This week’s mystery movie was the 1940 Twentieth Century-Fox picture Brigham Young, by Louis Bromfield. With Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Brian Donlevy, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Mary Astor, Vincent Price, Jean Rogers, Ann Todd and Dean Jagger as Brigham Young.
Screenplay by Lamar Trotti.
Music by Alfred Newman.
Photography by Arthur Miller.
Special Effects by Fred Sersen.
Art direction by William Darling and Maurice Ransford.
Set decorations by Thomas Little.
Edited by Robert Bischoff.
Story research by Eleanor Harris.
Costumes by Gwen Wakeling.
Sound by E. Clayton Ward and Roger Heman.
Associate Producer Kenneth Macgowan.
Directed by Henry Hathaway.
Further information on Brigham Young is available from the AFI Catalog.
Brigham Young is available on DVD from Amazon.
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I picked Brigham Young by going through the database of movies that have been on TCM and looking for one that hasn’t aired in years. Did someone say “Vincent Price AND Mary Astor?” Yes they did. And here we are.
I’m going to guess that Bosley Crowther disliked the movie or fobbed it off on one of the alphabet critics.
Called it this time (Sept. 21, 1940):
With a great deal more solemnity and respect than was generally accorded him by his contemporaries, Twentieth Century-Fox has pictured for posterity an epic phase in the life of Brigham Young — Frontiersman, and in the film of that name, which arrived at the Roxy yesterday, has cast in his true heroic mold this most famous of Mormon elders. The Mosaic rather than the more familiar sultanic aspect of his life has been reverently treated upon by the great leader’s screen biographers, and the fervor of his high moral convictions has been insistently stressed throughout.
Reluctantly, then, we must state that this picture is much more tedious than Brigham’s life must have been. Certainly there was more excitement and general liveliness in a community overrun with plural wives (not to mention mothers-in-law) than is indicated in the film. For pretty close to two hours the picture rumbles ponderously across the screen, groaning under the weight of much patient suffering on the part of all.
For Monday, we have a mystery fellow.
Update: This is Chief John Big Tree.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery lad.
Update: This is Dickie Jones.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Monday’s mystery chief) and Sylvia E. (Monday’s mystery chief).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have two mysterious gents.
Update: This is Dean Jagger, left, and Brian Donlevy.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery lad), Blackwing Jenny (Monday’s mystery chief) and Sylvia E. (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery lad).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have this mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Vincent Price….
And also this mystery woman. Bet you never guessed they made a movie together!
… And Mary Astor. Wow.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Blackwing Jenny (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery lad and Wednesday’s mystery fellows), Benito (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery fellows), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Sylvia E. (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Jenny M. (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sheila (Wednesday’s mystery guests and yes, it’s quite a lewk), Robert Morrissey (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Greg (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Tucson Barbara (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast).
And for Friday, we have two mysterious guests.
Update: This is Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests), Tucson Barbara (Thursday’s mystery guests), Sylvia E. (Thursday’s mystery guests and peering into the future to see Friday’s mysterious folks), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), McDee (Wednesday’s mystery man No. 2), Gary (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery lad and Thursday’s mystery guests), Richard Wegescheide (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery man No. 1 and Thursday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests) and Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Chief John Big Tree
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Luther standing bear.
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An excellent guess, but I’m afraid not.
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Yay! The email notification arrived!
And I’m having one of those moments again. Found a number of images that didn’t work then up popped this one on a final pass – don’t even recall what I typed in.
I’m going to guess that Monday’s headdress guy is Chief John Big Tree.
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Dickie Jones in Brigham Young (1940).
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Chief Dan George on Monday?
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Is Monday’s actor Chief John Big Tree, of John Ford fame(in my book)?
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Aha on the Chief! Woohoo! (Gotta go with those hunches more often – they sometimes payoff)
I’m going to guess “Brigham Young” 1940
Maybe the kids are Dickie Jones and Ann E. Todd?
If that’s right, are they inside a covered wagon?
Hesitating on the “title” guess because the image of the Chief seems later than 1940. Will await your word.
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Tuesday: Tommy Kirk?
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Let’s say this is The Outriders with Claude Jarman Jr.
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Dean Jagger, Brian Donlevy.
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BRIGHAM YOUNG. Chief John Big Tree Monday, Dickie Jones tuesday, Dean Jagger and Brian Donlevy today.
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Tuesday is Dickie Jones-onetime voice of “Pinocchio”. Is that Brian Donlevy in the blonde pageboy? Given the distinct period LDS look this must be “Brigham Young”.
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Dean Jagger and Brian Donlevy. Looks like BRIGHAM YOUNG 1940. If so, lovely Linda Darnell looms ahead
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Chief John Big Tree, Dickie Jones, Dean Jagger and Brian Donlevy in “Brigham Young”
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Wednesday – Dean Jagger and Brian Donlevy
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Movie – Brigham Young
Mon – Chief John Big Tree
Tue- Dickie Jones
Wed- DeanJagger and Brian Donlevy
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Dean Jagger and Brian Donlevy in ‘Brigham Young’. That hair!
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Looks like 1940’s Brigham Young, the DVD of which has been sitting on my floor for the last three months, waiting to be watched. Donlevy and Jagger did at least two movies together, as a quick of IMDb tells me.
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…that’s a quick PERUSAL of IMDb. Still pre-coffee here! 🙂
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Looks like Dean Jagger and Brian Donlevy envisioning a temple above a great salt lake.
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Chief John Big Tree, Dickie Jones, Dean Jagger and Brian Donlevy in BRIGHAM YOUNG.
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I believe the mystery lad is Dickie Jones and the two mystery gents on Wednesday are Dean Jagger and Brian Donlevy. The movie is 1940’s “Brigham Young” with Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell.
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I forgot to add that the Monday mystery fellow is probably Chief John Big Tree. Maybe.
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“Brigham Young”
Mon – John Big Tree
Tues – Cullen Johnson
Wed – Dean Jagger and Brian Donlevy
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Brigham Young (1940) w/Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Chief John Big Tree, Ann E. Todd, Dickie Jones, Dean Jagger, Brian Donlevy, Vincent Price, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Mary Astor …
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Vincent Price and Mary Astor.
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Thurs – Vincent Price and Mary Astor
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Vincent Price (our doomed visionary) and Mary Astor. You’re right about “seeing them in a movie together.” Who’d a thought?! Compares to the time I bumped into a movie with Hopalong Cassidy and Robert Mitchum in the cast.
This leaves Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell for Friday.
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Vincent Price; Mary Astor.
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Wednesday’s man on the right is Brian Donlevy, I think.
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I stand corrected. Dickie Young? V. Price. M. Astor. Brigham Young.
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Dean Jagger on Wednesday, Vincent Price and Mary Astor on Thursday, so it’s ‘Brigham Young’
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Vincent Price and Mary Astor.
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Thursday: Vincent Price and Mary Astor in “Brigham Young” (1940)
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Vincent Price and Mary Astor … not challenging at all for a Thursday. But am not complaining.
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Tyrone Power Jr. and Linda Darnell.
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Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell
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Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell.
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Beautiful Tyrone and Linda on Friday
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Fri – Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell
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Lol! Having watched it – finally – last night, I have to say that I very much agree with the reviewer(s) on Brigham Young. I loved their “Mosaic rather than the more familiar sultanic aspect” phrasing. The over-long show did seem to me WAY too reverential and, worse, much too mindlessly embracing of that strain of the American character which proclaims that its obsessions must be pursued at all cost. Watching the lovely 17-year-old Linda Darnell keep up with all the other fine acting was very satisfying.
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Glad you took the time to watch it. Yes, it’s at best a curiosity. Grand aspirations and pretty tedious.
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