Back Pay
"The Price of a Soul - The Story of a Woman Who Sold Her Heart for Gold"
Plot
Hester Bevins, a young woman from a small country village, dreams of escaping her simple life for the glamour and excitement of New York City. Despite the devoted affections of Jerry, a handsome local man who loves her deeply, Hester abandons her rural home and travels to the metropolis where she quickly becomes involved with Charles G. Worthing, a wealthy and morally corrupt businessman who provides her with luxury and status. As Hester adapts to her new life of material comfort and social climbing, she receives devastating news that Jerry has returned from World War I, permanently blinded and dying from his injuries. Torn between her newfound prosperity and the unwavering loyalty of the man who never stopped loving her, Hester must confront the true cost of her choices and decide whether to return to the dying Jerry or remain in her gilded cage. The film culminates in a powerful moral reckoning as Hester realizes that the 'back pay' she receives for her sacrifices may not be worth the price of her soul.
About the Production
The film was produced during the early years of Paramount's existence as a major studio. Frank Borzage, who would later become renowned for his romantic films, was still developing his distinctive directorial style. The production utilized actual New York locations for city scenes, which was somewhat innovative for the time. The film's title 'Back Pay' refers to both the financial compensation Hester receives and the moral debt she must repay.
Historical Background
Back Pay was produced in 1922, a year that saw significant developments in American cinema and society. The film industry was consolidating under the studio system, with Paramount Pictures emerging as one of the major players. This period followed World War I, a conflict that had profoundly impacted American society and created a generation of wounded veterans like the character Jerry. The early 1920s also witnessed the beginning of the Jazz Age, characterized by changing social mores, urban migration, and questioning of traditional values. Women had recently gained the right to vote (1920), and films like 'Back Pay' reflected both the new possibilities and anxieties surrounding women's independence. The film's themes of moral choice, materialism versus love, and the corrupting influence of wealth resonated strongly with post-war audiences grappling with rapid social change. The movie also emerged during the transition from short features to feature-length films as the industry standard.
Why This Film Matters
'Back Pay' represents an important example of early 1920s melodrama that addressed contemporary social issues through the lens of personal morality. The film contributed to the ongoing cinematic conversation about women's roles in a rapidly modernizing America, portraying a female protagonist who exercises agency but faces moral consequences. Its exploration of the contrast between rural and urban values reflected the real demographic shifts occurring as Americans moved from farms to cities. The film's treatment of disabled veterans, through Jerry's character, was particularly significant in the immediate post-war period when society was grappling with how to reintegrate wounded soldiers. While not as groundbreaking as some contemporary European films, 'Back Pay' exemplifies the American silent cinema's focus on individual moral choices within a changing social landscape. The movie also demonstrates Frank Borzage's early development of the spiritual and romantic themes that would define his later, more celebrated works.
Making Of
The production of 'Back Pay' took place during a transitional period in Hollywood when studios were establishing their dominance over the independent production system of the 1910s. Frank Borzage, still early in his directorial career, brought a sensitive approach to the material that would later become his trademark. The casting of Seena Owen as Hester was significant, as she was known for her ability to portray complex emotional states through subtle facial expressions, crucial for silent film performance. The New York location shooting presented logistical challenges for the 1922 production crew, who had to transport heavy equipment and manage crowd control in the bustling city streets. The film's war sequences, though brief, were particularly difficult to stage, requiring special effects to simulate battle conditions and Jerry's injuries. The production design emphasized the stark contrast between Hester's simple country home and the luxurious New York apartments, using this visual dichotomy to reinforce the film's moral themes.
Visual Style
The cinematography of 'Back Pay' was handled by Charles J. Stumar, who employed the visual language of silent cinema to enhance the film's emotional impact. The camera work emphasized the stark contrast between Hester's rural beginnings and her sophisticated urban life, using soft focus and lighting techniques to create different moods for each setting. The country scenes were shot with warmer, natural lighting to convey innocence and simplicity, while the New York sequences employed more dramatic shadows and artificial lighting to suggest moral ambiguity and corruption. Stumar used close-ups effectively to capture the subtle emotional performances, particularly Seena Owen's facial expressions during moments of moral conflict. The film's visual style was characteristic of early 1920s American cinema, transitioning from the more theatrical staging of the 1910s toward more naturalistic compositions.
Innovations
While 'Back Pay' did not introduce major technical innovations, it demonstrated proficiency in the filmmaking techniques of its era. The production made effective use of location shooting in New York City, which was still relatively uncommon in 1922 and required significant logistical planning. The film's special effects for Jerry's war injuries and blindness were achieved through practical means that were convincing for the time. The makeup department created realistic effects for Jerry's character, while the cinematography employed techniques to simulate his limited perspective. The film's editing, supervised by Frank Borzage, used cross-cutting effectively to build tension between Hester's two lives and to emphasize the moral stakes of her choices. The production design successfully created visual contrast between the rural and urban settings through set design and props.
Music
As a silent film, 'Back Pay' would have been accompanied by live musical performance during its theatrical run. The original score was likely composed by Paramount's music department and would have varied by theater size and location. Larger urban theaters would have employed full orchestras, while smaller venues might have used a piano or organ. The music would have followed the dramatic conventions of the era, with pastoral themes for the country scenes, sophisticated jazz-influenced pieces for New York sequences, and melancholic melodies for Jerry's suffering. The score would have used leitmotifs to represent characters and themes, a common practice in silent film accompaniment. Unfortunately, no written records of the original musical score survive, as was typical for films of this period.
Did You Know?
- This was one of Frank Borzage's early directorial efforts before he won the first Academy Award for Best Director for '7th Heaven' in 1927.
- Seena Owen, who played Hester Bevins, was a prominent silent film star who had previously appeared in D.W. Griffith's 'Intolerance' (1916).
- The film was based on a short story by Fannie Hurst, a popular writer of the era who often wrote about women's struggles and moral dilemmas.
- Matt Moore, who played Jerry, was Irish-born and one of three acting brothers, all of whom worked in silent films.
- The film's theme of a country girl corrupted by the city was a common trope in 1920s cinema, reflecting post-WWI anxieties about urbanization and changing social mores.
- J. Barney Sherry, who portrayed the wealthy businessman, was a veteran character actor who often played villains or authority figures.
- The film was released during the early Jazz Age, a period of significant social change and moral questioning in America.
- Despite being a Paramount production, the film is now considered largely lost, with only fragments known to exist in film archives.
- The story's emphasis on moral choice and redemption would become a recurring theme in Borzage's later, more famous works.
- The film's title was considered somewhat provocative for 1922, as 'back pay' typically referred to wages owed to workers, here used metaphorically for moral debt.
What Critics Said
Contemporary reviews of 'Back Pay' were generally positive, with critics praising Seena Owen's performance and Frank Borzage's sensitive direction. The New York Times noted the film's 'sincere treatment of a difficult moral problem' and commended Owen's ability to convey Hester's internal conflict through subtle expressions. Variety magazine highlighted the film's timely themes and effective contrast between country and city life. Modern film historians view 'Back Pay' as an important early work in Borzage's filmography, showing the development of his distinctive approach to romantic melodrama. Critics have noted how the film prefigures Borzage's later masterpieces in its treatment of spiritual love versus materialism. However, due to the film's largely lost status, comprehensive critical reassessment has been limited to those fragments that survive in archives.
What Audiences Thought
Audiences in 1922 responded positively to 'Back Pay,' finding resonance in its moral themes and romantic elements. The film's story of a woman torn between love and money appealed to both male and female viewers, though particularly to women who were navigating their own changing roles in society. The character of Jerry, the wounded war veteran, generated strong emotional responses from audiences still processing the aftermath of World War I. The film's clear moral framework, despite its sophisticated themes, made it accessible to mainstream audiences of the era. Box office reports, while not precisely recorded, indicated that the film performed respectably in urban markets where its New York setting held particular appeal. The movie's success helped establish Frank Borzage as a director capable of handling sensitive material with emotional depth.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- Fannie Hurst's short stories
- D.W. Griffith's melodramas
- Contemporary women's literature
- Post-WWI social dramas
- European realist cinema
This Film Influenced
- Frank Borzage's later romantic melodramas
- Other 1920s films about women's moral choices
- Hollywood films dealing with war veterans
- Urban-rural contrast films of the silent era