While today Samuel Clemens ('Mark Twain') is seen as a super successful writer...one of the best of his era...this is only part of the story. His personal life towards the end of his life was bitter, as Clemens managed to take his family from wealth and success to insolvency. How did he do this? Well, he invested his fortune in several inventions...all of which flopped. Additionally, the publishing house he started went bust! And, his family situation was far from perfect.
I mention all this because this sets the stage for "The Shape of the River", a teleplay from "Playhouse 90" which focused on the last decade of his life. Because of his business choices, now Clemens was forced to leave his home and travel to Europe for an extended lecture tour even though he wasn't exactly a spring chicken! It also talks about his family life, tragic deaths, and mental illness. It all makes for a rather depressing show, though a realistic one as it shows Clemens....warts and all. And, in the role of Clemens is the respected actor Franchot Tone, who did a very nice job.
So is this a film you should look for (I found it on YouTube)? Yes and no. It is very well made and is pretty close to the real story of Clemens. But as I mentioned above, it's pretty depressing and isn't the most pleasant of viewing.
