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Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)
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Overview
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Director:
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Release Date:
12 February 1940 (USA)
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Plot:
Covers the period from Lincoln's early years as a Kentucky woodsman until his election to the Presidency in 1860...
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Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars.
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NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
'Dr No' star Wiseman dies, aged 91
(From digitalspy. 21 October 2009, 5:36 AM, PDT)
Relive The Lincoln-Douglas Debates At Town Hall Seattle As Part Of Intiman Theatre's American Cycle On 9/22
(From BroadwayWorld.com. 11 September 2009, 2:43 PM, PDT)
(From digitalspy. 21 October 2009, 5:36 AM, PDT)
Relive The Lincoln-Douglas Debates At Town Hall Seattle As Part Of Intiman Theatre's American Cycle On 9/22
(From BroadwayWorld.com. 11 September 2009, 2:43 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
How Lincoln really sounded...
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Raymond Massey | ... | Abraham Lincoln | |
| Gene Lockhart | ... | Stephen Douglas | |
| Ruth Gordon | ... | Mary Todd Lincoln | |
| Mary Howard | ... | Ann Rutledge | |
| Minor Watson | ... | Joshua Speed | |
| Harvey Stephens | ... | Ninian Edwards | |
| Alan Baxter | ... | Billy Herndon | |
| Howard Da Silva | ... | Jack Armstrong (as Howard da Silva) | |
| Dorothy Tree | ... | Elizabeth Edwards | |
| Aldrich Bowker | ... | Judge Bowling Green | |
| Maurice Murphy | ... | John McNeil | |
| Louis Jean Heydt | ... | Mentor Graham | |
| Clem Bevans | ... | Ben Mattingly | |
| Harlan Briggs | ... | Denton Offut | |
| Herbert Rudley | ... | Seth Gale |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Spirit of the People (UK)
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Parents Guide:
Runtime:
110 min
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Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Victor System)
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Filming Locations:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
After his success playing Lincoln in the film and on Broadway, Raymond Massey began to assume the character in real life. He often appeared at social gatherings dressed in Lincoln-esque attire, assuming a Lincoln-like manner and speech. His friend, the playwright George S. Kaufman, observed, "Massey won't be satisfied until someone assassinates him."
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Goofs:
Anachronisms: The Lincoln-Douglas debates took place in 1858 - one year before John Brown attempted to seize the Harpers Ferry arsenal.
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Quotes:
Mentor Graham:
Well, Abe, there are always two occupations open to those who have failed at everything else: school teaching and politics.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Jeopardy!: (#26.18)" (2009)
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Soundtrack:
Old Abe Lincoln Came Out of the Wilderness
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Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Great film, but..... | TeddingtonBear |
| Official Warner Bros. DVD can now be ordered | simonhowson |
Recommendations
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If you've ever wanted to hear what Abe Lincoln sounded like, this is the film you'll want to see. Lincoln is portrayed by the late Canadian actor Raymond Massey - who, amongst many other roles, is also remembered from HG Welles' Things to Come, the screenplay of which was written by HG Welles himself. Early in Massey's career, Lincoln's son, Robert Todd Lincoln, heard him perform and was struck by the similarity between Massey's speaking voice and that of his father. Since there are no recordings of Lincoln from that era shortly before Edison invented the Gramophone, we have to rely on descriptions of his voice. Some from that time state Lincoln's voice was high-pitched, and that Massey did not do the voice properly - however, I tend to give more credence to a living witness, Lincoln's own eldest son who, though he died 14 years prior to this film, still had the opportunity to see Massey on stage and hear his voice. Massey got it right, and this is one wonderful film - too bad I haven't found it on DVD - the next time it airs on TMC I'll have to record a DVD of it for myself.