The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Synopsis
The second screen version of Mark Twain’s classic The Adventures of Tom Sawyer starred newcomer Tommy Kelly as the mischievous little scamp with a heart of gold. The film followed Twain’s story closely, playing up some of the comedy and danger elements.

Tom Sawyer lives with his Aunt Polly in 1850’s Missouri, getting into trouble and avoiding work whenever possible. The movie (like the novel) follows Tom from one escapade to another—some amusing, others thrilling. The famous fence whitewashing scene is included, as are Tom’s flirtations with schoolmate Becky Thatcher. Tom and pal Huckleberry Finn skip town for an adventure on an island in the middle of the Mississippi, returning to find that the town believes they’re dead. The two boys can’t resist showing up at their own funeral, and the hilarious consequences are worth any trouble Tom gets into with Aunt Polly.

Danger comes when Tom witnesses scary Injun Joe murdering another man. When town drunk Muff Potter gets put on trial for the murder, Tom comes clean, leading to a heart-stopping climax in which Injun Joe chases Tom and Becky through a series of underground tunnels and caves.

David O. Selznick produced this film a year before Gone With the Wind, and he hired the same art director for both films, William Cameron Menzies. The result was a breathtaking view of mid-19th-century Missouri that pleased the eye, quickened the pulse and warmed the heart.

Release History 1938 - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Sub Categories live-action
action/adventure
drama
comedy

Studio Selznick Intl. Pics.

Cast

Tom Sawyer		Tommy Kelly
Huckleberry Finn		Jackie Moran
Aunt Polly		May Robson
Muff Potter		Walter Brennan
Injun Joe		Victor Jory
Sid Sawyer		David Holt
Sheriff		Victor Kilian
Mrs. Thatcher		Nana Bryant
Mr. Dobbins, Schoolmaster		Olin Howlin
Sunday School Superintendent		Donald Meek
Judge Thatcher		Charles Richman
Mrs. Harper		Margaret Hamilton
Mary Sawyer		Marcia Mae Jones
Joe Harper		Mickey Rentschler
Amy Lawrence		Cora Sue Collins
Little Jim		Philip Hurlic
Becky Thatcher		Ann Gillis