Head of the sculpture dpeartment at USC when this film was made (by USC), Merrell Gage was a lifelong expert on Abraham Lincoln. This short was a lecture often given by Gage, using wet clay to depict the on-going changes to Abe's face over the years as Abe altered his hairstyle, grew a beard, and showed the effects of aging. Shown on TV many times, a fascinating look at one of history's important statesmen.
Does anyone remember "The Generation Game" on television? They'd get families with watered down clay to try and sculpt something with usually hilariously squidgy results. Well perhaps they might to have used a couple of these families here to lighten up this rather overly earnest demonstration. Not only might they have introduced a little light-heartedness, but they might also have gone some way to illustrating just how talented the real artists actually are. It's the dry as a bone Merrell Gage who takes centre stage and expertly turns a blob of clay into the spitting image of Abraham Lincoln. What's impressive about this skill is just how he can age the face. A young man becomes an older one just by using some extra clay, creative moulding and some dimpling. When we start with the head shape, the artistry from Gage could probably have just as easily turned out Henry VIII or Genghis Khan. As a documentary, though, it's just a little too much like a lecture and it doesn't really engage very interestingly. Still, it's an excellent evocation of an admirable skill.