Tom Sawyer

Synopsis Mark Twain’s story of a little troublemaker returned to theaters in 1973 as a big-screen musical, simply titled Tom Sawyer. Ace songwriting team Robert B. and Richard M. Sherman (Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Charlotte’s Web and dozens more) wrote the songs, score and screenplay for the film, which featured returning screen veteran Celeste Holm as Aunt Polly, young star Johnny Whitaker as Tom, relative newcomer Jodie Foster as Becky Thatcher, and Jeff East in his screen debut as Huckleberry Finn.

Set in 1850’s Hannibal, Missouri, the film follows Tom on his well-known series of schemes and adventures. The famed whitewashing scene is included, as is the episode in which Tom and Huck set off to play pirates, are taken for lost in the mighty Mississippi and raise a tremendous stir by showing up at their own funeral.

Tom gets his first kiss from schoolmate Becky, then gets his first taste of serious danger when he witnesses a late night murder. Throughout, Aunt Polly provides equal doses of matronly love and frontier discipline to the mischievous but good-hearted Tom.

The Sherman brothers’ song score was nominated for an Academy Award, as were the film’s down-home art direction and costume design. Filmed partly on location in Missouri, Tom Sawyer was a taste of the “good old days,” where life was simple and young boys loved to complicate it. A sequel, Huckleberry Finn, followed a year later.

Release History 1973 - Tom Sawyer

Sub Categories live-action
drama
comedy

Studio United Artists

Cast

Tom Sawyer		Johnny Whitaker
Aunt Polly		Celeste Holm
Becky Thatcher		Jodie Foster
Huckleberry Finn		Jeff East
Muff Potter		Warren Oates
Widder Douglas		Lucille Benson
Doc Robinson		Richard Eastham
Ben Rogers		Steve Hogg
Joe Jefferson		Kevin Jefferson
Mr. Dobbins		Henry Jones
Cousin Mary		Susan Joyce
Constable Clemens		Sandy Kenyon
Judge Thatcher		Noah Keen
Blacksmith		James A. Kuhn
Injun Joe		Kunu Hank
Cousin Sidney		Joshua Hill Lewis
Prosecuting Attorney		Mark Lynch
Billy Fisher		Sean Summers
Clayton		Dub Taylor
Small Boy		Jonathan Taylor
Girl		Anne Voss
Saloon Girl		Page Williams