Radio review – MT – “Abraham Lincoln” (1938) **1/2

Orson Welles had political ambitions, and during the 40s gave some serious thought to pursuing a career in that direction, so it’s not so strange he’d be attracted to the idea of playing America’s most (or is it second-most) beloved president. He’s not very good casting – Welles can’t help but be bombastic, and overpowering, not quite the shrewd backwoodsman that Lincoln was. Although to be fair maybe that’s just because we’ve come to expect Henry Fonda to play the part. It’s just that nothing I’ve ever read about Lincoln reminds you of Orson Welles; maybe Welles could have played Teddy Roosevelt. The script starts out as an imaginative documentary-type presentation before reverting to more conventional radio drama.