Come Next Spring (1956)

Matt Ballot has returned home after 12 years of hard drinking in all 48 states. His wife managed to raise their 14-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son nicely without his help. Matt is ... See full summary »

Director:

R.G. Springsteen

Writer:

Montgomery Pittman

Stars:

Ann Sheridan, Steve Cochran, Walter Brennan

Cast

Cast overview:
Ann Sheridan	...	Bess Ballot
Steve Cochran	...	Matt Ballot
Walter Brennan	...	Jeffrey Storys
Sherry Jackson	...	Annie
Richard Eyer	...	Abraham
Edgar Buchanan	...	Mr. Canary
Sonny Tufts	...	Leroy Hightower
Harry Shannon	...	Mr. Totter
James Westmoreland	...	Bob Storys (as Rad Fulton)
Mae Clarke	...	Myrtle
Roscoe Ates	...	Shorty Wilkins
Wade Ruby	...	Delbert Meaner
James Best	...	Bill Jackson

Storyline

Matt Ballot has returned home after 12 years of hard drinking in all 48 states. His wife managed to raise their 14-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son nicely without his help. Matt is considered a disgrace to the town he came from, and now he finds himself trying to win the love of his children, his wife and the respect of the towns people. Set in Arkansas in the 1920s.

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Plot Keywords:

arkansas | drinking | outcast | pride | homecoming | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 March 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Celui qu'on n'attendait plus

Filming Locations:

Ione, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Color:

Color (Trucolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Arkansas Traveler"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Heard during the fight sequence in Steiner's score

User Reviews

First Rate Movie by Second Rate or Has-Been Cast

The cast of this movie, Ann Sheridan, Steve Cochran, Walter Brennan have all made movies that are better known, but they've rarely been better than they are here.

I've never heard of the director, but he manages to pull a good performance out of the usually dreadful Sonny Tufts. Here he plays a tough, semi-bully (but not totally bad) adversary to Steve Cochran.

Other's have written the plot outline so I won't repeat it. One of my favorite scenes is Walter Brennan's drunken confession to Matt (Steve Cochran) about his birth certificate and his sober morning after contradiction! It's nearly as funny as Brennan's false teeth running gag in 'Red River'.

Ann Sheridan role was much like Sally Field's in 'Places In The Heart', totally different from her wise-cracking oomph-girl roles in the 30's and 40's.

I've never understood why Steve Cochran failed to become an A star. Like Robert Mitchum, he could play hero or heavy equally well. Reading his mini-biography, Cochran's own real life story (and death) would make a great noirish movie.

Sherry Jackson was a fine child star. Her performance as John Wayne's tomboy daughter in 'Trouble Along The Way' was equal if not better than her touching performance in this movie. She developed into a stunningly beautiful woman and then dropped from sight. She had a fine turn in the original Star Trek as a sexy-sad android.

'Come Next Spring' is very much like the better known 'Picnic' and I think it's just as good.

I've never forgotten the very last scene which still chokes me up when I think of it.