The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985)

Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher and Huck Finn join Mark Twain on his airship to meet Halley's Comet.

Director:

Will Vinton

Writers:

Susan Shadburne, Mark Twain (segment)

Stars:

James Whitmore, Michele Mariana, Gary Krug

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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)

Storyline

Based on elements from the stories of Mark Twain, this feature-length Claymation fantasy follows the adventures of Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher and Huck Finn as they stowaway aboard the interplanetary balloon of Mark Twain. Twain, disgusted with the human race, is intent upon finding Halley's Comet and crashing into it, achieving his "destiny." It's up to Tom, Becky, and Huck to convince him that his judgment is wrong and that he still has much to offer humanity that might make a difference. Their efforts aren't just charitable; if they fail, they will share Twain's fate. Along the way, they use a magical time portal to get a detailed overview of the Twain philosophy, observing the "historical" events that inspired his works.

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Plot Keywords:

claymation | knife murder | mark twain | comet | halleys comet | 

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Taglines:

Where dreams become reality.

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 July 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Adventures of Mark Twain by Huck Finn

Filming Locations:

Portland, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$849,915

Company Credits

Production Co:

Atlantic,Harbour Towns,Will Vinton Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some of the sets had to be split up into smaller sections and reinforced with extra plywood to hold the quarter-ton of clay that was being built up on the table-tops.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

Adam: She says things are not right. The buzzard, for instance. She says it was intended to live on decayed flesh. But we cannot overturn the whole scheme to accomodate the buzzard.

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Connections

References 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

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Soundtracks

Heroes
Written by Billy Scream and Paul Jamison
Performed by Craig Carothers and the Billy Scream Band
Lyrics by Susan Shadburne

User Reviews

Pure Joy!

I saw this when I was small at my grandmother's house. I saw it only once more, years later somewhere on TV. I had never loved a claymation film more until Tim Burton's NBC. I was lucky enough to find it on DVD, and promptly rented and watched it last night. I fell in love all over again. Tim could learn much from this gem. The facial expressions are spot-on, almost photographic, the story is great, and the sly humour is wonderfully refreshing. This is such a huge labor of love,for the art itself and for the man that inspired it,leagues away from anything animation has been for the past 15 years or so. I loved it because it never talked down to me as a kid, and wasn't afraid to show me that innocence can be terrifying. "I can do no wrong, for I do not know what it is" is the most chilling line I have ever heard spoken in any film. Rent this or buy it as soon as you can, you won't be sorry.