Original subtitles

(upbeat music)

♫ Now listen here folks, my name is Tom Sawyer

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

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

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

(upbeat music)

♫ These are the stories of Tom Sawyer

♫ Me and Huck Finn just playin' by the river

♫ Chasin' that steamboat, teacher let me be

♫ I wanna be free, sittin' under a tree

♫ That's me

(upbeat music)

- It's that man, the one they call Indian Joe.

He's the one that killed Dr. Robinson.

(grunting)

(yelling)

- [Man] Hold it, Joe.

Grab him.

(yelling)

(glass shattering)

- [Tom] Me and Huck would've felt a lot safer

if they'd been able to get Joe into jail,

him being the dangerous villain he was.

But soon after all that ruckus,

I got wind of some good news.

I hear Sheriff Collins is calling in

a famous detective from St. Louis

to find Indian Joe.

- Is that so?

- Mhm.

And I'll bet he'll have that troublesome rascal

hog tied in no time.

- Well I should hope.

- If this detective feller is coming all the way

from St. Louis, he must be pretty good

at the detecting business.

- Well I reckon he can't be any too good for me.

Just the idea of Indian Joe bein' on the loose

out there gives me the willies.

- What are you so jumpy about?

It was me that went into court

and done all the testifyin' against Indian Joe.

- Well sure, I know that, Tom.

Maybe you reckon because you didn't say

who was with you that night that Indian Joe

won't figure out who it was.

But he'll figure it out for sure, Tom.

Who else you think would go off terry-hootin'

around in the graveyard with you in the

middle of the night for Pete's sakes?

And then what do you think?

If he gets an appetite for revenge,

he'll come looking for me as sure

as he'll come lookin' for you.

And I ain't too partial to that notion.

- I might as well have shared the credit with ya.

- No.

No thanks.

- I think we oughta try to look on the bright side.

We're havin' an adventure.

- When's that detective due to arrive, Tom?

- I believe he'll be showin' up today or tomorrow, probably.

And then maybe we'll get to watch a professional

detective plyin' his trade to protect our hides,

now how about that for adventure?

- Oh.

I'm mighty relieved that you can think of this

as another adventure.

Speaking for myself, I don't see no attraction

at all in it, not a bit.

I'd rather Indian Joe was catched and the whole thing

over and done with, sure 'nuff.

- Mhm.

But maybe if we could help catch him--

- Us catch him?

Your granny, Tom, I ain't about to go catch him.

I'll be sleepin' and mindin' my own business

and there he is standin' under my house,

just starin' up at me.

Scares the livers and giblets out of me.

And if that ain't enough, he pulls out his huntin' knife.

- Oh no, how'd you get away from him?

- That was easy.

I wake up, that's all.

- Whoa.

You didn't tell me it was a dream.

- I didn't tell you it was a dream

'cause it's more of a nightmare.

- I ain't had any.

Least not lately.

I had some mighty guilty ones when old Muff was in jail.

- I'd hate to say this but maybe them nightmares

is only a part of the price we have to pay

for breakin' our oath not to tell anyone

about the murder.

- But Huck, I couldn't lie in the courtroom.

That's illegal.

- I ain't blamin' you, Tom.

I reckon I'd have done the same thing

if in the court had called me.

It worries me a heap, that's all.

- I'm not gonna worry anymore about it.

It'll just make me feel bad.

Besides, Muff Potter was mighty grateful

that I broke our oath, now wasn't he?

- Yeah.

Muff wouldn't be here but for you.

Breakin' our oath did save his life, come to think of it.

- Yep, it made me feel awful good

to see the relief and gratitude in Muff's eyes.

(crying)

- You saved my life, Tom.

- Me and Huck had a lot ridin' on this

St. Louis detective feller.

Our lives were in his hands.

And if he can't do anything about catching

Indian Joe, our necks wouldn't be worth a plug nickel.

- Oh, say, Tom.

Tom, wait up, won't you?

- Oh, hi.

- You look mighty preoccupied young man.

- Well, uh--

- Do you have so much on your mind these days

you didn't even hear me calling you?

- Yeah.

- Better watch where you're goin' Tom,

or somebody's team'll run you down.

And you know it just wouldn't do for the chief witness

in the biggest murder case around here in years

to wind up flatten his back under a wagon.

- I could think of worse things to have happen.

I suppose everybody's talking about it at the docks

- Yup.

All morning long people have been gabbin' about

where Joe might've gone off to.

Some say he took off to the North.

Others are waging he went west toward Indian territory.

But of course nobody knows anything for sure.

But everybody agrees that Sheriff Collins

did the right thing in sending for that detective.

- You suppose this detective feller will

know what he's doin'?

I mean, will he be able to bring in Indian Joe, Mary?

- I'm certain that he is a trained professional

and will know just what clues to look for.

- How do you know?

- Oh well, it just makes sense that Sheriff Collins

would send for someone who's the proper man

for the job, Thomas.

- Probably.

But it is sort of preyin' on my mind.

I'll feel better when he's here.

After hearing Huck talk about his nightmares,

I was afraid I might start havin' 'em again.

I couldn't get to sleep,

and I was afraid to stir from my bed,

even though I had a powerful reason.

(grumbling)

Wake up.

Wake up. (snoring)

That's it, wake up.

- Huh?

- You feel like you'd like to go outside, Sid?

- Go outside?

Are you kiddin'?

I wanna sleep.

- There could be a full moon.

Aw, let's.

(groaning)

- I've seen the moon and if you've seen it once,

you've seen it.

- How 'bout if I show you the place

where I buried a dead bat last summer?

- No thanks.

- Hm, come on.

I'll even let you dig the thing up.

- I'm really not interested in dead bats.

(slow, tense music) (grumbling)

- Come on, how 'bout just a short little walk

in the moonlight, brother Sid?

- No.

(grumbling)

- I don't wanna go out there alone.

I can't stand it no how!

(upbeat country music)

Gang way!

(upbeat country music)

Oh.

(upbeat country music)

That was close.

I always knew I was brave.

(slow, tense music)

(creaking)

(slow, tense music)

Must be Huck.

I wonder what he wants.

Hm?

(slow, tense music) (yelling)

Help!

(grumbling)

(slow music)

Thank heavens it was just a dream, this time.

Next day, half of St. Petersburg was down

at the landing to catch an eye full

of this famous detective we heard so much about.

- Sheriff, you reckon this detective is really experienced

at nabbing criminals?

- Supposed to be.

The agency said he's the best they've got.

Worth every nickel we agreed to pay him.

- Well, Sheriff, it should be a powerful

comfort to you to have somebody in town

with the proper background for some serious law-enforcin'.

- Hm.

- [Captain] Stop all engines.

Prepare to lower the gangplank.

- [Man] Aye, aye captain!

Stand clear, folks.

(upbeat music)

- Anybody gonna know what this fella

looks like, Tom?

- Don't know.

The only detective I've ever seen

was in a picture book.

- You think maybe he changed his mind?

- I sure hope not, 'cause you and me

are both depending on him.

(upbeat music)

- Hey, you reckon that's him?

- Hm?

Could be, let's find out.

- Okay.

- Hey sheriff, is that him?

- Hello.

- Huh?

- [Man] Hello, Ethel.

- Say, did you get the estate settled, Jim?

- Mom said maybe we could come visit you in St. Louis.

- [Jim] Well why don't we cross that bridge

when we get to it, young man?

- Maybe he decided he didn't want the job after all.

- He can't do that to these people.

We struck a deal.

- Yoo hoo.

I'm afraid nautical travel and I

don't get along very well, but I appear

to have survived the journey in one piece,

no thanks to that scoundrel of a steward.

I gave him twice the usual tip, but the fellow

still forgot to wait me when we finally arrived

at our destination.

Knob head.

- Uh.

- Hm?

- Name's Collins here in St. Petersburg, I'm the sheriff.

- Um.

Oh my goodness, so you are.

I'm the detective, Pinkerton by name.

- Mhm.

- [Detective] Well it's very nice to meet you, sheriff.

With your permission, I'd like to get

right to work on the investigation so we can

bring the culprit to justice.

- [Sheriff] Fine, let's start in my office.

- Splendid, won't that be jolly.

And wonderful police work as well.

What a nice town.

- [Sheriff] Well Mr. Pinkerton, it's usually pretty quiet,

just the way folks here like it.

- [Detective] Yes, it's uncommonly peaceful here...

(slow music)

- With Mr. Pinkerton on the job,

I reckon Indian Joe can sleep easy.

- Yeah, I'm afraid there's no hope he'll ever catch him.

- If we're depending on him to protect us from Indian Joe,

we're in deep trouble.

- You still goin' to rest easy knowing

he's protecting us Tom?

- Dog gone it, here I was hopin' our worries

were gonna be over.

But that so-called detective is a wash out.

(slow, melancholy music)

Oh.

- Hm.

(upbeat, bright music)

Mhm.

Ah.

This Indian Joe fellow was poor,

had no cash?

- Right.

He never had no money to speak of

'cause nobody in St. Pete wanted to hire

such a mean, onerous sort of cuss as Indian Joe.

- My, my.

Then I suppose he must've needed a little money

because he couldn't get employed.

- Yep, that's right.

- Oh, dear.

Hm.

What is that horrible odor?

- As I understand it, Joe stole animals

from local farms and brung 'em back here

to cut them up.

- He purloined stock from nearby ranches, did he?

This is a typical example I suppose.

(sniffing)

Ah.

Well we won't need any blood hounds, anyway.

- [Man] Of course he didn't stay here much.

- Oh?

- [Man] Yup, that's right, sir.

- Then where did he spend his time?

- [Man] Well when he wasn't of swipin'

chickens or scarifyin' somebody,

him and Muff used to polish the bar

with their elbows a lot, especially in rainy weather.

- Frequented the saloon, did he?

- 'Cause nowadays, Muff don't spend much time

down there anymore.

- The important thing, deputy, is to leave

no suit untoned, no tone, oh, nevermind.

- Better watch yourself on that bottom riser, Mr. Pinkerton.

It ain't exactly-- (crashing)

(slow music)

- Rafe Yard.

My, that's a fascinating account, Thomas.

Does that tell it completely?

- [Tom] Yes, sir.

- Well now.

What we need is a statement from his partner,

this Potter fellow.

- But Muff Potter didn't have nothin' to do with the murder.

He was passed out cold when Indian Joe done it.

- Yes, so you said.

But since they knew each other so well,

perhaps Muff knows where he's hiding.

- [Tom] Joe wouldn't let Muff in on his plans.

He was gonna let Muff hang.

- [Detective] Oh?

- Muff can't help ya.

- While I can't comprehend Muff's willingness

to be punished for--

- Muff was so confused, he didn't know what he was sayin'.

When Indian Joe claimed he saw Muff commit the murder,

Muff believed him.

And that's how Joe was able to frame him.

But I seen Joe do it.

- In that case, his guilt has been clearly established.

Hm, I'll make a note.

"His guilt has been clearly established."

Oh, if only I could question the victim.

- [Becky] Is Mr. Pinkerton making good progress?

- Oh yeah, lots.

Just that none of it has anything to do

with catching Indian Joe.

- Now just what do you mean by that?

What sort of progress is he making?

- He paid a visit out at the old linen place

to talk to Merle about any stolen animals

and got butted by a Billy goat.

- Oh my, that must've hurt.

- Then yesterday mornin', he managed to get himself

stuck in the slew skate at Old Bannon's

and almost busted his elbow pullin' it out

and that meant takin' another nap back at the hotel.

- Do you suppose he learned anything of value from all that?

- Well he learned, watch out for Billy goats

and don't stick your arm in a slew skate.

- Come on Tom, let's sit a spell and enjoy the view.

I've got some news, Tom.

There's something I wanna tell you about.

- Well I hope it's good news.

I could use some about now, Becky.

(giggling)

- Well you see, Tom.

When I tell you, you might not think it's so good.

- Golly, what in the world is it?

Huh?

- It seems I have to go back to St. Louis.

- You mean you're leavin' St. Pete?

- Yup. - Why?

- I'm going to stay at my grandmother's for a little while.

- I reckon you'll have a nice time at your granny's

and make lots of new friends, Becky.

- Oh now.

If that's all the upset you can get at my leaving,

Tom Sawyer.

- What I really meant was,

I panicked at the thought of your leavin'

and it made me so sad, my heart was goin' boom!

How's that?

- Much better.

- I will miss you Becky and think about you all the time

and I'll be wishing I could see you.

- You will, soon.

I'm just going there for a short visit.

- Oh well then, it won't be such a long time

before we see each other again after all.

A leisurely trip down river to see family

sounds mighty good to me.

- Wouldn't it be nice if we could make the trip together?

- Yup, that should would be a treat, alright.

- [Becky] Oh yes, that would be delightful, Tom.

- I could imagine it now.

(slow music)

This is better than we ever dreamed it would be, ain't it?

- Yup, it is.

(gasping)

- Maybe they'd like to travel together, too.

Don't worry about 'em.

Remember, this is only a dream, Becky.

- Of course it is.

(slow music)

Make a wish on the evening star, Tom.

- [Tom] I already got my wish.

(gasping) - Really?

- [Tom] I could sail the world with you beside me,

Becky Thatcher.

- [Becky] I'd like that too, Tom Sawyer.

(slow music)

(ship horn blowing)

(heavy breathing)

(clearing throat)

- Uh, hi Mr. Pinkerton.

What do you want?

- I have just arrived at an extremely important deduction.

I felt I should inform you forthwith

and at the earliest opportunity.

- Oh, you've made some kind of big discovery?

- It has to do with the basic character of Indian Joe.

- And what's that?

- It was very important.

I know I wrote it down in here somewhere.

Ah, here.

"Those acquainted with him say he's sullen

"and given to bursts of violent temper."

- Well that ain't exactly a big discovery, Mr. Pinkerton.

- "And while he shows no loyalty himself,

"he's likely to be viscous towards those

"who are not unwaveringly loyal to him."

- Well of course he ain't loyal!

- Yes, but what you don't seem to understand

is that because of his peculiar attitudes about loyalty,

he may conclude you have something against him personally

based on your testimony.

He may possibly believe that you are in pursuit of him.

To protect himself, he in turn must pursue you.

- Tom, is it possible Indian Joe could come after you

because of what you said in court?

- How should I know what Indian Joe might do?

Nobody even knows where he's hid himself these days

much less if he'll come after anybody.

- But couldn't he?

- Of course he could, no question of that.

- Just what are you sayin' anyway?

- I'm saying, because he hates himself,

he hates everybody, and has concluded that

eliminating you will solve all his problems.

You testified against him so he'll come after you.

The only way to catch him to lure him into a trap,

and we have the perfect bait, meaning you.

- You wanna use me to draw Indian Joe into a trap?

- That is unequivocally correct.

And for that reason, my young friend,

I cannot afford to let you out of my sight

for a solitary moment.

- I'm not gonna be bait for your old trap.

- Better he should come when you've got company

than when you're by yourself.

- I thought you believed he's gone by now.

- Mm mm mm.

(slow, tense music)

- He's staying pretty close behind us, Tom.

- I'd hate to say it, but he's got a good idea.

- You mean you don't mind his following you?

- Indian Joe is a dangerous man

and if I can draw him out, everybody'll be a lot safer.

I have to do whatever I can do help capture him.

- You're willing to go along with Mr. Pinkerton's plan?

- Yup.

- But that could be terribly dangerous for you, Tom.

I may not know much, Tom, but I believe you're

the bravest, noblest boy I ever met in my whole life,

and I'm proud to be your friend,

and that's the honest to goodness truth.

Wait a minute.

- What?

(grumbling)

- I also want you to know how very fond I am of you.

(slow music)

You know Tom, I have to go away to St. Louis

the day after tomorrow.

I'll miss you a lot.

And I'll be thinking about you everyday.

But for now, so long.

- I'll miss you.

Have a good trip, Becky!

- I'll be back as soon as I can!

- Bye!

Bye, don't forget me!

Hurry back, Becky.

(soft, bright music)

- I declare, I'll never understand how my dear

sister makes it through the day in one piece.

I don't know what she needs those papers for,

but we better get 'em to her.

- And it appears as soon as she gets 'em,

the better, mama.

There could be real trouble if she doesn't get them in time.

We should send them by hand with somebody

we really trust.

- Hm.

I don't have time to go all the way down there, Mary,

nor do you.

- Tom would go in a shot.

- Send Tom off by himself on a long trip like that?

Why, just imagine all the mischief that boy would get into.

- Mama, it's time you gave Tom some

grownin' up responsibility.

He's growin' up fast and it's an easy trip.

A few days by steamboat, and then two more hours by wagon.

- You could be right at that.

He won't get into any worse trouble down there

than he will hangin' around here pesterin' me all the time.

- Oh mama, he'll be so pleased.

And I'm sure everything will be just fine.

I think I hear him comin' in the side.

We should tell him as soon as he gets in.

(whistling) - Oh Tom?

- Ain't it a wonderful evenin', Aunt Polly?

- Hold on a minute, young man,

I need to talk to you about somethin'.

- What is it, Aunt Polly?

How can I help?

- Well this is a pretty serious matter

about your Aunt Sally.

Come on in so I can tell you about it.

- Uh, be right there.

(slow, bright music)

- Hm.

Hm?

- Hm.

- Uh, hm.

(Detective clearing throat) (Sid clearing throat)

- I gotta tell Becky.

- Hurry back, Tom!

(upbeat music)

- Hey, where ya goin', Tom?

Come back here.

- Oh boy, wait'll Becky hears about this.

Hey Becky!

Becky!

I don't mean that I was glad that Aunt Sally

was havin' her problems, but I was more than glad

to be of some help by deliverin' those papers she needed.

Mr. Pinkerton would have to wait a while

to spring his trap on Indian Joe,

but I'd be back soon, and if Joe was still around,

we'd get him then.

Right now, I had happier things on my mind.

Becky, are you home?

I got some great news for you, Becky.

Hey Becky, where are ya?

Becky?

- Hello, Tom.

Now what's up?

- I'm comin', too.

- To my grandmother's?

- No, I mean I'm gonna go to Arkansas

to visit my Aunt Sally.

- Uh, you mean--

- That means you and me can ride the steamboat together,

all the way down to St. Louis.

Won't that be just grand?

- [Becky] Oh Tom, that's wonderful news, how exciting!

- Yeah, that's what I thought.

I just couldn't wait another minute to tell you.

Ow!

Let go, Cesar.

(grumbling)

I think Cesar may be warmin' up to me.

(yelling) Oh, Cesar!

- Cesar, you mustn't bite Tom.

- [Tom] That's okay, I reckon he's just bein' friendly.

Bye!

Good doggy, good Cesar.

See you soon, Becky.

Nice puppy, nice doggy, Cesar.

Bye Becky!

There's a good doggy, Cesar, yaw!

Ouch!

Come on Cesar, ease up, will ya?

Cesar.

Just two more days and Becky and me

would be sailin' down the river

to St. Louis together.

This was one dream I looked forward to having come true.

(upbeat music)

♫ These are the stories of Tom Sawyer

♫ Me and Huck Finn just playin' by the river

♫ Chasin' that steamboat, teacher let me be

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

(upbeat music)