Windows of Heaven

The greatest challenge of the makeup artist, 'Joseph Hadley', was to transform 'Francis Urry' from a middle-aged man to appear as Lorenzo Snow, who was about 30 years older. Wetzel O. Whitaker recounts in his memoirs, "Pioneering With Film" that from his very first scene in costume and makeup (Beehive House in Salt Lake City), Urry assumed a shuffling gait and stooped figure and stayed in character through the end of the production whenever he was made up as President Snow, "Actually he was a man about my age, but so convincing was he that I found myself assisting him up and down stairways - and he allowed me to do it !"

A shortened and re-titled 32 minute version carried the subtitle "revised" in 1979. The key dialogue and main speech in the St. George Tabernacle are intact, but other connecting scenes with minor characters (such as in the Salt Lake City telegraph office) were taken out in the "cut version." Line drawing artwork taken from photographs was used in the background of the main titles in the 1963 original, with sepia-toned photographs in the revised 1979 version. Both versions have a scene showing the original Eagle Gate. Most of the credits shown here in the database are absent in the titles of the "revised" version and only appear in the original cut. Under the main title in the 1979 cut version, the word "(revised)" is shown. At the very beginning of the film Brother Gage is explaining to President Snow the financial peril of the Mormon church. With him is another gentleman, Brother Stout, with a plan. His plan is to ask all members of the church to contribute money, and set up clubs of contributors, with membership at various levels based on the amount of the contribution. He offers to be the first to contribute $1,000 in the "highest" club. President Snow says that this is not the Lord's way. Much of the scene has been cut in the "revised" version and Brother Stout no longer has any lines. He is shown in one quick shot. There is a scene in the Salt Lake City telegraph office, with two workers playing checkers, with the junior telegrapher completely gone in the cut version. A later scene at the telegraph office when a telegram from St. George is received is cut completely. The scenes depicting the train trip to Modena are shortened. A scene in a railroad car with general authorities and their wives, debating the reason for the trip, has been cut entirely. A scene between a farmer, Nephi, explaining to Pres. McArthur that he and his wife Lucy will have to leave St. George if a crop does not come in that season (due to the drought)....has also been removed. Nephi is in a buggy hauling a barrel of water to relieve the thirst of his stock.