Les aventures de Huckleberry Finn

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.

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

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

I am surprised that there is no other review for this movie and I am the first to post my opinion on this box office hit of 1939, a top 20 hit of its year. When I sat down to watch this adaptation of the famous Mark Twain novel, I knew the running time was under 90 minutes so I did not expect to get the full book which I have read but the cliff notes version which I have also read. But no, Louis B. Mayer just had to give it the MGM cornball effect with scenes which are not in the novel and which change the meaning and transformation of Huck's character. Mickey Rooney, the biggest child actor the movies have ever heard, and in my opinion, also the best it has had brings one of those flawless performances to the role. Rex Ingram makes for a good runaway slave Jim and the other performances are fine. Direction is pendant in the hands MGM journeyman - that is not a craftsman, not an auteur, imagination insignificant, camera angles; perfunctory, directing actors; left to your own devices - Richard Thorpe who had a long and healthy career in Hollywood. You wonder why? The first half does feel like a cliff notes version as the scenes skip through have a general lethargic pace but keeps your attention because the story is good anyway. The changes involve the capture of Jim and Huck's injury and the resolution of the aforementioned events. It is not what happens and tongue-in-cheek ending changes the message of Twain's classic. I won't say I didn't enjoy it. I just mean if you are going to alter a classic, you'd better come up with something better.

Like any literary adaptation, this film throws out many scenes and changes others around. As a film, though, it works perfectly. Comparing it to the 1960 version, the reputation of the 1930s as the golden age of Hollywood is exemplified in this picture. Although the film and editing techniques were primitive at this point, the humour is funny, the characters click, and the drama is captivating. I'm not sure why this and the 1960 leave out the scene where Huck convinces Jim he's dreamt them separating in the fog, since its one of the most important in the novel. In any case, Jim's plight is tragic, and makes one shudder to think of the many people that had to be subjected to the institution of slavery. Rex Ingram gives a great performance, and his best scene may be in the jail, right before the lynch mob bursts through the door. "Somebody help me!" he cries. Amazing.

It should also be noted that Clara Blandickgives an outstanding performance as Miss Watson. Mickey Rooney is okay as Huck, but his acting style hasn't aged as well as the others in the film. Overall, I highly recommend this as great entertainment and a great film.

8/10