Abraham Lincoln (1930 film)

Abraham Lincoln, also released under the title D. W. Griffiths Abraham Lincoln, is a 1930 PreCode biographical film about American president Abraham Lincoln directed by D. W. Griffith. It stars Walter Huston as Lincoln and Una Merkel, in her second speaking role, as Ann Rutledge. Her first speaking role was in a short film, Loves Old Sweet Song 1923 filmed in the Phonofilm soundonfilm process. The script was cowritten by Stephen Vincent Bent, author of the Civil War prose poem John Browns Body. This was the first of only two sound films made by Griffith.

The first act of the film covers Lincolns early life as a storekeeper and railsplitter in New Salem and his early romance with Ann Rutledge, and his early years as a lawyer and his courtship and marriage to Mary Todd in Springfield. The majority of the film deals with Lincolns presidency during the American Civil War and culminates with Lees surrender and Lincolns assassination at Fords Theatre.The film received positive reviews from contemporary critics. Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times called it quite a worthy pictorial offering with a genuinely fine and inspiring performance by Walter Huston in the role of the martyred President and later put it on his yearend list of the ten best films of 1930. More than an outstanding classic of sound pictures, Abraham Lincoln eclipses the most conservative illusion of a modernized Birth of a Nation, wrote Variety in a rave review. It is a startlingly superlative accomplishment one rejuvenating a greatest Griffith. In characterization and detail perfection it is such as to be almost unbelievable. Film Daily called it a distinguished and human narrative and wrote that Hustons performance may be listed as one of thebest of the year or any talker year. John Mosher of The New Yorker wrote that it was by and large.....a pretty highgrade picture. Despite these accolades, however, the films box office performance was uneven. ........

Source: Wikipedia