The Man in the Barn (1937)

The Man in the Barn is a bizarre little short that is early conspiracy theory cinema from 1937 directed by the great Jacques Tourneur.

A man known as David E. George confesses to murdering Abraham Lincoln and that he himself is the infamous John Wilkes Booth. As a death bed confession consideration is given and people begin questioning if the man thought to be John Wilkes Booth really was the man who died in a barn fire many years ago or if they have been living with the presidential killer all these years.

If you like conspiracy theories there really are some interesting theories around Booth and his death in the barn, mostly that there was little evidence that it was his body pulled out.

This film throws most of the known facts out the window and just makes up it's own, which is really pretty fun in it's own way and works to paint more than a shadow of a doubt leaning upon realistic people and circumstances.

It's still pretty neat and well done, Jacgues Tourneur puts a lot of atmosphere into this short.