Mark Twain Tonight
1967, David Susskind
Hal Holbrook's one-man stage play—thankfully broadcast as a television special in 1967—is the finest performance of its kind that I've seen. Although a good bit of the program is laugh-out-loud funny, there's some serious social commentary and dramatic material incorporated. Holbrook also revised the content over the years, making it worth seeking out the recordings that were released on vinyl in the 50s and 60s. The Tony-winning play ran from 1954 to 2017, with Holbrook delivering over 2,100 performances: he actually played Mark Twain longer than Samuel Clemens did.
"I was born modest, but it wore off."
DKS 2/20/22
GRUMPY OLD FART-O-METER® Rating:
