THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER (1938, U.S.)

The Adventures
of Tom Sawyer

(1938, U.S.) Technicolor 93 minutes
Selznick International Pictures
Story: Mark Twain (from his novel)
Screenplay: John V.A. Weaver
Music: Max Steiner
Cinematography: James Wong Howe
Editing: Margaret Clancey
Production Design: William Cameron Menzies
Art Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler
Produced by David O. Selznick
Directed by Norman Taurog, George Cukor, H.C. Potter, William A. Wellman

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

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In 1938, independent producer David O. Selznick produced a Technicolor film version of Mark Twain's humorous story of childhood in the old South, “The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer.” Utilizing a witty, heartwarming and exciting script penned by John V.A. Weaver and direction by Norman Taurog (although some scenes were directed by William Wellman and by George Cukor, who would return to the Selznick International Studios later that year to direct the legendary but troubled production, Gone With The Wind).

Selznick captures the rollicking antics of Twain's mischievous young alter ego. The story opens on a warm spring day in Hannibal, Missouri, where Aunt Polly (May Robinson) is calling for her errant nephew. Tom (Tommy Kelly) decides not to go to school that day and heads for the Mississippi River for some swimming in the nude. When he returns home Aunt Polly finds out that her nephew has not gone to school and she angrily sends him to his room without supper, to the glee of his arrogant and priggish cousin Sid (David Holt) and to the dismay of his older cousin Mary (Marcia Mae Jones).

Tom tries to get out his bedroom by climbing down the drainpipe but his guardian prevents his departure by swatting his tush with a hickory switch. Early the next morning, Aunt Polly has Tom white-washing the picket fence He starts to do so grumpily until his friend Huckleberry Finn (Jackie Moran, who would go onto greater movie fame as Buster Crabbe's interplanetary crime fighting partner, Bucky in Buck Rogers). Seeing a means of getting out of his chore he manipulates Finn into white-washing the fence in exchange for a coveted prize, a solid brass door knocker. Before the afternoon starts, Tom has managed to get all of the boys in town to paint the fence and collect all of their possessions.

Aunt Polly inspects his handiwork and allows the boy to go out and play. Happily, Tom tosses the bucket of left-over white-wash over the fence, and unknowingly, onto Sid's head, much to his displeasure and to Aunt Polly's outrage. On that particular day, a new couple moves into the neighborhood. Judge Thatcher (Charles Richman) has been assigned to the bench in the Hannibal County court, and he is settling into his new home with his daughter Becky (Ann Gillis, who would play Lou Costello's love interest in The Time Of Their Lives eight years later), and his wife (Nana Bryant). Tom is smitten with the judge's little girl and she is smitten by the young prankster, even more so when upon his return to school he accepts Becky's punishment when the teacher Dobbins (Olin Howland) finds the girl drawing an unflattering cartoon of him on her chalk slate.

Still, Tom continues to create mischief to the point where he gets blamed for a broken sugar jar by Aunt Polly. The lad is innocent; Sid was the one who broken the treasured heirloom and was caught by Cousin Mary. Regardless of who really broke her sugar jar, the matriarch yells harsh and cruel remarks about poor Tom, until the boy can't take it anymore! Tom finally runs away with Huckleberry Finn and Joe Harper to become pirates on an uncharted isle situated in the middle of the Mighty Mississippi. They play and enjoy themselves, but Joe Harper (Mickey Rentschler) wants to return home. Fearful that their families will find out about their hiding place and come after them, they evict Joe from the island and continue to play there until news comes to them from Jim (Philp Hurlic) that the town fears that the boys are dead and they will be mourned at a funeral the next day.

That night Tom sneaks back into the house and sees his strict aunt in tears and bemoaning the fact that her abusive discipline towards her charge has lead to his untimely demise. A decision that she now regrets with heartsick sadness she heads to bed and tearfully prays to the lord to care for her nephew and that he may be forgiven for his past sins and that she may also be forgiven for hurting the boy unjustly. The entire town jams into the church where services are held for the three wayward boys. Until they are spotted weeping in the upper pews. When the town finds out that they were never harmed and they were being truant again? Their sorrow turns to rage and the three boys are again punished for upsetting everyone in town.

Tom soon redeems himself when one night he and Huck head for the town's cemetery to bury their dead cat, As they sneak into the grave yard they overhear loud and angry voices. Quickly the pair hide behind a tree and see Dr. Robinson (Roland Drew) forcing Muff Potter (played by veteran comic/character actor Walter Brennan) and Injun Joe (Victor Jory) to dig up the corpses from their graves for the purpose of extortion. When the evil Dr.'s abuse of his two henchmen goes too far. He knocks out Muff and punches out Injun Joe ,,who grabs Potter’s knife and stabs the dr. in his heart. Putting the blame on the kindly old drunk Potter tries to get out of town But? Injun Joe alerts the sheriff (Victor Killian) who captures Muff and holds him for trial.

Tom is guilty about witnessing Dr. Robinson’s murder and not saying anything. He wants to testify but Huck: warns him that Injun Joe will kill them and their families if he finds out that they saw him kill the doctor and he beats Tom when he tries to go to the judge's chambers. The boy attends the trial and unable to tolerate the lies that is being said about their friend any longer. Tom finally talks to Judge Thatcher and asks to testify in Muff's defense. The boy sits nervously on the witness stand and tells everyone how he and Huckleberry saw Injun Joe murder the doctor and frame Muff . Tom's testimony is halted by the angry Indian’s knife thrown at his chair. (Which misses Tom's head by inches).

The judge and the sheriff try to apprehend Injun Joe but he jumps out of the courthouse’s front window and gaining control of a buckboard. He rides out of town before anyone can take a shot at the villain. The next day a school holiday is declared in honor of Tom's brave deed. The town celebrities with a picnic and a tour of the old caves where a buried treasure is said to be hidden. The kids are guided into the cave by one of the town elders.

Tom And Becky go off on their own and they are soon trapped inside of a crevice of the cave which is soon sealed by an avalanche. The townsfolk try to save the two children. But the judge says sadly: There's nothing that we can do we couldn't even dig that out in six months. Everyone weeps for the fate of the pair including poor Muff Tom however will not give up and together he and Becky search for a way out. While looking thru an unknown part of the cave he finds the hiding place of the treasure.

While he digs out the chest full of gold doubloons (Worth millions of dollars) he finds the sleeping form of Injun Joe inadvertently Tom drops one of the gold coins from the chest and the villain chases the lad up a high cliff. Becky screams for Tom to do something. And he does pulling out his brass doorknocker from his pants pocket. He tosses his prize at the villain and send Injun Joe falling into a bottomless pit. This scene only frightens poor Becky into uncontrolled hysterics. Tom finally calms her down and together. They find an opening that leads to the surface.

That night Another celebration is held Judge Thatcher introduces Tom who he states has not only saved his daughter and himself from the real fiend who killed Dr. Robinson. He and Huck Finn have found the treasure chest making his family very rich. Happily everyone is invited to have some strawberry shortcake. Before he eats his slice of the cake Tom returns to his prankish self and throws an extra slice at Sid . The whinny brat complains to Aunt Polly . This time she is not sympathetic to the brat and she gives him a well deserved slap in the mouth.

The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer was re-released to movie theaters with great success in the 1960's and 70's and has become a popular film in TV reruns. The cast is superb Kelly captures the essence of Twain's loveable rascal. Ms. Robinson is perfect as the tough and unsympathetic patriarch of the family and Ms. Gillis is charming as Becky . The supporting cast also lends some charm, humor and excitement to the picture. Especially the performances by Brennan, Jory and by my dear friend and fellow performer Margaret Hamilton as Mrs. Harper . I first watched Selznick’s film version of Tom Sawyer at The Kimball Ave. Movie theater in Westchester, N.Y. back in 1966 and I enjoyed it. I've seen it many times on TV and at many movie theater revivals during the 1960's and 70's. It's a wonderful screen adaptation of this classic tale and miles ahead of Arthur P. Jacobs' forgettable 1973 musical remake.

The scenes in the cave with Tom and Becky were created by the brilliant scenic designer, William Cameron Menzies. According to an article in FilmFax Magazine, Menzies had created the “Bogeyland” set for Hal Roach's version of Babes In Toyland, starring Laurel & Hardy, which released theatrically four years earlier. Menzies would work for Selznick again on his most famous film, Gone With The Wind.

Kevin S. Butler