I got a copy of this record at a garage sale today, 50 big cents for a nice double LP, Capitol Records, 1962, Charles Laughton, "The Story-Teller...A Session With Charles Laughton."It was in very nice condition, as spoken word records tend to be.
It's catalog number is TBO 1650.
What a nice album. I actually listened to the whole thing. You might not think a guy reading from books on stage would be that interesting, but it held my attention.
It seems significant that he reads from "The Dharma Bums" by Jack Kerouac. Even though I was alive in 1962, my tastes in literature at the time ran more toward Popeye and Olive Oyl. I hadn't heard of anything else. So I don't know precisely what they were saying about Kerouac in '62. But Laughton seems like he's breaking the folks in, mentioning that Kerouac has been called a beatnik, but he attributes to him the same Spirit that moved in the builders and patrons of the Chartres Cathedral and the writer of Psalm 104.
He tells a nice story about Chartres Cathedral, how he met a guy there who knew all about it, the ins and outs. And how they shared so many special moments looking at the stained glass at various times of the day. Then how they got together 25 years later, and the guy was like, "Where you been for 25 years?"
Side 2 is a reading from "Julius Caesar" by Shakespeare. It's the scene where Brutus gives an address to the people, to be followed by Mark Antony. So we get to hear, with Laughton's superb reading, how Antony turns the people's opinion of Brutus and the other "honorable men."
Side 3 features a reading from "Major Barbara" by Shaw and a reading from Plato's "The Phaedrus." The latter piece touches on "sex," and it's cute to hear the audience tittering. Good thing Beavis and Butt-head weren't there.
Side 4 gives the story from the Bible's book of Daniel of "The Fiery Furnace." Laughton pronounces Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over and over, as the text speaks of them frequently by name. It's an excellent reading. I was looking along in the Bible, and also with "Julius Caesar," and Laughton leaves out some bits, probably to move it along.
The side continues with a letter from an artist about God and prayer to school children, the artist being Carl Milles. Then the last cut is a cute story called "Waculla Springs Story," of an old guy in Florida who tricks the tourists into thinking he can tell fish what to do. At first it seems like he has them trained to jump, to swim in formation, and an alligator to launch out from the shore on command. But Laughton, fascinated, keeps coming on the guy's boat excursion and finds out the tricks. He explains to the man that he, too, is "a story-teller."
Laughton seems like a very charming person. Very smart.
