Brigham Young (film)
Brigham Young (also known as Brigham Young – Frontiersman) is a 1940 American biographical western film starring Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell and Dean Jagger that describes Young's succession to the presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after founder Joseph Smith was assassinated in 1844. The supporting cast features Brian Donlevy, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Mary Astor, Vincent Price and Tully Marshall.
| Brigham Young | |
|---|---|
 1940 theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Henry Hathaway |
| Written by | Louis Bromfield |
| Screenplay by | Lamar Trotti |
| Produced by | Kenneth Macgowan (associate producer) |
| Starring | Tyrone Power Linda Darnell Brian Donlevy Jane Darwell John Carradine Mary Astor Vincent Price Jean Rogers Ann Todd Dean Jagger |
| Cinematography | Arthur C. Miller |
| Edited by | Robert Bischoff |
| Music by | Alfred Newman |
Production company | 20th Century Fox |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 114 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2.5 million[1] |
Plot
The story begins in frontier-town Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1844. It follows the main body of the church as they are forced to leave Illinois, choosing to settle temporarily in Nebraska and then to travel by wagon train to the Great Basin. Much of the story's plot revolves around two of the group, Jonathan Kent and Zina Webb.
Cast
- Tyrone Power as Jonathan Kent
- Linda Darnell as Zina Webb – The Outsider
- Dean Jagger as Brigham Young
- Brian Donlevy as Angus Duncan
- Jane Darwell as Eliza Kent
- John Carradine as Porter Rockwell
- Mary Astor as Mary Ann Young
- Vincent Price as Joseph Smith
- Jean Rogers as Clara Young
- Ann E. Todd as Mary Kent
- Willard Robertson as Heber Kimball
- Moroni Olsen as Doc Richards
- Marc Lawrence as Prosecutor
- Stanley Andrews as Hyrum Smith
- Dickie Jones as Henry Kent
- Selmer Jackson as Caleb Kent
- Arthur Aylesworth as Jim Bridger
- Chief John Big Tree as Big Elk
- Claire Du Brey as Emma Smith
- Tully Marshall as Judge
- Dick Rich as 1st Mob Leader
- Edwin Maxwell as 2nd Mob Leader
- George Melford as John Taylor
- Russell Simpson as U.S. Army Major
- Tom London as Raider (uncredited)
- Charles Middleton as Mob Member (uncredited)
Production
Parts of the film were shot in Lone Pine, California, in the plains west of Parowan Gap, and in Utah Lake for the seagull scenes.[2]: 287 The Salt Lake City sequences were filmed in California, while the trek across Nebraska and Wyoming was shot in southern Utah.[3]
Reception
Michael and Henry Medved included Brigham Young in their 1984 book describing film financial failures, The Hollywood Hall of Shame, stating "Twentieth Century-Fox tried to emphasize its star power and to downplay the religious elements (eventually re-titling it Brigham Young, Frontiersman), but the picture still failed, even in Utah."[4]
References
- "'Brigham Young' Cost Reported to be $2,500,000". Los Angeles Times. September 3, 1940. p. 8.
- D'Arc, James V. (2010). When Hollywood came to town: a history of moviemaking in Utah (1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. ISBN 9781423605874.
- "Ten movies that speak to Utah's history and character". The Salt Lake Tribune.
- Medved & Medved, The Hollywood Hall of Shame (1984), p. 205
External links
- Brigham Young at IMDb
- Brigham Young at the TCM Movie Database
- Brigham Young at AllMovie
- Brigham Young—Frontiersman at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Brigham Young Souvenir Program Reprint. MSS SC 388; 20th Century Western and Mormon Manuscripts; L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University.