Tom Sawyer *** (1973, Johnny Whitaker, Celeste Holm, Warren Oates, Jeff East, Jodie Foster) – Classic Movie Review 9486

Director Don Taylor’s 1973 family musical adventure Tom Sawyer is the fourth talkie version of the Mark Twain classic novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, coming appropriately from Reader’s Digest. It is aimed squarely at children with its jaunty air, Disneyfied moppets and Sherman Brothers tunes.

Tom Sawyer is a moderate success, thanks mainly to the handsome production, the pretty Missouri River location filming, Frank Stanley’s superb colour cinematography and the casting – Johnny Whitaker as Tom Sawyer, Jeff East as Huckleberry Finn, and little miss Jodie Foster no less as Becky Thatcher, who are all pretty cute.

Robert B Sherman and Richard M Sherman’s mild script and their unmemorable songs are the slight letdowns. Adults might prefer to look to Celeste Holm (Aunt Polly), Warren Oates (Muff Potter), Lucille Benson (Widder Douglas), Henry Jones (Mr Dobbins) and Noah Keen (Judge Thatcher) for entertaining performances.

Johnny Whitaker gives Jodie Foster her first on-screen kiss in the film. He previously starred with Foster in Disney’s Napoleon and Samantha (1972).

Whitaker beat out for 4,000 boys tested for the lead role. He recalled in 2016 that he wanted to go to summer camp and not to film the movie.

Also in the cast are Dub Taylor, Richard Eastham, Sandy Kenyon, Joshua Hill Lewis, Susan Joyce, Steve Hogg, Sean Summers, and Kunu Hank.

Huckleberry Finn followed in 1974, with Jeff East.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9486

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