Twain actually attended one of Gillette's performances in which he
impersonated Twain and gave him a left-handed compliment, but a compliment
none the less. Mr Holbrook did listen to one of Gillette's (several)
recordings of the jumping frog story. He also consulted Lyon and Bim Pond
(son of Twain's last lecture agent). Others who knew or heard Twain later
attended Mr Holbrook's performances. I have a letter from Gillette about his
Twain performances, Clara's enthusiastic letter to a friend two days after
she met Mr Holbrook, and Mr. Holbrook's letter to Lyon after he visited her.
I've shared these with Mr Holbrook, and the details of this are all included
in an article (one of several at the moment) that I'm writing.
But suffice to say that Mr Holbrook bases his impersonation on that of a
fellow who had Twain's own endorsement and that this endorsement was
reaffirmed by Clara and others.
It might be worth pointing out that Mark Twain is a persona created by Sam
Clemens and that Sam Clemens performed that role from 1863 until April 9,
1910 when he signed his name "Mark Twain" for the last time. Mr Holbrook has
performed the role of Mark Twain even longer. So, when you see Mr Holbrook
perform you are indeed seeing Mark Twain, even if you are not seeing Sam
Clemens.
Kevin
@
Mac Donnell Rare Books
9307 Glenlake Drive
Austin TX 78730
512-345-4139
Member: ABAA, ILAB
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You may browse our books at:
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-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen Archer
Sent: Monday, November 30, 2015 10:50 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Mark Twain Tonight
Are you all familiar with the recording made by the actor William =
Gillette as Twain? He knew Twain as a=20
young man and recorded a brief bit of =E2=80=9CThe Jumping Frog of =
Calaveras County=E2=80=9D imitating Twain. You can
find it on YouTube as =E2=80=9CTwain=E2=80=99s Voice.=E2=80=9D There =
used to be a disk recording of it on display in the Museum in
Hannibal, but I didn=E2=80=99t see it the last time I was there. I have =
a copy, though, I got in the 1970s.
I cannot imagine that Holbrook didn=E2=80=99t listen to it many times.
Stephen M. Archer
> On Nov 30, 2015, at 8:05 AM, Terry Ballard <[log in to unmask]> =
wrote:
>=20
> I had read that Holbrook was vetted not only by Clara, but by Isabel =
Lyons.
> If true, that means that Holbrook's voice is the nearest thing we will =
ever
> have to a recording of Twain. PS, Happy birthday, Mark Twain. You are =
180
> and your words are as inspiring as ever to people living in this =
troubled
> world.
>=20
> On Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 12:38 AM, Susan Bailey =
<[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>=20
>> Carl, when I saw him last year at Hartford I was so engrossed in his
>> performance that I thought I was seeing Twain on the stage. He is a
>> magnificent actor. In the scene where he falls asleep in the chair, I =
was
>> just hoping one of the stage hands would wake him up!
>>=20
>> I know he met with Clara once and I believe she was ill at the time. =
I
>> think her second husband, Jacques Samossoud set it up.
>>=20
>> In the fall of 1965, a few months before she died in January 1966, =
Nina saw
>> his show at least once when he was playing in the desert near Los =
Angeles.
>>=20
>> Susan Bailey
>> Co author
>> The Twain Shall Meet
>> <
>> =
http://www.amazon.com/Twain-Shall-Meet-Granddaughter-Gabrilowitsch/dp/1499=
799497/ref=3Dsr_1_1/191-7847938-3534132?ie=3DUTF8&qid=3D1415889321&sr=3D8-=
1&keywords=3Dthe+twain+shall+meet+susan+bailey
>>>=20
>> Twain Page <https://www.facebook.com/marktwainsgranddaughter>
>> www.marktwainonline.com
>> Greenville, SC
>>=20
>> On Sun, Nov 29, 2015 at 7:43 PM, Carl J. Chimi <[log in to unmask]> =
wrote:
>>=20
>>> Folks,
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> The other day I watched an old Dirty Harry movie, Magnum Force, =
wherein
>> Hal
>>> Holbrook plays a crooked cop. That made me realize that I haven't =
ever
>> seen
>>> his 1967 taped production of Mark Twain Tonight. I saw him perform =
it
>> live
>>> in Boston when I was young, in 1973 and maybe 1979. I remember =
being
>>> mesmerized and thrilled to see a live representation of my hero on a
>> stage.
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> I downloaded and watched the 1967 Mark Twain Tonight just now. I =
was
>> blown
>>> away with how good Hal Holbrook was. The makeup was amazing for =
1967;
>>> although he doesn't look exactly like the 70-year-old Mark Twain, =
his own
>>> Hal Holbrook look seems to nearly disappear within the Mark Twain
>> persona.
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> Even when he was recreating well known stories such as The Golden =
Arm, he
>>> still managed to completely hold my short little span of attention =
by his
>>> use of unexpected sounds and voices, and with his impeccable timing. =
His
>>> take on Jim Blaine was just hilarious, and somehow made me feel it =
is a
>>> quintessential American story. His more serious remarks were well =
chosen
>>> for 1967 and for any time after that, too.
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> In short, a true masterpiece of acting.
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> Does anyone know if Clara or her daughter ever saw Holbrook perform =
Mark
>>> Twain?
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> Regards,
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> Carl
>>>=20
>>=20
>=20
>=20
>=20
> --=20
>=20
>=20
> Terry Ballard
> Author and Leisure Studies Manager
> http://www.terryballard.org
> Author of the book "Google this" http://googlethis.com
> <http://googlethisforlibraries.com/>
>=20
> "My memory has a mind of its own."
|
