Les aventuriers du fleuve

Mississippi River rafting with Eddie Hodges (as Huck) and Archie Moore (as Jim) impersonating Mark Twain's pair of runaway drifters. Despite the obvious attempt to be a classy production, with a well-intentioned assemblage of cast and crew, this version sinks like a pebble (if not a stone). It's overcast and miscast, but occasionally satisfying. Lucky young Hodges, who sang with Frank Sinatra, has a great scene with Andy Devine and Buster Keaton. Apparently, 20th century filmmakers were too shy to truly transfer all "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" to film. What they hinted at (or left out completely) can be found by reading the book - or, if you're lazy, listen to a vocal version of "Moon River". We're after the same rainbow's end.

***** The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (6/17/60) Michael Curtiz ~ Eddie Hodges, Archie Moore, Tony Randall

This Huckleberry Finn was well directed by Michael Curtiz and boasts a good cast , such as Tony Randall , Eddie Hodges , Archie Moore , Buster Keaton , Neville Brand , Finlay Currie and several others . Resulting to be an attractive and fun attempt at adapting an American favorite written by Mark Twain . An amusing retelling of the Mark Twain tale about the adventures encountered by Huckleberry Finn (Eddie Hodges) when escapes from the widow Douglas (Josephine Hutchinson) and along with the runaway slave (Archie Moore) wanted for reward , they travel down the muddy Mississipi river , as they take a risked raft . While working on life for his unsentimental education , as a deep friendship emerges and getting into all sorts of adventures and suffering hard times in pre-civil war . Along the way , they meet a peculiar duo of swindlers , two con actors nicknamed Duke (Mickey Shaughnessy) and King of France (Tony Randal) posing as two wealthy heirs of a deceased brother , then things begin to liven up . The most exciting adventures a boy ever had ! . Hilarious escapades, hair-raising adventures on the fabulous Mississippi!

This is a wonderful world of excitement with silly messes , emotion , hilarious scenes and amusement for the entire family . Top-notch cast makes this an entertaining version , giving splendid interpretations . Eddie Hodges provides a nice performance as the resourceful and cheeky artful dodger . Hodges and Archie Moore create a sensitive and charming couple , both of whom set out in search for freedom and adventure. They're well accompanied by a great support cast , such as : Neville Brand , Tony Randal, Patty McCormack , Mickey Shaughnessy , John Carradine, Judy Canova , Andy Devine , Sherry Jackson , Royal Dano , Stanley Holloway, Buster Keaton , Finlay Currie , Josephine Hutchinson and brief appearance by Harry Dean Stanton in one of his first roles . The movie packs an enjoyable and thrilling musical score by Jerome Moross . And a colorful and brilliant cinematography by Ted Moore . The motion picture was efficiently but unexceptionally directed by Michael Curtiz , and being inferior to subsequent 1993 rendition directed by Stephen Sommers and starred by Elijah Wood . Curtiz was a good writer , producer , director who has made a lot of successful films and various classics , such as : Robin Hood , Captain Blood , White Christmas , Yankee Doodle Dandy , Passage to Marseille , Jim Thorpe , Mildred Pierce , Sea Hawk and , of course, Casablanca.

This classic novel has got several renditions , such as : silent version 192o ; Adventures Huckleberry Finn 1939 by Richard Thorpe with Mickey Rooney , Rex Ingram , William Frawley , Walter Connolly ; Huckleberry Finn 1975 by Robert Totten with Ron Howard , Royal Dano , Antonio Fargas ; Huckleberry Finn 1975 by J Lee Thompson with Jeff East , Paul Winfield ; Huckleberry Finn 1978 by Jack Hively with Forrest Tucker , Larry Storch , Brock Peters ; Huckleberry Finn 1985 by Peter H Hunt with Sada Thompson , Lilian Gish , Barnard Hughes ; Huck and the king of hearts 1993 by Michael Keusch with Graham Greene , Leopardi , Dee Wallace Stone , Joe Piscopo ; The Adventures of Huck Finn 1993 by Stephen Sommers with Eljah Wood , Courtney B. Vance , Dana Ivey , Ron Perlman , Jason Robards , Robbie Coltrane and Adventures of Tom and Huck by Stephen Sommers with Joel Courtney and Jack Austin.

All the acting was superb. The sets were...well, it was 1960. But the script! To hear Mark Twain so joyfully transposed, and so artfully accurate for the film characters and actors! What a straight, simple joy to see this film, made to entertain and doing it proudly, with all concerned -- actors and director mainly -- working on the same premise. And tell me Tony Randall didn't go home whistling after every day on the set! But this was Mark Twain done proud. How many other great writers so easily lend themselves to film scripts? What a writer! What fun he had with phrases, sayings and words. And how well all that was put to use in this movie. And PS Archie Moore was a great heavyweight.

Purists of Mark Twain will find fault with this adaption of Huckleberry Finn, but I like it and I think it captures the charm of Twain and the moral lessons he was trying to teach.

Small town America, it's strengths and weaknesses is a subject done to death in novels, plays and film. I myself just did a review of This Boy's Life which has some of the same themes as Huckleberry Finn. Hannibal, Missouri of the 19th century sure had more charm than Concrete, Washington of the 20th century. Yet Eddie Hodges as Huck Finn had to leave it to fulfill his destiny as surely as Leonard DiCaprio had to leave Concrete.

In fact the most riveting performance in this film is Neville Brand as Huck Finn's Pap. He's as bigoted and narrow-minded, though more explicitly racist than Robert DeNiro in This Boy's Life. Today we would call someone like Neville Brand, trailer park trash.

Because the two are on screen for nearly the whole time, the players essaying the parts of Huck and Jim have to be good and have good chemistry. Archie Moore who was the reigning Light Heavyweight Champion when this was made delivers a great performance as the runaway slave Jim. As does Eddie Hodges as Huck. One theme of Twain's that remains intact is Huck's growth as a human being after being thrown together with Jim who he now sees as a person instead of property.

In fact MGM put together an excellent supporting cast for tyro players Eddie Hodges and Archie Moore. Tony Randall and Mickey Shaughnessy as con men King and Duke are a joy to watch. The whole movie is.

It's the Mark Twain classic. Huckleberry Finn fakes his own death to escape his abusive father. He travels down the Mississippi River with fellow runaway, a slave named Jim. They form a strong bond and encounter various people including two con men. I've never read the book. Somehow, I escaped it in school. I do know the broad strokes. The movie has a bit of cursing and I counted one n* word. There could be more but it's not quite the book. I can't talk to the faithfulness of the adaptation. The story is much more fitting for a mini-series with its episodic nature. The kid is pretty good. He has the rambunctiousness. Jim needs a bigger performer. It's easier to dial it down than it is to dial it up. All in all, their friendship is what sells the movie and the story. They do well in that aspect and thereby makes this movie work.