The Day Lincoln was Shot (L)

Richard Sloan, a local Long Island Lincoln researcher and collector, will show us his rare DVD of the live 1956  CBS-TV special, “The Day Lincoln Was Shot" (which was April 14, 1865).   This video adaption of Jim Bishop’s best-selling 1955 book starred Raymond Massey and Lillian Gish as president and Mrs. Lincoln, Charles Laughton as the narrator, and Jack Lemmon as assassin John Wilkes Booth.   It was Lemmon’s very first dramatic role.    As  it was broadcast live before the advent of videotape, it exists today only because CBS kinescoped it on film as it aired.

  Mr. Sloan is a co-founder and former president of the Abraham Lincoln Group of NY and a retired audio engineer at ABC-TV.   During his 40 years at ABC he mixed many shows, notably “Eyewitness News” and three daytime soap operas.   Many years ago he met Jack Lemmon at ABC and chatted with him about  his appearance in “The Day Lincoln Was Shot” and an accident  he suffered during dress rehearsal only hours before the live broadcast.  Mr. Sloan’s knowledge of the Lincoln assassination and his experience working on the soap operas give him unique insight into the making of this TV show.  He will give us a few fascinating tidbits about the production, and tell us whether or not it was an accurate depiction of this tragic event in American history.  He will also alert us to a couple of TV goofs” and reveal a  couple of TV tricks that the director employed”.

All welcome!