This review is of the full 91 minute version. There's another one out that's about 77 minutes.
I haven't read "Tomy Sawyer" since I was a kid (I'm in my 40s now) but this movie bought back a lot of good memories! Tom Sawyer (Tommy Kelly) is being bought up by his Aunt Polly (May Robson) along with cousin Mary and the vicious Sid (David Holt). Tom is constantly getting into trouble with his buddy Huckleberry Finn (Jackie Moran). In the course of the movie Tom falls for cute Becky Thatcher (Ann Gillis), runs away from home, witnesses a murder and it ends with him and Becky being chased by the killer. OK--this is far from perfect. Kelly was an unknown--and it shows. He's not good at all. Also the film is episodic...but so was the novel. There's also a young black kid here who comes across as an idiot and is treated pretty badly. I realize that's a sign of its time but it's uncomfortable to watch now. Still this is worth catching.
The color is beautiful and the film moves very quickly. Kelly aside all the acting is good (Robson does wonders with her stereotypical role) and I was never bored. The very last bit with Sid and Aunt Polly was just perfect! It also bought back the book to me--I was remembering entire sequences I haven't read since I was a kid. This is also perfect viewing for the entire family. Well-made and worth catching. Try catching the full version.
I haven't read "Tomy Sawyer" since I was a kid (I'm in my 40s now) but this movie bought back a lot of good memories! Tom Sawyer (Tommy Kelly) is being bought up by his Aunt Polly (May Robson) along with cousin Mary and the vicious Sid (David Holt). Tom is constantly getting into trouble with his buddy Huckleberry Finn (Jackie Moran). In the course of the movie Tom falls for cute Becky Thatcher (Ann Gillis), runs away from home, witnesses a murder and it ends with him and Becky being chased by the killer. OK--this is far from perfect. Kelly was an unknown--and it shows. He's not good at all. Also the film is episodic...but so was the novel. There's also a young black kid here who comes across as an idiot and is treated pretty badly. I realize that's a sign of its time but it's uncomfortable to watch now. Still this is worth catching.
The color is beautiful and the film moves very quickly. Kelly aside all the acting is good (Robson does wonders with her stereotypical role) and I was never bored. The very last bit with Sid and Aunt Polly was just perfect! It also bought back the book to me--I was remembering entire sequences I haven't read since I was a kid. This is also perfect viewing for the entire family. Well-made and worth catching. Try catching the full version.