When plucked by Daryl F. Zanuck from Paramount to helm the production of 1940’s Brigham Young, director Henry Hathaway initially told Zanuck that “the two dullest things are wagon trains and religion”. Despite Hathaway’s and others’ correct assertion that the project didn’t scream box …
Continue ReadingA Trip to Salt Lake City (1905) Review
The earliest films relied heavily on other entertainment mediums such as vaudeville, theater, books, and newspapers to create short narratives for audiences. Comedy especially relied on jokes that were prevalent in late 19th and early 20th-century culture. For example, one of the earliest Lumiere films …
Continue ReadingMormons in Classic Hollywood Films
This post is the fourth historical overview in my series Celebrating 125 Years of Utah and the Movies. Visit the series page for previous posts and reviews of films shot in Utah or by Utahns.
Dean Jagger waves to the Salt Lake City …
Continue ReadingUtahns in Classic Film
This post is the third historical overview in my series Celebrating 125 Years of Utah and the Movies. Visit the series page for other historical overviews and reviews of films shot in Utah or made by Utahns.
While Utah failed to compete as an …
Continue ReadingRiders of the Purple Sage — Book Review
Ohio-born author Zane Grey, originally a dentist and minor league baseball player before trying his hand at writing, was instrumental in solidifying the major themes, characters, and tropes of the American Western genre. Writing dozens of novels and short stories from the first decade of …
Continue Reading2021 Classic Film Summer Reading Challenge
It is that time of year again for the 2021 Summer Reading Classic Film Book Challenge hosted by Raquel Stecher’s Out of the Past Blog. Last year’s challenge was one of the highlights of quarantine and despite being vaxxed this time around, I’ve already spent …
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