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 | character name as title | mark twain character | huckleberry finn character | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the first full-length feature in clay animation.

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Goofs

When Satan is destroying the clay village, the little clay boy is already seen dead in the background before Satan destroys him.

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Quotes

Becky Thatcher: How come you want to catch that comet so bad, Mr. Twain?
Mark Twain: Oh-ho-ho, the comet and I are part of the plan, angelfish. No doubt the Almighty said here, "There go those two unaccountable freaks. They came into this world together, they must go out together."

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Connections

Referenced in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: Top 5 Animation News of 2018 (2018)

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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

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.

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

Opening Weekend USA:

$226,525, 19 January 1986

Gross USA:

$849,915

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$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