Comments on: Everybody Loves Lincoln

By: RHS

RHS — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 17:10:36 +0000

Some years ago I was outlining a possible TV series about a character who is able to go back in time and insinuate himself into past events (sort of like Quantam Leap but without all the cross dressing-- really, Scott Bakula, what was up with that?) with the express purpose of answering lingering questions. One episode involved the Lincoln assassination and a glitch in the time travel mechanism that keeps making the hero revisit the killing over and over again from different perspectives and vantage points. Our hero gets so caught up in the event that he actually tries to prevent John Wilkes Booth from shooting Abraham Lincoln but with each glitch he winds up farther and farther away from the Ford Theater and arrives later and later, forced to witness and rewitness the death of Lincoln a dozen times. (At one point, he actually trumps Secretary Stanton with the immortal "Now he belongs to the ages.") In the end, he is called back, the mission a failure, but the life of the hero is now inexorably changed.

By: Medusa

Medusa — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 14:11:59 +0000

I mean, look at Lincoln's face -- what a guy...! Is he not everything we have all said, and more? I love that pic of Abe because he has the beginnings of a wry smile (at a time when nobody smiled in pictures) and his eyes are so kind and wise. Sheesh...I just love him.Obviously time has allowed us to even make jokes about his assassination, and we would like to believe that even he would have joined in the merriment. Perhaps in a hundred years we'll have similar yuks over JFK, but the only contemporary comedic media treatment of the events in Dallas (that I can recall at this time) is a tremendous episode of the Brit space comedy Red Dwarf that probably could not have been made here in the U.S.. (RD also has an episode with Lincoln who, along with a bunch of other historical figures in the form of living wax beings, wage hilarious war against each other.)Frostbite, watch for the third season "The Savage Curtain" episode of original Star Trek to see Abe on the Enterprise. I also recall that Lincoln was a childhood hero of Gene Roddenberry (his mail order Trek memorabilia business was called Lincoln Enterprises), hence his visit to the ship. And right now there's an insomnia medicine commercial using Abe entreating the non-sleeper to take the medicine so that they can get back to their dream poker games. The image of Lincoln is so human and humane that who wouldn't want to play a game of cards with him, eh? He's the greatest!

By: Frostbite

Frostbite — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:12:19 +0000

Lincoln on Star Trek? I think I've seen everything now… ;)

By: eltone

eltone — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:35:05 +0000

I agree with the accalades given to the best president this country has ever seen. I don't think J.F.K. would be remembered in such a good light, what with his drug use due to illnesses, he was getting methadone in the early 60's just before they opened that drug up for use to heroine addicts. Kennedy took it for pain. Plus his womanizing might have come out to hurt him. Back then the press had respect for privacy, not now. Anyway it wasn't that he was doing anything wrong, except possibly the womanizing, I mean if he was addicted to any drug it came from medical use as opposed to drug seeking behavior. He was a good president while he had the chance, but some of his behaviors would not be accepted today, me thinks. My favorite Lincoln movie was the one with Raymond Massey, I think that was "Young Mr. Lincoln in Illinois," but I could be wrong about the title, but I don't think so. Peace to all you film noir lovers.

By: kimpunkrock

kimpunkrock — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 04:16:44 +0000

I think that Lincoln and Kennedy were two of the greatest presidents we ever had and they were both shot. Kennedy was also a freedom fighter president, it is one of the reasons he was gunned down. I really love Raymond Massey's protrail of old honest Abe. LIncoln still pops up in todays TV shows-including Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Futurama and the Simpons to name a few.

By: RHS

RHS — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 03:02:04 +0000

On this day we celebrate not only Lincoln's achievements as a statesman and emancipator but also for helping Kirk, Spock and the great Vulcan Surak hold the line against those emissaries of evil, Genghis Khan, the tyrant Colonel Green, the murderous scientist Zora and legendary Klingon Kahless.

By: lori8990

lori8990 — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:50:21 +0000

THERE IS AN EPISODE OF THE TWILIGHT ZONE, ITS AFTER THE CIVIL WAR IS OVER AND ALL THE SOLDIERS ARE WALKING DOWN A DIRT ROAD GOING HOME AND THE WHOLE TIME A LITTLE OLD LADY WAS SITTING ON HER PORCH WATCHING ALL OF THEM WALKING AND LIMPING DOWN HER DIRT ROAD.THEN YOU THINK THER ALL GONE BY WHEN OL ABE COMES TAILING IN BEHIND ALL HIS SOLDIERS. AS IF HE MADE SURE THEY ALL MADE IT HOME SAFELY…EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS JUST A SHOW I GOT THE SENSE THAT HE WAS REALLY THAT WAY.GOTTA LOVE HIM!!!!

By: LORI8990

LORI8990 — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:41:09 +0000

YOU SAID IT ALL!!AND WHAT A MARVELOUS PRESIDENT HE WAS AND WILL FOR EVER BE MY ALL TIME FAVORITE…THANKS FOR SPEAKING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE BEST MAN EVER!!!

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 20:43:49 +0000

Hey Medusa, I recall an episode of "The Rifleman" – it was directed by Joseph H. Lewis - when Lucas McCain (Chuck Connors) had a visit from Honest Abe (played by Royal Dano) and they got into a wrestling match! I think Abe popped up in a bunch of TV series back then.