Product Details

• Actors: Tommy Kelly, Jackie Moran, May Robson, Ann Gillis, Walter Brennan
• Directors: H.C. Potter, George Cukor, Norman Taurog
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English
• Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
• VHS Release Date: July 25, 1991
• Run Time: 91 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302098491
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #184,755 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive Tom Sawyer film version., December 14, 2003

By 

flask - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adventures of Tom Sawyer [VHS] (VHS Tape)

There have been numerous film adaptations of Mark Twain's beloved story, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," but few capture the boyish wonder and childlike bliss which permeates the classic yarn. Luckily, this 1938 rendition is one of the select few that do. The acting is first class; the directing often innovative, and the whimsical screenplay is faithful as possible to the novel.

The novel itself is entertainingly superior to Huckleberry Finn in its lack of a political agenda or societal commentary. Its sole objective is to return us once more to the naivety of youth when our life was far simpler and, in many cases, far happier.

For the older generation of film aficionados, child actor Tommy Kelly was the definitive Tom Sawyer. His winning smile, visible freckles and bright eyes encapsulate the literary character to a tee. After watching this film and re-reading Twain's novel, it is impossible to remove the image of Tommy Kelly from one's mind as he or she remembers Sawyer's antics.

It is in the supporting characters, however, that this film truly shines. The grade-A performances of Walter Brennan as the likeable Muff Potter, a make-up smeared Victory Jory as the menacing Injun Joe and Olin Howlin as the violent schoolmaster are highlights of the film. Brennan seems to infuse a perpetual helplessness in his inebriated character that epitomizes the small town bum of a forgotten America; Jory makes Injun Joe the personification of evil and a red-faced Howlin is superlative as an authoritarian teacher who makes the audience cringe when he canes Tom. Australian-native May Robeson, who portrays Aunt Polly, is able to make smooth, believable transitions from harsh severity to tender leniency as the script demands.

Remarkably, the numerous child stars in this film were destined for unhappy lives. David Holt (Sid) spent his early life as a child actor in poverty as he, much like Tommy Kelly, waited for star-making film roles which never came. Jackie Moran (Huckleberry Finn) soared briefly higher towards elusive stardom when he was cast as the energetic sidekick of Buster Crabbe in a "Buck Rogers" (1939) serial. Immediately afterwards, Moran's career plummeted into oblivion. Perhaps the only exception to this streak of bad luck was Ann Gillis (Becky Thatcher) who found herself always in demand to portray a screen brat. Upon coming of age and legally capable of making her own decisions, Gillis wisely left the film industry to find happiness elsewhere.

"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1938) is also significant in that its talented screenwriter, John V.A. Weaver, died shortly after its release of tuberculosis. His successful but altogether short career included writing screenplays for such cinematic classics as King Vidor's "The Crowd" (1928) and "The Saturday Night Kid" (1929). In a sense, this film was his last hurrah and it is only fitting that Weaver's last project in his old age should be subtly based upon the universal human longing to be young once again.

Film Rating: *** out of **** stars.
A must-view for all devout Twainians!

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly enjoyable film!, May 8, 2002

By 

Monty Moonlight (TX) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Young Tom Sawyer is a troublemaking boy being raised by his Aunt Polly in pre-Civil War America. His best friend is a wandering outcast of a boy named Huck Finn. Tom is a bit of a ladies' man, and his newest pursuit is the new Judge's daughter, Becky Thatcher. Through the course of the story we see his adventures with Huck, his troubles with Becky, and his encounters with a villain by the name of Injun' Joe. See, Tom and Huck witnessed Injun' Joe commit murder, so Joe is determined to shut them up permanently. Tom has to decide whether or not to break his oath with Huck and testify against Joe to save the wrongly accused Muff Potter(the friendly neighborhood drunk)'s life!
I picked this up on VHS a while back for around 5 bucks or so at my local retailer. I snatched it up because I LOVE Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn movies! For my money, the most enjoyable is Disney's Elijah Wood Film, from the early '90's I believe, called The Adventures of Huck Finn, though it doesn't have Tom at all. It's actually one of my all time favorite movies! Though, for a wonderful and more true to the book Huck movie you should go with the Patrick Day version. As for Tom Sawyer, this is the best version I've seen so far (and I have yet to see a good animated version of any of these stories, though I seem to recall seing a good Anime as a kid about Huck on Nickelodeon, years ago). This version is just so charming thanks to the time period in which it was made! It was odd that Jim was just a kid in it, but it doesn't prevent this film from being a masterpiece! I wouldn't have liked that in a Huck movie, but for Tom it was not a problem. The entire cast plays perfectly. Since I bought this movie a year or so ago, I've enjoyed it many times and hope it gets a DVD release someday. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys the Tom/Huck movies for the same reason as I do, not necessarily for their loyalty to the book, but more for the adventure and mostly carefree fun these stories portray!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Kid wouldn't?, July 19, 2001

By 

Paul D King (Vancouver, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Produced by Selznick, this is one of the truest versions of Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer. Though liberties were taken with the character of Jim, the richness (done in color) and the acting are superb. From painting the fence to Becky Thatcher's hero to attending their own funeral to Injun Joe and the harrowing cave scene, this version still brings tears to the eye and a smile to the heart. The actress playing Aunt Polly hid her age from Selznick because she was afraid if he knew she was in her 80's, she wouldn't win the coveted role. Great for Kids of all ages, it's a wonderful introduction to Tom Sawyer and the world of Mark Twain's books. Rent, buy, and borrow. Watch it with your favorite child at heart.