The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-10-06
HERE Is TIE HARDEST
JOB | EVER HAVE ATTEMPTED

Abraham Lincoln as produced
by Al and Ray Rocket, is more
than a photoplay.
I mean by that. this movie pro
duction is valuable both as enter
rainment and as me best biography
Of u great character to be filmed.
I find tia difficult task. probably
the hardest one I have ever en-.
cJuntered since | have been telling
ycu about ictures. to make you
actually waTt to see it.
Am not talking from a box Office
standpoint. Am speaking Of your
own. your worry own. pleasure. The
trouble with Ch2ntertainment As
Abraham Lincoln. now being pre-
scented at the Circle, Is that many
people are goingSto guess at what it
is all about instead Of actually. see
ing it.
The same IS true on the stage.
Many worthwhile productions have
been poorly patrorized because some
people set the wrong Impression
that it is q paid course IN higher
education, Some Of us who 80 to
the theater desire 30 be entertained
and shy clear of the. so-called ed
ucational stuff.
do not wont anybody to get the
impression that Abraham Lincoln
is only for. the school children and
their teachers. Here is family enter
tainment Of the better sort. Here is
human story, tire life story of one
Of the greatest Americans, told as
dramatic entertainments.
You viii feel am sure the
dramatic beat of the theme when
President Lincoln issues his call for
volunte rs at the beginning Of the
Civil War. He waits awhile for the
tramp-tramp Of the feet Of loyal
citizens. And he hears the feet of
thousands % marching by.
There viii be honest tears in your
eyes during the scenes devoted to
Lincoln's beautiful romance with
Anne Rutledge. Patriotic emotions
viii surge through every one when
you see the troops rally to the sup
port of Lincoln and his cause.
In this version or Lincoln, the
pages Of biography become pictorial
Lincoln lives again as played by
/ George Billings. Lincoln ASA boy
is acted by Danny Hoy. Billings
seems to cause Lincoln to leave the
frame Of .his best picture. Too much
praise can not be given the artistry
of Billings. He not only looks as
| I imagine Lincoln really looked, but
he seems to be the Lincoln of both
history and fact. And that is a rare
be any kind Of an authority on Lin
coin. but Billings has drawn a char
! acterizatiOn of the great President
as I would have it-acted. Here is a
| triumph in acting.
The cast is as follows:
| Abraham Lincoln. as a boy. e.. Danny Hoy
Nancy Hanks Lincoln, his mother
Thomas Lincoln. his father .. i'e'o aunt
............. westcott 3. Clark
! Abraham Lincoln. $500. George A. Billings
Anne RutIedge. ....... Ruth Clifford
! John Mcneil Eddie Burns
Jack Armstrong ..........-...P Pat Hartigan
Denton OHut ..........', OTIS Harlan
Sally ,.......-- Louise Fazenda
Stephen A. Douglas. William Humphrey
william Scott ........ Eddie Switzerland
General Ulysses s. Grant e. Walter Rogers
General Robert E. Lee. &c. James WEIGH
Secretary of State Seward. Willis Marks
John Wilkes Booth ...... William Moran
Along with the work of Billings
as Lincoln, you will remember for
many a day the work of Ruth Cliff
! ford as Anne Rutledge and Irene
Hunt as Nancy Hanks Lincoln, the
mother of Lincoln.
It is a pleasure to recommend such
entertainment as Abraham Lin
coin" II glorifies the American
kscreen. Here is entertainments, not
cheap and melodramatic, but honest,
vivid, powerful and splendid. Here
A