"Trapped by the Mormons" is a British B-picture silent film and a piece of anti-Mormon propaganda. In it, predatory Mormon trickster Isoldi Keene uses his "mesmeric powers" to lure Nora Prescott out of her parents' home in the Manchester suburbs and into his trap. His attempts to marry her, however, are thwarted by the revelation that he already has a wife and is a polygamist.
Keene's "mesmeric powers" seem to derive mostly form his eyes, which the filmmakers emphasized with some extreme close-ups and iris framings. He also uses some actors to trick some girls into believing that Mormonism has given him the miraculous powers to breath life into a dead woman. Perhaps even more ludicrous and unintentionally amusing are Nora's paralytic father's convulsing reactions to Mormons. In his final conniption fit over a Mormon missionary coming to his home, Mr. Prescott gets out of his wheelchair-discovering the ability to walk again, as he knocks over and throws things at the missionary. Mrs. Prescott proclaims, "Oh, my dear, to think that out of this evil comes a little bit of good. You can move! You can move!"
"Trapped by the Mormons" not only greatly mischaracterizes the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (for instance, they had abandoned the practice of polygamy decades before 1922) and portrays Mormons as rapacious kidnappers, it also endorses anti-Mormon violence. In one scene, Nora's ex-boyfriend awaits Isoldi after he gives an open-air sermon to give him a surprise whipping. At other times, characters lament that the religion is even allowed in Britain and that they can't legally just break into Isoldi's residence-although that's exactly what they end up doing to rescue Nora.
For a B-picture from 1922, "Trapped by the Mormons" actually features decent production values. Those close-ups of Isoldi's eyes and some hammy acting, however, in addition to an absurd narrative make for a campy, so-bad-its-good picture. Despite serious intentions to produce propaganda, such a stupid message of bigotry deserves to become camp.
(Note: There are three scenes featuring reflections in a mirror while a woman preps. Another note: This is the best DVD presentation from Grapevine video that I've seen, including several extras and a commentary from Brigham Young University professor James D'Arc that compares the film to a vampire tale.)
Keene's "mesmeric powers" seem to derive mostly form his eyes, which the filmmakers emphasized with some extreme close-ups and iris framings. He also uses some actors to trick some girls into believing that Mormonism has given him the miraculous powers to breath life into a dead woman. Perhaps even more ludicrous and unintentionally amusing are Nora's paralytic father's convulsing reactions to Mormons. In his final conniption fit over a Mormon missionary coming to his home, Mr. Prescott gets out of his wheelchair-discovering the ability to walk again, as he knocks over and throws things at the missionary. Mrs. Prescott proclaims, "Oh, my dear, to think that out of this evil comes a little bit of good. You can move! You can move!"
"Trapped by the Mormons" not only greatly mischaracterizes the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (for instance, they had abandoned the practice of polygamy decades before 1922) and portrays Mormons as rapacious kidnappers, it also endorses anti-Mormon violence. In one scene, Nora's ex-boyfriend awaits Isoldi after he gives an open-air sermon to give him a surprise whipping. At other times, characters lament that the religion is even allowed in Britain and that they can't legally just break into Isoldi's residence-although that's exactly what they end up doing to rescue Nora.
For a B-picture from 1922, "Trapped by the Mormons" actually features decent production values. Those close-ups of Isoldi's eyes and some hammy acting, however, in addition to an absurd narrative make for a campy, so-bad-its-good picture. Despite serious intentions to produce propaganda, such a stupid message of bigotry deserves to become camp.
(Note: There are three scenes featuring reflections in a mirror while a woman preps. Another note: This is the best DVD presentation from Grapevine video that I've seen, including several extras and a commentary from Brigham Young University professor James D'Arc that compares the film to a vampire tale.)