The Adventures of Mark Twain (1986)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

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 | Comet | Halleys Comet | Stowaway | Portal

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:

Revealing mistakes: Dirt and seams visible on the rear projection screen during the scenes in the deck of the airship after they enter the comet.

Quotes:

Adam: Abel is a good boy, but if Cain had stayed a bear, it would have improved him.

Movie Connections:

References Neighbours (1952)

Soundtrack:

Heroes

Mark Twain to Collid With Halley's Comet

This is some great claymation. Great detail caught in the facial expressions, lots of characters and settings. This film is truly a captivating visual experience. Mark Twain is driving an airship to Haley's Comet into his demise, and his characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn have stowawayed themselves on the ship. Some of Mark Twain's other stories are told in the process in claymation, and creation, death, and the afterlife are all explored. This film is not just for kids as it has a very adult sense of humor and some very deep themes. I really enjoyed it more than I expected too, definitely a classic in clay-animation.