Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)

A fictionalized account of the early life of the American president as a young lawyer facing his greatest court case.

Director:

John Ford

Writer:

Lamar Trotti (original screenplay)

Stars:

Henry Fonda, Alice Brady, Marjorie Weaver

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Henry Fonda	...	Abraham Lincoln
Alice Brady	...	Abigail Clay
Marjorie Weaver	...	Mary Todd
Arleen Whelan	...	Sarah Clay
Eddie Collins	...	Efe Turner
Pauline Moore	...	Ann Rutledge
Richard Cromwell	...	Matt Clay
Donald Meek	...	Prosecutor John Felder
Judith Dickens	...	Carrie Sue
Eddie Quillan	...	Adam Clay
Spencer Charters	...	Judge Herbert A. Bell
Ward Bond	...	John Palmer Cass

Storyline

Ten years in the life of Abraham Lincoln, before he became known to his nation and the world. He moves from a Kentucky cabin to Springfield, Illinois, to begin his law practice. He defends two men accused of murder in a political brawl, suffers the death of his girlfriend Ann, courts his future wife Mary Todd, and agrees to go into politics.

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Plot Keywords:

1830s | national film registry | top hat | mule | horse | 

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Taglines:

The story of Abraham Lincoln that has NEVER been told!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 June 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Young Mr. Lincoln

Filming Locations:

Sacramento, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Henry Fonda's makeup was based on photographs taken when Lincoln was about 45 years old and had lost weight due to the stresses of his job as a lawyer and his grief over the loss of Anne Rutledge; they were the earliest photos of Abraham Lincoln available at the time. It was not until years after this film was released that a photograph of Abraham Lincoln aged about 25 surfaced in a photograph collection. Ir was entitled "Photograph of a young man" and had been taken in 1844. The photograph shows that at the time it was taken, Lincoln was a sturdily built young man with a lean bony face and high cheekbones that made him very good looking if not handsome.

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Goofs

In the opening scene, where Lincoln gives his campaign speech for election to the Illinois legislature, he states he adheres to the principles of the Whig Party. The scene takes place in 1832 or 1833. If it is the earlier date, he was more than likely a National Republican, but the Whig Party was founded in 1833, in plenty of time for Lincoln to serve as a Whig member of the Illinois House of Representatives, which he did from 1834 until 1842.

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Quotes

Judge Herbert A. Bell: Jack-ass. Haha. I do got it!
[audience roars in laughter]

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Connections

Featured in Directed by John Ford (1971)

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Soundtracks

Yankee Doodle
(uncredited)
Traditional 18th century tune
Played on drum and fife at the Independence Day parade

User Reviews

Young Henry Fonda is young Mr. Lincoln

Henry Fonda brilliantly captures what we have long believed Abraham Lincoln was like. It is a fooler. Through Fonda's performance we are led to believe (on the surface) that Abraham Lincoln was a country bumpkin. But, through his confrontation with the lynch mob and especially during the court proceedings, you can see that beneath the exterior posturings is a brilliant man who has a very good command of what is going on around him and how to influence the people around him.

In this movie Henry Fonda shows that he has a very good grasp of how to present humor. It is an aspect of him that has been lost over the years. When he is telling stories and jokes he has the timing down perfect. There is a sequence in the trial that had me laughing quite hard. He shows this gift again in The Lady Eve in 1940.

The ending by John Ford is absolutely brilliant with Henry Fonda going to the top of a hill and in the distance a tremendous storm symbolic of the Civil War. He goes forward into history. The movie is fiction but the insight into Lincoln is tremendous. Definitely worth seeing again.