Holbrook/Twain: An American Odyssey (Scott Teems, 2014): USA

Reviewed by e Howard Green.  Viewed at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, February 4th.

Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain[/caption]

Hal Holbrook has carved out a career by being a noted historian and scholar of the works of Mark Twain.  He has been performing as Twain since his college days in 1954.  The film Holbrook/Twain: An American Odyssey captures many of the high points of that progress, and shows in detail the steps necessary to get ready for performances.

The entire production is presented in black and white, according to the Santa Barbara born and raised producer, Laura Smith, because it maintains the historical nature of the material. Holbrook discusses how he selects his texts, avoiding those used in prior performances, in conjunction with his being in nearby San Luis Obispo. The footage of a recent presentation was actually filmed in San Diego.

As mentioned in the film, Hal Holbrook is now 90 years of age, and in this writers mind, should undertake to personally develop his sucessor(s) in the manner and style which he so well depicts.  As Holbrook says, the words of Twain are not copyrighted, so anyone can quote them.  But the inimitable style of Hal Holbrook needs to be carefully imitated, under the tutelage of the Odyssey himself, who can be demonstratively seen in this fine production.

This film  is the Winner of the Santa Barbara Film Festival Features Award for 2015.