Abe Lincoln in Illinois
US (1940): Biography
This screen adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Robert E. Sherwood depicts the life of America's 16th president. From his early days as a modest shopkeeper in Illinois to his reluctant decision to run for political office for the first time, the film delves into the personal struggles of the man the world came to know as the "Great Emancipator." Raymond Massey is particularly brilliant in this role, especially in the depiction of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. John Cromwell directs for RKO, with a cast that includes Gene Lockhart, Ruth Gordon, Howard Da Silva and an early uncredited appearance by Peggy Ann Garner, best known for playing Francie in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945). (amctv.com)
2 nominations
· Actor 1940: Raymond Massey
· Cinematography (Black and White) 1940: James Wong Howe