Are you all familiar with the recording made by the actor William Gillette as Twain? He knew Twain as a young man and recorded a brief bit of “The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” imitating Twain. You can find it on YouTube as “Twain’s Voice.” There used to be a disk recording of it on display in the Museum in Hannibal, but I didn’t see it the last time I was there. I have a copy, though, I got in the 1970s. I cannot imagine that Holbrook didn’t listen to it many times. Stephen M. Archer > On Nov 30, 2015, at 8:05 AM, Terry Ballard <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > 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. > > On Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 12:38 AM, Susan Bailey <[log in to unmask]> > wrote: > >> 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! >> >> 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. >> >> 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. >> >> Susan Bailey >> Co author >> The Twain Shall Meet >> < >> http://www.amazon.com/Twain-Shall-Meet-Granddaughter-Gabrilowitsch/dp/1499799497/ref=sr_1_1/191-7847938-3534132?ie=UTF8&qid=1415889321&sr=8-1&keywords=the+twain+shall+meet+susan+bailey >>> >> Twain Page <https://www.facebook.com/marktwainsgranddaughter> >> www.marktwainonline.com >> Greenville, SC >> >> On Sun, Nov 29, 2015 at 7:43 PM, Carl J. Chimi <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >> >>> Folks, >>> >>> >>> >>> 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. >>> >>> >>> >>> 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. >>> >>> >>> >>> 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. >>> >>> >>> >>> In short, a true masterpiece of acting. >>> >>> >>> >>> Does anyone know if Clara or her daughter ever saw Holbrook perform Mark >>> Twain? >>> >>> >>> >>> Regards, >>> >>> >>> >>> Carl >>> >> > > > > -- > > > Terry Ballard > Author and Leisure Studies Manager > http://www.terryballard.org > Author of the book "Google this" http://googlethis.com > <http://googlethisforlibraries.com/> > > "My memory has a mind of its own."