I have no idea what I’ve found here, but I thought it would be fun to get back to the roots of this blog by writing about cool Shakespeare things. I give you “Something Cool in Denmark,” or, “The Hipster Hamlet,” starring Robert Goulet.
This was apparently from something called the Chrysler Festival in 1957.
My parents are old enough to perhaps remember this, but if it was some sort of one time event I doubt they will. I’ll ask in the morning and update the post if I find anything.
UPDATE : Asked them, and while they had no specific memory of the show, my dad dug up some links that I hadn’t found including this one to an episode guide of the short-lived show. Other than Robert Goulet I don’t know any of these names.
Apr 17, 1957 – Guests on the final program of the season are the Liberace brothers, comedian Herb Shriner, contralto Marian Anderson, baritone George London, Shirley Harmer, the Don Wright Chorus and the cast of the annual Toronto review, Spring Thaw. The Spring Thaw cast will present Something Cool In Denmark, a take-off on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Taking part will be Bob Goulet as Hamlet, Peter Mews, Sheila Billing, Paul Kligman, Barbara Hamilton, Dave Broadfoot and others. The Oscar Peterson Trio, originally scheduled, will not appear.
I know about a couple of them.
Herb Shriner was a humorist (stand up-storytelling comedy) whose act was sort of country/midwest oriented. His act usually involved being a Hoosier (Indiana native) He was pretty popular back in the 1950s. His son, Will Shriner is an actor, stand up comedian and TV director.
Marian Anderson was one of the most famous singers in the mid 20th century. In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution refused to let her to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt arranged for Marian to sing in open-air concert on Easter Sunday, 1939, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial She sang before a crowd of more than 75,000 people and a radio audience in the millions. Here is a small clip of her.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAONYTMf2pk