Tom Sawyer

Johnny Whitaker late of A Family Affair and Jeff East star as Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in a musical adaption of Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer. I think Twain might have liked this one.

This is one story that when filmed is rarely deviated from. I guess it's too well known and lovers of Mark Twain wouldn't stand for it.

Whitaker and East play the mischievous adolescents from Hannibal, Missouri who are just contributing to everyone's delinquency. Huckleberry Finn seems incorrigible since all he wants to do is fish and swim. And Celeste Holm playing Tom Sawyer's Aunt Polly who is raising Tom with two of her own kids and the widow is just mighty put out by them.

Among the grownup population is Warren Oates who is a perfect fit for Muff Potter, Tom and Huck's best friend and whose raffish ways they admire. Truth be told Oates is a lowdown character who earns an extra drinking dollar or three as a graverobber for Dr. Richard Eastham.

When Eastham is stabbed to death on one of those grave robbing expeditions Oates is arrested and that sets in motion the main plot of Twain's story.

The Shermans wrote a serviceable score for Tom Sawyer. Of course it's nothing like the score they wrote for Mary Poppins. They were nominated for the overall musical score though no individual songs were recognized. Tom Sawyer also got Oscar nominations for Costume Design and Film Editing.

The story has been good family reading and viewing for more than a century and this film is no exception.

I have not seen this version of Tom Sawyer for quite a few years, but I did see it as a child on the "Big Screen". The fun part for me about this movie is that I grew up just a few miles from where most of it was filmed -- a small river town in Mid-Missouri called Arrow Rock. It's not the type of area where a person gets to see a lot of movies being filmed, so you can imagine that this was quite an event for a small rural area at the time.

I was 12 at the time, same age as Johnny Whitaker when he played Tom, and I remember going to watch the filming of several scenes -- especially the "picnic scene". It was also interesting to see what was done to the town to prepare for the making of the film. The main street, which is paved asphalt, was covered with several inches of dirt. The concrete sidewalks were converted to boardwalk sidewalks, which still exist today! It was fun to watch the film in the theater, because many of the extras in the film were local townspeople, neighbors, and friends. You watched to pick out the scenes where you would recognize people you know.

There is a special celebration in Arrow Rock this year for the July 4th festivities, celebrating the 35 years since the filming of Tom Sawyer (1972). Johnny Whitaker and Jeff East are returning to Arrow Rock to participate in the festivities... and I will be returning to partake also! If you're ever driving across Missouri on I-70, I invite you to take a slight detour on Hiway 41 North (just about 130 miles west of St. Louis) and visit the little historic town of Arrow Rock.... where for two months in 1972, Hollywood came to visit!

Adaptation-wise, the best version is the 1938 film(though it occasionally suffers from being too faithful). This 1973 musical version is not one to dismiss either, in regard to the adapting the main events are intact and with the right impact. Though it could've stuck to Mark Twain's prose a little more, the script is fine and witty in quality but the simplifying of the philosophising of Twain's writing makes Tom not quite as interesting or in depth as he is in the book. But it is a nice and really quite good film on its own. It does get off to a slow start and feels for the first 15 minutes or so a little aimless, and while the songs are very pleasant only Freebootin', Gratifaction and River Song stood out properly. The rest aren't bad at all but somewhat too short and incidental. John Williams does arrange and conduct them beautifully though so further credit is due. The film looks absolutely beautiful though, the costumes and sets are great and the photography evocative, at its best it is absolutely splendid. The story has a real innocence and charm and is paced generally very well, the standouts being the charming picnic scene, the riverboat encounter, the intense confrontation in the caves, Tom and Huck's "funeral" and Injun Joe's spectacular leap from the courtroom. The choreography/staging of the musical numbers are appropriately lively too especially in Gratifaction. Johnny Whitaker is very well-cast as Tom, and Jeff East and particularly Jodie Foster match him in spirited and charming performances. In support, Celeste Holm impresses as Aunt Polly being overbearing yet loving- exactly the right approach for the character, Warren Oates seems to be really enjoying himself as Muff Potter and Kuna Hank is one creepy Injun Joe. Overall, a nice if not exceptional musical version of a classic. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This film captures the essence of Tom Sawyer. The wonder and freedom of childhood, and the struggles of growing up. Johnny Whitaker gives the best performance of his career, portraying Tom as mischievous and clever, yet lovable and innocent. This is not the Tom so often portrayed in films, who is a conniving brat. This is the Tom of the book who gets in trouble because he is curious and adventurous, whose mind wanders in church and school, and who stretches the truth or even fibs without malicious intent.

The rest of the cast is excellent, The production appears to be on location and is very authentic, and the music is well done. This is a true musical in that the lyrics serve to move the story along. If you like musicals, this is for you. If you don't, then concentrate on the lyrics and what they are telling you about the central character.

The book is timeless because of it's universal theme, the glory days of childhood. The Movie captures that. It will bring a tear to your eye as you hear the theme song "...a boy is gonna grow to be a man, be a man. Only once in his life is he free. Only one golden time in his life is he free."

An amusing and fun musical film about Mark Twain's classic novel. Homogenized made musical movie with production enough about the adventures of Tom Sawyer : Johnny Whitaker and his friend Huckleberry Finn : Jeff East . Dealing with his girlfriend Becky Thatcher : Jodie Foster and various adventures , including the attractive sketches about the fence whitewashing as well as threatening appearance of the Indian Bogeyman and the likeable Muff Potter : Warren Oates . Mark Twain's hero, you hero of other days , has now been brought to life and you can see him again in life . Remember how you hated to have your face washed when you were a kid ? Come on join Tom and Huck and the gang and be kids again .

Winning adaptation of Mark Twain's often told tale of boyhood in Hannibal, Missouri . Concerning Tom's adventures along with his free-spirited best friend Huck , as both of whom run away to enjoy feats and dangers . The film is pretty well , though is marred by excessive songs in Howard Keel-style ballads , including the following ones : River Song , Gratification, Tom Sawyer , Freebotin' , Aunt Polly's Soliloquy , A man's gotta be what he's born to be, How come ? . Stars the sympathetic prodigy child Johnny Whitaker as Tom whose girlfriend performed by the incombustible Jodie Foster as Becky , Tom holds a real friendship to Huckleberry amusingly played by Jeff East . Along with other notorious secondaries such as : Celeste Holm as Aunt Polly , Warren Oates , Henry Jones and Dub Taylor. It contains a colorful cinematography in technicolor adding dazzling helicopter shots . A lavish Reader's Digest production, the picture was well directed by Don Taylor and in old-style movie-making.

Other enyable versions upon this vintage story are as follows : Tom Sawyer 1917 by William Desmond Taylor with Jack Pickford , Edythe Chapman . 1930 Tom Sawyer by John Cromwell with Jackie Coogan, Mitzie Green . The best : The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 1938 by Norman Taurog with Tommy Kelly , Jackie Moran . Tom Sawyer 1973 by James Nielson with Josh Albee, Jeff Tyler , Buddy Ebsen , Vic Morrow. Tom and Huck 1995 by Peter Hewitt with Jonathan Taylor Thomas , Brad Renfo, Eric Schweig , Amy Wright. Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn 2014 by Joe Kastner with Joel Courtney , Jake Austin, Val Kilmer . Rating : 6.5/10 . Better than average . Well worth watching . The kids may enjoy it , but adults will want to reread the book.