Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (exterior view).jpg

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is a stage show featuring an Audio-Animatronic representation of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln. Originally created by Walt Disney for the State of Illinois pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair, the show opened at Disneyland Park in 1965. Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln has undergone several changes with advances in Audio-Animatronics technology and has been on a few hiatuses over the decades.

Until recently, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln was an element of the Disneyland attraction The Disneyland Story Presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, which opened in December of 2009. The show (and attraction as a whole) is currently closed to make way for Walt Disney—A Magical Life, in which Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln will play in rotation with an Audio-Animatronic presentation about Walt Disney himself.

Background

Walt Disney had a lifelong fascination with Abraham Lincoln. One Lincoln's Birthday when he was a boy in Kansas City, Missouri, Disney dressed up as Lincoln in a makeshift costume and recited the Gettysburg Address to all the classes in his elementary school.

In 1957, as Disneyland became more successful, Walt Disney proposed an expansion of the park's Main Street, U.S.A. that celebrated America's colonial era. Called Liberty Street, it would have been a representation of Colonial Boston on the eve of the American Revolution (which coincided with Disney's film adaptation of ''Johnny Tremain''). One of the centerpiece attractions would have been "The Hall of the Presidents of the United States"—a stage show featuring an immersive film presentation and lifelike figures of every U.S. president.

The Liberty Street concept was eventually abandoned, but work continued on the "Hall of Presidents" concept for many years (a similar area using many of the concepts from Liberty Street would eventually open as Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom Park in 1971). Disney asked director James Algar to work on the show concept and story. Algar would eventually become the show's lead director and producer.

Originally conceived as wax figures, Disney now became more ambitious and wanted the president figures to move and talk. But technical limitations of the time made it impossible without a huge amount of funding for research and development. Disney, Algar, and the rest of the team prepared an extensive presentation to entice corporate sponsors to back the project.

New York World's Fair

History

In 1961, Walt Disney saw potential in having the "Hall of Presidents" as a centerpiece attraction in a pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair and retitled the concept "One Nation Under God." However, every corporation he and his team pitched the show to turned them down—either for financial or content reasons (companies thought the show didn't convey their own message).

Disney thought the team needed a tangible example of the potential of the show and asked his Imagineers to work on a mock-up figure of one president. They concentrated their efforts on Disney's favorite: Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln figure's face was created by Disney animator turned sculptor Blaine Gibson using a copy of a life mask of Lincoln made by Leonard Volk in Chicago in 1860. By the summer of 1961, the figure had been developed enough to stand from a sitting position.

In April 1962, Robert Moses, president of the 1964 New York World's Fair Corporation, visited the Walt Disney Studio to see how Disney's two (at the time) fair projects were coming along. Moses saw the Lincoln mock-up, and the Imagineers got the figure to stand and extend its hand to Moses. Astonished at the possibilities, Moses told Disney that he had to have the presidents show at the fair. Despite knowing that the figure was years from completion, Disney told Moses it would be ready—but only with Lincoln.

Moses brokered a deal with Disney and the state of Illinois, who came into the fair late, to host Lincoln figure. On November 19, 1963, the 100th anniversary of Lincoln delivering his Gettysburg Address, Illinois legislators, along with Moses and Disney, announced that they would make the figure the focus of their pavilion.

With funding secured, work on the figure was fast-tracked and James Algar led the team developing the show. Other Imagineers involved included Bob Gurr, Roger Broggie, Sam McKim, and Marc Davis.Martin, Stacia. Liner notes. ''Walt Disney and the 1964 World's Fair''. D000263302. Walt Disney Records, 2009. Actor Royal Dano was hired personally by Walt Disney to voice Lincoln. Disney had seen Dano in an episode of the anthology TV series ''Omnibus'' playing Lincoln and noted the actor's resemblance to the 16th president. Voiceover veteran Paul Frees provided narration and other incidental voices. Disney composer Norman "Buddy" Baker created the show's score.

In the lead-up to the show's opening, members of the press, as well as Lincoln scholars and historians, were trepidatious about the idea. Others were openly hostile—mocking the project as the "winkin', blinkin' Lincoln." Making things worse was the failed press preview of the show on April 20, 1964. The Lincoln figure refused to cooperate despite the continuous efforts of the Imagineers and Disney cancelled the preview show himself.

Despite the setbacks, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln opened on April 22, 1964 with the State of Illinois Pavilion. After watching the show, the press' perception turned completely around, with many praising the show as an outstanding tribute to Lincoln.

The attraction closed at the end of the fair's first season on October 18, 1964, and reopened for the second and final season from April 21, 1965, to October 17, 1965. At the end of the Fair, the State of Illinois pavilion was completely demolished. Only valuable cultural artifacts and collections were returned to Illinois or elsewhere around the world.

The original audio-animatronic figure of Lincoln was believed to have been lost. For many years, all that remained of the original version of the attraction were the memories of those who saw it, photographs, audio tapes and film recordings. Years later, it was discovered that the original Lincoln figure had been packed in a crate, shipped back to California and mysteriously forgotten for decades. It is currently on display in the Walt Disney Presents attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Show

The pavilion pre-show consisted of a film with a depiction of paintings representing Illinois and a soundtrack featuring the Illinois state song. Guests then entered the main theater where the curtains opened to reveal an audio-animatronic figure of Abraham Lincoln sitting in a chair. He then stood up and gave a measured, dignified address. The show concluded with the curtains opening further to reveal the Rotunda of the United States Capitol Building. An abstract image of the American flag was revealed behind the Rotunda as a backdrop, and a choral rendition of " The Battle Hymn of the Republic" could be heard.

Disneyland

Original version (1965–1973)

The first Disneyland version of ''Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln'' – named after the World's Fair attraction – opened on July 18, 1965, in honor of the official 10th anniversary of the park, in the Opera House on Main Street, USA. The show in the main theater with Mr. Lincoln was a duplicate of the World's Fair attraction. The exterior and interiors of the building were given a new theme using Abraham Lincoln and Walt Disney exhibits, displays and films as the attraction was presented by Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, not the state of Illinois. It did not require an "A" through "E" attraction admission ticket. This version of the attraction ended January 1, 1973, along with the sponsorship by Lincoln Savings.

The Walt Disney Story (1973–1975)

On April 8, 1973, a different attraction named The Walt Disney Story opened in the Opera House. While the exterior remained the same with the exception of new signage, the interior was redesigned so the exhibits could reflect the history of Walt Disney, The Walt Disney Company, and Disneyland. The main theater looked the same, but the audio-animatronic Abraham Lincoln and other props and set pieces were either removed or remained in place covered by the projection screen that was added to show the tribute film to Walt Disney. The film, which lasted 23 minutes, stitched together archival film and audio footage that appeared to be an autobiography of Walt Disney. A similar version of this attraction also appeared in the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort from April 15, 1973, until October 5, 1992.

The Walt Disney Story Featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (1975–2001)

While ''The Walt Disney Story'' was a fitting tribute to Walt Disney, who had died on December 15, 1966, the show received a great deal of public criticism by those who were upset by the removal of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. The attraction closed in early 1975 and reopened on June 12, 1975, as The Walt Disney Story Featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. The motion picture screen in the main theater was removed and the theater was restored to its original form as it had been during Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, including the show itself. However, the entrance, pre-show, post-show, and exit no longer featured exhibits on Abraham Lincoln, but rather Walt Disney. A new, revised film about Walt Disney became the sole pre-show production and the previous 23-minute feature film was eliminated. After the preshow, guests entered the main theater to see the original show which remained the same, but the speech Abraham Lincoln gave was edited; some of the words were adapted from the speech Abraham Lincoln gave in Walt Disney World's Hall of Presidents.

The attraction was updated in 1984 with a new version of the pre-show film on Walt Disney and revisions to the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln show in the main theater. A new audio-animatronic Abraham Lincoln was created with enhanced movements and facial expressions, new skin, a new costume, and the ability to hold a piece of paper in his hand for his speech. The props and set pieces on the stage were also redressed. The original 1964 World's Fair audio recordings were still used for the narration and speech by Mr. Lincoln, however portions of Lincoln's speech were deleted. Two new songs, " Golden Dream" and "Two Brothers," were added to the production. Both songs came from The American Adventure, a show at EPCOT at Walt Disney World. "Golden Dream" replaced " Battle Hymn of the Republic" as the song in the finale. This version closed in 2000.Video of ''Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln'' as revised in 1984
(Windows Media Player 10, 14.4 MB, registration required). Retrieved September 17, 2009

The Walt Disney Story Featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln—"The Journey to Gettysburg" (2001–2005)

During refurbishment, the Paul Frees and Royal Dano recordings were removed, and both were eventually replaced by Corey Burton, who voiced Mathew Brady, and Warren Burton who provided the voice of Lincoln. The set was also redone, the background curtains as well as the replica of the US Capitol's rotunda were completely removed. The chair where Lincoln sat was replaced with a small wooden chair. The small columns behind the chair were also removed and replaced with plants and flowers. The big columns from the previous versions of the show were left intact. The Lincoln figure was given an upgrade; its beard was lengthened to match Lincoln's age. It was also given a pair of eyeglasses, as well as a small paper. The main theater was given a minor refurbishment, both sides featuring portraits of Civil War soldiers. Finally, on July 17, 2001, the attraction re-opened, but it was drastically changed to focus on the American Civil War, although it still retained the name The Walt Disney Story Featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. In the pre-show, guests were introduced to American Civil War photographer Mathew Brady and they assumed the role of a fictitious Union soldier named John Cunningham. They then entered the main theater where they wore special headphones with binaural sound technology. In the show, Cunningham met Brady in his photo studio, received a haircut, went back to battle and was eventually wounded. He then met President Abraham Lincoln and attended the Gettysburg Address in person. At this point, the curtains opened to reveal Lincoln standing on the stage to deliver the address. As Lincoln gave the address, the background behind him changed from a normal day to a sky at dawn, closing the show was a rendition of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. As the music was played the background changed to form the American Flag. As Lincoln sat down in his chair, a painting of the statue located at the Lincoln Memorial covered the night sky. At this point, the curtains began to descend and the 12-minute program ended.Soundtrack of ''Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln'' as revised in 2001
(Windows Media Player 10, 7 MB, registration required). Retrieved September 17, 2009

Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years (2005–2009)

The attraction closed temporarily on February 20, 2005, to make room for '' Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years''. This show had a series of exhibits and a main theater film presented by Steve Martin and an animated Donald Duck. It was part of Disneyland's Happiest Homecoming on Earth 50th anniversary celebration that lasted from May 5, 2005, to September 30, 2006. Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years continued until March 15, 2009. The movie was shown on a wide-screen television in the Opera House lobby since September 26, 2009. From 2009 to 2013 some scenes were cut for unknown reasons. The shortened version also provided show timing to the Cast Member running the "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" attraction. When the edited "First 50 Magical Years" ends, it is a cue for the Cast Member to invite guests inside the Opera House to move into the north end of the lobby, and to begin the preshow for "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln". Beginning on October 18, 2023, the film was replaced with a screening of the animated short, "Once Upon a Studio".

A new room-size model of Disneyland on opening day in 1955 was also added in the lobby.

The Disneyland Story Presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (2009–2024)

Mr. Lincoln returned in a new attraction called ''The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln'' on December 18, 2009. The previous hydraulic-based audio-animatronic figure was replaced by an electronic audio-animatronic figure, which Disney Imagineers say greatly extends Lincoln's emotive capabilities. The new show features an abridged version of his autobiography, the first two sentences from his Gettysburg Address, and the song "Two Brothers" (from Epcot's American Adventure pavilion) following the news about the civil war. In the final act, the audio-animatronic Lincoln stands to perform portions of the speech from the original attraction, in which the late Royal Dano once more provides the voice of Lincoln. The script is the same that was used from 1984 to 2001. However, Dano's voice is from a newly discovered recording that is cleaner than the original performance. Also, the song "Golden Dream" is played as guests exit the attraction. As well, the recording of the song " America the Beautiful" from the Circle-Vision 360° film of the same name, opens the show. And on the end of the show, they added the song the "Battle Hymn of the Republic".

The United States Capitol model, previously displayed as the main lobby exhibit, returned and the prior model of Disneyland on opening day was moved into a tilted up position in a large display case.

In April 2022, a bust and portrait of Frederick Douglass was installed in the lobby of the Main Street Opera House. On February 1, 2023, A new pre-show video, produced in collaboration with National Geographic, debuted, telling the story of the historic relationship between Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. The new video is narrated by Robin Roberts, and includes testimonials from Douglass’ third great-grandson Kenneth B. Morris Jr., and Dr. John Stauffer.

Future (2026)

The Disneyland Story Presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln closed on April 16, 2024. At D23—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in August of 2024, Disney Experiences chairman Josh D'Amaro announced that the attraction will be replaced with Walt Disney—A Magical Life, which will open in 2025, in time for the park's 70th anniversary celebration. The centerpiece of the new attraction will be a stage show featuring an Audio-Animatronic version of Walt Disney himself. After a year regularly presenting the Walt Disney show, that show will rotate with Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln throughout each operating day.

In popular culture

* Ray Bradbury's 1969 short story "Downwind from Gettysburg" was inspired by ''Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln''.
*The band Negativland used a modified version of the speech from the attraction in the song "God Bull" on their album ''No Business''.
*In the '' 101 Dalmatians: The Series'' episode "Cruella World" the Great Moments with Cruella Devil attraction in Cruella World is a homage to Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.
*In the '' Clone High'' episode "A Room of One's Clone: The Pie of the Storm", the teenaged clone of Abraham Lincoln seeks advice from a "robomatronic" Lincoln in a theme park attraction that also mashes in elements of Disneyland's Enchanted Tiki Room show and the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. This Lincoln concludes his long speech encouraging people to "try the churros".
*The '' Modern Family'' episode " Disneyland" closes with Jay Pritchett ( Ed O'Neill) and his family sitting together watching Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, after a long day of their family trip to Disneyland. Jay reflects that watching the show with his kids when they were young inspired him to stay with his then-wife, DeDe, for the sake of his children. After which, the conversation is interrupted by an off-screen request from Jay's now-wife, Gloria ( Sofía Vergara), to join her in their backyard hot tub, he smiles and states that "the universe rewarded me".
*An August 16, 2013 the ''Pearls Before Swine'' comic strip mentioned the attraction in Rat's "Beerland" themepark. Rat's version of the attraction contained Lincoln sitting drunk at a table trying to hit on women, unsuccessfully. The "Beerland" series also contained more jabs at Disneyland such as a profane/bad maintenance version of It's a Small World.
*In the ''Mickey Mouse'' episode "Potatoland", Mickey and Donald build a theme park called Potatoland to fulfill Goofy's lifelong dream to go to the park, even though it never existed. One of the attractions featured was a low-budget potato-themed version of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln with a giant potato in a stovepipe hat and beard with Donald delivering the dialogue.
*In the ''Futurama'' episode "Insane in the Mainframe", there is a robotic Lincoln, based on Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, in the insane asylum that has 200 split personalities that are all some form of Lincoln.

Lincoln's speech

The speech the Audio-Animatronic Lincoln has given in the various incarnations of the show (with the exception of the "Journey to Gettysburg" version) is composed of excerpts from speeches Lincoln gave before and during his time in office. The hybrid speech was composed by attraction director James Algar.

Notes

See also

*The Hall of Presidents, an audio-animatronic attraction/show in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom featuring all Presidents of the United States, including Abraham Lincoln

References

Sources

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External links

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{{Abraham Lincoln

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts attractions
Disneyland
Works about Abraham Lincoln
1964 New York World's Fair
Main Street, U.S.A.
Audio-Animatronic attractions
Monuments and memorials to Abraham Lincoln in the United States