Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938)

Starring:Adventures of Tom Sayer
Studio: Legacy Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Tom Sawyer
Best Tom Sawyer
It's the most won-der-ful time... in your life!
A Glorious Experience!
Good family film

Tom Sawyer
Starring: Johnny Whitaker , Celeste Holm , Warren Oates , Jeff East , and Jodie Foster
Director: Don Taylor
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009UVCS0
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Amazon.com

The 1973 version of Tom Sawyer features Mark Twain's young hero in a rousing musical adventure. Much to the exasperation of his Aunt Polly (Celeste Holm), Tom (Johnny Whitaker) likes nothing better than going fishing with Huck Finn (Jeff East, who reprised the role a year later in Huckleberry Finn), spinning a tall tale, or convincing the other boys to whitewash a fence for him. But life gets complicated when a pretty girl moves in to town (a 10-year-old Jodie Foster), and then a friend runs into serious trouble and only Tom can bail him out. It's not a letter-for-letter adaptation of Twain, but it's entertaining, and the music (songs by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, score by John Williams) is fun, with such songs as "Tom Sawyer," "Gratisfaction," and "Free Bootin'." It's less lavish than 1970's Oliver!, but should appeal to the same audience. Like Oliver!, however, some parental discretion is advised due to a sinister villain (Kunu Hank's Injun Joe), implied violence, and scary situations. --David Horiuchi

Description

A mischievous orphan with a knack for tall tales, Tom lives with his exasperated aunt in the riverfront town of Hannibal, Missouri. Along with his ragtag best friend Huckleberry Finn (Jeff East) and his fetching sweetheart Becky Thatcher, Tom's life is a series of clever and irrepressible adventures. But when he and Huck witness a crime, Tom must decide if he will risk his life to exonerate town bum Muff Potter (Warren Oates).

Customer Reviews:

Tom Sawyer.......2007-05-07

Wonderful. We viewed the dvd at our school and the kids loved it!

Best Tom Sawyer.......2006-10-23

I won't add much to the other reviews. But Jody Foster is quite cute as Becky Thatcher. Although the lovely songs are by the Sherman brothers, the incidental music is by some guy named John Williams - one of his early efforts. Completists might want to make a note of that. Therefore the music played when Tom is running through the field (mentioned in another review) is John Williams'.

It's the most won-der-ful time... in your life!.......2006-08-24

Like many here my review reflects the dvd as a purchase and not only the "movie". I was shocked to see my widescreen smile go to a fullscreen frown in minutes. I then read the back of the box and realized the error of MGM's ways. Had I took the time to read this in the store I doubt I would have bought it, though in hindsight who knows when another issue will be made, I'll likely ditch this and get that when it does. The best part about this release (and most important) is the sound anyway, and WOW they squeeze a lot of mileage out of Stereo Surround! I then rechecked the box to see if this was 5.1 and it wasn't but man oh man you'd never guess it twasn't! The picture is grainy on certain shots, others it is clear and bright, and it bothers me there ain't a whisker of an extra, but I guess that's for the "special edition". 2/5

On with the show!

I really like this movie and always have. Being brought up on it I guess it's almost forced, almost like a religion, but watching this as an adult you certainly appreciate different things about the movie. I see Aunt Polly is VITAL to this movie, her lone performance raises this to another level. Celeste Holm was superbly cast! Johnny Whitaker in my mind IS Tom Sawyer however during casting I am surprised more thought wasn't put into casting a Tom that could, umm, you know, sing a note:) Jeff East as Huck has always been solid and Warren Oates as Muff Potter still shines. Watching this as full-grow'd man I do have regrets that more footage wasn't shot between the glorious Jody Foster's Becky and Johnny's Tom. That chemistry is almost scary considering it's comin' from young'ns. And who could forget the PC incorrect staggerin', "Injun Joe?!" He haunted us all but now we just sit back and laugh... gulp, I didn't mean to say that JOE!! No, he's still got that terror filled look. 4/5

While the songs can be a tad abrupt sometimes sprouting from dialogue they are generally fun and the melodies are almost always memorable. The theme song alone has been with me for many years. Overall, money comes and goes and while I would have liked to put mine towards a better edition, I doubt I could have put it towards a better Tom Sawyer, and yeah know, at this place in time that's all that really counts.

A Glorious Experience!.......2006-06-16

Tom Sawyer is a rascally young boy doing his best to grow-up carefree and mischievous on the banks of the Mississippi River in Hannibal, Missouri. He lives with his frustrated Aunt Polly and her children, goody-goody Sid, who has it in for Tom, and lovely Mary, who is Tom's only supporter when he gets himself into trouble. Tom's best friend is Huckleberry Finn, an outsider who lives off the land and water and has no one to look after him. The two boys love to fish, go swimming, play pirates on the river, and hang out with their pal, Muff Potter, the friendly town drunk. The days pass pretty much regularly like that for Tom, Huck, and their friends. That is, until two people shake up their world. One is a sweet little girl named Becky Thatcher, the daughter of the new judge in town. When Tom meets Becky, it's love at first sight. Unfortunately, the other disruption in the lives of Tom and Huck is not quite as benign. The menacing figure known as Injun Joe makes more than a little trouble for the boys when they witness him murdering the town doctor one night in the graveyard and putting the blame on poor Muff Potter! It suddenly becomes Tom's difficult decision of whether or not to break his pact of secrecy with Huck and save their innocent, drunken friend from the gallows!

If you are a fan of Mark Twain's delightful tales of boyhood adventure, AND if you love a good family musical, look no further than 1973's "Tom Sawyer." From MGM Studios and featuring the wonderful music of Disney faves the Sherman Brothers (conducted by John Williams!), "Tom Sawyer" is a treat for anyone with a sense of adventure and mischievous fun! Being a huge fan of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn movies, I have wanted to see this one for years. I had vague memories of seeing parts of it on the Disney Channel as a kid, and I finally picked it up on DVD at my local retailer for under 5 dollars. True, the DVD is in full screen, and it's also true that it cruelly teases us by presenting the trailer (the only extra feature) and film credits in widescreen(and this movie screams widescreen!), but for a price like that, it's worth picking up until a definitive edition comes along! The songs are fantastic! Naturally, it's the Sherman brothers! They do a wonderful job of capturing the feelings and situations of Mark Twain's classic characters! They're catchy too! You'll be singing them in your head long after the movie is over! The performances are top notch as well! Johnny Whitaker is exactly what I would think a young Mark Twain might have looked like, and he's perfect for the role of Tom, full of energy, scheming, and stretchers. Jeff East is wonderful as Huckleberry. Now, I'm dying to see him reprise the role in the sequel that came out a year later! Of course, everyone loves little Jodie Foster, here taking on the important role of Becky Thatcher. Celeste Holm and the rest of the cast are terrific too, but I'm going to name Warren Oates as my favorite in the lovable role of Muff Potter and with the highly enjoyable song "Man's Gotta Be (What He's Born To Be)." Of course, the story stays mostly true to what we've seen before on the screen, but the outstanding job done here in adapting "Tom Sawyer" into a musical version takes it to a whole new level! Perhaps the 1938 David O. Selznick version is still the best straight interpretation of the story (and I admit that Disney's 1995 teenie-bopper version, "Tom and Huck," is a guilty pleasure, but I LOVE Rachael Leigh Cook) , but if you're looking for something with a little extra "oomph," try out 1973's musical masterpiece, "Tom Sawyer."

Good family film.......2006-04-04

I remember watching this when I was a young boy. The next day I told my mother that I wanted to paint a fence, so she did the best she could: she got some old boards and some white paint and I took it from there.

It was good to see this after so many years. Overall, it's a very good film that merits a viewing. Kids should love it.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - 1938 [ IMPORT , ALL REGIONS ]

Average customer rating:

A well done reproduction
Tom Sawyer
"Why Tom Might Even Be President Some Day, If They Don't Hang Him First" ~ The Quintessential Tom Sawyer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - 1938 [ IMPORT , ALL REGIONS ]
Starring: Tommy Kelly , Jackie Moran , Ann Gillis , and May Robson
Director: Norman Taurog
Manufacturer: South Korea
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Adventures of Huck Finn
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Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1939)
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Product Features:

Adventures of Tom Sawyer

ASIN: B000LQ79W0

Product Description

Brand new DVD manufactured in South Korea. NTSC format playable on all DVD players, Sound in ENGLISH with optional Korean subtitles. ~~~~~Everybody knows him! Everybody loves him! He's everybody's favorite boy! Mark Twain's most beloved story

Customer Reviews:

A well done reproduction.......2007-03-31

When I first open the DVD I first thought it was going to be a low resolution copy. I was wrong it turns out to be high grade and in color.The only set back was the sound is a bit to loud and needs to be turn down by at lease -15 to -20 DB from my normal setting.If you don't know anything about Mark Twain or Tom Sawyer you will never learn anything from the DVD cover due to the fact everything is written in Korean. As an whole Hollywood don't make movies like this any more which will make you sad or laugh until you cry. This is one DVD that is rare and hard to find, but best of all an Item any one would be proud to have in there library.

Tom Sawyer.......2007-02-10

We received this DVD in the mail yesterday, and sat down to watch it after dinner that night. It is a colorized version, and was in English as promised. This DVD is for all regions, in NTSC format. Korean or Chinese subtitles can be put on screen if desired. The product description on the back of the DVD case is written in Korean, so I can't read it, but that's okay, I already knew what it's about ahead of time. This is a classic! So much better than the Tom Sawyer that Jodi Foster and Johnny Whitaker (1973 version) was in as a child stars. The acting is better by all characters in the movie. The sound on voices were a hair off compared to the lip movements on the DVD. Not enough to be distracting though. It is such a good movie, and so much like the book, watch this version of Tom Sawyer, you won't be sorry! I remember watching this as a kid, and being scared to death of the grave robbers. Now my kids are scared to death of the same scene, that's so funny, and great to watch their reactions to the different scenes of the movie. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, it's an all time classic!

"Why Tom Might Even Be President Some Day, If They Don't Hang Him First" ~ The Quintessential Tom Sawyer.......2006-12-29

Here it is the beloved '38 version of `The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' on DVD! Since this family classic is still not available in a region 1 U.S. release, why not try this region 0, full-screen Korean import presented in English, so no reading of subtitles is necessary. The print quality is surprisingly good. While the color is a little faded, the picture and sound is crisp and clear. If you're like me [over fifty] you probably watched this film on television over and over again as child. Most people didn't have a color set back then so chances are you've never seen it in color anyway.

I just finished watching the DVD and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Don't wait a minute longer, it's time to own one of the most cherished film classics ever!

Average customer rating:

MISLEADING TITLE
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938)
Starring: Adventures of Tom Sayer
Manufacturer: Legacy Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000676SLM
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Customer Reviews:

MISLEADING TITLE.......2005-12-28

BUYER BEWARE!!THIS DVD IS NOT THE ORIGINAL 1938 FILM. IT IS A CARTOON RELEASED IN 2005.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.......2005-04-09

Thinking that I was ordering the 1938 film classic, boy was I shocked and disappointed when I found a rip-off cartoon DVD with the same title in my mail. Amazon, shame on you for not giving out this info to the prospective buyer. Please make it known to customers that what you are selling is not the movie we are being led to believe is available. Film collectors Lawrence and Julia McNally, Yuma,Az.

Average customer rating:

Not Your Average Tom.

The Modern Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Starring: Erik Estrada , Arte Johnson , Kaye Ballard , David L. Lander , and Jack Carter (II)
Director: Adam Weissman
Manufacturer: D3k
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00004STGM
Release Date: 2000-03-21

Customer Reviews:

Not Your Average Tom........2002-02-24

THE MODERN ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER begins on an interesting premise, placing Mark Twain's Adventures of Tom Sawyer in modern suburban America. However, the film doesn't work really well. The budget of the picture was obviously low and much of the writing is rather corny. Tom Sawyer, Aunt Polly, and Becky Thatcher are the only major characters that remain true to Twain's original story. Huck Finn has been changed to a kid named Chuck who instead of being a "negative" influence upon Tom, is the one that Tom influences negatively. There are other instances of changing the story to make it politically correct and outside of the famous fence painting episode and a showdown between Tom and Joe at the end, there really isn't much left of Twain's original tale. Erik Estrada of "Chips" fame plays Joe, the phony developer who cons the town, and David L. Lander, who played Squiggy on "Laverne & Shirley", plays the Mayor. I didn't enjoy this film as much as I thought I would. However, overall the movie is a decent family flick that kids will enjoy, but doesn't contain much depth or substance.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer : Animated Classics Collection

Average customer rating:

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer : Animated Classics Collection

Manufacturer: Digiview Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Animated version of Mark Twain's classic tale.

Average customer rating:

Grand Adventure and Humor.
Great Movie, terrible DVD format
DVD Format Disappointment
The definitive Tom Sawyer film version.
Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer [Region 2]
Starring: Tommy Kelly , Jackie Moran , Ann Gillis , May Robson , and Walter Brennan
Director: H.C. Potter , George Cukor , and Norman Taurog
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - 1938 [ IMPORT , ALL REGIONS ]

ASIN: B00006RHUL

Customer Reviews:

Grand Adventure and Humor........2006-09-10

Story-telling at its best. Takes you back to life near the Mississippi river, before the Civil War, for a story of boyhood adventure. Plenty of humor. This 1938 color version, is the best version; worth seeing even if you have seen others.

Other great period, adventure movies are "Tom Brown's School Days 1935", "David Copperfield 1940 & 2000", "The Prince & the Pauper", "At Swords Point 1952", "Oliver Twist", "The Three Musketeers 1939", and "The Scarlet Pimpernel 1935".

Great Movie, terrible DVD format.......2006-08-08

I had been looking for this movie for, literally, decades when I found it on Amazon.com. This is one of the greatest, most memorable, movies of my childhood. Although the dialog and production are very 30's and very dated now, Mark Twain's timeless writing and the believability of the prime actors make this movie one of the unforgettables. Unfortunately, this great American classic is produced overseas and delivered in Region 2 format on DVD. That means Americans can't view it, unless, of course, they have a universal player. But, only the geeks own those or know how to jimmy theirs. I excitedly bought this DVD from Caiman and found out too late. The picture of the product clearly shows a "triangle U" in the lower right corner, which means it's Universal format. The DVD itself is labeled "globe 0" which means it should play on any player worldwide. But, it would play on only 1 of my 3 players. Caiman insisted it was Region 2 and that it was my problem. After much arguing with them I had to escalate to a manager to get my money back by pointing out the "triangle U" in the picture. I sent a report to Amazon.com but they were no help. An American company needs to get on the ball with this one and produce it for Region 1, or true Universal format. It's Mark Twain, for crying out loud!!

DVD Format Disappointment.......2006-07-13

This classic version of Tom Sawyer is by far the best that has been made. However, I was very disappointed when we received the DVD that it was in PAL format. Luckily we were able to play it on our computer. Why is an American story, filmed by an American company, sold in a format for Europeans? Why couldn't this be in the regular DVD format that all the other movies are?

The definitive Tom Sawyer film version........2003-12-15

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!

Adventures of Tom Sawyer.......2003-09-23

I'm not going to rate this movie b/c I want to see it on DVD. This is the classic version of Twain's novel. It's out on DVD region 2, why doesn't Amazon have a copy for region 1?

THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER with Tommy Kelly (Import Edition-NTSC format-Region 1-Playable in North America

Average customer rating:

THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER with Tommy Kelly (Import Edition-NTSC format-Region 1-Playable in North America

Manufacturer: BoYing
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Brand new, factory sealed DVD manufactured in Hong Kong. Original English dialog. Chinese subtitles can be easily turned off. Full screen color image. Cast includes Tommy Kelly, Jackie Moran, May Robson and Walter Brennan. The following review appears in Amazon for the VHS edition: "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."

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