Way Back Home (1931)

Director:

William A. Seiter

Writer:

Jane Murfin (story)

Release Date:

13 November 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Seth Parker takes in Robbie Turner and protects him from his cruel father Rube. When the father disappears...

Plot Keywords:

Rescue | Fight | Revenge | Singing | Adoption

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Phillips Lord	...	Seth Parker (as Phillips H. Lord)
Effie Palmer	...	Mother Parker (as Effie L. Palmer)
Frank Albertson	...	David Clark
Bette Davis	...	Mary Lucy Duffy
Frankie Darro	...	Robbie
Dorothy Peterson	...	Rose Clark
Stanley Fields	...	Rufe Turner
Oscar Apfel	...	Wobbling Duffy
Sophia M. Lord	...	Lizzie
Bennett Kilpack	...	Cephus
Raymond Hunter	...	Captain Bang

Also Known As:

Old Greatheart (UK)
Other People's Business (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Phillips Lord and his character name "Seth Parker" appear above the title. They were familiar to 1931 audiences from the radio program on which the film is based. Some RKO executives, however, expressed concern that the radio program appealed only to older folks and that people 15 to 30 years old, do not listen to the program and would not go to see the movie.

Quotes:

Lizzie: Been wanting a good excuse to give a party ever since the Jersey cow started giving such good whipping cream!

Soundtrack:

Moonlight Bay

Makes A Good Case for a Return to "Silent" Films

Rebecca: This is so bad it's almost good.

Enid: This is so bad it's gone past good and back to bad again.

If 1932's "Way Back Home" had been made a couple years earlier, it might have caused Hollywood to abandon "talkies" and return to making silent films. Fortunately, by 1932 enough talking pictures had already been made for everyone to realize that sound was not necessarily a device of audience torture. This is a borderline musical, with some of the worst singing you will hear this side of my shower. By the last number you will be envious of those with a serious hearing loss.

Most of the viewers who stumble across this film are Bette Davis fans seeking out some of her early performances. Davis has a supporting role as the female half of the film's romantic interest. She is paired with Frank Albertson who plays a farm laborer whose mother is an outcast and whose father is a bachelor. She looks beautiful and fresh but nothing about portraying the character is challenging. It is arguably the worst early film in which she appeared.

It is based on an early radio character named Seth Parker, played by Phillips Lord in the film, whose family are simple country folks. Sort of Ma and Pa Kettle without any comedy. The principle subject of the film is Seth's unofficially adopted son Robbie, after ten years Robbie's biological father Rufus Turner is back to claim him.

The theme is that a community can rise above its prejudices regarding illegitimacy and genetic parentage if it has a good example to follow. Because everyone is a caricature and the acting is so uneven this worthwhile theme is turned into a sappy and silly embarrassment.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.