Pudd'nhead Wilson (1987)

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Pudd'nhead Wilson, Mark Twain's attack on racial prejudice in the guise of a mystery tale, was adapted for television in 1984 by Philip Reisman Jr. Ken Howard plays lawyer "Pudd'nhead" Wilson, so named because of his silly behavior and foolish appearance. Wilson, however, has a lot more on the ball than anyone suspects. He proves as much by unraveling a murder case that begins taking shape when mulatto slave Roxane (Lisa Hilboldt) switches her baby with one belonging to a prominent white family. Filmed on location at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, Pudd'nhead Wilson premiered January 24, 1984, on PBS television's American Playhouse. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Director(s):: Alan Bridges

Format(s):: DVD
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Synopsis of Pudd'nhead Wilson

Theatrical Feature Running Time:: 90 mins

Complete Cast of Pudd'nhead Wilson

Ken Howard - Pudd'nhead Wilson
Scotty Bloch - Mrs. Driscoll
Nameer El-Kadi - Angelo Cappella
Lise Hilboldt - Roxy
Cecilia Parker - Mrs. Howard
Clifford Soubier - Mr. Beckly
Alan J. Wendl - Lucas Dawkins
Preston Maybank - Chambers

Tom Aldredge - Judge Driscoll
MacIntyre Dixon - Mr. Vance
Jack Hallett - Philo Bartley
Alice McGill - Slave Woman
David Samson - Abraham Spooner
Steven Weber - Tom Driscoll (false)
Dick Latessa - Creech

Director(s):: Alan Bridges

Writer(s):: Philip Reisman, Jr.

Producer(s):: Jane Iredale

Categories:: Action / Adventure

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	J J.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful

I had just finished reading the book that this dvd was based on. The book was so marvelously written, with a style full of succinct, descriptive language as to create a vivid visual impression for the reader. I was initially excited that such a brilliant, socially relevant and " made for the big screen" novel had been translated to a visual medium. Unfortunately, much was lost in the translation. Mark Twain's wry humor, his technique of using language to underscore the morality messages conveyed in his novel, and the manner that Twain established character perspective through language, was eviscerated to the level of a whitewashed mainstream after school movie treatment. To be fair, perhaps a 5 part series should have been produced from the original story instead of this attempt at cramming such a multifaceted and cleverly constructed story into 90 minutes.

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