Movie spotlight
A Mormon Maid
This silent melodrama is set against the 1840s westward migration of the Mormons. Dora, a young woman, and her family are saved from an Indian attack by a Mormon community traveling to Utah. They join the wagon train. Dora is pursued by two men, one a recent convert, the other a scheming elder with a stable of wives. The Mormon elder wants her in his harem. When the mother kills herself from revulsion toward polygamy, the daughter must consider her own future and the man she loves. One of Mae Murray's few surviving films, this was intended by Robert Leonard to be a thoughtful drama about the goods and evils of Mormonism, but today it is generally considered pure anti-Mormon propaganda.
Insights
Plot Summary
In 19th-century Utah, a young Mormon woman, portrayed as naive and impressionable, finds herself caught between her devout faith and the temptations of the outside world. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she falls for an outsider, leading to a conflict that challenges her beliefs and her community's traditions.
Critical Reception
As a silent film from 1917, specific critical reception data is scarce. However, films of this era often focused on melodramatic storytelling and clear moral lessons. "A Mormon Maid" likely aimed to portray the struggles and romantic entanglements within a specific cultural and religious setting, appealing to audiences interested in dramatic narratives and historical settings.
What Reviewers Say
Likely praised for its dramatic storyline and portrayal of a specific community.
May have been seen as a moralistic tale of faith and forbidden love.
Visual elements and the lead performance would have been key factors in audience reception.
Google audience: As a silent film from 1917, there are no specific Google user reviews available for "A Mormon Maid." Audience reception would have been through contemporary reviews and word-of-mouth.
Fun Fact
This film is considered a lost film, meaning no known copies currently exist, making it a subject of interest for film historians and preservationists.
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