This large cast, under the expert direction of Mike Curtiz, does more than justice to the Twain novel. In fact, with its beautiful photography, large budget and fine music score, one wonders why this really superior version of the Clemens' classic has rarely been shown on TV (and then, of course, in a grossly mutilated version). As far as I'm aware, it's not at present available on DVD either. Amazing! Episodes such as that on the deserted boat, tipped at a crazy angle, lapped by the green slime of the swamp, and the scene on board the steamer in which Finlay Currie expounds, in his delightfully resonant voice, the splendor and treachery of the Mississippi, are absolutely unforgettable.
