Tom Sawyer, Detective (1938) DVD-R

Starring Billy Cook, Donald O'Connor, Porter Hall, Phil Warren, Janet Waldo
Directed by Louis King

Print: black/white
Runtime: 68 min.
Genre: mystery
Print Quality: B

Even geniuses have to eat, and when Mark Twain was offered a substantial sum of money
to slap together a quickie sequel to his classic novel Tom Sawyer, he responded with the
pulpish but entertaining Tom Sawyer, Detective. Billy Cook is sublimely cast as Tom, while
Donald O'Connor steals the film in the more colorful role of Huckleberry Finn. When local
deacon Uncle Silas (Porter Hall) is accused of murder, Tom and Huck endeavor to prove his
innocence by solving the mystery themselves. Complicating matters is the fact that the
"dead man" (William Haade) is seen roaming around very much alive. The film's highlight is
a spooky episode in a mausoleum, with our intrepid heroes working overtime to convince
each other that they ain't really scared. Janet Waldo, later one of the most versatile
voiceover actresses in the business, plays Tom's puppy-love interest Ruth Phelps.