Tom Sawyer

1973
AL
1h 43m

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

2.7K

YOUR RATING

Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn investigate a suspicious graveyard murder and more in this musical version of Mark Twain's novel.

Play trailer2:53

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Adventure Family Musical

Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn investigate a suspicious graveyard murder and more in this musical version of Mark Twain's novel.Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn investigate a suspicious graveyard murder and more in this musical version of Mark Twain's novel.Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn investigate a suspicious graveyard murder and more in this musical version of Mark Twain's novel.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

2.7K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 5 nominations total

Trivia
Actor Johnny Whitaker revealed on the television series Oprah: Where Are They Now? (2012), episode: Spice Girl Geri Horner, Vee Jay Ed Lover & Family Affair Star Kathy Garver (2016), that he did not want to make Tom Sawyer, he wanted to go to summer camp instead. But his parents made him make the movie. They reached a compromise that he would shoot the movie for a few weeks and then go to camp. He said after shooting for 8 weeks he was picked up by a helicopter on location, and then flown to his summer camp. He said it was completely humiliating to have the entire cast of young boys see him fly off in this huge helicopter while everyone watched. Indeed the movie turned out to be a big deal; it did a decent box office, got great reviews and was nominated for a couple Oscars, and even spawned a sequel. But Whitaker said he still regrets not being able to spend all summer at camp.

Goofs
Injun Joe leaps out of the courtroom window and lands on the ground. When he gets up and starts to run, the covering used to hide whatever soft surface he landed on flips up for a second.

Quotes
Becky Thatcher: It's so nice being engaged.
Tom Sawyer: Why, sure. When me and Amy Lawrence was engaged, we used to go...
Becky Thatcher: Oh, Tom! So, I'm not the first one you've been engaged to. Philanderer!
Tom Sawyer: What?
Becky Thatcher: Well, that's what you are.
Tom Sawyer: Yeah, but what does it mean?
Becky Thatcher: I'm not sure. But, even if I did know I wouldn't tell you!
[Becky Thatcher began to walking away from him]

Connections
Featured in The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story (2009)

Soundtracks
River Song
Written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Performed by Charley Pride

User reviews18

Review

Featured review

6/10

The original boys of summer

Johnny Whitaker late of A Family Affair and Jeff East star as Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in a musical adaption of Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer. I think Twain might have liked this one.

This is one story that when filmed is rarely deviated from. I guess it's too well known and lovers of Mark Twain wouldn't stand for it.

Whitaker and East play the mischievous adolescents from Hannibal, Missouri who are just contributing to everyone's delinquency. Huckleberry Finn seems incorrigible since all he wants to do is fish and swim. And Celeste Holm playing Tom Sawyer's Aunt Polly who is raising Tom with two of her own kids and the widow is just mighty put out by them.

Among the grownup population is Warren Oates who is a perfect fit for Muff Potter, Tom and Huck's best friend and whose raffish ways they admire. Truth be told Oates is a lowdown character who earns an extra drinking dollar or three as a graverobber for Dr. Richard Eastham.

When Eastham is stabbed to death on one of those grave robbing expeditions Oates is arrested and that sets in motion the main plot of Twain's story.

The Shermans wrote a serviceable score for Tom Sawyer. Of course it's nothing like the score they wrote for Mary Poppins. They were nominated for the overall musical score though no individual songs were recognized. Tom Sawyer also got Oscar nominations for Costume Design and Film Editing.

The story has been good family reading and viewing for more than a century and this film is no exception.