6.2
A rural Maine farmer fights for custody of the boy who he's raised as his own.
Phillips Lord
Seth Parker
Effie Palmer
Mrs. Parker
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
Wade Boteler
Income Tax Man (uncredited)
Frank Darien
Station Master (uncredited)
Lon Poff
Constable (uncredited)
Director
William A. Seiter
Screenplay, Story
Jane Murfin
January 9, 2023
6
This has the look of a silent film to the production, and with a decent story and a solid effort from Phillips Lord, is actually quite watchable. He adopts the young "Robbie" (Frankie Darro) after his brute of a father goes AWOL. Together with his wife (Effie Palmer), they soon come to love the lad, but a neighbourly dispute prompts the return of "Rufe" (Stanley Fields) to reclaim his son - despite the protestations of just about everyone else? Meantime, the young man's friend "Mary Lucy" (Bette Davis) is having family troubles of her own as her father will not let her see her beau "David" (Frank Albertson). Can they navigate the difficulties ahead find happiness? Davis (more especially, her big eyes) features quite sparingly; the film really belongs to an engaging performance from Lord as the decent family man determined to do what is right. The production is very basic. The camera work isn't helped by the editing (or is it the other way round?) but some work has gone into the characterisations and the dialogue is sparse enough to let the imagery do most the work - culminating in quite an entertaining buggy chase with some fisticuffs! No, it's not a film you are ever likely to recall watching afterwards, but it is quite fun and offers us a glimpse of rural American life in the 1920s.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00