The Mormon Giant: A Live Documentary

The Mormon Giant explores the relationship between religion and professional wrestling in the twentieth century. Focusing on wrestlers with Mormon “gimmicks,” the film shows how they presented as “heels” (villains) or “faces” (heroes) in auditoriums throughout North America and abroad, and how such representations proved usable (or not) to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints writ large. The Mormon Giant narrates the “face-turn” of Mormonism in twentieth-century American popular culture, while showing also how religion and wrestling generally work together–how they shape and reflect each other–in the modern world.

This event will feature live narration by David Walker (UCSB Religious Studies) and live soundtracking by Timothy Albro. A reception will follow.

The John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics is a co-sponsor of this event to be held at St. Louis University.