A House Divided (1931)

In a small Pacific village, a widowed fisherman marries a girl young enough to be his daughter. Complications ensue when the new wife falls in love with her husband's son.

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

John B. Clymer, Olive Edens (story),

Stars:

Walter Huston, Douglass Montgomery, Helen Chandler

Cast

Cast overview:
Walter Huston	...	Seth Law
Douglass Montgomery	...	Matt Law (as Kent Douglass)
Helen Chandler	...	Ruth Evans
Mary Foy	...	Mary
Lloyd Ingraham	...	Doctor
Charles Middleton	...	Minister
Frank Hagney	...	Big Bill

Storyline

In a small Pacific village, a widowed fisherman marries a girl young enough to be his daughter. Complications ensue when the new wife falls in love with her husband's son.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 December 1931 (USA)

Also Known As:

Heart and Hand

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bette Davis was screen tested for this film.

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Connections

Referenced in Dallas: A House Divided (1980)

User Reviews

Amazingly fluid early talkie - Wyler at the helm

Comparing this early talkie to other static product of the year, it is amazing to note Wyler's influence on sound film language. The cinematography is actually that- there is much tracking, much dollying in - the camera is totally fluid, not tied to one microphone location. The special effects in the climax storm are also quite masterly for its time. Wonderful Wyler effects abound: Seth and Matt stopping in their tracks as they leave their mother's grave when the sounds of the clods being shoveled onto the casket hit their ears; the sleeping drunk at the bar with a brawl going on all around him and sudden animation when free drinks are announced; the peg-legged man who discovers a broken table leg in the brawl aftermath that is better than his own wooden leg and tucks it under his arm.

The story is a classic one - derived from the PHAEDRA legend and used by Wharton (ETHAN FROME), O'Neill (DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS) and Howard (THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WANTED). Father marries young wife, who falls in love with her adoptive son, causing triangle rage.

Douglass Montgomery in his first film and under his first moniker- Kent Douglass - does well as the idealistic and weak son, captive under his father's strong will. Helen Chandler equally does well as the timid mail order bride, who fears Seth and falls in love with Matt.

Walter Huston is a brute - a mean, menacing, self-referential brute. He values people only in their usefulness to him. Wives are workhorses, not people. Sons are extensions of fathers, not people. He is a monster and thoroughly unlikeable - not a single redeeming feature in the writing or performance.

Interesting that the dialogue is by Walter's son and future director, John.

This is a solid little melodrama, well played, directed and acted and worth a look, if just to marvel at Wyler's mastery of the sound film form so early in its development.