The disappearance of Tom Sawyer

The University of Virginia has a very good site devoted to Mark Twain, call Mark Twain in His Times, including an examination of his works. In the section on Tom Sawyer there is an exhibit of various film versions of the Tom Sawyer story throughout the years.


Tom Sawyer was once so popular that the 1931 movie "Huckleberry Finn" sticks Tom on the raft with Huck and Jim. And Jim doesn't show up in the advertisting art. But the author notes:

most Americans born since 1975 mainly know Tom through Huck's novel, and know the plot of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer only through the Disney film that ends the list below. In another generation it might be time for Tom to say, "You don't know about me except you have read a book by the name of 'Huckleberry Finn.'"

The latest Disney version of Huck's story doesn't include Tom Sawyer at all - and neither does my play. My reasons are probably somewhat different from Disney's, but I'll have to watch the Disney version and see what they do about the necessary change in story line due to Tom's disappearance.