Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809, Hardin County, Kentucky - April 5, 1865, Washington, D.C.) was the sixteenth President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1861 until his assassination on April 5, 1865. His presidentialship was succeeded by Andrew Johnson. Lincoln was a recurring element in the opening theme of Police Squad!, in wich he was portrayed by Rex Hamilton, even though he was included in the opening theme he never appeared in any episode. Hannibal Hamlin was Lincoln's vice president from 1861 til 1865. When in 1865 Lincoln was assasinated by John Wilkes Booth, over 120 photographs were taken of Lincoln, wich made him the most photographed man up to the time he was assassinated.

On Police Squad!

Lincoln's assasination was parodied in the Police Squad! opening title. The opening title of Police Squad! showed the main stars getting shot at and shooting back. Lincoln was shot in the back of his head, while watching a play when he died. The parodie that the creators of Police Squad! made up was Lincoln getting shot in the hat and shooting back. According to Pat Proft, had the show been renewed for a second season, this sequence would have been replaced by Mahatma Gandhi brandishing an assault rifle (a gag which later appeared in the "Weird Al" Yankovic film UHF, apparently developed independently).