Selznick International Pictures
Starring: Tommy Kelly, Jackie Moran, May Robson
Directed by: Norman Taurog

Synopsis: An exciting film adaptation of Mark Twain’s classic novel.  Tom Sawyer (Tommy Kelly) is a mischievous but clever boy who causes worry for his Aunt Polly, falls in love with the beautiful Becky Thatcher (Ann Gillis) and makes an enemy of the dangerous Injun Joe (Victor Jory).

Kitty Cameos: We’ll ignore the fact that the first cat to technically appear in the film is the dead cat Huckleberry Finn (Jackie Moran) is touting in a bag to take to the graveyard to perform a ritual to remove warts (the dead cat does not appear on screen, of course.)  But when Huck calls on Tom that night to join him they meow to each other as a signal.  Huck has to meow many times to rouse Tom.  In the meantime a whole family of cats appears through a hole in the fence, each one meowing in turn as they appear.

Later Aunt Polly can see something is wrong with Tom and gives him a dose of “pain killer.”  Tom reacts like his mouth is on fire.  Aunt Polly hands him a second spoonful with the instruction to take it.  That’s when a tabby cat appears.  The cat is interested in what’s in the spoon and Tom warns him, “Don’t ask for it, Peter, unless you really want it!”

It’s interesting to note that Peter does not immediately eat what’s in the spoon.  It looks as if he is distracted by something behind the cameras.

Eventually Peter licks up everything in the spoon.

Kitty Carnage Warning! A moment later Peter is jerked up into the air (via wires, no doubt) and then rushes from the room, through the kitchen and out the window never to be seen again.

Final Mewsings: Cats should know better than to eat something a little boy doesn’t want!

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