Original subtitles

(giggling)

♫ Now listen here, folks, my name is Tom Sawyer

♫ I don't wanna be no doctor or no lawyer

♫ Fishing by the river, that's the only place to be

♫ I wanna be free sitting under a tree, that's me

(whistling)

(giggling)

♫ These are the stories of Tom Sawyer

♫ Me and Huck Finn just playing by the river

♫ Chasing that steamboat, teacher, let me be

♫ I wanna be free sitting under a tree

♫ That's me

- [Tom Voiceover] To say nothing much happens in a town

as small as ours is probably an understatement,

but every once in awhile something special like a troupe

of actors comes to town.

Take today, for instance.

A group is gonna be putting on a play called

Trials and Tribulations of Little Lisette.

Lisette was the real name of the young actress

who was the star of the play.

And after me and Huck laid eyes on her,

we had to see this play no matter what it cost.

I promised Huck I would buy his ticket too

and that had me worried.

You see, the tickets cost 15 cents apiece

and my three cents weren't enough

to buy one much less two tickets.

On top of all that, I knowed I couldn't borrow it

from Aunt Polly 'cause it was just yesterday

she told me I couldn't have no more.

Then she said I'd have to earn whatever money

she gave me from now on.

I thought long and hard, but the more I thought,

the more I felt there was just no way

I was gonna be able to keep my promise to Huck.

Where there is a will there is a way, they say,

and all I really needed was one good idea,

but it just wouldn't come to me.

Then the answer dawned on me.

Sid, of course, he's always got money.

Why didn't I think of that before?

- Hey, Sid old buddy, wake up.

Get up, Sid.

(groaning)

- [Sid] Tom, let me sleep.

- Hey, Sid, come on, this is really important.

- It's vacation time and I get to sleep

in late so leave me alone.

- But, Sid, this is a matter of life and death.

- Life and death?

- Well, sorta.

I made a promise to Huck, you see,

and now I don't think I can keep my word

so I need some advice from ya.

It's important to keep promises we make to friends,

don't you agree?

- Yeah, sure it is.

- But what if circumstances are such

that I just can't do what I said I'd do

through no fault of my own?

- A promise is a promise.

- I know that and I sure don't wanna let Huck down.

- Yeah, quite a problem.

- I need your help.

I just don't think I could live with myself

if I don't come through for my friend.

My name would be mud, Cid.

- Gee, what did you promise to him?

- It's really nothing that important.

It's just, well--

- What is it, Tom?

- Well, it's like this, Sid,

and I ain't joshing you none, you're the only person

in the world I can ask for help.

- But how can I help?

- Does that mean you're willing to help me out, then?

- I'll help you any way I can, you know that, right?

- You will?

You have no idea how much this means to me.

I can't thank you enough.

Hooray!

(groaning)

- Tom, you're squeezing me too hard.

- So how much money have you got stashed away

for a rainy day, Sid?

- Not very much.

I bought a couple of books yesterday.

- I don't need very much.

How much you got?

- All I got left is 32 cents.

- Gee, I thought you'd have a lot more than that.

- Well, how much money do you have saved up, Tom?

- Shucks, I've only got three pennies left.

- What's all this talk about money leading up to anyhow?

It must be something pretty important

to be waking me up this early in the morning.

- Hm, I thought for sure you'd have more money than that

but that's all I need, so I'll appreciate

you letting me borrow it.

- Nothing doing.

- Why not?

You just said you'd help me any way you could.

And I'm depending on ya.

- Yeah, but I didn't know that meant lending you money

when I said that I'd help ya, Tom.

- But, Sid, you promised me.

- Can I help some other way?

- No.

What I need is money.

All right, just let me borrow 27 cents,

that's really all I need, 'cause I got three cents.

- Well, why do you need so much?

- Well, you see, in order to keep my promise,

I need to have 30 cents all together.

- Wait, wait a minute, I'm getting it.

You wanna see the play today, that's it.

- Uh, well yeah, Sid, of course I do.

- You know tickets are 15 cents apiece, don't ya?

- I know, but Huck didn't have any money, see,

and so I promised to pay his way in to see the play.

- I guess you can't go back on that promise to Huck.

All right, I'll lend you the money for Huck's ticket.

- You will?

Thanks, Sid.

(humming)

- I'm going to the play too so I need 15 cents.

- But you wouldn't like the play.

- Well, yes I would.

I enjoy plays.

- But what if Aunt Polly doesn't let you go?

You haven't even asked her permission, have you?

- Doesn't matter what she says, I'm going to that play,

Tom, mark my word, and I can only spare enough money

for Huckleberry.

- [Tom Voiceover] It was easy to understand why Sid

wanted to see the play.

You see, David Garlic II and his troupe of actors

were famous in these here parts.

And the word had spread like wildfire

that Lisette, their star performer,

was an entertainer not to be missed.

Why, even Huck had been taken by her when he met her

at the town water well yesterday.

- [Huck] Lisette, is that you?

- I beg your pardon, do we know each other?

I don't believe I've had the pleasure of your acquaintance.

- You sure have, yesterday at the old town water well.

Now do you remember me?

- Oh yes, I remember, Huck, right?

- Yeah.

Are you taking a walk?

- I have some time before the play starts

and I thought a walk would be very nice.

Do you live in that house?

- Well, I call it home for now.

- What about your parents?

They live there too?

- I don't have any parents, I live by myself.

- Gee, I'm sorry to hear that.

- Hey, I'm gonna be coming to see ya

in that there play today.

- Yes, please come.

But I want you to attend as my guest.

- Really?

- You won't have to pay, I'll just leave a ticket for you

at the box office.

Besides, I wouldn't feel right if you had to pay.

- You don't have to worry about that, ma'am.

My best friend Tom Sawyer's gonna buy me a ticket.

We're gonna be coming to see your show together.

- Well, that's a real good friend you have there.

- Yeah, me and Tom goes back a long way.

Since we was kids.

- Tom Sawyer?

I think he may be the one who helped me

put up posters yesterday.

- Mm-hmm, that sounds like Tom, all right.

He's friendly.

- He's nice, I surely do envy people

who have friendships like yours.

- I figured you'd have a lot of friends.

- Not so.

Since we always move around so much, you see,

it's very difficult to make friends, almost impossible.

- Never thought of that.

- If I walked down a ways, will I be able to get

a good view of the Mississippi?

- Well now, the best view of the Mississippi's

up in my living room.

- Ah.

- No siree bob, I told you no more advances

on your allowance, young man.

- I'm asking for a loan, not an advance.

- Why are you so all fied anxious to see this play anyhow?

- Aunt Polly, I'll just die if I don't get

to see that play today.

- That's a lot of hogwash.

- It's not hogwash.

I've gotta see it.

Oh, Aunt Polly, I'm begging ya.

Please, let me borrow just 15 cents.

- How do you propose to pay me back?

That is, if I lend it to ya.

- I can work for it.

- I haven't said I'll do it yet.

Do you promise me faithfully you'll pay off your debt.

- I promise, I'll pay it back.

- You haven't told me how yet.

- Well, maybe you could take it out

of my next week's allowance in advance, Aunt Polly.

- No, that's absolutely out of the question.

- But why?

Ah gee, Aunt Polly.

- I'm gonna find some kind of chore for you to do

and then afterwards I'll pay you the 15 cents, all right?

- Mm, boy.

Thank you, Aunt Polly.

- I'm not so sure you should be thanking me already, Tom,

because I haven't told ya yet

what chore I've got planned for ya.

- I don't care as long as I can earn 15 cents, Aunt Polly.

Golly, I'm so happy I could shell peas for a whole year.

- Stop it, will ya?

- Wait a second, Jim.

- [Jim] I'm a-waiting, now you just picks up your feet.

I'll go slow.

Are you ready now?

- Yeah, I'm ready.

- All right, Tom, now here we go, real slow.

One step at a time.

- All right, easy now, I can make it.

Boy, this is heavy.

- You okay, Tom?

- Yeah.

- Can't say as how I agree with Ms. Polly

making you have to carry such a heavy load.

- Don't blame her, Jim.

Truth is I asked her to let me.

- I'll help ya.

(grunting)

Watch out.

- [Tom Voiceover] Well, we finally finished

loading the wagon.

You see, for my 15 cents, I have to help Jim

haul some old furniture across town to the Ferguson Ranch.

We didn't have no use for it any longer

so Aunt Polly had sold it to Mr. Ferguson.

We had to travel three whole miles to get to the ranch

and I was just hoping and praying we'd get back in time

for me to see the play.

- I sure hope we can get back home by two o'clock, Jim.

- Don't you worry, the wagon's gonna be empty

on the way back and we'll make real good time, Tom.

- But the play begins at 2:15.

- We'll get you there.

- Jim, do you suppose we could go

just a little faster, please?

- [Lisette] It's just beautiful, really, really beautiful.

- [Huck] Sure is a sight, ain't it?

I really like it a lot.

(boat whistling)

- That whistle that I'm hearing, it sounds like

it's a riverboat on its way to New Orleans.

Do you know, that's my hometown, New Orleans.

That's the best part of being an actress,

being able to travel on the riverboat.

Have you ever been to New Orleans?

- Me?

No, I haven't.

- I suppose you not having any kin,

it'd be really difficult for you

to journey all the way down to New Orleans.

- Yeah.

- Well, I guess I should be going now.

It's getting late.

You see, otherwise they'll think I've escaped again.

- You've run away?

- Yes.

Twice since I joined up with this troupe,

I've made an attempt to run away from them.

I don't feel the need to run away from 'em anymore.

- I figured for sure you were that troupe master's daughter.

- No, I was sold to the troupe master by my father

when I was just a little baby.

- What?

That's awful.

- Seems like you and I have a lot more in common

than either of us thought at first.

Gotta go.

- Wait, I wanna ask you something.

- What?

- Sounds to me like the people in that acting company

mistreat you somewhat.

- Sometimes.

- Yeah?

Are you telling me they beat ya?

- If I'm bad.

- What?

How can they do that to a helpless little girl?

- I'm young, Huck, but I'm not helpless.

And I can be stubborn.

There's only so much I'm willing to put up with.

It's really not quite as bad as it may sound.

I mean, there are also some rewards.

- How come you put up with that anyway?

- Well, when you have a career like mine,

you learn that you must take the bitter with the sweet

as they say.

I love acting, I guess.

- [Sid] Hey, Huck.

- Huh?

Oh hi, Sid.

What brings you up to these parts?

Tom's not here if you're looking for him.

- [Sid] I brought you the money for your play ticket.

- [Huck] But what happened to Tom?

Ain't he going to see the play?

- I don't know.

He's gone to the Ferguson Ranch on an errand for Aunt Polly.

He's helping Jim.

- But he said he was gonna go see the show with us, Sid.

- [Sid] He said he'd try and make it back in time.

- Huck, I have to go now.

I'll see ya later, bye.

- [Huck] Bye, Lisette, be careful.

I'll see ya for sure this afternoon.

- Oh my gosh.

- [Huck] Lisette, that there is Tom Sawyer's brother, Sid.

Sid, meet Lisette.

- So, you're Tom's brother are ya?

Hm, you don't look anything like him

but you sure are a good-looking boy.

Please, come see the play.

- [Huck] Bye now, Lisette.

- Bye, Huck, I really liked meeting you.

- Well, Sid, what do you think?

- I tell you what...

- What's that, Sid?

- I, just this minute, fell desperately in love.

(joyful music)

- See ya later.

(grunting)

- Ben, is that you?

What can you see?

- Oh hi, Becky.

Nah, there's nothing to see.

The stage is empty.

- Have you seen any of the actors walking around in there?

- Nah, they're probably over

at the hotel resting up, huh, Joe?

- [Joe] Probably.

- [Ben] Who are you looking for, Becky?

- Didn't Tom come with you?

- We've been around here all day today, Becky,

and neither of us have seen hide nor hair of him

anywheres about.

Isn't that right, Joe?

- Yep.

- Oh well, we've got two more hours

before the play begins anyway.

- That's true, Becky, but it's just not like Tom

not to be here hanging around.

Shoot, I wouldn't expect old Tom to miss this

for anything in the world.

- Oh, hey, Jim, look, there's the Ferguson Ranch.

- Oh no it ain't, Tom, that there's the Cooper Ranch.

- I'm sure it's the Ferguson place.

- [Jim] You look a little closer, Tom, you'll see I'm right.

- It is the Cooper Ranch after all.

- You don't have to be in such a hurry, Tom.

I told ya I was gonna get you to the play on time

and I will.

There's the Ferguson Ranch, Tom, right up the road

a piece there, you see it?

- Well, hurry up, Jim.

- [Jim] Hold your horses, we'll get there soon enough.

(shouting)

(meandering music)

- [Mary] Listen, do you hear that, mother?

- [Polly] What, dear?

- [Mary] Don't ya hear it?

- Hm.

Mm-hmm, I guess they're getting ready to begin their show.

- It's just the opening festivities.

I certainly hope Tom gets back in time to see them.

- Tell me, do you think I was too hard on Tom?

- Maybe you were, maybe you weren't, mother.

- [Mr. Ferguson] Listen here, y'all, we're much obliged

you bringing this furniture out so quick and everything.

- [Tom] You're welcome, Mr. Ferguson.

- Next time, y'all have to stay a spell longer

so I can give ya a taste of my apple pie.

- Maybe next time.

Bye, now.

- Bye.

- [Mrs. Ferguson] Be sure to thank your Aunt Polly for us.

- [Tom] I sure will.

- [Mrs. Ferguson] Goodbye, Tom.

- Bye.

Let's get going.

- All right, Tom.

(whinnying)

- [Tom Voiceover] Jim was sure true to his word.

As a matter of fact, I don't remember

ever traveling on a wagon so fast.

Of course, I wanted him to go faster,

but as he promised, we were making good time

getting back to town.

- [Kid] Hey, Tommy, when's the show gonna start?

- Anyway, that's what I should've told him.

So, what do you think?

- [Sid] I have confidence in Tom, he'll show up.

- Ah, hey, Huck.

- Becky, hi.

- [Becky] Hi, Sid.

Isn't Tom coming to see the play?

- He said he'd be here.

- Well, where is he, then?

- [Jim] Ha, giddy up, ha.

- We gotta go faster, Jim, faster.

- Can't go no faster, Tom, horse will fall and get hurt.

- Oh, I'll be late.

- [Jim] Ha.

- [Lisette Voiceover] There, that's perfect.

(chattering)

- Where in the world could Tom be, Becky?

If he hadn't have promised to lend me the money

to see the play, he wouldn't have had to go all

the way out to Ferguson Ranch in the first place.

- Why didn't he just ask me for the money?

- It's really kinda awkward for a guy

to ask a girl for money.

- Do you think he'll make it, Huck?

- Well, if he doesn't, I'm gonna feel real guilty.

- Ha.

Ha.

Giddy up.

Giddy up.

Ha.

Ha.

Giddy up.

Get on.

- Oh no, what happened?

The wheel.

Stop, stop the wagon.

Jim, we're losing a wheel.

(screaming)

There it goes, Jim.

(whinnying)

- [Jim] You okay, Tom?

- [Tom] Yeah.

(applause)

- Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,

thank you for coming to David Garlic's II's

company of actors special children's performances

this afternoon.

The show is about to begin.

It would be nice if we actors were independently wealthy,

unfortunately, we are not, so we shall be collecting

a fee from each and every one of you for today's diversion.

- [Huck Voiceover] Come on, Tom, time's a-wasting.

You should've been here already.

- The publicly announced price of admission.

The hat will be passed amongst you

and shortly thereafter the play will begin

for your enjoyment and pleasure.

- Hi, Lisette, do you remember me?

- Of course, you're Tom's brother.

Is he coming to the play?

- He should be getting here any minute.

- [Tom] Tell the truth, it's hopeless, isn't it?

- [Jim] I wouldn't say that.

- But chances of you fixing it right away are slim,

aren't they?

- I'm doing the best I can.

Have a little faith, Tom.

- Jim, I just gotta get to town in time to see the play.

- This oughta do it.

Uh-oh.

- What?

- Sorry, Tom, it's gonna take a little more time

than I thought.

I sure feel bad I let you down.

But I think I can still do it.

- I'm gonna run back to town.

See ya.

- You best stay here, now, Tom.

- I can't, Jim, I gotta see that play.

- [Jim] But it's more than a mile.

- [Tom] I know, but I don't have any choice.

- If'n I get the wheel fixed in time,

I'll pick you up, hear?

- [Tom Voiceover] Plays don't come to St. Pete

but once a year and that's reason enough

to be running all the way to town,

but I promised Huck we'd see the play together

and I was gonna keep my promise.

(drum roll)

(applause)

- Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,

without further adieu, we now present

for your amusement and pleasure,

the play for which you have been waiting,

The Trials and Tribulations of Little Lisette.

- [Huck Voiceover] I gotta do something.

- Hey, wait a minute, hold everything, wait.

You can't start yet.

- I beg your pardon, why not?

- 'Cause, Tom's not here yet.

It won't hurt nothing if you wait another couple minutes

for Tom before you start.

- [Troupe Master] Who is this Tom?

- My friend, a paying customer.

- I'm afraid it's highly irregular.

We don't even know if your friend is coming to the play.

And these people have been waiting.

I can't ask them to wait a minute longer.

(shouting)

- Huh?

Uh, come on, everybody, just be patient a few more minutes.

Tom's gonna make it, I promise.

You wouldn't want him to miss the show, would ya?

You're all his friends, aren't ya?

(panting)

- Huck's right, Tom will get here.

- I think we should wait a little longer.

(shouting)

- Quiet down.

Please, quiet down.

What?

- For whatever it's worth, I'd like to wait for him too.

(panting)

(upbeat music)

(shouting)

(groaning)

- [Huck Voiceover] I can't hold 'em off much longer.

- In my entire career I've never held a curtain this long.

(grumbling)

This is preposterous.

We've waited long enough.

- Please, just a few moments longer.

- I won't allow it.

I tell you, the curtain is going up.

We aren't going to wait any longer.

I've decided that this Tom can come to see

one of our evening performances.

- Hey, Aunt Polly would never let Tom

see an evening performance, they're only for grownups.

- Be that as it may, we shall continue.

The show must go on.

Let the show begin.

- There he is.

Hey, hold it just another minute, I see Tom coming now.

- [Huck Voiceover] Hurry, Tom, hurry.

He's plumb tuckered out.

- Hey, come on, you can make it.

Hurry up, Tom, hurry.

Come on, I saved ya a seat.

(panting)

He made it, everybody, Tom made it.

I told ya he would.

- I made it.

(groaning)

- Oh no, speak to me.

Here you go, come on, now.

Sid told me about everything you done for me today.

I wanna thank you.

- Did I make the show, Huck?

- You sure did, partner.

- Oh, that's good.

- Well, better late than ever, right, Tom?

(laughing)

- Finally, let the show begin.

- [Tom Voiceover] After all the trouble I went

through that day, there's something I learned,

keeping a promise makes you feel good.

It tightens the bonds of friendship too.

(upbeat music)

♫ These are the stories of Tom Sawyer

♫ Me and Huck Finn just playing by the river

♫ Chasing that steamboat, teacher, let me be

♫ I wanna be free sitting under a tree

♫ That's me