Young Mr. Lincoln

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Young Mr. Lincoln

1939

1h 40m

History

Drama

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100%

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18 Reviews

81%

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1,000+ Ratings

In this dramatized account of his early law career in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln (Henry Fonda) is born into a modest log cabin, where he is encouraged by his first love, Ann Rutledge (Pauline Moore), to pursue law. Following her tragic death, Lincoln establishes a law practice in Springfield, where he meets a young Mary Todd (Marjorie Weaver). Lincoln's law skills are put to the test when he takes on the difficult task of defending two brothers who have been accused of murder.

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Critics Consensus

Young Mr. Lincoln smartly sidesteps the grandeur of the 16th president's historical significance and instead hones in on his modest decency, powerfully embodied by Henry Fonda.

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Steven D. Greydanus

Decent Films

Feb 12, 2006

B+

Rangy, folksy, slow-spoken and self-deprecating, Fonda embodies the young Honest Abe persona as comfortably and naturally as the frontier clothes he wears.

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Emanuel Levy

Variety

Jan 26, 2006

A

One of the decade's most significant works, the film was admired by Soveit director Sergei Eisenstein for its embodiment of the era's spirit and by the French critics of Cahiers du Cinema for its convergence of ideology and style.

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Frank S. Nugent

New York Times

May 20, 2003

5/5

Henry Fonda's characterization is one of those once-in-a-blue-moon things: a crossroads meeting of nature, art and a smart casting director.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Sep 18, 2021

3.5/4

John Ford, as responsible as any filmmaker in shaping our view of US history, here elects to offer a peek at an icon before national events dictated his destiny and sealed his lofty reputation.

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Michael J. Casey

Michael J. Cinema

Jan 17, 2021

5/5

We are never as far from the past as we like to think.

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Ellie Lucas

From the Front Row

Jun 3, 2019

4/4

As Eisenstein pointed out, Ford would go on to make grander, greater films. But none were quite so discreetly powerful as Young Mr. Lincoln .

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acsdoug D

@acsdoug Oct 5, 2025

Worth watching for Fonda's performance. The cinematography was good too.

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Conor S

@RT72157041 Jun 5, 2025

This movie was perfect, the characters, the story were just all amazing!

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steve d

@RT35616104 Jan 9, 2023

Fantastic biopic about a little-known part of Abe's life.

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Aug 17, 2020

Henry Fonda's Lincoln is earnest, thoughtful and a terrific antidote to today's political climate. If you want to remember what being American is supposed to mean, while still seeing all of the raw mob mentality that our freedoms can sometimes bring out, rent this timeless classic.

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Julia M

@RT79833488 Jan 28, 2019

Released in 1939, Young Mr. Lincoln has never received the same level of attention as a number of other films of that year. Yet in its own quiet way Young Mr. Lincoln is as great a masterpiece as The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, Wuthering Heights, or Stagecoach. With Henry Fonda in the title role, the film is a character study of a young man who opts to learn the law and work within its limits to make a better world.

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Ed M

@RT80499164 Dec 7, 2018

Fonda's a legend but the movie is just okay.

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John Ford

Director

Henry Fonda

Abraham Lincoln

Alice Brady

Abigail Clay

Marjorie Weaver

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Synopsis

In this dramatized account of his early law career in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln (Henry Fonda) is born into a modest log cabin, where he is encouraged by his first love, Ann Rutledge (Pauline Moore), to pursue law. Following her tragic death, Lincoln establishes a law practice in Springfield, where he meets a young Mary Todd (Marjorie Weaver). Lincoln's law skills are put to the test when he takes on the difficult task of defending two brothers who have been accused of murder.

Director: John Ford
Producer: Darryl F Zanuck
Screenwriter: Lamar Trotti
Distributor: Key Video, 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox, Cosmopolitan Productions
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 9, 1939, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 8, 2015
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Mono

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