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The Adventures of Mark Twain

  • 1985
  • G
  • 1h 26m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
3.7K
YOUR RATING
The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985)
Trailer for The Adventures of Mark Twain
Play trailer2:18
1 Video
99+ Photos
Stop Motion AnimationActionAdventureAnimationFamilyFantasySci-Fi

Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher and Huck Finn join Mark Twain on his airship to meet Halley's Comet.Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher and Huck Finn join Mark Twain on his airship to meet Halley's Comet.Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher and Huck Finn join Mark Twain on his airship to meet Halley's Comet.

  • Director
    • Will Vinton
  • Writers
    • Susan Shadburne
    • Mark Twain
    • Daniel Yost
  • Stars
    • James Whitmore
    • Michele Mariana
    • Gary Krug
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    3.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Will Vinton
    • Writers
      • Susan Shadburne
      • Mark Twain
      • Daniel Yost
    • Stars
      • James Whitmore
      • Michele Mariana
      • Gary Krug
    • 34User reviews
    • 22Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    The Adventures of Mark Twain
    Trailer 2:18
    The Adventures of Mark Twain

    Photos205

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    Top cast31

    Edit
    James Whitmore
    James Whitmore
    • Mark Twain
    • (voice)
    Michele Mariana
    • Becky Thatcher
    • (voice)
    • …
    Gary Krug
    • Huck Finn
    • (voice)
    Chris Ritchie
    • Tom Sawyer
    • (voice)
    John Morrison
    • Adam
    • (voice)
    Carol Edelman
    • Eve
    • (voice)
    Dal McKennon
    Dal McKennon
    • Jim Smiley
    • (voice)
    • (as Dallas McKennon)
    Herb Smith
    • The Stranger
    • (voice)
    Marley Stone
    • Aunt Polly
    • (voice)
    Wilbur Vincent
    • The Mysterious Stranger
    • (voice)
    Wally Newman
    • Captain Stormfield
    • (voice)
    Tim Conner
    • Three-Headed Alien
    • (voice)
    Todd Tolces
    • Saint Peter
    • (voice)
    Billy Scream
    • The Indexivator
    • (voice)
    • …
    Bob Griggs
    • First Heckler
    • (voice)
    Coward Wholesale
    • Second Heckler
    • (voice)
    Tom Gasek
    • Man in Crowd
    • (voice)
    • …
    Sally Sopwith
    • Woman in Crowd
    • (voice)
    • Director
      • Will Vinton
    • Writers
      • Susan Shadburne
      • Mark Twain
      • Daniel Yost
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews34

    7.23.7K
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    Featured reviews

    9imlanglois

    Thoughtful, fun, and dark

    I must have seen The Adventures of Mark Twain for the first time over twelve years ago, and for over a decade it had haunted me... rarely, if ever, rebroadcast, I was left only with vague memory of what I remembered as one of the most vibrant pieces of visual art and storytelling that I was exposed to as a youth. I recently purchased it directly from the studio that released it, and got to return to it for the first time in a long time. Of course, when returning to childhood films, you always run the risk of being disappointed by the film being worse than you recall. Luckily, I was not disappointed at all. The story is of Mark Twain's characters Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, and Becky Thatcher as they stow on board an airship created by Mark Twain himself. Through the course of their journey across the world to meet Haley's comet, we are invited to retellings of Twain stories and meet all sorts of different characters. The humour is intelligent and dry, but not over the heads of children.

    Visually, this piece is stunning. There is something vivid and tactile about stop-motion animation that will always appeal to me more than any CGI creation. Will Vinton outdoes himself with this piece. From the grandeur of Twain's airship or the Garden of Eden, to the detail of Twain's parlour/billiard room and the simple, truthful human expressions that the animators manage to create on the characters' faces, the film is impressive from first to last.

    What surprised me the most is how this film, which I remembered as a children's or family film, is in fact quite dark. It deals with aspects of life, death, evil, and human nature that one would never expect in a so-called "family" film. But while the outward darkness, and, at times, even morbidity of individual aspects may seem inappropriate for family viewing, it comes from the sane and grounded perspective that Twain himself seems to have been known for. Like in any good storytelling, the dark side of humanity is not spared from the viewer just because of the potentially youthful audiences.

    By way of criticism, the film could definitely move at a faster pace. The humour, while clever and dry, as I said, could have been pushed farther. There were many times the film set us up for quite a punchline and then didn't deliver, instead settling for a consistent level of pleasant amusement. And I wish the episodic structure had been more fully taken advantage of, and had been extended into even more stories. But that may just be me wishing the movie was longer than 86 minutes. You can't have too much of a good thing.

    I give the storytelling an 8 out of 10, and visuals a 10 of 10. Overall, a 9. There aren't too many of those, as far as I'm concerned.

    And even if you didn't like this movie, you gotta admit, it's one of a kind.
    morgannac

    Great and Should be a classic

    I love this movie! I can't believe it's not even available on VHS. My TV tape copy is dying and I can't replace it. I'll have to look at transferring it to DVD from tape.

    This is a great fantasy tale of Mark Twain and Halley's Comet with Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher, and Huck Finn. I love all the sidepieces just on their own: the story of Adam and Eve, how everyone's heaven is not the same, and the mysterious stranger, the time machine.

    It is also an excellent example of Claymation. This should definitely be a classic. If someone like Disney created this, this would have made it to DVD or even VHS by now.
    10democracys-1

    best unknown movie ever

    I know this is going to sound like hyperbole, but this makes my list of the ten best movies EVER. What a shame it's so obscure. Highly recommended, for older kids and adults. A bit dark and scary for younger kids.

    The script draws in some of the more obscure Twain works such as The Mysterious Stranger and Tom And Huck Abroad, and does so seamlessly. The claymation is excellent. It really gives you sense of both the humor, darkness, and humanity of Mark Twain. Just a great, great movie, and an excellent overview of Twain and his work.

    BTW, I believe that there is a later live-action movie with the same title (The Adventures Of Mark Twain), so don't get the wrong one.
    10red_phoenixk

    A eclectic movie beyond excellence, it's something else!

    I don't know how they did it. This movie is as close to memorable as "movie magic" will ever get. As i sifted through the previously posted comments i came to realize that i wasn't the only one who was completely "tranced" by its animation and story line as a little kid. Unbelievable! Kudos to those who did it.

    I watched it only once before, i think i was around 7, and i NEVER EVER forgot about it! Then i watched it again yesterday, and then an avalanche of unexplained and repressed memories came down trickling as things became clearer. Well, a bit more clearer!

    At any rate, now that i know what it's about, i can't say i am disappointed. This time nostalgia really paid out. Beautiful movie, even if broody, in every respect. That said, this clearly isn't a movie for everyone.
    9EmperorNortonII

    No Ordinary Steamboat Ride

    "The Adventures of Mark Twain" is a fascinating animated feature. The clever mind of Will Vinton fashioned a masterpiece from the works of one of America's greatest writers. Seeing stories like "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" and "The Diaries of Adam and Eve" fleshed out in animation is something else. Of course, it's doubtful that any studio today would make an animated film exactly like this. Still, I'd think it's a wonderful way to introduce younger people to classic American literature.

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    Related interests

    Dakota Fanning in Coraline (2009)
    Stop Motion Animation
    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    Still frame
    Adventure
    Daveigh Chase, Rumi Hiiragi, and Mari Natsuki in Spirited Away (2001)
    Animation
    Drew Barrymore and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
    Family
    Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
    Fantasy
    James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Sci-Fi

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This is the first full-length feature in clay animation.
    • Goofs
      All the characters pronounce Halley's Comet with a long a. The comet is named for Sir Edmund Halley, whose name is pronounced with a short a. This is also an error nobody would have made at the time, as this mispronunciation only began with the band Bill Hailey and the Comets.
    • Quotes

      The Mysterious Stranger: Life itself is only a vision. A dream. Nothing exists, save empty space and you. And you... are but a thought.

    • Connections
      Featured in Festival of Claymation (1987)
    • Soundtracks
      Heroes
      Music by Billy Scream and Paul Jameson

      Lyrics by Susan Shadburne

      Performed by the Billy Scream Band, lead vocalist: Craig Carothers

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 26, 1985 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Adventures of Mark Twain by Huck Finn
    • Filming locations
      • Portland, Oregon, USA
    • Production companies
      • Will Vinton Studios
      • Atlantic
      • Harbour Towns
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $849,915
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $226,525
      • Jan 19, 1986
    • Gross worldwide
      • $849,915
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 26m(86 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono

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