Child Bride of Short Creek

**Child Bride of Short Creek** is a 1981 American television drama film directed by Robert Michael Lewis.

The film aired on December 7, 1981 on the NBC network.

## Plot

A 19-year-old Korean War veteran (Christopher Atkins) tries to keep his girlfriend (Diane Lane) away from his polygamist father (Conrad Bain).

## Cast

* Christopher Atkins as Issac King
* Diane Lane as Jessica Jacobs
* Conrad Bain as Frank King
* Dee Wallace as Mary Jacobs
* Helen Hunt as Naomi
* Kiel Martin as Bob Kalish

## Production

Filming for "Child Bride of Short Creek" took place in Rockville, Utah; Grafton, Utah; and Hurricane, Utah. Many of the locals of Hurricane, Utah were used as extras and other cast members.

Producers Laurence Schiller & Paul Monash, and Art Director Hub Braden scouted the ghost town location in the spring of 1981, deciding to film the NBC-TV movie-of-the-week in Utah. The actual Short Creek was located South of Hurricane, Utah approximately 40 miles.

Art Director and Construction Coordinator Jerry Esposito established their base in the only motel in Hurricane six weeks prior to photography. Esposito hired construction carpenters and painters at the St George Unemployment office for his crew.

They established Short Creek Productions with a local bank and a sizable account for credit purposes, for purchasing lumber & materials prior to construction.

The producers, cast and production department followed establishing their group in several motels in St. George, Utah for the filming and wrap. The distance from St. George to the ghost town location was about 30 miles.

The construction coordinator built a foot bridge over the shallow creek bed adjacent the ghost town and main road. Otherwise the travel time to reach the town was an additional 20 miles; ten miles to reach a creek crossing bridge, and another ten miles back to the ghost town.

The actual Shortcreek Mormon-Polygamist group in Colorado City and Hilldale township had knowledge of the intended filming. The production was advised that a rumored possible raid of the filming location by the Polygamist male leadership might occur.

The local Sheriff, Glennwood Humphries, became a major contact for the construction department, making his presence established prior to and during filming. Filming was neither delayed nor prevented during the production schedule.

Two brothers from Tooele, Utah were hired to live in their parents house trailer located adjacent the creek, the bridge, and the location, acting as security both during the day and night from first day of construction, till end of filming. The two boys also became town extras during their security detail.

Another filming location took place east of Hurricane, Utah at an abandoned, 1900 ghost-town sight which had been flooded out. A river flows adjacent to the abandoned town.

A few relic buildings remain standing, including a church, a few houses, and a few farm or barn buildings.

A "movie constructed set-house" was built for the film, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"; this set piece remains located at the corner of the town's main street crossroad.

Upon inspection, one can spot the framed "wild away" walls constructed for the camera to film inside the set-house interior; this house was built and used for Butch Cassidy's hideout, with the front dirt street used for the bicycle riding scene. Short Creek production repaired the town buildings, re-painting exterior buildings, to emphasize dilapidated conditions.

Additional picket fences were placed around the houses for a lived in atmosphere. Additional shacks, and leaning shelters were built to fill out the town spaces.

The construction coordinator (Jerry Esposito) and the Production Designer scouted-shopped the Hurricane township for out-houses that local Property owners would part with. Offering $25 to $50 dollars, Esposito was able to snag three wood out-house buildings.

The "hero" outhouse was purchased from the Hurricain "DeMille" family, whose descendants were related to Cecil B. DeMille. Threafter, this hero outhouse was nicknamed "the DeMille Outhouse."

## Critical Reception

Richard F. Shepard of The New York Times said: *"Child Bride of Short Creek is unusual in maintaining a balance, in evoking thought and sympathy and, above all, in sustaining interest."*