Themes: Missionaries, Rise To Power, Bohemian Life
Main Cast: Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Dean Jagger, Brian Donlevy, Jane Darwell
Release Year: 1940
Country: US
Run Time: 112 minutes
Plot
Inspired by the true story of the leader of the Mormon Church, this film features Dean Jagger in the title role. The members of the Church of Latter Day Saints are subjected to religious persecution by the people of Nauvoo, Illinois, where they've settled; so under the leadership of Brigham Young, the Mormons head west, facing tremendous adversity along the way. However, a gravely ill Young has a prophetic dream in which he sees what he believes is his people's promised land, where they will be allowed to live and worship as they see fit. Soon they discover the land Young saw in his dream -- Salt Lake City, Utah. Young and his followers settle there, but their hardship does not end soon. The first winter in Utah is cruel, and while the spring brings the promises of a bountiful planting season, soon a plague of locusts appears, threatening to devour the crops the settlers have just planted. A huge flock of seagulls arrives to save the day by consuming the insects. Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell play a pair of settlers who fall in love in the course of the journey. Brigham Young downplays the more controversial aspects of the Mormon church (particularly polygamy) in favor of portraying Young as a trail-blazing man of the land; in some markets, the film was shown as Brigham Young, Frontiersman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
An epic film that has sweep but not quite sufficient scope, Brigham Young is a moderately entertaining historical piece fairly effectively crossed with elements of the traditional western film. Perhaps most surprisingly, Young is fairly accurate in its historical details (though certainly not in all of them), which is quite rare for a Hollywood biography. It also manages to downplay a number of the more controversial issues associated with Mormonism and its founding, which works both to its advantage (by avoiding raising issues that might prejudice viewers against its characters) and its disadvantage (by robbing the characters of an extra dimension and avoiding potential new dramatic conflicts). The film also employs a "double thread" narrative, emphasizing two different plotlines. The more interesting of these is that involving the title character, as the secondary plot, involving Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell, is a bit pedestrian and predictable. As a result, the film lacks cohesion and loses impact through much of the middle and later sections. Fortunately, it has a strong cast with Dean Jagger especially good in the title role, providing the strength and force that the film needs. Also noteworthy is Vincent Price, turning in some of his finest work in the lesser role of founder Joseph Smith. Young's flaws keep it from being a great film, but it has many fine moments. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
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, Johnthan Kent and Zina Webb.[1]
The movie generally depicts LDS Church history sympathetically, although its dramatic presentation inaccurately portrays details throughout.
Production notes
The screenplay was written by Lamar Trotti from a story by Louis Bromfield.
Michael and Henry Medved included Brigham Young in their 1984 book The Hollywood Hall of Shame, stating "Twentieth Century-Fox tried to emphasize its star power and to downplay the religious elements (eventually retitling it Brigham Young, Frontiersman), but the picture still failed, even in Utah.[2]
