The popcorn is ready and waiting
A delightful post by Ardis Parshall on the Times & Seasons blog chronicles the literary and dramatic phenomenon of Corianton. Today he’s best known as a minor Book of Mormon character, but in the late 19th century his brief mention in scripture inspired two novels. When these novels came to the attention of Orestes Utah Bean, a thespian with more self-confidence than ability, the result was, in the words of one critic:
“He thought it might have been an Elks Club initiation, he said, but the Elks denied this, saying that [they] would not require anything so rough.”
The saga of Corianton is a funny and sad reminder that some things never seem to change, particularly as regards LDS cinema. Nevertheless:
Its intrinsic merits may be such that it deserves to lie in obscurity. However, “Corianton” deserves an honored place in our history as the first popular Mormon stageplay, the first Mormon dramatic work presented to a curious if unimpressed non-Mormon world, and the first commercial Mormon movie.
Agreed! Luckily, BYU’s Special Collections has found a copy of the 1931 film, Corianton: A Story of Unholy Love, and digital restoration is underway. I’m looking forward to watching the finished product (and becoming acquainted with Bunny Welden’s Greenwich Village Dancers) .
ETA: I love on-line used book stores! A copy of the playbook, Corianton, an Aztec Romance. A Romantic Spectacular Drama in Four Acts, is on its way. Even the title needs editing. This promises to be fun.
