Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Huckleberry Finn

  • 1974
  • G
  • 1h 58m
IMDb RATING
5.6/10
760
YOUR RATING
Huckleberry Finn (1974)
AdventureFamilyMusical

In 1840s Missouri, young Huckleberry Finn, wanting to escape his violent drunkard father, joins Black runaway slave Jim on a quest for freedom down the Mississippi River on a raft.In 1840s Missouri, young Huckleberry Finn, wanting to escape his violent drunkard father, joins Black runaway slave Jim on a quest for freedom down the Mississippi River on a raft.In 1840s Missouri, young Huckleberry Finn, wanting to escape his violent drunkard father, joins Black runaway slave Jim on a quest for freedom down the Mississippi River on a raft.

  • Director
    • J. Lee Thompson
  • Writers
    • Mark Twain
    • Robert B. Sherman
    • Richard M. Sherman
  • Stars
    • Jeff East
    • Paul Winfield
    • Harvey Korman
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.6/10
    760
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • J. Lee Thompson
    • Writers
      • Mark Twain
      • Robert B. Sherman
      • Richard M. Sherman
    • Stars
      • Jeff East
      • Paul Winfield
      • Harvey Korman
    • 15User reviews
    • 11Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos17

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 10
    View Poster

    Top cast48

    Edit
    Jeff East
    Jeff East
    • Huckleberry Finn
    Paul Winfield
    Paul Winfield
    • Jim
    Harvey Korman
    Harvey Korman
    • The King
    David Wayne
    David Wayne
    • The Duke
    Arthur O'Connell
    Arthur O'Connell
    • Col. Grangerford
    Gary Merrill
    Gary Merrill
    • Pap
    Natalie Trundy
    Natalie Trundy
    • Mrs. Loftus
    Lucille Benson
    Lucille Benson
    • Widder Douglas
    Kim O'Brien
    Kim O'Brien
    • Maryjane Wilks
    Jean Fay
    • Susan Wilks
    Ruby Leftwich
    • Miss Watson
    Odessa Cleveland
    Odessa Cleveland
    • Jim's Wife
    Joe Boris
    • Jason
    Danny Lantrip
    • Kyle
    Van Bennett
    • Wayne
    Linda Watkins
    Linda Watkins
    • Mrs. Grangerford
    Jean Combs
    • Miss Emmeline
    Francis Fawcett
    • Miss Charlotte
    • Director
      • J. Lee Thompson
    • Writers
      • Mark Twain
      • Robert B. Sherman
      • Richard M. Sherman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews15

    5.6760
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    7bkoganbing

    The optimism of Twain's work

    Mark Twain purists might take issue with the changes made in the story of the classic Huckleberry Finn. But I rather like the approach that was taken here and also the performance of Jeff East in the title role.

    This was East's second film, he debuted the previous year in Tom Sawyer also playing Huck Finn. Later on he would be young Clark Kent in the blockbuster Superman film.

    Harvey Korman and David Wayne are nothing short of brilliant as those two rogues the 'king' and the 'duke'. Both look like they are having a great old time. Gary Merrill is superb as Huck Finn's white trash Pap.

    In this post civil rights era film particular emphasis is placed on Huck's relationship with runaway slave Jim with whom he shares that raft on the Mississppi. The optimism of Twain's work stems from the white trash background that Huck has, but that how he thinks and reasons and generally tries to rise above it. Some very good scenes are shared with East and with Paul Winfield as Jim.

    The Sherman Brothers musical score is serviceable for the film, but nothing outstanding. The sets and cinematography really do convey life in the ante bellum souh and border states.

    You can't go wrong with this adaption of Huckleberry Finn.
    2moonspinner55

    A good director's worst film...

    Talented filmmaker J. Lee Thompson stages this musical version of Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" with artificial verve, and nothing in it looks quite right or plays at the appropriate tempo. Stolen from his guardians by his delinquent father, Huckleberry Finn stages his own death and hits the Mississippi River with friend Jim the Slave (why the two don't return to the sisters whom Jim works for is never made clear--both he and Huckleberry would certainly benefit from their generosity). Songwriters Richard and Robert Sherman, who also adapted the screenplay, seemed to lose their way musically once their mentor, Walt Disney, died; here, their songs are like leaden chapter stops in the narrative, not that the actors have much musical range. Teen star Jeff East doesn't even have music in his speaking voice, and he crawls through the picture lethargically, talking through his nose as if he had a cold. Paul Winfield fares better as Jim, though this pictorial, phony journey must have seemed quite a comedown after his "Sounder". Cinematographer László Kovács gets some beautiful shots of the raft on the water, but the limp direction and editing makes nearly all of Kovács' compositions look poorly framed. The color schemes are gloppy, with day scenes appearing as dusk and vice-versa. Director Thompson, who makes the white folks look like doddering scoundrels and the black folks look like grinning simpletons, can't work up a cohesive pace for the picture, and it jostles about from one poor vignette to the next. This was a follow-up by financiers Reader's Digest to 1973's "Tom Sawyer"; as with that film, a TV-version was right on their heels, in this case 1975's "Huckleberry Finn" starring Ron Howard and Donny Most. * from ****
    10rlane1000

    Classic. Wonderful Standout Performances by Harvey Korman and Tim Conway.

    Huge Mark Twain fan. In my opinion this is the very best production of Huckleberry Finn. Great choreography, costumes, and sets. It does have a musical element but it doesn't detract from the production but instead complements it. The movie does not have a juvenile feel to it and could be enjoyed by the entire family but with parental discretion as this deeper cultural issues are explored. If you enjoy this movie you should check out Tom Sawyer. It features cast reprisals and is a bit more lighthearted. Enjoy.
    8nqmedia

    A look bad at a time capsul

    Actually, not a bad film that follows the Twain book pretty well (probably because it's a Readers Digest production), but is about as dated as the book actually is and a product of the era in which the story takes place. This doesn't mean that the overall film doesn't hold a place in either American literature or film history. It's a musical without being an overpowering musical (which is good for me since I'm not a musical fan). Unfortunately, I see modern audiences avoiding this film without appreciating its innocence and morals and original intentions. If you've seen this film, what did you think of it?
    3wes-connors

    Huck and Jim Sing

    Unnecessary and unsatisfying musical rendering of Mark Twain's classic "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". At least, it captures the genuine friendship between Jeff East (as Huckleberry Finn) and Paul Winfield (as Jim). However, these two performers are much more likable in other projects. Interestingly, Mr. East portrayed "Huck" in 1973's similarly presented re-make of "Tom Sawyer", which was considered the better film. In my opinion, East would have been a better "Tom" than "Huck". Some of the photography is rather nice, especially during the more moody ending. The Sherman-Sherman musical numbers are well below standard. The movie doesn't seem much like the book. Roberta Flack sings "Freedom" to end it all, at last.

    *** Huckleberry Finn (1974) J. Lee Thompson ~ Jeff East, Paul Winfield, Harvey Korman

    More like this

    Tom Sawyer
    6.4
    Tom Sawyer
    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
    6.8
    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
    Huckleberry Finn
    6.3
    Huckleberry Finn
    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
    6.2
    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
    The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
    7.1
    The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
    Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn
    5.1
    Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn
    The Adventures of Huck Finn
    6.2
    The Adventures of Huck Finn
    Tom Sawyer
    6.1
    Tom Sawyer
    The Adventures of Huck Finn
    5.7
    The Adventures of Huck Finn
    Tom Sawyer
    6.2
    Tom Sawyer
    Back to Hannibal: The Return of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn
    6.2
    Back to Hannibal: The Return of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn
    Tom Sawyer
    5.9
    Tom Sawyer

    Related interests

    Still frame
    Adventure
    Drew Barrymore and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
    Family
    Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
    Musical

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This was the first musicalization of Huckleberry Finn. The next one happened 10 years later in 1985, on Broadway; it was "Big River." a hit show which ran for several years and won seven Tonys, including Best Musical.
    • Quotes

      Huckleberry Finn: I don't give a damn what the whole world says, 'cause if I'm doin' wrong--well--well, I hope I roast in hell forever.

    • Connections
      Follows Tom Sawyer (1973)
    • Soundtracks
      Freedom
      Written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman

      Performed by Roberta Flack

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ15

    • How long is Huckleberry Finn?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 24, 1974 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • MGM
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn: A Musical Adaptation
    • Filming locations
      • Mississippi River, Mississippi, USA
    • Production companies
      • Reader's Digest
      • Apjac International
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $3,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 58m(118 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.