Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn

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^[1]and the working title was The Further Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.^[2] 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.^[3] The movie features early roles for Cynthia Nixon and Anthony Michael Hall (co-starring as Huck). It was the first role for then child actor 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.^[4]

Plot and context

The movie is set shortly after the ending of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as St. Petersburg prepares for its 50th anniversary. Although billed as a sequel, the teleplay includes several elements of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Huckleberry bristling at the Widow Douglas' attempts to civilize him; Tom being caught by Aunt Polly while eating stolen jam; Tom and Huck's mysterious disappearance alarming the town; Tom eagerly smoking Huck's corncob pipe and getting sick; a scary journey through perilous underground caverns; an elaborate scheme to save a slave, etc.

The story sends Tom and Huck on an unexpected adventure after they overhear con artists planning to bilk the citizens of St. Petersburg. The boys flee town, followed closely by Scree, the sinister leader of the villains, who is determined to do away with them. Huck and Tom are temporarily separated, as Huck hides out with a would-be cardsharp (Ed Begley Jr.) and Tom falls into Scree's clutches. Reunited, Tom and Huck fall in with a ragtag traveling circus, help a freed slave (J.D. Hall) save his sister from a loathsome, wealthy family, and compete for the affections of the circus owner's lovely daughter (Nixon). In the end, Tom and Huck expose the scheme and save the day, but at the celebratory dinner honoring them, Tom catches a glimpse of what looks like a pirate wandering around outside the window and he and Huck sneak out of the party, looking for a new escapade.

Cast

• Patrick Creadon as Tom Sawyer
• Anthony Michael Hall as Huck Finn
• Anthony James as Scree
• Allyn Ann McLerie as Aunt Polly
• Ed Begley Jr. as Jeb
• Cynthia Nixon as Alice
• John Harkins as Mr. Clinch
• Hansford Rowe as Colon Beeton
• Anthony Zerbe as Arco the Magnificent
• J.D. Hall as George

Reception

The film was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards in 1982 in the categories of editing, sound and art direction. Film Score Monthly noted it is "best remembered today for its highly enjoyable score by a young James Horner, completed mere days before he began work on his breakout success, 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'." ^[5] Leonard Maltin gave the film an "Average" rating in Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide. Gannett News Service TV critic Bill Hayden said, "Wholesome, diverting and entertaining describe this production. ... What it lacks in substance, it makes up for in pace, moving along fast enough to keep its young audience interested and grownups from becoming bored." ^[6]Sky Cinema ^[7] said the film "looks good but lacks much of the flavour and bite of the original. All but the most undemanding of children are likely to get restless somewhere along the route of this rambling narrative which provides our heroes with adventures among slaves, con-men, outlaws and a circus." In "American Literature on Stage and Screen: 525 Works and Their Adaptations," Thomas S. Hischak calls the film "a highly entertaining kids' movie but not a true Twain work." Associated Press critic Fred Rothenberg deemed it "a ripoff, and a miserable one at that. ... so boring, it gives running away from home a bad name."^[8] John J. O'Connor of The New York Times News Service noted, "Tom and Huck (Patrick Creadon and Anthony Michael Hall respectively) are, of course, the rascals, refusing to go to choir practice and sneaking smokes in empty pickle barrels. ... By the time the boys emerge victorious back home ("Ain't it grand to be heroes," beams Tom), the action has flagged considerably in a number of spots, but the production, filmed in Natchez, Miss., continues to look good throughout. The young'uns might appreciate several of the less obvious plot contrivances." ^[9]

Video release

According to The Palm Beach Post, the film was released on VHS by Playhouse Video in 1987 ^[10]. It has never officially been issued on DVD or Blu-ray.

References

External links

• Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn on IMDb