One such stage play was Abe Lincoln in Illinois written by Robert E. Sherwood. Such a smash success this play was that Hollywood came calling to make this into a movie. Now for the first time ever this 1940 classic get's a chance to shine on Blu-ray.
The film follows the life of Abraham Lincoln from his early life in Kentucky, his departure and ultimate election as President of the United States.
The film was expertly directed by John Cromwell. He directed such classics as Of Human Bondage, Dead Reckoning, Made for Each Other, Caged, The Prisoner of Zenda and Algiers just to name a few. Such a great production no wonder it was nominated for two Academy Award one for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Raymond Massey) and Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (James Wong Howe).
Raymond Massey absolutely shines as the legendary president Lincoln. I think is his 2nd best role in his career, only to be surpassed by his role as Johnathan in Arsenic and Old lace. In addition to Massey this film has a tremendous supporting cast including Gene Lockhart (A Christmas Carol), Ruth Gordon (Rosemary's Baby), Mary Howard (The Wild man of Borneo), Minor Watson (The Jackie Robinson Story) and Alan Baxter (Prisoner of Japan)
Abe Lincoln in Illinois debuts on Blu-ray on this tremendous Warner Archive release. The films is presented in 1080p it is in it's original 1.37:1 aspect ratio. The audio is a DTS-HD 2.0 audio track. The transfer is from a brand new 4K scans of the best nitrate film elements. This new 4K scan is exquisite. The picture is crisp and clean with no signs of damage that I could find.
Now in addition to Warner Archive beautiful 4k scan of this film, they added a very special bonus feature. The LUX Radio Theater Broadcast from April 22, 1090. This one-hour version of this story features the vocal talents of Raymond Massey, Fay Banter, Otto Kruger and Calvin Thomas. This radio program was produced by legend Cecil B DeMille. For a personal who has made a career in radio this is a great bonus feature.
I love biographical films so to add Abe Lincoln in Illinois is an extreme pleasure. It is such a great film it is hard for me to believe that the film recorded a loss of $740,000. So Abe Lincoln in Illinois became one of RKO's biggest financial. But it is still a great film.
If you love Raymond Massey, Abraham Lincoln or biographical films Abe Lincoln in Illinois on Blu-ray from Warner Archive is an absolute must own. Head over to Amazon and order your copy today.
Out of 4 film reels (4 being the best) Warner Archive's Blu-ray release of Abe Lincoln in Illinois receives...
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