Mark Twain Tonight

Hal Holbrook gathered some 30 hours of stories by talking to folks who'd seen Twain speak. That also allowed Holbrook to adjust his voice, timing and mannerisms to closely approximate the real Sam Clemens. I had the great pleasure to see Holbrook perform Mark Twain tonight in Fairbanks, Alaska. This CD is a similar show performed for television. I only wish Holbrook had the opportunity to record all 30 hours of his material. Every household in the United States should own this CD, since it is a treasured slice of Americana. Mark Twain Tonight is a masterpiece.

I have not seen this since the 1960s on TV. I had just attended a performance of MTT with a now 92-year-old Hal Holbrook so I was able to compare the two performances more than 50 years apart. The DVD is a tremendous personal performance with Hal Holbrook becoming Samuel Clemens for me. The mannerisms, language, wit and wisdom are as I've read Twain and visited his home in Connecticut and his study in Elmira.It is virtual reality for me as a Twain fan. You need this one in the library to see and the share with family and friends. His "reading" (from memory) of passages from Twain's writings are flawless and spoken as if from his pen. It is one of the great performances of the last century.

I have been teaching "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" in the classroom for thirty years. If there is one person living or dead that I could meet, it would be Mark Twain. And this 90-minute DVD of a 1967 CBS television broadcast is as close to the real thing as you're ever going to get to experiencing Twain's lecture platform performance.Hal Holbrook faithfully recreates Twain's look, his mannerisms, and his material. Drawing chiefly from Twain's published works, Holbrook tells of his boyhood, his experiences as a steamboat pilot, his world travels and excerpts from his greatest novel. Holbrook is an acknowledged Twain expert and Ken Burns featured him in his 2002 documentary "Mark Twain."I have each of my students perform a dramatic reading from "Huck Finn," and use the "Huck & Jim" chapter from this DVD to illustrate how it is possible to breathe life into these characters. [My only disappointment is that the "Lynching" chapter is not the Col. Sherburn lynching scene from "Huck Finn." I have a two-cassette edition of Holbrook's performance, however, that does include this dramatic scene.]The customers who have posted lackluster reviews need to realize that Twain was not a stand-up comedian. He was a humorist. A satirist. He chose his words carefully. (It took nearly seven years to complete "Huck Finn," for crying out loud!) As Twain himself once said: "I am not 'an' American. I am 'the' American." This presentation gives you a glimpse of one of this country's greatest Americans.Holbrook is 85 now and still touring, but even at the tender age of 40 he was Mark Twain incarnate. I get chills every time I watch this. It's simply amazing. There are many Twain impersonators--I even saw one this summer when I visited Twain's boyhood home of Hannibal. But no one touches Holbrook. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Hal Holbrook's CBS Special "Mark Twain Tonight!" is a performance of historic proportions. To say this should be required viewing of every American is an understatement. Holbrook's portrait of the great humorist Samuel Clemens's irreverence for just about everything is as poignant now as ever. I put it in the top 4 greatest things ever on network television.

This recording is a true delight to listen to. It brings Hal Holbrook's greatest Impression of Mark Twain to life. Year ago, I had the opportunity to be on board the Mississippi Queen Riverboat. A ship with a large red paddle wheel on the aft. All done up in lace carved woodwork with red and gold trim, the ship was an America dream on water. The entertainment included Hal Holbrook fresh off of his Broadway Mark Twain show. He told an evening's full of classic Mark Twain tales, gossip and jokes as only the finest Mark Twain impressioner could. Not only was it a treat to see Hal Holbrook's impression of Mark Twain but, it was a honor to see America's timeless great storyteller come to life before us. Being on the Mississippi River Queen was icing on the cake.

Not a particularly good selection of Mark Twain tonight and not a very long collection of it either. I bought it for a friend whose wife just died and who loves Mark Twain tonight, and this collection was depressing, short, and not particularly funny.

Love Mark Twain, love Hal Holbrook, this show was dull. However, it was designed for an audience from 50 years ago, so the humor was too staid. A shame, because Twain's humor is timeless. Monologue tended to ramble and bounce, very little cohesion.

I hadn't seen this for a number of years, although I was once privileged to sit with Mr. Holbrook in makeup as he prepared for a live presentation of this. It was delightful then and it remains delightful. I expect to watch it several more times because it's so much better than what's available to watch today.

Since 1967, I've had the image of Hal Holbrock morphing into Mark Twain. The life and times of Samuel Clemens comes to life in this astonishing stage performance. Holbrock defined the single-person performance in a way that has not been topped. More than this, he brought to life the wit, sarcasm, and humour of Twain: and refreshed Twain's writing for our time. (Now 46 years ago).

If you love Mark Twain--not just what he wrote, but his personality, his voice, his playful banter, his charm and his sense of humour--then this DVD is something you must have. Hal Holbrook brings Mark Twain to life "on stage before a live studio audience" with a faithful rendering of Twain, himself. He tells stories, makes jokes, preaches (kinda') and presents a portion of the novel, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," during which, Hal Holbrook does Mark Twain does Huckleberry Finn does Pap, the Widow Douglas and Aunt Polly. Sheer, unadulterated brilliance, and I promise you . . . you'll forget that it's not Mark Twain on that TV of yours. You owe it to yourself to own this DVD. Tell'm A. J. sent you.

I am and have been a big Mark Twain Fan, and Hal Holbrook has brought him to life for me over a period of many years. Well Done !

It was very gratifying to see Hal doing Mark Twain. It was many years ago when I first saw this and enjoyed it more this time. Thank you for speedy delivery. Our guests for that evening enjoyed it very much. Thanks. John

I was able to see MR. HOLBROOK on STAGE 4 TIME'S and he was MARK TWAIN. This disk had it been BLU-RAY and HD would make it worth owning but not this poor picture and sound. Mine is being returned.