I'd say watch it.  In many ways it is a beautiful evocation of a legendary
life.  March is darn good and even closely resembles Clemens at times.
Alexis Smith is wonderful as Livy.  Many of the scenes come fairly close to
fact.  But don't rely on it AT ALL for chronology. And expect that even
historical people in Clemens' life are portrayed unhistorically.  Expect
racial and gender stereotypes common to the 1940s (poor, dignified George
Griffin!).   And expect a film made in 1942 to have some good old American
propaganda added to the mix.

Still, I'm not aware of a better biographical film about Twain.  Really, his
life deserves a 20-part miniseries, at least.  Hell, I watched and loved a
seven-part miniseries just about the Scott and Amundsen South Pole
expeditions that recreated those men and their times and deeds in great and
loving detail, covering mostly maybe four years time.  Surely Twain's long
life deserves more than that.

All that said, I think The Adventures of Mark Twain is well worth seeing.
It's a film of many beauties.  And it might spur you into discovering more
about a number of extremely interesting people and their lives and
relationships.

Regards,

Carl


-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Kuykendall, Mae
Sent: Friday, January 4, 2019 10:19 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The Adventures of Mark Twain

I have not seen the movie and am not expert on Twain's life. Should I avoid
it to keep my mind pure of falsehood about Twain?  Mae Kuykendall

Professor of Law
Michigan State University College of Law
648 N. Shaw Lane Rm 366
East Lansing, MI 488241300
517-432-6894 (office)
734-645-5769 (cell)
517-381-2082 (Haslett land)
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=233952


-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Carl J. Chimi
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2019 10:08 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: The Adventures of Mark Twain

I just finished watching the 1942 biopic starring Fredric March and Alexis
Smith.  It's probably been close to 25 years since I saw it.  Back then,
even though I was familiar with the chronology and many of the details of
Clemens' life, it made me happy just to see him represented on screen by
such a fine actor, and to see many of the real and legendary events of his
live portrayed with loving detail and sentimental devotion.

 

This time around, I found myself much more critical of the whole thing.  I
understand much of the context of the time it was made, and the facts that
Clara was still very much alive and that she and a trust controlled to a
large extent the image and works of her father.  I also understand the need
to tell his life as a story covering 74 years of a variegated career in
about two hours.  I also have a rudimentary sense of how Americans perceived
Mark Twain in the early 1940s.  But, man, did the filmmakers HAVE to deviate
so much from the perpendicular truth to tell a great story?  Isn't the real
story one of the most interesting, one of the most quintessential in
American history, second maybe only to Lincoln's?

 

I'm curious to know if this film has ever been the subject of research. Just
listing the places where it presents the facts incorrectly would be an
article, never mind the more subjective listing of people whose characters
are portrayed as caricatures or stereotypes.

 

Anyone know of any writings specifically about this movie?

 

Thanks,

 

Carl