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    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    Huckleberry Finn
    Genre:Musical

    Reviewed In Issue 08 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    Jeff East, Paul Winfield, Harvey Korman, David Wayne, Arthur O’Connell.

    WSR Review Scores
    Picture Rating: 2
    Sound Rating: 3.5
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    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score:
    Internet Links

    Supplementals

    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): MGM
    (Catalog Number): ML103989
    (MPAA Rating): G
    (Retail Price): $34.98
    (Running Time In Minutes): 117
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): No
    (Theatrical Release): 1974
    (LD Release Date): 02/01/94
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

    Credits Information
    (Director): J. Lee Thompson
    (Screenplay/Written By): Richard B. Sherman & Robert M. Sherman
    (Story): NA
    (Music): Fred Werner
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer): Philip Jefferies
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor): Michael F. Anderson
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers): NA
    (Co-Producers): NA
    (Producers): Arthur P. Jacobs

    DVD Picture Information
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1
    (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.30:1

    DVD Sound Information
    (DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Surround
    (Theatrical Sound): Mag Stereo
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (Remastered Dolby Digital):
    (Remastered DTS Digital Surround):
    (Additional Languages):

    WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    A Musical Adaptation of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is the second Twain tale in the Reader’s Digest series to be made into a musical. It is a tale of a journey down the treacherous Mississippi River by a poor white mischievous adolescent, Huck Finn (Jeff East) and an older runaway African-American slave (Paul Winfield). Together they journey down the river in search of their own personal freedom. The two run into some amusing and frightening adventures and are introduced to eccentric characters along the way. The charming musical numbers give the film an uplifting energy. Unlike the previous Tom Sawyer release, there is no supplemental material to accompany the film. The Shermans again collaborate on the screenplay and songs, but J. Lee Thompson directs.

    LaserDisc Picture:
    The cropped 2.30:1 picture is marred by noise, video artifacts and grain throughout, and poor shadow detail. The images are a bit softer and flesh tones are on the yellowish side, but color otherwise appears accurate and well balanced.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    The soundtrack has good stereo definition and music surround envelopment.
    (Surround Bass Below 50Hz):
    (Aggressive System Surround):
    (Intense 25Hz Bass):
    (Deep Bass Challenging):
    (Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
    (Holosonic Soundfield):
    (Aggressive Split Surround):
    (Center Back Surround Imaging):
    (Directionalized Dialogue):
    Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
    Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
    Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
    Superb Color Fidelity:
    Superb Cinematography:
    Reference LaserDisc:
    Collector Edition: