- Actors: Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Dean Jagger, Brian Donlevy, Jane Darwell
- Directors: Henry Hathaway
- Writers: Lamar Trotti, Louis Bromfield
- Producers: Darryl F. Zanuck, Kenneth Macgowan
- Format: Closed-captioned, Colour, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
- Language English
- Subtitles: English, Spanish
- Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: Unrated (US MPAA rating. See details.)
- Studio: 20th Century Fox
- DVD Release Date: 15 July 2003
- Run Time: 110 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00008WJDY
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 63,689 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:DVD
I have been trying to find this dvd for a long time, it reminds me of a better time in my life. The dvd came promptly within the specified time, and the courier was polite susan.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I find Mormonism fascinating, and no I am not a Mormon, dont know any, and am not religious at all! The history of the church was certainly ripe for a movie. These poor guys and gals got kicked out of every town they set up in, finally culminating in their 1000+ mile trek to Utah. Good characters and nice turn by Vincent Price (briefly, as prophet Joseph Smith).
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
18 reviews
49 of 54 people found the following review helpful
An American film about an American Legend.
19 Mar 2002
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.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Definitely worth watching, but not all true to the facts
17 Mar 2006
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Considering that this movie was made in 1939 and 1940 it is an amazing achievement. The special effects are quite impressive for the time: The birds-eye view of the wagons leaving Nauvoo with the temple in center screen, Crossing the Missouri frozen river, Nauvoo homes and temple burning in the background across the river, all of the wagons and oxen crossing plains, rivers, climbing mountains, etc. But especially the near-final scene of the locusts and the seagulls (which were mostly all real).
Dean Jagger does a remarkable job as Brigham Young. He resembles him closely and even has a similar voice, according to a crew-member who was hired for coaching because he knew Brigham personally, and was around 16 when Brigham died in 1877 (50 years before filming this picture). Interesting trivia note: Dean Jagger was not LDS when he made this film but later married a Mormon woman and subsequently joined the church.
Vincent Price respected Joseph Smith greatly and had great reverence and admiration for him while playing the role of the prophet. His screentime is minimal but he does a fine job (in spite of being 10 years older than the man he was portraying).
The LDS first presidency approved the script, even though it veered from the truth on many points. They did this because they agreed that it helped make the picture more dramatic and exciting. Personally, I would prefer historical accuracy over romance or excitement, but that's how it was back then. Successful movies had a sort of recipe, and they wanted this one to follow that recipe as close as it could.
But all-in-all it paints an accurate picture of America in the 1840's and 50's and the trek of the early Mormon pioneers.
I recommend it, but if you can, watch the excellent commentary afterwards. It clears up fact from fiction and is very enlightening.
Film: 3 stars
DVD extras: 4 stars
Weighted average score: 4 stars
Dean Jagger does a remarkable job as Brigham Young. He resembles him closely and even has a similar voice, according to a crew-member who was hired for coaching because he knew Brigham personally, and was around 16 when Brigham died in 1877 (50 years before filming this picture). Interesting trivia note: Dean Jagger was not LDS when he made this film but later married a Mormon woman and subsequently joined the church.
Vincent Price respected Joseph Smith greatly and had great reverence and admiration for him while playing the role of the prophet. His screentime is minimal but he does a fine job (in spite of being 10 years older than the man he was portraying).
The LDS first presidency approved the script, even though it veered from the truth on many points. They did this because they agreed that it helped make the picture more dramatic and exciting. Personally, I would prefer historical accuracy over romance or excitement, but that's how it was back then. Successful movies had a sort of recipe, and they wanted this one to follow that recipe as close as it could.
But all-in-all it paints an accurate picture of America in the 1840's and 50's and the trek of the early Mormon pioneers.
I recommend it, but if you can, watch the excellent commentary afterwards. It clears up fact from fiction and is very enlightening.
Film: 3 stars
DVD extras: 4 stars
Weighted average score: 4 stars
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5 Stars for James D'Arc's comments
28 Nov 2004
Format:DVD
This movie is not historically accurate, so it's important to watch the movie twice and listen to James D'Arc's comments during one viewing of the movie. He explains which scenes are for drama and why they were shown that way. He explains the true account of the trek west. In fact, I felt that his comments were far more valuable than the movie itself. The cricket scene is especially moving as he tells how the people in the scene were not acting when they fought those crickets. It was horrible and some did not think it was worth the money to be in that scene. However, as in the historical account of the Mormon Crickets, the seagulls came to their rescue after a prayer for help was said. Even though the movie is not completely accurate, it's still a touching drama.
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