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Description

When orphaned Jimmy Mason is taken in by his Aunt Emma and Uncle Henry, he meets their boarder Matt Kelly, who impresses the young man with his boastful swagger and alleged political connections, although in reality he's a bootlegger. The boy's life is disrupted when, as one of Kelly's hired hands, he refuses to identify his boss during a police raid and is sentenced to three years of hard labor in reform school, where he befriends a sickly boy named Shorty, who eventually is sent to solitary confinement. When Jimmy realizes his new pal is seriously ill and desperately needs medical attention, he escapes and goes to Kelly and Kelly's girlfriend, Peggy Gardner (Bette Davis), for help. Peggy contacts newspaper columnist Frank Gephardt, who is anxious to expose the conditions at the state industrial school. The authorities find Jimmy at Gephardt's office, but before they can apprehend him Kelly admits his involvement in the bootlegging operation and the boy is set free. He discovers Shorty has died, victimized by a corrupt system.

Description

One year after it's popular 1930 take on "Tom Sawyer," Paramount reunited the film's principals for another enjoyable run at Mark Twain's classic prose. Now that his newfound wealth has lured his worthless Pap (Warner Richmond back into his life, Huck (Junior Durkin) opted to try and escape with an adventurous rafting trip alongside Tom (Jackie Coogan) and slave Jim (Clarence Muse). Mitzi Green, Jackie Searl, Charlotte Henry, Eugene Pallette, Clara Blandick, Jane Darwell also star. 79 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English; Subtitles: English; audio commentary; theatrical trailer.