Abstract
During the first quarter of the 20th century there was a trend in Hollywood to make films about Mormons. Practices such as polygamy created just the kind of sensationalism that attracted filmmakers (even Thomas Edison contributed with his 1902 film A Trip to Salt Lake). Many of these were B-pictures, but the 1917 film A Mormon Maid stands out because it was produced by a major production company (Paramount) and was backed by top director Cecil B. DeMille. It is often given passing reference, but very little genuine scholarship has been done on the film. A hundred years after its release, A Mormon Maid is remembered in name only. This paper is an in-depth analysis of the text as a reflection of and influence on the way the Mormon faith was perceived in the early twentieth century.
Recommended Citation
Weagel, Elisabeth
(2018)
"Representations of Nineteenth Century Mormonism in A Mormon Maid: A Cinematic Analysis,"
Journal of Religion & Film: Vol. 22:
Iss.
3, Article 4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32873/uno.dc.jrf.22.03.04
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/jrf/vol22/iss3/4
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
VolNum
22
Included in
American Film Studies Commons, Mormon Studies Commons, Women's History Commons, Women's Studies Commons