Who played Abraham Lincoln in John Ford's Young Mr. Lincoln?

John Ford’s Young Mr. Lincoln stars Henry Fonda as Abraham Lincoln.

Released in 1939, the film dramatizes Lincoln’s early life as a young lawyer in Illinois before his presidency. Fonda plays him as lanky, folksy, humorous and morally perceptive, emphasizing the courtroom skills and humanity that later became central to Lincoln’s public image.

The story draws partly on the real 1858 murder trial of William “Duff” Armstrong. In the film’s courtroom episode, Lincoln challenges eyewitness testimony by using an almanac to dispute the witness’s claim about moonlight. The historical trial did involve Lincoln’s successful defense of Armstrong, although the movie reshapes events for drama.

A common mix-up is confusing Fonda’s performance with later screen Lincolns, including Raymond Massey in Abe Lincoln in Illinois and Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln. Young Mr. Lincoln was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry in 2003.