Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) - The Criterion Collection

Synopsis

Few historical figures are as revered as Abraham Lincoln, and few director-star pairings embody classic American cinema as perfectly as that of John Ford and Henry Fonda. In Young Mr. Lincoln, their first collaboration, Fonda gives one of the finest performances of his career, as the young president-to-be, struggling with an incendiary murder case as a novice lawyer. Compassionate and assured, this is an indelible piece of Americana.

Cast

Abraham Lincoln	Henry Fonda
Abagail Clay	Alice Brady
Mary Todd	Marjorie Weaver
Hannah Clay	Arleen Whelan
Efe	Eddie Collins
Ann Rutledge	Pauline Moore
J. Palmer Cass	Ward Bond

Credits

Director	John Ford
Producer	Darryl F. Zanuck
Associate producer	Kenneth Macgowan
Screenplay	Lamar Trotti
Cinematography	Bert Glennon and Arthur Miller
Music	Alfred Newman

Disc Features

SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET:

New, restored high-definition digital transfer
A profile of John Ford’s early career and a talk show episode featuring Henry Fonda, both from the BBC
Archival audio interviews with Ford and Fonda, conducted by the filmmaker’s grandson Dan Ford
Academy Award Theater radio dramatization of Young Mr. Lincoln, downloadable as an MP3 file
Gallery of production documents
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: A 28-page booklet featuring critic Geoffrey O’Brien and an homage to Ford by Sergei Eisenstein

From the Current

Happy Birthday, Mr. President!

Feb 11, 2009

Young Mr. Lincoln: Hero in Waiting

by Geoffrey O’Brien Feb 13, 2006

In Young Mr. Lincoln, John Ford achieves the perfection of his art. Never were his matter and his method more aptly fitted, and never were his tendencies toward sprawl and overemphasis more rigorously controlled. It is a masterpiece of concision in which every element in every shot, every...