D.W. Griffith's 'Abraham Lincoln'

Starring:Walter Huston, Una Merkel, William L. Thorne, Lucille La Verne, Helen Freeman, Otto Hoffman, Edgar Dearing, Russell Simpson, Charles Crockett, Kay Hammond (II), Helen Ware, E. Alyn Warren, Jason Robards Sr., Gordon Thorpe, Ian Keith, Cameron Prud'Homme, James Bradbury Sr., James Eagles, Oscar Apfel, Frank Campeau
Director: D.W. Griffith
Studio: Platinum Disc Corportation
Product Type: DVD

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Birth of A Nation: a devastating commentary on the KKK

Birth Of A Nation
Starring: Lillian Gish; Henry B. Walthall; Mae Marsh; Mirian Cooper
Director: D.W. Griffith
Manufacturer: Reel Enterprises
ProductGroup: DVD
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The Birth of a Nation
Intolerance (1916) (Silent) (B&W)
Battleship Potemkin
The Grapes of Wrath
Amistad

ASIN: B000KJTBVA
Release Date: 2006-11-13

Description

The first true film, a lavish Civil War epic in which Griffith virtually invented the basics of film grammar. Two brothers, Phil and Ted Stoneman, visit their friends in Piedmont, South Carolina: the family Cameron. This friendship is affected by the Civil War, as the Stonemans and the Camerons must join up opposite armies. The consequences of the War in their lives are shown in connection to major historical events, like the development of the Civil War itself, Lincoln's assassination, and the birth of the Klu Klux Klan. Still a rouser, and of great historical interest. Silent with music score. Battle scenes and reconstruction period recreated along with touching scenes of family reunion.

Customer Reviews:

Birth of A Nation: a devastating commentary on the KKK.......2007-03-31

Birth of a Nation is director D.W. Griffith's powerful but violently controversial masterwork depicting the post-U.S. Civil War experiences of two families, the Stonehams of Pennsylvania and the Camerons of Virginia. The Stonehams (fictional replacements for the very real Radical Republican Congressman Thaddeus Stephens and his family) revel in the North's victory and the imposition of abolitionist policies in the South. The Camerons are depicted as put-upon defeated Southerners trying desperately to preserve the beliefs and morality of the Old South. Portrayed as victims of Northern aggression, the Camerons are beset by newly freed slaves who threaten their lives and livelihoods, including attempting a rape (a controversial subject in 1915 film making) by a former slave of one of the Cameron daughters. Riding to the "rescue" of Southern womanhood is the "heroic" Ku Klux Klan, Hell-bent on preserving the South and driving out the invading Northern carpetbaggers and subjugating the newly freed slaves.

The debates that have raged over this film have focused on the depiction of the KKK as a heroic organization and of Northerners as aggressive and vicious conquerers, equating all Northerners with the barbaric hordes who destroyed "noble" Rome. Controversy has focused on whether Southern-born Griffiths was himself a racist and deliberately depicted the KKK in a positive light or was the film meant to be an ironic rendering of Thomas Dixon's racist play, "The Clansman" There can be no denying that "Birth of A Nation" is a powerful film about a violent period in post-Civil War US history. It is a film that bears watching, not only for the story of the film itself but also for it's reflections of the virulent racism present in US society in the years prior to the US entry into WWI.

[...].

Abraham Lincoln (1930) DVD [Remastered Edition]

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WARNING--NOT RE-MASTERED!
This classic historical film, fully restored on DVD by A2ZCDS
Not A Documentary

Abraham Lincoln (1930) DVD [Remastered Edition]
Starring: Hank Bell , Hobart Bosworth , James Bradbury , Robert Brower , and Frank Campeau
Director: D.W. Griffith
Manufacturer: Tapeworm
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Biography - Abraham Lincoln: Preserving the Union (A&E DVD Archives)
Young Mr. Lincoln - Criterion Collection
American Experience - Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided
D.W. Griffith Presents Abraham Lincoln
Abe Lincoln in Illinois

ASIN: B0009H72X2
Release Date: 2005-04-19

Description

Abraham Lincoln remains on of the most enigmatic and influential personages in history. Young Abraham Lincoln refuses to be constrained to a country-yokel existence in his native Springfield, Illinois. His vision of a higher calling is actively supported by his lady love, Ann Rutledge Lincoln's success as a lawyer brings him to the notice of political kingmakers as a candidate for the Presidency. Personal tragedy strikes when Ann passes away - he marries the eccentric Mary Todd. Attaining the Presidency, Lincoln finds himself required to take a stand on segregation issues, his historical decision to free Southern slaves catalyzes the infamous Civil War. Compelling scenes of personal doubt - and victory over it - lead up to final victory…and the emancipation of the Western world from slavery. However, bigoted political detractors, headed by John Wilkes Booth take a drastically different viewpoint of this development...

Customer Reviews:

WARNING--NOT RE-MASTERED!.......2007-06-24

Do not be misled by the product description or the "reviews." This product most definitely has NOT been "digitally re-mastered." Suspicions abound once the packaging is inspected and none of the usual re-mastering info is present. Further suspicions are aroused by the blurb on the back which claims the director was "D. W. Dixon"; it was in fact legendary director D. W. Griffith.

The sound is so poor that several scenes are virtually indecipherable. The picture image is atrocious, and in fact this is one of the worst prints of this film--or ANY film--I have ever seen let alone purchased. On rare occasions TCM has shown this movie and whatever print they use is vastly superior.

This is all too bad as this is a very interesting and important film (in spite of too much lipstick on young Abe, but then again Griffith WAS a silent director trying to come to terms with talkies).

Let's hope that a) a REAL re-mastered version of this film shows up; and b) Amazon exercises a bit more caution in its description of products on offer.

The star rating is for this product, not the film.

Caveat emptor.

This classic historical film, fully restored on DVD by A2ZCDS.......2006-05-03

"After watching this classic rendition of Abraham Lincoln's most important years (Abraham Lincoln from A2ZCDS), I know for sure that such a life has not been before and will not be again. He WAS a man - a real man who felt love, joy, despair and hurt just like you and I do. This is more than a historical film - this is an immortal tribute to this country's greatest statesman..."

Not A Documentary.......2006-04-27

I've ordered a few things from this company and most of them were historical documentaries so I sorta thought that this would be as well.

It's not - but that's not a bad thing. It's a work of historical fiction and its fairly well done. You get to see an interesting fictional interpretation of Lincoln - without a l ot of modern narative baggage.

The film is older - and looks it - but in some ways that adds to it's charm.

This is like the original version of the History Channel.

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An Oldie but A Goodie

D.W. Griffith Presents Abraham Lincoln
Starring: Jason Robards
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Abraham Lincoln (1930) DVD [Remastered Edition]
Fury
Young Mr. Lincoln - Criterion Collection
Way Down East
Gore Vidal's Lincoln

ASIN: B0001NNLT8
Release Date: 2002-05-15

Product Description

Directed by D.W. Griffith, this Lincoln effort was one of the great talking films of the post-silent film era. These brief vignettes about Lincoln's early life includes his birth, early jobs, his affair with Ann Rutledge, his courtship of Mary Todd and the Lincoln/Douglas debates. His presidency and the Civil War are covered in more detail, and the film concludes with the assasination. Walter Huston stars as the beloved President.

Customer Reviews:

An Oldie but A Goodie.......2006-03-15

Having enjoyed director/filmmaker D.W. Griffith's work from early stages of filmmaking through the 1920's silent era, I was curious to see Griffith's first `talkie', and it lived up to my expectations. A good script and a talented cast combined with Griffith's experience made "Abraham Lincoln" a highly respected film of the early sound era of the 1930s - and no doubt helped Walter Houston's career considerably, as his portrayal of Lincoln in this film is very impressive. In fact, I personally thought Houston's is the best portrayal of Lincoln I have seen so far, and I found the other characters, settings and even dialogues to be quite realistic and well done also. But this is a 1930 film and shouldn't be compared to modern films and today's standards (just as Griffith's work overall can't rightly be compared to more contemporary directors and filmmakers) so some familiarity with 1930s films would go a long way to help appreciate "Abraham Lincoln". By today's standards this film might seem dull and slow-moving; furthermore, the sound on this particular DVD is rather crackly, as many early sound films are, but after a few minutes, as I got into the story, I forgot about the noise and thoroughly enjoyed the film. Rather than a melodrama of sorts, this rendition of Lincoln's life is almost like a documentary in that it shows the highlights and well-known aspects of Lincoln's life and career in a very factual manner. Nevertheless, I recognized some of Griffith's trademarks in some scenes which emphasize Lincoln's qualities and some other dramatic punctuation and highlights, especially in the final scenes. For some viewers this film might seem choppy or poorly-edited due to the jump from one scene to another, such as events in Lincoln's early life to a period some years later - but these `jumps' were common in the transition period from silent to sound films, and furthermore, this film attempts to show a man's whole life in just 90 minutes. For a 1930 effort, I think Griffith did a fine job, and I'd recommend this DVD to those already familiar with early talkies, especially those with a special interest in Lincoln and history. Although this is a budget label, the picture quality is very good, and apart from the background static and crackle common to old films, I had no trouble understanding what was being said. For the low cost of this DVD it is definitely a good buy!

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Terrific value

Abraham Lincoln / Birth of A Nation
Starring: Walter Houston; Lillian Gish
Director: D.W. Griffith
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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You Are There: Abraham Lincoln's Greatest Moments: The Emancipation Proclamation/The Gettysburg Add

ASIN: B000AMPQH0
Release Date: 2003-03-03

Customer Reviews:

Terrific value.......2006-11-06

This is probably the greatest dvd ever put out by one of those suggested
list price of one dollar companies. The prints on this disc aren't great - there are better - but they are actually not too lousy either; worse
prints have certainly floated through before and apparently after this
disc appeared. Aside from scene selection, though, there is nothing extra
on this dual-layer, two-sided disc. Considering, however, what the two
features are, this is obviously a must-have for anyone into building a comprehensive movie library. And since precious few who actually do buy this dvd to just see what all the controversy with "Birth Of A Nation" was
about and then actually sit through both films will ever return to either again, a dollar or two spent for both seems a very logical purchase.
Not that either of these films were ever his best work. 1915's "Birth Of A Nation" didn't really advance D.W. Griffith's art very far; he'd already mastered everything found in here with his last round or two of Biograph films. And indeed, there are several glaring continuity errors (the reappearance of a character already killed, for example) and many just plain incoherent shots. And the film's defiant 19th century white southerner viewpoint is appalling, obviously. Yet the film is definitely
fascinating as well; Griffith was indeed the master of directors when
inspired, and this film, while terribly flawed, is often truly inspired.
"Abraham Lincoln", however, is a different animal entirely, despite being
basically an extension of several scenes from the earlier film. This was
Griffith's first all-sound film, and is overall disappointing. While it's
generally true that he produced very little after 1924's masterpiece "Isn't Life Wonderful?" that compared to his earlier periods,
this is the most frustrating of them all, because this one has potential all over it; and while it seems ready to develop into Griffith classical
melodrama, it is somehow at odds with the main point of the film. Much like his earlier historical "America", much feels stilted and dry, and noone really gives an excellent performance; but at least "America" had Griffith's final significant leading lady, Carole Dempster. "Abraham Lincoln" does have several superb scenes, but an equal number of very boring and stiff scenes as well. The movie did some business but received an apathetic critical response, and for once, the critics weren't completely wrong.
The director would redeem himself on his next and final piece, 1931's "The Struggle", one of his greatest films which saw a shocking resumption of his peak powers. In retrospect, though; at the time it was a critical and commercial disaster and went largely unseen until Kino's great video release around the mid '90's (no dvd release by anyone I can tell as of the end of 2006).
And obviously having "The Struggle", Griffith's only other sound film, on this disc would be infinitely a better and more logical film set, what is on here is still, undeniably, classic stuff. Being as the prints used are pretty decent, for a mere one or two bucks you can get them on one dvd. Thats pretty awesome; and they are of course sold separately for similar bargain prices. The best introduction to Griffith as far as art is concerned would be 1916's "Intolerance", and Delta has a great, near-Kino
definitive print on dvd titled "Intolerance: A Sun Play Of The Ages". Usually sold around five or six dollars, this particular edition is rarely seen anywhere physically but is easily acquired on the web. This particular dvd copy of "Abraham Lincoln"/"Birth Of A Nation" is usually
easy to come across in store bargain bins, and preferable in fact to a couple of other issues with similar prices so try to get this release online if you can't find it locally.

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Abraham Lincoln
Director: D.W. Griffith
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Product Description

An intriguing journey though the life of America's heroic President. The story begins at Lincoln's birth. It gives the history of what led this man to the White House, his freeing of the slaves, and the Civil War; This story delves into his personal life, including Lincoln's affair with Ann Ruthledge and his courtship of Mary Todd. Lincoln struggles through his debates with Douglas and in the end is assassinated.

D.W. Griffith's 'Abraham Lincoln' [Region 2]

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old but worthy
Review of Abraham Lincoln
An excellent achievement from the early years of Hollywood.

D.W. Griffith's 'Abraham Lincoln' [Region 2]
Starring: Walter Huston , Una Merkel , William L. Thorne , Lucille La Verne , and Helen Freeman
Director: D.W. Griffith
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Young Mr. Lincoln - Criterion Collection
Abraham Lincoln (1930) DVD [Remastered Edition]
Biography - Abraham Lincoln: Preserving the Union (A&E DVD Archives)

ASIN: B000066CTW

Customer Reviews:

old but worthy.......2004-04-18

This film crackles with age, but is still worthy viewing, and is historical for more reasons than just because it is about our 16th president. It was D.W. Griffith's first "talkie", and has a resplendent performance by Walter Huston. It also boasts a script by poet and novelist Stephen Vincent Benet, and beautiful cinematography by Karl Struss, of placid pastoral scenes, exquisitely lit interiors, and depictions of the Civil War.
Huston's marvelous portrayal of Lincoln is broad and strong, with angular body language and a "gentle giant" feeling.

The film starts at Lincoln's birth, through the struggles of his youth and love for Ann Rutledge (Una Merkel), marriage to the eccentric Mary Todd (Kay Hammond), whose mental fragility is subtly demonstrated in how she tries to get out a spot in some fabric, his persistence in keeping the Union together through the war at all costs, and his assassination.
A wonderful "biography" film, and a good example of early filmmaking, the main attraction in this for me is Huston's Lincoln. The old quality of this 1930 film almost enhances the feeling that "this was the man".

Review of Abraham Lincoln.......2000-12-30

This is a very informative video on the great Emancipator. Distributed by Simitar Entertainment, Inc. this video is an excellent introduction to one of our nations greatest presidents. Using stills and what looks to be clips from older movies this video does a good job covering the main events of Abraham Lincoln's life. The movie gives good biographical information about Lincoln's childhood. It touches on his famous debates with Stephen Douglass, the tragic death of several of his close loved ones (mother, sister, two children), his entrance into politics, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, an overview of the civil war, and his assasination. I have seen or read about some things that were NOT in this video such as rumors of an assasination plot prior to his taking the oath of office, his invention of a flat river boat, what happened to his wife and son Robert, his dream of his own death, and also the many parallels of his assasination with that of John F. Kennedy. For those seeking accounts about his sincere but introverted faith in Christ, accounts of prayer, his Thanksgiving Proclamation, his love for and usage of the bible in his speeches, his meeting with Frederick Douglass, his incredibly small staff, his desire to put "In God We Trust" on our currency this is not really a video that explores these areas. On a purely secular level this video is a good review of Lincoln's childhood and Presidency.The life of Lincoln contains so many rich lessons of honesty, charity, and endurance that I would reccommend this video and others like it. In a world where honest servant leaders are so seldom found Lincoln's legacy stands like a giant straddling the ages. Aesthetically, in a few places on the video certain shots are used repeatedly and some of the footage looks rather old. On the positive side there are some good stills and the music is the type and variety that you'd expect from the civil war era.

An excellent achievement from the early years of Hollywood........1999-04-23

What I love here is the historical recreation of scenes from Abe's life depicted in this film. Though its age may be quite obvious, it still holds up as a great landmark from Hollywood's early years. The scene at Ford's Theater is suspenseful, chilling, and upsetting, as we are lead to love this great man whose life is abruptly cut short by an assassin.

Abraham Licoln: Greeting Card: Happy Holidays

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Abraham Licoln: Greeting Card: Happy Holidays
Starring: Una Merkel
Director: D.W. Griffith
Manufacturer: AFA Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Happy Birthday, ! You're a very special person who brightens our lives throughout the year. Here's hoping that your day is filled with joy and happiness!

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old but worthy
Review of Abraham Lincoln
An excellent achievement from the early years of Hollywood.

D.W. Griffith's 'Abraham Lincoln'
Starring: Walter Huston , Una Merkel , William L. Thorne , Lucille La Verne , and Helen Freeman
Director: D.W. Griffith
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc Corportation
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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