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Promoting Tourism With New Lincoln Movie
Friday is the big day. Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln," starring Daniel Day-Lewis, is finally in theaters here in central Illinois. And many are taking advantage of the new movie to promote local tourism. They're hoping you see the movie and that it inspires you to learn more about our 16th president and where he lived and worked.
"He was born in a log cabin, that he wore a tall hat and had a beard, that he freed the slaves and that he got shot, those are the things that people know about Lincoln," Randy Duncan, a local Abraham Lincoln impersonator, said.
And that's the reason why he dresses as the former president: to teach the public that Honest Abe was more than just that.
"And also to help people who aren't from this area to learn more about the things to see here, about my life what I've done in the Springfield area," he said.
Duncan and the Illinois Office of Tourism are using the new Spielberg movie to attract attention to Springfield and its historic sites.
Stewart Durkee is in town from Wisconsin.
"We stopped just to spend the day visiting Springfield, and mostly to look at Lincoln memorabilia," he said.
Chris Camp and his son have already seen most of the local Lincoln sites, but he said it was neat to meet Duncan on the Old Capitol Square.
"It's like he's alive and well," he said. "It was fun. It's a great time to meet someone of his stature...and height."
So the big question is: Who plays a better Abraham Lincoln? Randy Duncan or Daniel Day-Lewis?
"Well, he's got an Oscar, he's on a first name basis with Steven Spielberg, he has international name recognition, he has a reputation as a fanatically perfectionistic method actor," Duncan said. "Other than that, he doesn't have much on me."
If you'd like to make a weekend out of watching the new movie and visiting a few of the local Lincoln historical sites, visit the Enjoy Illinois website to start planning your journey.
Promoting Tourism With New Lincoln Movie
Friday is the big day. Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln," starring Daniel Day-Lewis, is finally in theaters here in central Illinois. And many are taking advantage of the new movie to promote local tourism. They're hoping you see the movie and that it inspires you to learn more about our 16th president and where he lived and worked.
"He was born in a log cabin, that he wore a tall hat and had a beard, that he freed the slaves and that he got shot, those are the things that people know about Lincoln," Randy Duncan, a local Abraham Lincoln impersonator, said.
And that's the reason why he dresses as the former president: to teach the public that Honest Abe was more than just that.
"And also to help people who aren't from this area to learn more about the things to see here, about my life what I've done in the Springfield area," he said.
Duncan and the Illinois Office of Tourism are using the new Spielberg movie to attract attention to Springfield and its historic sites.
Stewart Durkee is in town from Wisconsin.
"We stopped just to spend the day visiting Springfield, and mostly to look at Lincoln memorabilia," he said.
Chris Camp and his son have already seen most of the local Lincoln sites, but he said it was neat to meet Duncan on the Old Capitol Square.
"It's like he's alive and well," he said. "It was fun. It's a great time to meet someone of his stature...and height."
So the big question is: Who plays a better Abraham Lincoln? Randy Duncan or Daniel Day-Lewis?
"Well, he's got an Oscar, he's on a first name basis with Steven Spielberg, he has international name recognition, he has a reputation as a fanatically perfectionistic method actor," Duncan said. "Other than that, he doesn't have much on me."
If you'd like to make a weekend out of watching the new movie and visiting a few of the local Lincoln historical sites, visit the Enjoy Illinois website to start planning your journey.
