...in September 1960 i was 15 months old ... if that is an excuse for not having been in the audience - (-: best wishes w On Mon, 24 Jan 2022 09:24:22 -0800 Shelley Fisher Fishkin <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >Warren, thank you for your story—a reminder of how responsive and >generous Hal Holbrook was. If he knew a piece mattered to one >particular member of his audience, he would often make sure it was >included in the show. Lovely that you saw that yourself. And Wolfgang, >he most certainly did tour in Germany. In September, 1960, he >performed in Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg , and Berlin, and in October >of that year in Bonn. He got a very warm response. The Huck Finn >numbers went especially well; numbers involving religion or death, >however, fell flat. all best, > Shelley > > >> On Jan 24, 2022, at 7:50 AM, Wolfgang Hochbruck ><[log in to unmask]> wrote: >> >> ..what a remarkable story - thanks for sharing! I don't think Hal >> Holbrook ever toured Germany, i would have loved to see him. He may >> even have been a far distant relation; there is a story in the >family >> that some great x 4 or so uncle changed his name to Holbrook upon >> arrival in the USA because people choked on the German "ch" and he >> didn't like the idea of being called Hogbrook -- >> In the early 80s, there was a Twain impersonator on tour in Germany, >> and i saw him but i don't remember who it was nor was the tour >> particularly successful. At that time, nobody over here had ever >heard >> of living history presentations, and teachers of German would likely >> have fainted at the idea of somebody impersonating Goethe or >> Schiller... >> >> best >> w >> >> >> >> On Mon, 24 Jan 2022 07:12:55 -0500 >> Warren Miller <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >>> Thank you for remembering Hal Holbook, Shelley. >>> >>> I had the good fortune to win a scholarship to attend Culver >Military >>> Academy starting in the fall of 1958. It was a fabulous and >>> life-changing >>> experience. I graduated in 1961. Having graduated from Culver in >1944, >>> Mr. >>> Holbrook had preceded me there by seventeen years. I saw him >perform >>> once >>> there and several more times over the years. The last time was in >the >>> early >>> 1990s when my beloved bride and I lived in Tulsa. Before the >curtain >>> went >>> up that night, I sent a note to him backstage; on the back of my >>> business >>> card, I said I was a Culver graduate and asked him if he would do >'The >>> War >>> Prayer' which I had seen the first time at Culver more than thirty >>> years >>> before. I had read that he chose what he was going to do in a given >>> performance as he went along, based on the audience's reaction to >the >>> choices he was making. Sure enough, near the end of the evening, he >>> did the >>> 'The War Prayer.' It was even more spectacular and moving than I >had >>> remembered. I was thrilled. >>> >>> A couple of weeks later, I got a handwritten note from him in the >>> mail. He >>> thanked me for attending and said he hoped I enjoyed 'The War >Prayer'. >>> I >>> was thrilled yet again and also humbled. >>> >>> What a wonderful, wonderful man. We lost a great American a year >ago. >>> May >>> he rest in peace. >>> >>> Thank you again, Shelley. >>> >>> Warren Miller, CPA, CFA >>> Lexington, Virginia >>> >>> On Sun, Jan 23, 2022 at 10:58 AM Shelley Fisher Fishkin < >>> [log in to unmask]> wrote: >>> >>>> One year ago today, on January 23rd, the world lost a gifted >actor, >>> a >>>> brilliant scholar of Mark Twain, and a kind, generous, and caring >>> human >>>> being. Many of us on this list lost a friend. Hal Holbrook Z”L — >>> May his >>>> memory be a blessing. >>>> >>>> >>>> =============================== >>>> Shelley Fisher Fishkin >>>> Joseph S. Atha Professor of Humanities; Professor of English, and >>>> Director of American Studies, Stanford University >>>> Mail: Department of English, Bldg. 460, 450 Jane Stanford Way, >>> Stanford >>>> University, Stanford, CA 94305-2087 >>>> https://english.stanford.edu/people/shelley-fisher-fishkin < >>>> https://english.stanford.edu/people/shelley-fisher-fishkin> >>>> >> >> >> Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hochbruck >> Dept. of English >> Centre for Security and Society >> Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg >> Rempart St. 15 >> D-79098 Freiburg >> Germany Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hochbruck Dept. of English Centre for Security and Society Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg Rempart St. 15 D-79098 Freiburg Germany