The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960)

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Adaptation-wise, die-hard fans of the book will find plenty of fault. On its own this film is not bad at all, actually from this viewer's perspective it was decent. Of the 5 Huckleberry Finn adaptations on film that I've seen it is around the middle, with the 1938 Mickey Rooney film being the best and the 1975 Ron Howard film(the only one of the 5 that was anywhere close to bad) being the worst. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn(1970) could have been better. Eddie Hodges was a little weak and somewhat too prim for Huck and while there are some tense, heart-warming and moving moments the storytelling could have been much stronger. The additions and some omissions didn't always make the narrative cohesive(for example much more could have been done with the ending)- though the Ron Howard does a much worse job at this- and because the grimmer parts of the book are trimmed down or diluted there are times, not always mind, where things did come across as a little on the "cute" side. The adaptation is beautifully filmed though with evocative and quite charming locations and river settings(where the photography was at its most striking). The music score is rousing, foreboding and poignant at all the times it's called for and it is placed appropriately, while the scripting is colourful and generally makes an effort to capture the spirit of Mark Twain's own writing and while not all the storytelling is as good as it could've been it is difficult not to be moved by Jim's talking of his deaf child(something that anybody would identify with). The acting is good generally. Archie Moore is just great and very dignified as Jim(his chemistry with Hodges just about convinces), while Neville Brand is a brutish Pap, Mickey Shaughnessy is appropriately oafish with an ability to be menacing and humorous and Tony Randall's King is superbly conniving. Buster Keaton and Andy Devine also make lively appearances in one of the more delightful and chemistry-strong scenes of the film. All in all, a decent film but "purists" may want to look elsewhere. 7/10 Bethany Cox

I just watched this movie on Turner Classic Movies and I really enjoyed it. I don't know how closely it follows the book, as I haven't read this book, just "Tom Sawyer", but I find the movie to be a great family movie. It was fun watching Huck get out of one scrape just in time to get into another. He was always on the run, along with the Widow Douglas' slave, Jim. It made think back to my boyhood days and honestly, it made my boyhood adventures look dull. The plot hearkens back to a time when life was simple and offered more freedom to boys then today's world does. I'm not sure the movie is entirely realistic, but that's quite all right with me. The acting was well done, the colour quality was great for 1960, and the whole plot flowed quite smoothly. I didn't quite understand the ending, which I won't spoil for you. If you like tales of boyhood adventure from an America the world will never see again, you have to see Huck Finn. And it's got some of the greatest actors of the day in it as well. What more can you ask for.10/10

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the movie, has been criticized for various reasons. Many believe that in making the movie humorous and enjoyable for audience, it dissolves Mark Twain's message about slavery and twists the plot line of the book. In my opinion, this is a great movie that kept me laughing, crying, and on the edge of my seat. It is true that this movie is very different than the book. For example, in the book, Huck never becomes a cabin boy, and the Kind and the Duke never try to kill Huck. These differences, however, kept me wondering what would happen next. The ending was unpredictable, and that made the movie interesting. Mark Twain's message about the moral injustices of slavery is very prominent in the book, but not so prominent in the movie. This movie, however, was intended for entertainment purposes. If you have read this book, you will enjoy the movie. If you haven't read the book, you will also enjoy the movie, but keep in mind that it is nothing like the book. There has been much controversy about the portrayal of Jim and how it denigrates blacks. I do not agree. Jim is actually very smart, and he has another side that he doesn't let Huck see. For example, Jim knows all along that Huck's father was dead, but he cared about Huck enough to not tell him. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a great movie. I recommend it to all audiences!

From the man who directed "Casablanca" and "Yankee Doodle Dandy" comes a colourful, humorous video version of Mark Twain's timeless novel. The casting is superb. It's hard to think of any other actors from the early 1960s in these roles, they are so well chosen. Especially impressive is pro boxer Archie Moore as Jim. His scene where he's talking about his deaf child is heart-wrenching, quite a feat for a cross over athlete. The child actor who plays Huck is very good as well. My honourable mention goes to Tony Randall and Mickey Shaughnessy who make a great comedy team as the King and the Duke. They are simply hilarious. Although many of Twain's adventures are deleted, most of the better known and interesting characters and scenes are included. Many of these characters are played by Hollywood legends like Sterling Holloway(the voice of Winnie the Pooh and Jiminy Cricket), Judy Canova, John Carradine, Neville Brand, and Buster Keaton. All in all, a highly recommended family film.