Silent film feared lost for over 100 years found by intern going through old boxes on Long Island
“The Heart of Lincoln,” a piece of film history missing for more than 100 years and thought to be lost forever, was found on Long Island by an intern going through old boxes.
A piece of film history missing for more than 100 years and thought to be lost forever was found on Long Island in New York by an intern going through old boxes.
The 16-millimeter film is believed to be the only known surviving copy of “The Heart of Lincoln,” a silent movie about the life of President Abraham Lincoln and American life during the Civil War. The 1915 motion picture released by Universal was listed by the Library of Congress as among 7,000 silent films believed to be lost forever.
The director and star of the film was Francis Ford, the older brother of legendary Hollywood director John Ford, the winner of a record four Academy Awards for Best Director who would go on to make his own movie about Lincoln decades later.
Francis Ford, center, as Abraham Lincoln in a scene from "The Heart of Lincoln."Courtesy Historic Films ArchiveFilm archivist Eliot Kissileff was able to clean and digitize the movie, so it could never be lost again.
“I guess it was just lucky the cans were sealed and had not decayed,” Kissilef saidf.
Rating: 5