Abraham Lincoln: Walter Huston and Una Merkel - Directed by D. W. Griffith (1930 Movie)

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Abraham Lincoln, also released under the title D. W. Griffith's 'Abraham Lincoln', is a (1930) biographical film about American president Abraham Lincoln directed by D. W. Griffith. It stars Walter Huston as Lincoln and Una Merkel, in her first talking role, as Ann Rutledge. The script was co-written by Stephen Vincent Benét, author of the Civil War prose poem John Brown's Body. This was the first of only two sound films made by Griffith. The film was not a hit at the time, but in recent years it has come to be regarded as one of the definitive films on Lincoln.

The first act of the film covers Lincoln's early life as a storekeeper and rail-splitter 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 Lincoln's presidency during the Civil War and culminates with Lee's surrender and Lincoln's assassination at Ford's Theater.

The film covers some little known aspects of Lincoln's early life, such as his romance with Ann Rutledge, his depression and feared suicidal tendencies after her death, and his unexplained breaking off of his engagement with Mary Todd (although the film surmises that this was due to unresolved feelings over Ann Rutledge and adds a dramatic scene where Lincoln stands Mary up on their scheduled wedding day, which never happened).

While the early scenes of Lincoln's life are remarkably accurate, much of the later scenes contain historical inaccuracies. The famous Lincoln-Douglas debates, in addition to the historically accurate topic of the extension of slavery, have been turned into an argument about secession. Lincoln was famously an underdog for the Republican Presidential nomination in 1860; in the film it is suggested he is the sole nominee as a result of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. The outbreak of the War seems to be the South firing on Charleston from Fort Sumter, rather than the other way around. Also, early in hostilities, General Winfield Scott is depicted as being overconfident of a quick victory (and something of a buffoon), when in reality he was one of the voices in the minority claiming the war would be long, costly, and bloody. Finally, in the climax of the film, Lincoln delivers a conflation of famous words from the Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865 - just moments before being assassinated.

This was Griffith's second portrayal of Lincoln's assassination, the first famously done 15 years earlier in The Birth of a Nation.

It is the first feature-length talkie based on Abraham Lincoln's life.

Cast * Walter Huston as Abraham Lincoln * W.L. Thorne as Tom Lincoln * Lucille La Verne as Mid-Wife * Helen Freeman as Nancy Hanks Lincoln * Otto Hoffman as Offut * Edgar Dearing as Jack Armstrong * Una Merkel as Ann Rutledge * Russell Simpson as Uncle Jimmy * Charles Crockett as Sheriff * Kay Hammond as Mary Todd Lincoln * Helen Ware as Mrs Edwards * E. Alyn Warren as Stephen A. Douglas / General Ulysses Grant * Jason Robards Sr. as Billy Herndon * Gordon Thorpe as Tad Lincoln * Ian Keith as John Wilkes Booth * Cameron Prudhomme as John Hay * James Bradbury Sr. as General Winfield Scott * Jimmie Eagle as Private Corten * Oscar Apfel as Secretary of War Edwin Stanton * Frank Campeau as General Philip Sheridan * Hobart Bosworth as General Robert E. Lee * Henry B. Walthall as Colonel Marshall

Walter Thomas Huston (April 5, 1883 -- April 7, 1950) was a Canadian-born American actor. He was the father of actor and director John Huston and the grandfather of actress Anjelica Huston and actor Danny Huston.

Huston was born in York County, Ontario, the son of Elizabeth (née McGibbon) and Robert Moore Huston, a provincial farmer who founded a construction company. He was of Scottish and Irish descent. Huston began his Broadway career in 1924. Once talkies began in Hollywood, he achieved fame in character roles. His first major role was in 1929's The Virginian with Gary Cooper. He appeared in the Broadway theatrical adaptation of Sinclair Lewis's novel Dodsworth in 1934 and the play's film version two years later.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln_%28film%29

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[wantirnasouthvicaus]

There will never be another Abraham Lincoln!

And the best people on this planet are from the United States of America. May God bless the American people & the USA

[FandKOfficial]

Hi

[MichaelDinaswirled]

HAPPY 203rd BIRTHDAY to the Great President Lincoln

May your every play be a happy one.

The US of America

[mikedjamotsky]

sorry my mistak i ment senitor herman cain

[mikedjamotsky]

one day the rich will ttry to kill off the poor like hitler killd the jews you dont know what evil lives in the hearts and minds of evil men but god dose

[mikedjamotsky]

senitor henery cain is a nazi like dur furror adolf hitler dont vote for tthat nazi all republicans are all nazis like hitler the crout

[mikedjamotsky]

senitor henery cainn is talking like adolf hitler did against thhe jews hitler sed jews are an infirrior race sentor henery cain sed the poor is the problem sentor hennery cains hates the poor like hitler hates jews

[lenvine]

Good to see Toronto, Canada, born Walter Huston playing a U.S. President.

[kikikoko38]

booooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooo

[gregorcollins]

My uncle's acupunturist worked on this film