Young Mr. Lincoln

[Martin Fass]

Who knows, altogether, how it is for most actors who are cast into particular roles...especially in the days when they were "contract players" in Hollywood, and might have been suspended (which happened lots of times) if they did not cooperate and do the work assigned to them.

In the case of Gable and Rhett, I think the history indicates he did not like being chosen for this movie, not at all. But he was compliant. To emphasize, I only THINK this, and my knowledge of the facts may be way off.

One thing more, relative to the "phony" stuff of the "old Hollywood movies." The NEW movies have plenty of "phony" within them, too. The only difference is that technologies have changed, developed and so forth, and few things--such as a false nose--are handled the same way now as then.

More importantly, though; the solid contributions, such as the work (for the most part) of John Ford, have inspired, been used as a model, and STOLEN from, time and again, including today. I have no doubt, and I imagine Steven Spielberg would admit, that HE (along with Daniel Day-Lewis) were strongly inspired by Henry Fonda in both "Young Mr. Lincoln" and "My Darling Clementine." See those movies yourself, and observe how Fonda leans back in a chair and what he does with his legs.