As Aventuras de Huck

An affable, spry 1939 adaptation of Mark Twain's classic starring Mickey Rooney as Huck. Following the trials & tribulations of our ne'er do well adventurer who'd rather go fishing & smoke a pipe, Huck goes from one episode to the next eventually partnering w/Jim, a runaway slave, formerly in thrall to his benefactors (a pair of well meaning sisters), as he aims to get him on a steamboat bound for the North towards freedom but matters becomes complicated when Jim becomes the subject of a manhunt, suspected of Huck's murder (he faked his own death to ease the burden he feels he's placed on the sisters' plate). I'm embarrassed to say I've never read the immortal tome but know some of the situations depicted so I got the gist of the fable as Rooney, a pure delight, essays a lively take on our immortal rapscallion w/special mention going to Rex Ingram as Jim. Look for William Frawley (Fred Mertz from I Love Lucy) as one of 2 con men out to get a family's fortune.

MGM tailored Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" for box office champion Mickey Rooney, with predictable results. Mainly, this is a comedy, with some rather exasperating omissions, and some cute additions. As with many child stars, the studio was by now relying heavily on height to help put across Rooney as a precocious thirteen-year-old. The whole ranges from workmanlike to good, with Rex Ingram's "Jim" helping the latter. As the swindlers, blustery Walter Connolly and rascally William Frawley are a funny team. The amusing ending actually works; at least, the studio resisted having Illinois lawyer "Abe" Lincoln actually make an appearance.

***** The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (2/10/39) Richard Thorpe ~ Mickey Rooney, Rex Ingram, Walter Connolly, William Frawley

The others were the 1993 Elijah Wood film which was quite good, the 1974 musical version which was heavily flawed but still above-average and the 1975 Ron Howard version which was soggy and actually very bad. The photography in this film may be at times less than lavish and the final third feels rushed, but of the four it was the version that came across on its own as the best. As an adaptation perhaps it's not great, then again this is adaptation we're talking about(when something is not faithful to its source it doesn't mean it's immediately bad) and it does deserve judgement on its own merits. And while it's not perfect, it has many merits. The authentic river locations are a major plus, while the dialogue flows well and manages to be entertaining and poignant and the story still has cohesion and a good sense of atmosphere. The film may have primarily have been a showcase for Mickey Rooney but even with that the story is thankfully not ignored. Jim's jail scene is deeply heart-breaking. The pacing does feel rushed in the final third of the film but for most of the film it is just right, while the direction is very competent if not entirely imaginative. But the best asset about this version of Huckleberry Finn is the acting, so effective to the extent that it's like the characters themselves stepping out of the pages, and we are talking also about physical resemblances. Mickey Rooney's Huck is charming, mischievous and towards the end affecting(he may be somewhat too old, though not by much, but he doesn't look like he is), while Rex Ingram(personal favourite actor in the film) is very dignified and nuanced as Jim and Victor Kilian's Pap dominates quite terrifyingly. Walter Connolly and William Frawley are wickedly funny and menacing, in almost all four versions the Duke and the King have been scene-stealing characters(apart from 1975, hardly any the actors acquitted themselves well apart from Jack Elam). Elizabeth Ridson is fine as well. Overall, very good and underrated, of the four versions so far seen it's the best by quite some way. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Ever wonder why Hollywood can't just transfer a book to the screen without taking liberties with the plot? In this case, what was wrong with the way Twain wrote it? It resembles the book somewhat, but the movie works better if you didn't read it.

This was a cover-your-tracks movie so that MGM couldn't be nailed as racists, so some of Twain's book is whitewashed here. The result is a bland, pablum version devoid of tension and told in one tone of voice, without the highs or lows and lacking any suspense where required, for instance when Huck and Jim in hiding witness the tarring and feathering of the King and the Duke.

Having said all that, was there ever any better juvenile actor than Mickey Rooney? A reader mentioned Freddie Bartholemew - anyone ever see Bartholemew sing or dance, or display any charisma? Mickey Rooney is responsible for any success this picture has had. In a similar vein, I always think Walter Connolly is a detriment to any picture in which he appears. This movie would have been better off with nearly anyone else as the King, as he is a shrill, unconvincing actor.

As is, "The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn" is a good movie which could have been so much better.

Recommended for family entertainment, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" showcases the talents of "Mickey Rooney" and shows why he has been such a beloved actor for so many years.

Mickey Rooney stars as the title character, according to the book about 13 years old. Rooney was already past 18, but with his short stature and boyish face he looks exactly the part of young mischievous boy whom we see smoking his pipe and walking barefoot through the dust.

Based on Mark Twain's book of the same name, it is as closely adapted as the time constraints and censorship would allow. The general substance of the novel is left intact with a few details changed for the sake of dramatic license; otherwise it is well adapted as I remember from my recent re-reading of the novel.

Mickey Rooney is perfect in his portrayal of Huck, with his mischievous ways and always with a twinkle in his eye. Rex Ingram makes a thoughtful "Jim" whose quiet dignity makes Huck learn to accept him as a man, not just a piece of property to be owned.

The movie is quite funny and will become a favorite of the whole family with its wholesome characters and situations. If you get a chance to see it, I think you will agree that this is real entertainment that everyone can enjoy.