This week’s mystery movie was the 1944 Warner Bros. film The Adventures of Mark Twain, with Fredric March, Alexis Smith, Donald Crisp, Alan Hale, C. Aubrey Smith, John Carradine, Bill Henry, Robert Barrat, Walter Hampden, Joyce Reynolds, Whitford Kane, Percy Kilbride and Nana Bryant.
Screenplay by Alan LeMay.
Adaptation by Alan LeMay and Harold M. Sherman.
Additional dialogue by Harry Chandlee.
All biographical material based on works owned or controlled by the Mark Twain Company and the play Mark Twain by Harold M. Sherman.
Associate producer Julius Evans.
Photographed by Sol Polito.
Dialogue direction by Herschel Daughterty.
Edited by Ralph Dawson.
Special effects by Lawrence Butler and Edwin Linden.
Montages by Don Siegel and James Leicester.
Technical advisors Dwight Franklin, Character Designer; Dick Lemen, Mississippi River sequences.
Art direction by John Hughes.
Sound by Robert B. Lee.
Set decorations by Fred MacLean.
Gowns by Orry-Kelly.
Makeup by Perc Westmore.
Orchestral arrangements by Bernard Kaun.
Musical director Leo F. Forbstein.
Produced by Jesse L. Lasky.
Music by Max Steiner.
Directed by Irving Rapper.
Further information on The Adventures of Mark Twain is available from the AFI Catalog.
The Adventures of Mark Twain is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
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I picked The Adventures of Mark Twain by going through the trades, this time The National Board of Review Magazine. When I previewed the film, I realized that I had seen it many years ago on television but had no memory of it except for the opening sequence with Halley’s Comet and Twain’s involvement with the memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant. The rest of the movie, which is most of it, was a blank.
I’m going to guess that because the film originated on the stage, Bosley is going to give it a fairly good review.
Oh, he doesn’t like it! (The New York Times, May 4, 1944):
When Warner Brothers tagged their screen biography of Samuel L. Clemens The Adventures of Mark Twain rather than “the Life” or even “the Story” of the great American humorist, they were tipping their mitt as to its nature — and were also providing a possible out. For this lengthy and desultory picture, which came to the Hollywood yesterday, is no more a full report on the great author than it is a breath-taking film. Rather it is a spotty and often inaccurate chronicle of certain events of some humor and human interest in the life of a man. It is a jumble of episodic snatches in which a genius who made speeches and wrote books appears to incidental advantage but with little sustained significance. And especially it is a screen diary in which Fredric March gives a picturesque display of a colorful character on the surface but projects very little from within.
For Monday, we have some mysterious guests.
Update: This is Frank Wilcox and Lillian Randolph.
For Tuesday, our mystery guest appears to be unwell.
Update: This is Fredric March.
Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (Monday’s mysterious woman), Mary Mallory (Monday’s mysterious fellow) and Sylvia (Monday’s mysterious woman).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious gent.
Update: This is John Carradine in The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County sequence.
Brain Trust roll call: Sylvia (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery woman and Tuesday’s mysterious patient), Anne Papineau (mystery movie, Monday’s and Tuesday’s mysterious fellows) and Sheila (Monday’s mystery woman).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Alan Hale Sr.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Chrisbo (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Stacia (mystery movie, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Suz N Chaz (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery woman, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), B.J. Merholz (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (mystery movie, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sylvia (Wednesday’s mystery guest) and Dan Nather (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guest).
For Friday, we have a mysterious woman.
Update: This is Alexis Smith.
We also have this mysterious fellow with the luxurious coiffure.
Update: This is Fredric March in one of the many luxurious wigs he wears in the course of the film.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mysterious miner), Chrisbo (mystery movie, Thursday’s mysterious miner), Funky PhD (mystery movie, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery miner), B.J. Merholz (Thursday’s mystery miner), Sylvia (Thursday’s mystery miner), Benito (Thursday’s mystery miner), Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery miner), Dan Nather (Thursday’s mystery miner) and Thom and Megan (mystery movie, Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Will Geer, Olive Ball in THE TALL TARGET (1951).
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An excellent guess!! But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Wild bill hickok rides.
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Keenan Wynn and Lillian Randolph?
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Frank Wilcox.
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The woman looks like Lillian Randolph to me. I’m going to guess “Little Men” 1940, though I rarely get Monday’s images.
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Another guess on the film, just because I still think it may be Rudolph. This one has some interesting stuff to it and would fit the age she appears to be along with the setting of the story.
Way Down South 1938
If that’s right, I’ll guess Charles Middleton (sans his Ming the Merciless garb) for the guy.
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wild bill hickory rides. Frank Wilcox and Lillian Yarbo Monday, Warren William today.
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Wild bill hickok rides.
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The Adventures of Mark Twain 1944
Mon – Lillian Randolph confirmed. I’m guessing that the guy character is a doctor and IMDb lists two doctors: Frank Reicher and Charles Waldron. Let’s go with Frank.
Tues – Frederic March
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Frank Wilcox on Monday. On Tuesday, Fredric March in “The Adventures of Mark Twain”
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Could it be THE PRISONER OF SHARK ISLAND?
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Lillian Randolph on Monday?
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THE ADVENTURES OF MARK TWAIN. Supposedly that’s Libby Taylor on Monday with Wilcox, Fredric March yesterday, and John Carradine today.
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John Carradine as Bret Harte
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John Carradine Wednesday?
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Wednesday is John Carradine which makes me suspect Tuesday is Fredric March, is this THE ADVENTURES OF MARK TWAIN (1944)?
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Lillian Randolph (?), Frederic March, John Carradine in “The Adventures of Mark Twain” (1944).
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John Carradine
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Fredric March, Jessie Grayson and John Carradine in ADVENTURES OF MARK TWAIN.
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Wed – John Carradine as Bret Harte
Haven’t found a name for the frog yet, so maybe just Frog.
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Okay, I’ll try again —
John Carradine as Bret Harte in THE ADVENTURES OF MARK TWAIN (1944).
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Alan Hale.
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Is that Alan Hale in The Adventure of Mark Twain?
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Wednesday’s mysterious fell0w is John Carradine, and Thursday’s is Alan Hale, which makes this “The Adventures of Mark Twain.”
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Alan Hale
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Alan Hale
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Thursday – Alan Hale Sr
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The ubiquitous Alan Hale Sr
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Alan Hale Sr.
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Alan Hale on Thursday . . .
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Our movie is The Adventures of Mark Twain with Alan Hale, John Carradine, and Fredric March.
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Alexis Smith and Mr. March.
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Alexis and Fredric.
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Monday – Perry Mason alum (thanks Mary) Frank Wilcox
Friday – Alexis Smith and Frederick March
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