
John Carradine	...	Slave catcher
Royal Dano	...	Harlan, Sheriff

Storyline

Huckleberry Finn, a rambuctious boy adventurer chafing under the bonds of civilization, escapes his humdrum world and his selfish, plotting father by sailing a raft down the Mississippi River. Accompanying him is Jim, a slave running away from being sold. Together the two strike a bond of friendship that takes them through harrowing events and thrilling adventures.

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Plot Keywords:

friendship | mississippi river | escape | river | raft | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 August 1960 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mark Twain's 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'

Filming Locations:

Sacramento River Valley, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Formosa Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The riverboat used in the first scene is the one which was especially built for MGM's 1951 Technicolor remake of Show Boat and originally used in that film. It was also used in the films Raintree County and Company of Cowards?.

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Goofs

Just before Huck and Jim jump off the riverboat, Huck puts on his pants. We hear a "snap" as he snaps his pants. He then zips up his zipper. Neither snap fasteners or zippers were in use at the time (1851).

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Connections

Version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1955)

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Soundtracks

"Huckleberry Finn"
(uncredited)
Music by Burton Lane
Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Performed by Archie Moore

User Reviews

Mark Twain is spinning in his grave!

Michael Curtiz should have been thoroughly ashamed of himself when he was finished with this production. I can understand why directors will shorten or paraphrase certain adaptations from well-known literature, but to make wholesale changes in an American masterpiece is unforgivable. Huge and important parts of the novel were totally absent, or switched around and added to other parts of the movie that made it incomprehensible. Eddie Hodges (and Archie Moore) were terrible choices for the two main characters. Aside from never coming even close to a realistic dialect from that time and locale, neither actor were truly up to the task. There were some bright spots, though - notably Mickey Shaughnessy and Tony Randall (but even these were wasted.) Overall, a very poor effort and a waste of any true film buff's time. It leaves a very bad taste in one's mouth. Twain deserves better. If you want to see a better version, check out the 1939 version with Mickey Rooney.