A Trip to Salt Lake City (1905)
Facts
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Production | |
Distribution |
(USA, DVD, 2006)
Grapevine Video
|
Categories
Black and White Children Christian Life Comedy Family Mormon Polygamy Satirical Short Silent Film Travel ChildrenComedyFamilyShortBlack and White, Christian Life, Mormon, Polygamy, Satirical, Silent Film, TravelDescriptions
The film begins with a full photograph of a set of the interior of a Pullman sleeping car. The first action is a woman carrying a small child down the aisle toward the camera. She puts her child in an upper berth. A second woman, also carrying a small child, enters and proceeds down the aisle toward the camera and puts her child in the berth across the aisle. Following in close succession are several more women of various sizes and shapes, each carrying a child whom they deposit in a berth. The last person to arrive in the sleeping car is a man with a small child. The father promptly does the bidding of the child by giving him a horseback ride. At that moment, all of the other children in the sleeping car wish to get a drink of water and evervone crawls all over him, In a fit of anger and annoyance, the man leaves the sleeping car, pulls the drinking container from its mounting, drags it into the sleeping car, and puts it on the floor. He then climbs into his berth.
Source: Library of Congress
The first movie made of Mormons, or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), as well as a mockery of their polygamy, made after the practice of polygamy was made forbidden within the church. Probably as a stunt to stir controversy that seemed to have failed.
A Mormon man, his several wives, and their children enter the Pullman, and the father begrudgingly tends to the playful needs of the kids. As the children get into their bunks, their father leaves the car, then comes back with a large can of milk with several tubes, like cow teats, protruding from it, and feeds his family.
Source: AFI Catalog
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Cast
Crew
G.W. Bitzer | - | Cinematography |
Reviews
As a first in something, Mormons on film in this instance, this is quite a funny little scene in a train. There are memorable expressions, funny problem solving, and the build-up is also quite purposeful when you realize the man is the father of all the children. I found this to be different in many ways from the usual movies from the time, and creative too.