Abraham Lincoln. 1930. USA. Directed by D. W. Griffith. Screenplay by Stephen Vincent Benet, Gerrit Lloyd. With Walter Huston, Una Merkel, Kay Hammond. 93 min.
A biographical view of Abraham Lincoln from his early days in Illinois and his beginnings as a lawyer to the Civil War and the mass casualties that strain the president’s sensitive soul. Walter Huston is a majestic, authentic Lincoln, whose great love for Ann Rutledge—and her untimely death—forces him to deal with grief and mourning. The film reaches its grim climax with the events at Ford’s Theater on April 14, 1865. Preserved by The Museum of Modern Art with support from The Film Foundation and the Lillian Gish Trust for Film Preservation.