Huckleberry Finn (1974 film)

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Huckleberry Finn
Huckleberry Finn (1974) poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by J. Lee Thompson
Written by Robert B. Sherman
Richard M. Sherman
Produced by Arthur P. Jacobs
Starring
Cinematography László Kovács
Edited byMichael F. Anderson
Music bySongs:
Richard M. Sherman
Robert B. Sherman
Score:
Fred Werner
Production
companies
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
  • May 24, 1974 (1974-05-24)
Running time
118 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Huckleberry Finn is a 1974 musical film version of Mark Twain's 1884 novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn .

Contents

The movie was produced by Reader's Digest and Arthur P. Jacobs (known for his role in the production of the Planet of the Apes films) and directed by J. Lee Thompson. It stars Jeff East as Huckleberry Finn and Paul Winfield as Jim. The film contains original music and songs, such as "Freedom" and "Cairo, Illinois", by the Sherman Brothers: Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.

This film followed the previous year's highly successful Tom Sawyer , based on Twain's 1876 novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , also produced and written by the same team and starring East in the role of Huckleberry Finn.

Synopsis

Huckleberry Finn (Jeff East) is a boy from Missouri living with a kindly widow and her sister who has taken him in. One day his father (Gary Merrill), previously thought dead, shows up because he heard of treasure Huck had found. Huck's father essentially kidnaps the boy, wanting $1,000 for his safe return. Staging his own death, Huck escapes and meets up with the kindly slave Jim (Paul Winfield). Together they travel downriver, in search of Jim's freedom.

Cast

Production

The film was a sequel to Tom Sawyer, which was financed from United Artists and Reader's Digest. Even before that film had been released, producer Arthur Jacobs arranged for finance for a sequel based on Huckleberry Finn. The director was J. Lee Thompson, with whom Jacobs had worked several times, most recently on two Planet of the Apes films. [1]

Paul Winfield said he would only agree to the movie if the producer and director would guarantee there would be no "singing slaves". [1] "Gone with the Wind was one of the traumas of my life," said Winfield. [2]

Like Tom Sawyer, the film was shot in Arrow Rock and Lupus, Missouri. It was also shot in Natchez, Mississippi. Filming started 18 June 1973. [3]

Filming had only just began when Arthur Jacobs died of a heart attack in Los Angeles. Robert Blumofe was assigned to take over time. Filming resumed after the break of one day. Natalie Trundy, Jacobs' wife, had a role in the film and had to fly back to Los Angeles then return to location. [4]

Paul Winfield was arrested for possession of marijuana in his hotel room. (He claimed he had been sent it in the mail and was framed.) Thompson said the treatment by Winfield of the local police was "abominable" and that "I would never encourage a company to come to Natchez again." [1] This comment upset the Natchez media who wrote articles critical of Thompson. Thompson retracted his comments about the town but maintained the police had shown prejudice towards Winfield. [5]

Director J. Lee Thompson had problems with the synchronized musical direction. The third major problem was the unfortunate timing of writer Robert B. Sherman's knee operation.

Roberta Flack sang "Freedom" but insisted on having a guitar backing to her recording. She later threatened to sue if the original cast album was released with a dominant orchestral backing, and so although the album was recorded and printed, it was never released.

Despite these setbacks, the film still achieved some success and some of the film's songs, including "Freedom", are still considered classics.

Songs

The songs and score were written by the Sherman Brothers.

  1. "Freedom". Sung by Roberta Flack (who did not approve of the musical arrangement and threatened a lawsuit if the original cast album were not remixed to her liking)
  2. "Someday, Honey Darlin'". Sung by Paul Winfield
  3. "Rotten Luck". Sung by Gary Merrill (the entire song was filmed sans-sync except for the final line of the song in which we see Merrill look back at the cabin and say, "And now my luck... It ain't so bad!")
  4. "Cairo, Illinois". Sung by Jeff East and Paul Winfield
  5. "A Rose In A Bible"
  6. "Royalty!". Sung by Harvey Korman and David Wayne
  7. "The Royal Nonesuch". Sung by Harvey Korman
  8. "What's Right, What's Wrong?" Sung by Jeff East
  9. "Into His Hands". Sung by Harvey Korman

Reception

The Los Angeles Times called it "hardly unpleasant but it is surprisingly dull." [6] The New York Times called it "a lavish bore". [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Jim (<i>Huckleberry Finn</i>) Fictional character

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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a 1960 American drama film directed by Michael Curtiz. Based on the 1884 novel of the same name by Mark Twain, it was the third sound film version of the story and the second filmed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film was the first adaptation of Huckleberry Finn to be filmed in CinemaScope and Technicolor. It stars Eddie Hodges as Huck and former boxer Archie Moore as the runaway slave Jim. Tony Randall also appeared in the film, and Buster Keaton had a bit role in what proved to be his final film for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, his former studio. Neville Brand portrayed Pap Finn, Huck's alcoholic father.

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Huckleberry Finn is a 1931 American pre-Code adventure comedy film directed by Norman Taurog, and written by Grover Jones and William Slavens McNutt, based on Mark Twain's 1884 novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It stars Jackie Coogan as Tom Sawyer, Mitzi Green as Becky Thatcher, Junior Durkin as Huckleberry Finn, and Jackie Searl as Sid Sawyer.

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Back to Hannibal: The Return of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn is a 1990 American television family drama film directed by Paul Krasny and written by Roy Johansen, based on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. It aired on the Disney Channel on October 21, 1990. In the film, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn work to save their friend Jim from a charge of murder.

<i>Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn</i> 2014 American film

Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn is a 2014 American comedy-drama/adventure film directed by Jo Kastner and starring Joel Courtney as Tom Sawyer, Jake T. Austin as Huckleberry Finn, Katherine McNamara as Becky Thatcher, Noah Munck as Ben Rogers, and with Val Kilmer as Mark Twain. It is based on Mark Twain's novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884). The film was released by VMI Worldwide.

<i>The Adventures of Tom Sawyer</i> 1876 novel by Mark Twain

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is an 1876 novel by Mark Twain about a boy growing up along the Mississippi River. It is set in the 1840s in the town of St. Petersburg, which is based on Hannibal, Missouri, where Twain lived as a boy. In the novel, Tom Sawyer has several adventures, often with his friend Huckleberry Finn. Originally a commercial failure, the book ended up being the best selling of Twain's works during his lifetime. Though overshadowed by its 1884 sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the book is considered by many to be a masterpiece of American literature. It was one of the first novels to be written on a typewriter.

Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn is a 1982 American made-for-television adventure film originally broadcast February 27, 1982 on CBS as the TV Movie of the Week. CBS financed the film with a $2.2 million budget and the working title was The Further Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. The film was shot on location in Natchez, Mississippi in the fall of 1981 where the filmmakers added dirt to the street of the historic town. The movie features early roles for Cynthia Nixon and Anthony Michael Hall. It was the first major role for then-child actor and future award-winning filmmaker Patrick Creadon, who starred as Tom. The teleplay was written by Carlos Davis and David Taylor. It was directed by Dick Lowry and produced by his brother Hunt Lowry.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Movies: 'Huck Finn' Company Totes a Heavy Load on Ol' Man River 'Huck' Company on Ol' Man River Archibald, John J. Los Angeles Times 19 Aug 1973: o22.
  2. ↑ Paul Winfield's Career...: ... The Past Is Always Present Haber, Joyce. Los Angeles Times 14 Apr 1974: m13.
  3. ↑ If I Were a Nell. I'd Be Singing: EVERY DAY IS LADIES' DAY FOR THEM SELECTED SHORTS ONE OF THE TRIBE If I Were Little Nell... By A.H. WEILER. New York Times 18 Mar 1973: 139.
  4. ↑ 'Henri' Kissinger Toasts the French Haber, Joyce. Los Angeles Times 3 July 1973: b6.
  5. ↑ Raft of turmoil... in a shifting Mississippi: In a shifting Mississippi... ... a raft of turmoil Siskel, Gene. Chicago Tribune 26 Aug 1973: e3.
  6. ↑ MOVIE REVIEW: 'Huck' Dances to New Tune Champlin, Charles. Los Angeles Times 19 June 1974: d12.
  7. ↑ Screen: A Vapid 'Huckleberry Finn' By LAWRENCE VAN GELDER. New York Times 25 May 1974: 16. NY Times archive
Bibliography
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