ABE LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS
TCM, 10:15 p.m. ET
If you like, think of this 1940 movie as a prequel to Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. Based on Robert E. Sherwood’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway play, it tells of Abraham Lincoln’s early years, with Raymond Massey reprising the title role from the stage version. And watch for the woman playing Mary Todd, who eventually becomes Abe’s wife: She’s played by Ruth Gordon, making her cinematic debut.