this be an evocative and idealized portrait of the early life of lincoln ( born 1809 hodgensville kentucky and die in washington 1865 ) . ford excellent movie take abraham lincoln ( fonda ) from his youth . he study law and common law and begin practice a lawyer in 1837. this hollywood biography follow lincoln from his log cabin day and initial relationship to mary todd ( weaver ) and follow the couple from their first ball and and his departure for congress candidate . but focus mainly on a brother ( richard cromwell and eddie quillan ) accuse for murder and the posterior trial with amuse court debate scene and the protection for their mum ( alice brady ) . the lincoln fonda a defender advocate and donald meek prosecutor be nothing short of brilliant . excellent performance from henry fonda a idealistic and traveller springfield solicitor and he be to star regularly for ford from this movie and a ¨grapes of wrath and my darling clementine and and fort apache¨ . besides sterling acting by alice brady a grieve mother and she be a great actress from the silent cinema and but this one result to be her last movie because she early die from cancer . the lincoln deeds develop make for skilfully appeal entertain . his portrayal show a nostalgic longing for thing past and old value and describe his goodness and uprightness and willful . lincoln and like john ford and be a straightforward man who never vary the ideal of his youth . this american masterpiece be correct on both count and a splendid biography and a magnificent drama . another biography about abraham lincoln be the following represent 1 ) ¨abraham lincoln¨ ( 1930 ) by d. w. griffith with walter huston and una merkel and talk from his birth until his assassination while 2 ) ¨abe lincoln in illinois¨ ( 1940 ) by john cromwell with raymond massey and ruth gordon and concern similar event to ford film through his career a lawyer 3 ) tv version title ¨gore vidal lincoln¨ with sam waterston and mary tyler moore a mary todd .