Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)

Director:

John Cromwell

Writers:

Robert E. Sherwood (play)
Grover Jones (adaptation)

Release Date:

12 February 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

Covers the period from Lincoln's early years as a Kentucky woodsman until his election to the Presidency in 1860...

Plot Keywords:

Woodsman | 1860s | Illinois | Territory Name In Title | Political Campaign

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

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

Also Known As:

Spirit of the People (UK)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Spain:7 | USA:Approved (PCA #5619) | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Eugene, Oregon, USA

Company:

Max Gordon Plays & Pictures Corporation

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."

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The Lincoln-Douglas debates took place in 1858 - one year before John Brown attempted to seize the Harpers Ferry arsenal.

Quotes:

Mentor Graham: Well, Abe, there are always two occupations open to those who have failed at everything else: school teaching and politics.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: (#26.18)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Old Abe Lincoln Came Out of the Wilderness

How Lincoln really sounded...

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.