Young Mr. Lincoln (film)
"Young Mr. Lincoln" is a 1939 historical drama directed by John Ford that stars Henry Fonda in the titular role of Abraham Lincoln. The film focuses on Lincoln's early years as a self-taught lawyer in Springfield, Illinois, showcasing his intellect, charm, and compassion. It illustrates personal and professional challenges, including Lincoln's first encounter with his future wife, Mary Todd, and his rivalry with Stephen Douglas. The narrative revolves around Lincoln defending two brothers accused of murder, where he employs humor and wit to outmaneuver the prosecution.
Set against the backdrop of the 1930s, the film reflects the social issues of the Great Depression, portraying Lincoln as a champion of the common people and critiquing the wealth and power dynamics of the time. The film is notable for its visual storytelling, with Ford's direction emphasizing the thematic elements through its composition. Overall, "Young Mr. Lincoln" combines historical accuracy with artistic expression, making it both a cinematic and cultural artifact of its era.
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Young Mr. Lincoln (film)
Identification Film about a murder case that helped propel Abraham Lincoln’s career
Director John Ford
Date Released on June 9, 1939
Young Mr. Lincoln is remarkable in part for how it challenges the stereotypical notion of biographical film, focusing on a singular event in Lincoln’s life. Additionally, John Ford’s legendary vision and technique are on full display. The screenplay by Lamar Trotti was nominated for an Academy Award.
Young Mr. Lincoln was but one film from the 1930’s that confirmed that Ford was one of the most impressive filmmakers of the era. Lincoln is played by Henry Fonda, who later starred in Ford’s The Grapes of Wrath (1940) and My Darling Clementine (1946). Under Ford’s sure hand, Fonda’s Lincoln is portrayed as being a voracious reader and having a restless mind. Even his moments of repose seem charged with energy. After trading for a barrel of dusty law books, Lincoln trains himself in law and relocates to Springfield, Missouri, to become an attorney.
Ford has fun with historical trivia. In Springfield, Lincoln first meets his future wife Mary Todd, played by Marjorie Weaver, who is being wooed at the same time by Lincoln’s great rival Stephen Douglas, played by Milburn Stone. When two brothers are accused of murdering a bullying deputy, Lincoln steps in to take the case. He foils the learned strategies of the prosecution with folksy humor and charm. However, even as the film shows Lincoln’s compassion and heart, it also shows the young lawyer as a lonely man. One of the last scenes in the film shows Lincoln framed in a doorway, isolated and alone, as people applaud his actions.
Impact
Like most good historical films, Young Mr. Lincoln is as much about the era of the film’s production as it is about its historical setting. The Depression was clearly on Ford’s mind in the depiction of the poor farm widow whose sons are accused of the murder and in the film’s portrayal of Lincoln as a man of the people. Ford strikes a blow against the empowered, wealthy people who subvert democracy’s true aims. The film’s greatest impact, however, may be in its use of formal technique, as many of its thematic aims are repeatedly revealed as much in the visual composition as in the narrative.
Bibliography
Pipolo, Tony. “Hero or Demagogue?” Cineaste 35, no. 1 (Winter, 2009): 14-21.
Smyth, J. E. “Young Mr. Lincoln: Between Myth and History in 1939.” Rethinking History 7, no. 2 (2003): 193-214.