Aug 24, 2011
“an actor and a rare one” [SIGN]
Every generation has its Sherlock Holmes. Currently, it's a
pitched battle between Robert Downey, Jr. on the big screen and
Benedict Cumberbatch on the small screen. A generation ago, it was
Jeremy Brett; prior to that it was Douglas Wilmer and Peter
Cushing. Certainly one of the monuments of all time was Basil
Rathbone.
But before Rathbone - even before Wontner
In this episode, we have an opportunity to speak with Henry Zecher,
author of the first definitive biography of Gillette,
titled William Gillette, America's Sherlock
Holmes
We go inside the book and trace the early beginnings of Gillette as
an aspiring actor, a stage manager and a playwright, learning how
he took what was a questionable profession and turned it into one
that would not only be palatable for his family but also for his
fellow thespians, who ultimately conferred upon Will the title
"Dean of the American Theatre." We'll also hear about his
association with Helen Hayes.
Rather than a traditional reading of the Editor's Gas-Lamp, we're
treated to a reading of Frederic Dorr Steele's tribute to Gillette
upon Gillette's death, as well as a poem by Richard Burton,
originally recounted in a special supplement to Vol. 3, No.3 (New
Series) of the Baker Street
Journal.
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