The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938)

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Passed
1h 31min
Adventure, Drama
11 Feb 1938 (USA)
Movie

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Tom Sawyer and his pal Huckleberry Finn have great adventures on the Mississippi River, pretending to be pirates, attending their own funeral and witnessing a murder.

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

Mark Twain, John V.A. Weaver, Marshall Neilan

Stars:

Awards:

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.
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Reviews:

Photos and Videos

Still of David Holt (I), Marcia Mae Jones and May Robson (I) in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938)

Still of David Holt (I) in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938)

Still of Philip Hurlic in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938)

Still of Ann Gillis (I) and Charles Richman in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938)

Still of Ann Gillis (I) and Tommy Kelly (I) in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938)

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101 photos

Cast verified as complete

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	Tommy Kelly	...	Tom Sawyer
	May Robson	...	Aunt Polly
	Walter Brennan	...	Muff Potter
	Victor Jory	...	Injun Joe
	David Holt	...	Sid Sawyer
	Jackie Moran	...	Huckleberry Finn
	Nana Bryant	...	Mrs. Thatcher
	Olin Howland	...	Mr. Dobbins - Schoolmaster
	Donald Meek	...	Mr. Walters- Sunday School Superintendent
	Charles Richman	...	Judge Thatcher
	Victor Kilian	...	Sheriff
	Marcia Mae Jones	...	Mary Sawyer
	Mickey Rentschler	...	Joe Harper
	Cora Sue Collins	...	Amy Lawrence
	Philip Hurlic	...	Little Jim
	Ann Gillis	...	Becky Thatcher
	Margaret Hamilton	...	Mrs. Harper
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Eric Alden	...	Assistant Defense Attorney (uncredited)
	Erville Alderson	...	District Attorney (uncredited)
	Donnie Allen	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Bobbie Allert	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Byron Armstrong	...	Willy Fisher (uncredited)
	Joanne Arnold	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Arthur Aylesworth	...	Defense Attorney (uncredited)
	Buddy Bange	...	Abner (uncredited)
	Frank Bellan	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Georgie Billings	...	Benjamin Rogers (uncredited)
	Tom Braunger	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Louis Brenn	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Tommy Bupp	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	George Bush	...	Man (uncredited)
	Jackie Butler	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Spring Byington	...	Widow Douglas (uncredited)
	Consuelo Cezon	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Hugh Chapman	...	Schoolboy (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
	Reba Churchill	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Dolly Conlin	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Luke Cosgrave	...	Old Soldier (uncredited)
	Joy Cowden	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Patsy Currier	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Frank Darien	...	Storekeeper (uncredited)
	Dix Davis	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Tim Davis	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Shirley Doble	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Dee Dodd	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Roland Drew	...	Dr. Robinson (uncredited)
	Frank Elmquist	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Charles Flickinger	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Betsy Gay	...	Susie Harper (uncredited)
	June Renee Gertler	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Kenneth Grant	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Audrey Halligan	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Sally Harper	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Louis Herbers	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Phyllis Holt	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Junior Hughes	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Ronald Hughson	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Malcolm Hutton	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Hollis Jewell	...	Schoolboy (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
	Cammilla Johnson	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
	Seessel Anne Johnson	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
	Sharon Keller	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Margaret Kerry	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Evelyn Kurt	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Leonard Lawrence	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Edward LeSaint	...	Coroner at Trial (uncredited)
	Faith Lieberson	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Fern Lieberson	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Frances Lieberson	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Jack Lindquist	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Buddy Londelius	...	(uncredited)
	Joan Lott	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Herbert MacGregor	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Marilyn Marlin	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Lon McCallister	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Leona McDowell	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Frank McGlynn Sr.	...	Minister (uncredited)
	Robert McKenzie	...	River Authority (uncredited)
	Vivian McLean	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Elaine Merk	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Dickie Meyers	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Jackie Cagney Miller	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Bobby Misrach	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Evelyn Misrach	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Bruce Mitchell	...	Deputy (uncredited)
	Jack Morris	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Betty Ann Muir	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	June Muir	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Bob Murphy	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
	Harry Myers	...	Irate Churchgoer (uncredited)
	Jeanette Noeson	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Frank O'Connor	...	Mr. Harper (uncredited)
	June Parkes	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Mary Elizabeth Perkins	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Jean Porter	...	Pauline - Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Marjorie Prax	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
	Spencer Quinn	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Bobby Scott	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Billy Shearer	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Arnold Statz	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Donn Stokes	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	A.W. Sweatt	...	Schoolboy (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
	Charles Unger	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Dan Wolheim	...	Deputy (uncredited)
	Jimmy Zahner	...	Boy (uncredited)

Directed by

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Norman Taurog

Written by

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Mark Twain	...	(the beloved classic by)

John V.A. Weaver	...	(screenplay)

Marshall Neilan	...	(contributor to treatment) (uncredited)

Produced by

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David O. Selznick

...

producer

Music by

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Max Steiner

...

(uncredited)

Cinematography by

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James Wong Howe

...

(photography)

Editing by

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Margaret Clancey

...

film editor

Editorial Department

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Natalie Kalmus	...	color supervisor: Technicolor
Hal C. Kern	...	supervising film editor

Art Direction by

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Lyle R. Wheeler

...

(as Lyle Wheeler)

Costume Design by

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Walter Plunkett

...

(costumes)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Eric Stacey	...	assistant director
George Cukor	...	director: retakes (uncredited)
Jack Roberts	...	assistant director (uncredited)
William A. Wellman	...	director: retakes (uncredited)

Art Department

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William Cameron Menzies	...	designer: cave sequence
Casey Roberts	...	interior decoration
Arden Cripe	...	props (uncredited)
Dorothea Holt	...	illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department

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William R. Fox

...

recorder (as William Fox)

Special Effects by

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Jack Cosgrove

...

special effects

Visual Effects by

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Chris Crowell

...

digital compositor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Wilfrid M. Cline	...	associate photography
Roy Clark	...	assistant camera (uncredited)
Ben M. Cohen	...	assistant camera (uncredited)
Neil McDonald	...	chief electrician (uncredited)
Charles Rose	...	chief grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Eugene Joseff

...

costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department

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Script and Continuity Department

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Barbara Keon

...

continuity

Additional Crew

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William H. Wright	...	assistant to the producer
Claribel Bressel	...	double: Ann Gillis (uncredited)
Lillian K. Deighton	...	researcher (uncredited)

Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Selznick International Pictures (presents)

Distributors

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United Artists (1938) (United States) (theatrical) (released by)
United Artists (1938) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
United Artists (1938) (Sweden) (theatrical)
Kommunenes Filmcentral (KF) (1938) (Norway) (theatrical)
Ente Nazionale Industrie Cinematografiche (ENIC) (1938) (Italy) (theatrical)
Les Artistes Associés S.A.B. (1938) (Belgium) (theatrical)
National Film (1938) (Poland) (theatrical)
United Artists (1941) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
National Telefilm Associates (NTA) (1958) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
Centrala Wynajmu Filmów (1961) (Poland) (theatrical) (re-release)
Antenne 2 (A2) (1975) (France) (tv) (dubbed version)
Filmways Australasian Distributors (1977) (Australia) (theatrical) (re-release)
Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK) (1977) (Norway) (tv)
Nord Video (1985) (Norway) (VHS) (Beta) (Video 2000)
Playhouse Video (1985) (United States) (VHS)
Star Video (1985) (Australia) (video)
Anchor Bay Entertainment (1991) (United States) (VHS)
Fox Video (1991) (United States) (VHS)
Research Entertainment (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
Aberle-media (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
Echo Bridge Home Entertainment (2012) (United States) (DVD) (3 film set)
Kino Lorber (2018) (United States) (Blu-ray)
Kino Lorber (2018) (United States) (DVD)
MIG Film (2019) (Germany) (DVD)
Schröder Media (2019) (Germany)
Studio Hamburg Enterprises (2019) (Germany) (DVD)
White Goatee Films (WGF) (2019) (Germany) (DVD) (label)
WVG Medien (2022) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

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Other Companies

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International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) (this picture made under the jurisdiction of)

Storyline

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Plot Summary	Sentiment rules in this version of the Twain tale of boyhood in 1850 Missouri, reasonably faithful except for minor details and making the character Jim a boy instead of a man. Includes the whitewash episode, puppy love, the graveyard murder, the boys' running away to Jackson's Island, the salvation of Muff Potter, and the cave adventure. Written by Rod Crawford Plot Summary
Plot Keywords	color-remake-of-black-and-white-film sunday-school song singer grief See All (125) »
Taglines	"Tom, you might even be President someday...if they don't hang you first!" See more »
Genres	Adventure Drama Family Romance
Parents Guide	View content advisory »
Certification	Argentina:Atp Belgium:AL/Tous Brazil:Livre Finland:K-12 Finland:S France:Tous publics Italy:T Japan:G Norway:A (cinema rating) South Korea:All Sweden:Btl United Kingdom:U United States:Passed (National Board of Review) United States:TV-G (TV rating) United States:Approved West Germany:12

Additional Details

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Also Known As	Les aventures de Tom Sawyer (France) Die Abenteuer von Tom Sawyer und Huckleberry Finn (Germany) Las aventuras de Tom Sawyer (Spain) De avonturen van Tom Sawyer (Netherlands) トム・ソーヤの冒険（1937） (Japan, Japanese title) See more »
Runtime	91 min
Country	United States
Language	English
Color	Color
Aspect Ratio	1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix	Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Filming Locations	Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA See more »

Did You Know?

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Trivia	Many disputes arose between photographer James Wong Howe and his associate, Technicolor photographer Wilfrid M. Cline about which colors to use in wardrobe and sets. Cline wanted bright primary colors, while Howe insisted on subdued earth tones. Since Howe got his way, after one week they were not on speaking terms and The Technicolor Company banned Howe from shooting further pictures in color; Howe did not make another color film for 10 years. See more »
Goofs	When Tom is wooing Becky by the river, the frog makes his hat jerk up and down. In the next shot, the string attached to the hat is clearly visible (at 25:40 in 91 minutes). See more »
Movie Connections	Featured in Family Classics: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1962). See more »
Soundtracks	Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean See more »
Crazy Credits	The opening credits read "A Picturization in Technicolor of the Beloved Classic by Mark Twain 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'". See more »
Quotes	Aunt Polly: Land o' Goshen! Your hair looks like a Hoorah's nest. See more »

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