Silent film of Abraham Lincoln found after 100 years
Entertainment
Silent film of Abraham Lincoln found after 100 years
(Web Desk) - A 1915 silent film about Abraham Lincoln was thought to be lost forever, until it was found in a warehouse on Long Island, New York.
Dan Martin, a summer intern at the Greenport Historical Film Archive, was going through donation boxes in the warehouse last summer when he found the only known copy of The Heart of Lincoln, a silent film about the life of President Abraham Lincoln.
"For someone who studies film preservation, this is probably the most rewarding result you can have when you check those old film cans," Martin told NBC New York.
The Heart of Lincoln was listed by the Library of Congress as one of about 7000 silent films thought to have been completely lost to time, writes upi.com.
The film was directed by Francis Ford, who also starred in it. His younger brother, John Ford, later won four Academy Awards for Best Director. John Ford directed the 1939 film Young Mr. Lincoln, in which Henry Fonda played Abraham Lincoln.
Joe Lauro, owner of the Historical Film Archive, said the discovery of the film was a big surprise.
"With silent films, maybe 70 percent of them are gone. It's a piece of the puzzle that's now been found. The puzzle of lost American cinema," he said.
