tom sawyer

Although it's not a Disney film, 1973's musical adaptation of Tom Sawyer has all the earmarks of that studio's live-action output of the era including a script and songbook from Richard and Robert Sherman, the legendary composers behind classics like The Jungle Book and Mary Poppins. And while it lacks that certain extravagance the mouse house is known for, director Don Taylor's film has a loosely episodic style that works well for the material, even if Mark Twain's original story (like those reprinted by presenting sponsor Reader's Digest) is condensed and sanitized for family friendly consumption.

A precocious kid with a good soul, Tom Sawyer (played by red-headed child star Johnny Whitaker) aspires to nothing more than enjoying himself every day. Unfortunately, the strict guidelines of an education and his Aunt Polly's house rules often get in the way of goofing off with his pal Huckleberry Finn (Jeff East) and colorful local characters like town drunk Muff Potter (Warren Oates). But a pair of unexpected events force Tom to grow up sooner than he'd like.

On a nighttime excursion, Tom and Huck are witness to a murder committed by Injun Joe, a murder that's blamed on their friend Muff Potter who's sure to hang for the crime. Meanwhile, Tom falls hard for his new neighbor Becky Thatcher (Jodie Foster), whose father just happens to be the judge that will decide Muff's fate. When Tom finally does the right thing, he's faced with some life or death decisions that shake up the whole town of Hannibal, Missouri and place himself and Becky in jeopardy.

Innocuous enough to play regularly on television throughout the '70s, Tom Sawyer still has moments of violence and danger that might shock the younger set (Injun Joe's courtroom outburst and the cavern chase scene still work very well). But it's intent is pure entertainment, with a selection of superb, if not quite unforgettable, songs by the Sherman brothers. The idealized nostalgia of it all could have been a cloying mess, but the actors (especially leads Whittaker, East and Foster) inhabit their roles so well that the genuine enthusiasm for Twain's material comes through in spades. And John Williams (Star Wars) spunky score is a great match for the Sherman's lyrical genius.

The quick follow-up, Huckleberry Finn (1974), is more cinematic thanks to some elegant photography by Laszlo Kovacs (who did Paper Moon the same year) but is a poor fit for the musical format. Twain's story touches on so many controversial issues of racism involving Jim (Paul Winfield), a runaway slave who joins with Huck on a perilous journey to the free states, that when a song kicks in it feels downright disrespectful. Perhaps that's why the Sherman brother's include so few this time around, saving a real showstopper for Harvey Korman's con artist character who hijacks a good portion of the film. But it's Winfield's performance that rises to the top, offering a heartfelt and sincere portrayal amidst a production that's not sure which way to tilt Twain's material.

Twilight Time's 3000-copy limited edition Blu-ray is a sight for sore eyes for those with fond memories of these titles. The transfers themselves aren't outright revelations (Tom Sawyer in particular looks a bit faded and flat...but perhaps that's the choice of film stock) and the audio has some muted moments as well. But as a double-feature on one disc - with plenty of extras attached to Tom Sawyer including two audio commentary tracks, a River Song featurette, rehearsal footage with John Williams and the Sherman brothers, isolated music track, liner notes and trailers - it's worth whitewashing a few fences to save up and buy a copy!