IN HONOR OF PRESIDENT’S DAY
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The 1930 film “Abraham Lincoln,” directed by D.W. Griffith, stands as a notable early talkie that ambitiously portrays the life of the 16th President of the United States. Griffith, who was known for his pioneering work in silent films, saw this project as a significant endeavor, describing it as “the finest thing I have ever done” when it premiered. The film attempts to capture Lincoln’s journey from his humble beginnings in a log cabin to his tragic assassination, with Walter Huston delivering a performance lauded for its authenticity and depth. Griffith’s directorial touch imbues the movie with a sense of mythic grandeur, drawing comparisons to his earlier epic, “The Birth of a Nation,” though this time focusing on the Union’s perspective and Lincoln’s role in preserving it.
Critics at the time of its release were largely positive about “Abraham Lincoln.” Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times described it as “quite a worthy pictorial offering with a genuinely fine and inspiring performance by Walter Huston,” and it made his year-end list of the ten best films of 1930. Variety was equally effusive, proclaiming it “a startlingly superlative accomplishment; one rejuvenating a greatest Griffith,” and praised its characterization and attention to detail.
