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Tom Sawyer (1973)

★★★½ — Tom Sawyer (1973)

This 1973 musical adaptation of Mark Twain's beloved 1876 novel was produced under an unusual partnership between United Artists, Apjac International (the production company behind the Planet of the Apes series), and Reader's Digest, who were making a concerted push into family film production around this period. Don Taylor directed, a filmmaker better known to later audiences for The Omen II (1978) and Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), and who had a reliable instinct for mainstream, unchallenging entertainment. Johnny Whitaker, fresh from his years on the American television series Family Affair, takes the lead, with Warren Oates providing an notably edgier presence as Injun Joe. The film was shot largely on location in Missouri, close to Twain's own stomping ground, lending it a period authenticity that studio-bound productions of the same era rarely managed.

I'm rating the movie not the book. They do not make movies like this any more. I've not read the book myself so I was thankfully going into this with very little knowledge of the story and according to other reviews, that could explain why I like it so much. I have nothing to compare it to. This is the sort of movie I'd watch as a child on a Sunday in the UK in the early 90s. It's a warm hug in movie form. It's endearing, it's loveable and it's enjoyable. I don't care about the politics or anything like that. I just know the film is a great family movie.

Rating: ★★★½ | Year: 1973 | Watched: 2025-06-15

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Where to watch (UK)

Stream: Amazon Prime Video · Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Rent: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video
Buy: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video
Physical: Amazon UK

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