weezeralfalfa This is one of a number of film adaptations of Mark Twain's classic novel of the same title. I haven't seen any others to compare. Although Eddie Hodges, as Huck Finn, and Archie Moore, as African American slave Jim, are the principle characters, I vote for Tony Randall as giving the stand out acting performance, as con man the 'King', along with his accomplice Mickey Shaughnessy, as the 'Duke'........In general, I found it an entertaining experience. Neville Brand plays Huck's scary ne'er do well alcoholic father, Papy, who is always criticizing Huck. He even accuses Huck of murdering his mother, since she died in childbirth. Jose Hutchinson plays the widow Douglas, who takes Huck in, being essentially an orphan. Jim, slave to the widow, runs away after he heard that she was planning on selling him to raise money to meet Papy's demand for not taking Huck way. Jim is also accused of probably murdering Huck, in Huck's staged suggestion that he had been attacked and thrown in the river. These two runaways meet and steal a raft to float down the Mississippi.......I have several reality issues to discuss. Jim's stated goal is to float down to Cairo, Illinois, a free state, and head north. But, Hannibal , Missouri, where he started from, is well north of Cairo. So, why couldn't he simply raft over to the Illinois side of the river and claim freedom?? 2)Jim recognizes the corpse in the derelict house boat they run into as being that of Papy, and refuses to allow Huck to see in that room. How did Papy's corpse wind up there? He lived in a shack. 3)Why are the King and the Duke on the steamboat that picked up Huck and Jim? They were arrested by the sheriff and presumably put in jail, unless they simply paid a fine for impersonating, with the intent of robbing an inheritance. See it In color at YouTube

Kelsey C.A. 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!

kirk_bones From the opening scene of the sun setting over the Missisippi,this film takes you on a magical adventure that will stay with you long after the final credits roll.Eddie Hodges is perfectly cast as young Huckleberry Finn who sets off to find adventure along the Mississippi. He is joined by Jim,Archie Moore, a runaway slave who wants to get to the free lands and become a free man. This movie is filled with classic supporting characters from two con men who want to rob the rich to line their own pockets to a circus owner who paints a donkey black and white to make a fake zebra. There are many classic scenes,almost too many to mention, so i will name the most memorable.They include Huck and Jim finding the reason for feuding,Huck dressing up as a girl to rescue a captured Jim and Huck passing off Jim as the emperor of Patagonia. This film is also filled with beauty ,physical and spiritual including the two friends sitting on their raft talking about sin while looking at the stars . The thing that overrides the whole movie though is the vibrant colour that brings out the beauty of the river. At the end of this film you would have to have a heart of stone not to shed a tear as the adventure comes to an end. It may have a happy ending but hey don't we all deserve a happy ending. My score has to be 10/10

bkoganbing Purists of Mark Twain will find fault with this adaption of Huckleberry Finn, but I like it and I think it captures the charm of Twain and the moral lessons he was trying to teach.Small town America, it's strengths and weaknesses is a subject done to death in novels, plays and film. I myself just did a review of This Boy's Life which has some of the same themes as Huckleberry Finn. Hannibal, Missouri of the 19th century sure had more charm than Concrete, Washington of the 20th century. Yet Eddie Hodges as Huck Finn had to leave it to fulfill his destiny as surely as Leonard DiCaprio had to leave Concrete.In fact the most riveting performance in this film is Neville Brand as Huck Finn's Pap. He's as bigoted and narrow-minded, though more explicitly racist than Robert DeNiro in This Boy's Life. Today we would call someone like Neville Brand, trailer park trash.Because the two are on screen for nearly the whole time, the players essaying the parts of Huck and Jim have to be good and have good chemistry. Archie Moore who was the reigning Light Heavyweight Champion when this was made delivers a great performance as the runaway slave Jim. As does Eddie Hodges as Huck. One theme of Twain's that remains intact is Huck's growth as a human being after being thrown together with Jim who he now sees as a person instead of property. In fact MGM put together an excellent supporting cast for tyro players Eddie Hodges and Archie Moore. Tony Randall and Mickey Shaughnessy as con men King and Duke are a joy to watch. The whole movie is.