Hal Holbrook's gravelly voice suited men accustomed to being believed. We rate the quiet precision of his acting, particularly in Into the Wild, where he gives an older man's tenderness the attention usually reserved for the young hero.
Fi1m perspective
In Into the Wild (2007), Holbrook gives Ron Franz enough tenderness to make us interested in him before considering what he contributes to McCandless's journey. We were moved by how little he seemed to ask of us: the warmth was there without a speech explaining why it mattered. Sean Penn's film is too indulgent towards its restless hero, but Holbrook makes the company along the way a good reason to stay. He gives an older man a life worth considering in a film that can be overoccupied with a young man's thoughts.
The gravelly voice also suited men whose respectability concealed things. His film debut was The Group (1966), and Deep Throat in All the President's Men (1976) gave him a part well suited to that guarded authority. Alongside the screen work was his stage portrayal of Mark Twain, begun in 1954 and sustained for more than six decades. The impersonation threatened to overshadow his other acting, and he sought different roles to get beyond it. By Lincoln (2012), in which he played Francis Preston Blair, there was little need to prove that he could make an establishment figure convincing.
Wall Street (1987) puts him to work as Lou Mannheim, the veteran broker mentoring the protagonist. It is a sensible use of his authority, though our recommendation rests chiefly on Michael Douglas's persuasive Gordon Gekko and Oliver Stone's brisk handling of the financial dealings. The script keeps explaining its morals after we have understood them. Holbrook suits the part of a man worth listening to, but his presence does not cure the repetition.
Penn's generosity towards his supporting cast pays off in Into the Wild. Alongside Catherine Keener's Jan Burres, Ron helps correct the impression that everyone McCandless meets exists to supply him with an experience. Both performances make us want to stay with people the journey will otherwise carry us past, and their warmth helps explain its appeal. The film's reflections can test our patience, but these passages do not need to announce what freedom means. Start there for Holbrook, if Penn's wandering reflections do not put you off.
Biography
Hal Holbrook was an American actor. Born Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. on 17 February 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio, he died on 23 January 2021 in Beverly Hills, California.
He first gained critical acclaim for his one-man stage show Mark Twain Tonight!, which he performed from 1954 until 2017. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1966 for the role. Holbrook received five Primetime Emmy Awards for his television work and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Ron Franz in Into the Wild (2007).
His film credits include The Group (1966), All the President's Men (1976), Hercules (1997), Men of Honor (2000), Water for Elephants (2011) and Lincoln (2012). He was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2003.
