Brigham Young (film)

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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 byHenry Hathaway
Written byLouis Bromfield
Screenplay byLamar Trotti
Produced byKenneth Macgowan (associate producer)
StarringTyrone Power
Linda Darnell
Brian Donlevy
Jane Darwell
John Carradine
Mary Astor
Vincent Price
Jean Rogers
Ann Todd
Dean Jagger
CinematographyArthur C. Miller
Edited byRobert Bischoff
Music byAlfred Newman
Production
company
20th Century Fox
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • September 27, 1940 (1940-09-27)
Running time
114 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2.5 million[1]

Plot

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In frontier-town Nauvoo, Illinois in 1844, the main body of the church are forced to leave Illinois, choosing to settle temporarily in Nebraska. They then to travel by wagon train to the Great Basin.

Cast

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Production

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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

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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]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "'Brigham Young' Cost Reported to be $2,500,000". Los Angeles Times. September 3, 1940. p. 8.
  2. ^ D'Arc, James V. (2010). When Hollywood came to town: a history of moviemaking in Utah (1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. ISBN 9781423605874.
  3. ^ "Ten movies that speak to Utah's history and character". The Salt Lake Tribune.
  4. ^ Medved & Medved, The Hollywood Hall of Shame (1984), p. 205
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