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1 results

  • Chapter 32 - Film, Television, and Theater Adaptations

  • from Part V - Historical, Creative, and Cultural Legacies
  • Edited by John Bird
  • Book:
    Mark Twain in Context
    Published online:
    12 December 2019
    Print publication:
    02 January 2020, pp 329-340

  • Summary

    Mark Twain’s works have received many adaptions in film, television, and theatre, almost always with disappointing results. Translating Twain’s humor, satire, and message have proven difficult. A case in point is the 1938 film version of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, probably the best film adaptation of a Twain novel, which was followed the next year by a flawed version of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, starring Andy Rooney as Huck Finn. Filmmakers have tried in vain to portray the serious themes Twain imbedded in even his most comic works. The history of Twain in film and television is pretty much a history of good intentions and flawed results. One notable exception is the Broadway musical Big River, in which country songwriter manages ot capture Twain’s humor, spirit, and message.