Since he did so much research on Joan of Arc (and I read somewhere that he considered it his best book) and since she was so traditionally religious, I would like to know what his true core spiritual belief really was. Susan On Thu, Oct 2, 2014 at 1:50 PM, Cindy Lovell <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Nothing makes me happier than=0A= > to see these sorts of conversations.=0A= > What a lovable bunch of geeks=0A= > we are, and wouldn't SLC relish=0A= > such affectionate scrutiny? Haven't=0A= > we all 'squandered' countless hours=0A= > speculating and imagining answers=0A= > to thousands of questions? What a=0A= > power he holds over each one of us.=0A= > He is more intimate to us than many=0A= > of our own DNA-sharing relatives,=0A= > yet he belongs to the world.=0A= > =0A= > If only ONE lost item or bit of information=0A= > could be discovered from his life, =0A= > what would each of you place at the=0A= > top of the list? (Impossible to answer=0A= > with only one, I know.)=0A= > =0A= > The butler pictured in the film is Claude:=0A= > http://www.twainquotes.com/beuchotte.html=0A= > =0A= > =0A= > =0A= > ________________________________________=0A= > From: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Kevin Mac Donnell > <i= > [log in to unmask]>=0A= > Sent: Thursday, October 2, 2014 9:49 AM=0A= > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Twain film redux=0A= > =0A= > Oh, he's playing for the camera for sure. Even in still photos Twain is=0A= > seldom caught truly off-guard. Even his supposedly spontaneous speeches > and= > =0A= > interview responses were usually carefully rehearsed. That looks like the= > =0A= > self-conscious public Mark Twain stalking about Stormfield, not the > private= > =0A= > Mr Clemens.=0A= > =0A= > The little finger extended from the teacup is another good detail. > Every=0A= > time the film is viewed more little details emerge, especially if you hit= > =0A= > the pause button now and then. As he walks away from the front door there= > =0A= > appears to be a silhouette of someone standing inside the entrance. The=0A= > curtains in the sidelights rustle in the wind, an indication that the > Frenc= > h=0A= > doors of the dining room must have been open, creating a breeze through > the= > =0A= > center of the house (that would also be his pathway to go around and > circle= > =0A= > that end of the house later in the film).=0A= > =0A= > But the limp looks real to me. I played with the pause and the rhythm of > hi= > s=0A= > steps does not correspond with each frame, so it's not the film --it's=0A= > Twain. So, the question is whether it's deliberate. The posture of his > hips= > =0A= > while at the door and the persistent limp in profile both trips around the= > =0A= > house, and the left side sway all seem genuine indications of a problem of= > =0A= > some sort. When I get time I'm going to run it past my medical friends and= > =0A= > seek an expert opinion.=0A= > =0A= > Also, it would be nice to nail down the precise date this film was made. > Is= > =0A= > there a list of Edison's employees who might have been in the crew he sent= > =0A= > out that day? If so, I could check them against the two Stormfield=0A= > guest-books. I have the original first guestbook and an old facsimile of > th= > e=0A= > second (the original is at Hartford) and although most of the people can > be= > =0A= > identified, quite a few of the people who signed in are not.=0A= > =0A= > Kevin=0A= > @=0A= > Mac Donnell Rare Books=0A= > 9307 Glenlake Drive=0A= > Austin TX 78730=0A= > 512-345-4139=0A= > Member: ABAA, ILAB=0A= > *************************=0A= > You may browse our books at:=0A= > www.macdonnellrarebooks.com=0A= > =0A= > =0A= > -----Original Message-----=0A= > From: John Chappell=0A= > Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2014 9:25 PM=0A= > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Twain film redux=0A= > =0A= > The Langdons gave the Edison film to the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and > Museum= > =0A= > in Hannibal, as I was told in the early 1970s. It was on dangerous nitrate= > =0A= > stock, so 16mm prints were made from it; and a number of copies were kept= > =0A= > in Hannibal.=0A= > =0A= > When I visited Hannibal for a benefit performance around 1971, they ran=0A= > them on a 16mm projector for me. 18 frames a second looked way too > fast.=0A= > Thinking they'd probably been shot at a slower speed, maybe 12 frames a=0A= > second, we got access to an audio-visual Bell&Howell projector. It had=0A= > variable speed that made it possible to see them at what was obviously > a=0A= > more correct rate.=0A= > =0A= > It was my opinion that Twain was intentionally playing the camera for=0A= > humor. First, he comes out the door as if saying "Get that contraption off= > =0A= > my property, and be quick about it!"=0A= > =0A= > Next, we see him ambling past the camera but completely ignoring it,=0A= > puffing away on his cigar. That has to have been deliberate.=0A= > =0A= > There's a pause following, and here he comes again wandering past > camera=0A= > again, and ignoring it again, as if he'd run madly around the house for=0A= > another shot, but wouldn't let on to it -- oh,no -- just wander past as if= > =0A= > he never noticed camera or crew. Again.=0A= > =0A= > From an actor's view, he's working it. And doing it very well.=0A= > =0A= > That humor looked might Twainian to me, and to the man who ran the > Becky=0A= > Thatcher Bookshop back then. Every time I've viewed the Edison film since= > =0A= > I've seen that same humor.=0A= > =0A= > It's there again with the tea. Watch him stick his little finger out as he= > =0A= > lifts his teacup.=0A= > =0A= > They gave me one of the prints, since I wouldn't take money for the show.= > =0A= > After, they asked how I liked the table they'd brought to use on stage at= > =0A= > the high school.=0A= > =0A= > "That's the one, you know," they said. "From the museum. That's the one he= > =0A= > wrote Tom Sawyer on."=0A= > =0A= > Oh, my. For sure I knew I was in the right town then. Just as I knew > who=0A= > you were Susan, when I saw your photo, and that inherited nose so familiar= > =0A= > from many, many studies of photographs of the man.=0A= > =0A= > John Chappell=0A= > =0A= > On Wed, Oct 1, 2014 at 8:59 PM, Susan Bailey <[log in to unmask] > >=0A= > wrote:=0A= > =0A= > > Kevin, I've looked at this footage many time and I agree that it looks > as= > =0A= > > if he has a slight limp coming around the corner but then it seems to=0A= > > clear=0A= > > up as he appears in front of the house. As Bob said, this could be due > to= > =0A= > > his age. You can see at the beginning that his right hip seems to be a= > =0A= > > bit=0A= > > higher than his left.=0A= > >=0A= > > As a person who actually knew Clara when I was a child, I don't believe= > =0A= > > that is Clara on the left. And that is certainly not her in the middle.= > =0A= > > That woman has a widow's peak, which Clara didn't have. Clara had a > stron= > g=0A= > > face and, in my memory was not given to girlish gestures like touching > or= > =0A= > > smoothing back her hair. That could be a difference in age but this > just= > =0A= > > does not look like Clara to me.=0A= > >=0A= > > Regards,=0A= > > Susan Bailey=0A= > >=0A= > > On Wed, Oct 1, 2014 at 8:43 PM, Kevin Mac Donnell <=0A= > > [log in to unmask]> wrote:=0A= > >=0A= > > > Well, I have me bad days and me better days, but it looks like a limp > t= > o=0A= > > > me,=0A= > > > especially visible as he corners the far end of the house in profile.= > =0A= > > >=0A= > > > It's Jean on the left and Clara in the middle. That's not Ashcroft who= > =0A= > > > brings Clara her hat, nor Ossip, but likely a servant and there are=0A= > > several=0A= > > > candidates for that honor.=0A= > > >=0A= > > > Kevin=0A= > > > @=0A= > > > Mac Donnell Rare Books=0A= > > > 9307 Glenlake Drive=0A= > > > Austin TX 78730=0A= > > > 512-345-4139=0A= > > > Member: ABAA, ILAB=0A= > > > *************************=0A= > > > You may browse our books at:=0A= > > > www.macdonnellrarebooks.com=0A= > > >=0A= > > >=0A= > > > -----Original Message-----=0A= > > > From: [log in to unmask] > > > Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2014 6:27 PM=0A= > > > To: [log in to unmask] > > > Subject: Re: Twain film redux=0A= > > >=0A= > > > Kevin, you're certainly right about the wind. Those trees in the=0A= > > background=0A= > > > look like props from news footage of a hurricane making landfall. But= > =0A= > > > I'm=0A= > > > not sure about the limp. If it's there, it's very slight -- and might= > =0A= > > that=0A= > > > just be a normal state of affairs from someone in his 70s?=0A= > > >=0A= > > > The little explanation at the beginning says the two women in the film= > =0A= > > are=0A= > > > believed to be Jean and Clara. But didn't someone here confirm a while= > =0A= > > back=0A= > > > that it's Jean and Isabel Lyon? I seem to recall that, anyway. And the= > =0A= > > man=0A= > > > who appears briefly -- is that Ashcroft?=0A= > > >=0A= > > > -- Bob G.=0A= > > >=0A= > >=0A= > >=0A= > >=0A= > > --=0A= > > Best regards,=0A= > > Susan Bailey=0A= > > Greenville, SC=0A= > > www.marktwainonline.com=0A= > >= > -- Best regards, Susan Bailey Greenville, SC www.marktwainonline.com