Audience Member
Hal Holbrook captures Twain. No doubt about it. While a stage act and a podioum seem unlikely to thrill anyone, this performance by Holbrook defies gravity. Harold Rowe "Hal" Holbrook, Jr. (born February 17, 1925) is an American actor.
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SEE a clip of this live, on stage performance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNql_eRsWJo
AND,
SEE all 10 installments on youtube.com starting with part one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNql_eRsWJo&list=PL23606DA3F333D6E2
[img]http://www.dallasnews.com/incoming/20110318-mark_twain_tonight_4_18512199.jpg.ece/BINARY/w620x413/MARK_TWAIN_TONIGHT_4_18512199.JPG[/img] Hal Holbrook as Twain
Holbrook's television roles include Abraham Lincoln in the 1976 TV series Lincoln, Hays Stowe on The Bold Ones: The Senator and Capt. Lloyd Bucher on Pueblo. He is also known for his role in the 2007 film Into the Wild, for which he was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Academy Award. He has also performed a one-man show as Mark Twain since 1954.
If you EVER had any feeling for the Missouri river captain of 6 fathom humor, get this dvd (or even less expensive on vhs through amazon.com). Sure to make you reflect on why you live and die, laugh or cry, marry or kick the dog.
[img]http://blogs.umsl.edu/news/files/2012/03/holbrook_twain_495_279.jpg[/img]
Why Holbrook ever undertook this facinating impersonation of the beloved rebel without a cause I have yet to find out.
Take if from me, until you hear this stellar recitation on stage that millions heard live in 1967, you ain't heard nothin' yet. Wordy, verbose, you name it, Twain had a way with words.
Talks topics ranging from Congress, imperialism, heaven, Satan, religion, Huckleberry Finn, river captains, drinking etc.
While overly long and way too many cigars, Holbrook is as fine a impersonator as can be. He tends to digress and some of the stories he tells are just too hard to understand.
A gem, a jewel, a thought provoking stage performance live and in person, by one man. The only criticism I would have is that this performance was way too long and ended rather anti-climatically.
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At the height of the Vietnam war, some of Holbrook's comments are directly aimed at the confilct. Without saying so, his jabs at Congress and war in general speak to the nation about the sad conflict being waged in Vietnam.
Aired on national TV when over 30 million viewers watched Holbrook's first televised broadcast of his one man show.
On March 6, 1967, this show aired for the first time.
Color,vhs, television grade, running time 90 minutes. Dolby sound. Note: the audio of this television broadcast is not as crisp and clear as it should be. Not closed captioned either.
[img]http://popejoypresents.com/2012-2013/hal-holbrook-in-mark-twain-tonight/image_wideheader[/img]
REVIEWS:
1 After 60 years, Hal Holbrook's Mark Twain Tonight! still has lessons for us....
by Stephen Trageser arts@nashvillescene.com.
2 Hal Holbrook is so spectacular in his one-man performance that you could swear you were listening to Twain himself. --amazon.com
3 That Mr. Holbrook has performed Mark Twain every year since 1954, in over 2000 shows, is nothing short of miraculous. This 90 minute performance brings the wisdom, humor and humanity of one of the most morally insightful men of the 19th century to life. His words continue to be as hilarious, poignant and relevent in the 21st century as they were in his own time.
4 All you young English teachers, take note: on a scale of one-to-five stars, this performance of Mr. Holbrook is a six. Maybe seven!
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Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/19/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Full of silly, snappy, snarky snippets one comes to expect from Mr. Twain. Holbrook's portrayal of the satirical cynic is brilliant. Highly recommended to any fan of Mark Twain or acidic humor.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/26/23
Full Review
Audience Member
This truly great entertainment. It truly blows my mind that this was on CBS back in the day. We sure don't have television like this anymore.
Some of the wittiest entertainment I have seen in a long time.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/23/23
Full Review
Audience Member
The birth of stand-up comedy.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/23/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Hal Holbrook was a young man when he did this; he memorized 14 hours of Twain's material; sadly it is not all on this DVD; But it is excellent; you might shed a tear; youl will definietly laugh.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/17/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I did not really like this movie.
Rated 1/5 Stars •
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
02/10/23
Full Review
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