One of my all time favorites.

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

I haven't recently seen Mark Twain's classic book this film is based upon, nor seen the several other film adaptations of the book. So, I can't compare this film to these other versions. However, I have read several reviews that say that this film is reasonably faithful to the book.......A much repeated feature is the contrast between the personalities of Tom(Tommy Kelly) and his younger brother Sidney(David Holt). In contrast to Tom, Sidney is always neatly dressed, with plastered down hair, never skips school nor Sunday school, learns his verses, is always on time for supper, and generally does everything that pleases Aunt Polly(May Robson). Occasionally, he does play a dirty trick on Tom, whom he is jealous of, and generally acts superior to Tom. When Tom strikes back and messes up his face and clothes with something soft and messy, Sidney responds by screaming "Aunt Polly!" , and running toward where he thinks she is. These periodic slapstick scenes are a classic example of running gag humor. But if repeated too often, as in this film, they cease to be funny to most........Tom, of course, usually has hair uncombed and clothes dirty and disheveled from playing or working outside. Yet, he is sought after by certain girls, with whom he may 'get engaged' to. He often skips school and Sunday school to go fishing or swimming, and doesn't learn his verses. He is much more likely to play tricks, which are sometimes imaginative, such as the fence whitewashing scheme. In general, he is much more imaginative in his play and work. He is generally brave in the face of adversity, such being whipped for some transgression, or finding a way out of a cave, when lost. In short, he is often bratty. But, Aunt Polly loves him nonetheless, as shown when he and 2 other boys take off on a raft down the Mississippi, and are presumed drowned when they don't show up. Polly's overt attitude toward Tom changes dramatically after he proves his bravery by testifying at the murder trial of Muff Potter(Walter Brennan) ,when he knew that menacing Injun Joe(Victor Jory) might attack him for fingering him as the murderer. Also, his bravery in keeping his head when lost in a large cave, while having to fight off Injun Joe, until he found an opening, and rescued girlfriend Becky, as well. Now, he was a hero to all the town people. When Sidney went screaming to Polly after Tom hit him in the face with a handful of strawberry short cake, she slapped him down! Tom could now be a brat toward his brother with impunity. ....... Most of us can see both good and bad in the personalities of Tom and Sydney, although Tom is better equipped to face life's challenges. We hope that our kids will be somewhere between these two personality extremes......The episode with the 3 presumed drowned boys showing up for their own memorial service doesn't ring plausible. How did they get up to the church balcony, where they were alone, without someone recognizing them? Why didn't the preacher, who had a clear view of them, recognize them, unless his far vision was inadequate? He recognized them immediately, when they later sauntered down the aisle. See it in color at YouTube

Although it leaves important parts of the novel out -for budgetary reasons, I suppose-, what is in the film is all in the book, and to me it depicts the innocence and charm of Twain's children's world better than any other film adaptation has ever done. The Technicolor cinematography is absolutely fantastic, as well as the art direction. And the child actors are natural-born players, they are all perfect. And then we have dear old toothless Walter Brennan, one of my favourite American character actors and the first person ever to win three Academy Awards (1936, 1938 and 1940) as Muff Potter, the town drunk, a role he was born to play. David O'Selznick put the dollars in, and this film surely was a rehearsal for GWTW. And Norman Taurog, a director well experienced on working with children (Skippy, Huckleberry Finn, Boy's Town) at the helm. They made a film that will last forever.

I like the book a lot. It is quite episodic in structure, but the characters, dialogue and the story of Tom's adventures are very memorable. This is a very pleasant film and the best version by some considerable distance, like the book it is episodic but it does maintain its likability and charm with only Ann Gillis's rather coy performance and an underdeveloped Huck being the only real problems. Visually and technically, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is very impressive with gorgeous Technicolour, authentic costumes and lavish sets. (Uncredited) Max Steiner's score helps convey the moods of each scene, the film is faithful to the book(not that it needed to be particularly) with good dialogue and an intense confrontation with Injun Joe and it moves at a good pace. Tommy Kelly is a likable Tom, but it is May Robson and Victor Jory that make the film as memorable as it is. In conclusion, likable and pleasant and definitely something I would watch again willingly. 8/10 Bethany Cox

A glorious piece of Americana and a great film for children, this adaptation of Mark Twain's classic was directed by Norman Taurog, who was a dab hand at this sort of thing, (he had already won the Oscar for Skippy with Jackie Cooper), and is something of a classic itself. The very likable Tommy Kelly is Tom and it's a lovely performance, one of the least ingratiating by a child in all of American movies. He's untrained and innocent and when he cries he's actually very moving. Under Taurog's direction all of the children are first-rate; they all capture the spirit of Mark Twain perfectly. The adults include the great May Robson, magnificent as Aunt Polly, Victor Jory, a suitably frightening Injun Joe, Walter Brennan, Margaret Hamilton and Donald Meek. It's also luminously photographed in early colour by James Wong Howe. David O Selznick produced with all the care and attention to detail you would expect.