Brigham Young:Frontiersman

This film tells the story of the Mormon exodus to the west in the face of unremitting persecution, seen through the eyes of a participant (Tyrone Power). Dean Jagger plays a good Brigham Young, if perhaps a little less forceful than the real one, while Vincent Price is an excellent Joseph Smith.

Hollywood being Hollywood, there are places where dramatic effect is allowed to take precedence over historical accuracy. In particular, the murder of Joseph Smith is shown as coming after a jury has been terrorised by the mob into finding him guilty, when in fact it came before any trial could take place, so that the entire courtroom scene is fictitious. This, of course, was precisely why Joseph's enemies lynched him rather than permitting the law to take its course. They knew they could not convict him of anything serious enough to end his career.

Polygamy is not altogether ignored, but on the whole is rather played down, with only one of Brigham's wives appearing on screen, though the existence of others is mentioned. Presumably, going further than that would have been inappropriate for Hollywood family entertainment.

Later, Brigham Young is shown as leading the Saints across the frozen Mississippi (true thus far) just one jump ahead of the mob, and they all look back to see Nauvoo burning behind them. In fact, the evacuation took place over more than six months, with Brigham leading the first party out in February 1846, and the last not going until September. As far as I know, the City of Nauvoo was never burned (though the Temple was) but just gradually looted after its abandonment. It is however true that the Saints remained subject to vicious attacks long after they were clearly in process of leaving, and posed no possible threat or danger to anyone.

The hardships of the Pioneer Trail are well portrayed, and, perhaps in a sign of changing attitudes, the Indians are shown in an entirely favourable light. The film ends on a really dramatic note, when the Saints are fighting desperately to save their first harvest from the crickets, and are saved at the last minute as the crickets in turn are eaten by seagulls. I understand that the cast had to perform this scene for real, there being no way to fake it with the special effects available in 1940, and found it every bit as unpleasant as it probably was first time round.

All in all, an excellent movie portrayal of one of the greatest pioneer epics of the American West. Shame it's only available in Region 1, as it deserves a wider audience. Still, multi region players aren't too expensive these days. Enjoy it.

Having given up on Hollywood's latest offerings, which are over-produced, over-digitalized, over-sexed, over-cussed, and over-violent, I am now exploring movies made before my time, in a kinder, gentler era. As such, I enjoyed Brigham Young very much. Although it is true that much of the story is not historically accurate, the descriptive comments that overlay the movie explain each departure from fact, and the reasons that it was done. As I knew something about the LDS church and its history, I was not disappointed or shocked to learn, e.g., that Brigham and Joseph Smith did not meet in the place depicted in the movie. The spirit of the story is well-retained, from the early persecutions of the Mormons to the settling of the Great Salt Lake Valley. The movie is well-cast and well-acted. I especially liked Dean Jagger as Brigham, and Linda Darnell as Zina - what a surprise to learn that she was only 16 at the time! She more than holds her own in scenes with far more experienced actors.

It is not true that the subject of polygamy is mentioned only once. It is confronted several times, including as the subject of a fierce argument between Linda Darnell and Tyrone Power. Brigham admits to having 12 wives at the time of the trek (he had 27, count 'em, by the end of his life), and there are other allusions to polygamy, e.g., the frequent presence of his second wife alongside his first. The script presents the viewer with a "this is how it was" attitude. You may decide whether you approve or disapprove.

Having the comments version available after we watched the movie greatly enhanced our understanding of the history. The comments include some interesting details about location filming and casting decisions. I was amazed to learn that the locust scenes were actually filmed during a locust invasion in Nevada, and that this was a grueling experience for the cast and crew. Those are real bugs! I was also amused to hear that the depiction of Joseph Smith's murder was very controversial. It was considered extremely violent, and the director fought not to have it edited. The average TV cop show today is infinitely rougher than anything in this flick!

All in all, a very nice movie for a pleasant evening, with some popcorn and an open mind.

This is an interesting film. You have to admit that Mormonism is quite an American phenomenon, and Brigham Young is quite an American. He was one of the great trailblazers, and after seeing the 2002 Olympics, you must admit that there was something going on here beyond mere spiritual skullduggery.

This film was made with an "arm's distance" approval of the hierarchy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Indeed, for some reason, Mormon prophet David O. McKay had a quite cordial relationship with Cecil B. DeMille, and the great filmmaker willed Brigham Young University his papers.

This is quite an interesting film, and has many of the conventions of the era. Porter Rockwell is played as comic relief rather than the rough and tumble mountain man's mountain man that he was. Vincent Price makes an interesting Joseph Smith, with that eerie twinge to his voice giving a sense of mystery. Tyrone Power did a wonderful job of breathing life into a man who was larger than life, and Linda Darnell isn't overwhelmed by her role or her character.

The sets are a major part of the film. You can almost taste the trail dust. Filming on location adds to the power of the film, and the black and white gives the film an Ansel Adams feel. You see the long trails across the long plains, plus the ragged Rocky Mountains. While they were filming, there was an actual outbreak of crickets in Nevada, so they sent a camera crew out, and you are seeing the real thing!

True to all historical fiction, this film's history is subservient to the fiction. For those wanting the facts, I suggest Leonard Arrington's aptly-titled "Brigham Young: American Moses." For a sample of his theology, there is "Discourses of Brigham Young," compiled by John A Widtsoe.

The film in itself is a good, especially for the AMC and Turner Classics fans that like films that wisely omit the salacious sex, machine gun profanity, or scene after scene of computer generated effects that glitz in an attempt to cover up a feeble story line. This is good, solid Americana film that hearkens back to the days of pre-cause-oriented Hollywood.