Back Pay | 1922 | Drama

Title: Back Pay | 1922 | Drama Director: Frank Borzage Studio: Cosmopolitan Productions / Paramount Pictures Starring: Seena Owen, Matt Moore, J. Barney Sherry, Ethel Duray, Charles Craig, Jerry Sinclair Based on: Short story *Back Pay* by Fannie Hurst Release Date: January 8 1922 (U.S.) / February 12 1922 (New York premiere) Runtime: Approximately 70 minutes (7 reels) Format: Silent black and white, English intertitles Country: United States Language: Silent with English intertitles Genres: Drama --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Hester refuses small-town life 00:10:00 Departure for New York 00:20:00 Life with wealthy Charles Wheeler 00:30:00 Return home and revelation 00:40:00 Jerry enlists and is wounded 00:50:00 Hospital visit and marriage 01:00:00 Aftermath and new beginning --- Summary: Back Pay is a 1922 American silent drama about Hester Bevins, a young small-town woman who rejects her devoted boyfriend Jerry Newcombe to seek excitement and luxury in New York City with wealthy businessman Charles G. Wheeler. Over time, Hester grows disillusioned with city life and returns home, where she learns that Jerry has enlisted in World War I and been seriously wounded and blinded. Driven by love and guilt, she marries him so he might spend his final weeks in comfort, then ultimately leaves her former life behind to seek honest work and fulfillment. --- Background: Directed by Frank Borzage with a scenario by Frances Marion, Back Pay was produced by Cosmopolitan Productions and distributed through Paramount Pictures. The film was adapted from a short story by Fannie Hurst and exemplifies the early 1920s melodramatic cinema. Prints of the film survive in the Library of Congress collection. --- Trivia: Back Pay was remade as a 1930 sound film starring Corinne Griffith. The story reflects post–World War I attitudes toward love, duty, and social aspiration. The film’s preservation in archives is notable, as many silent era films are lost. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: January 8 / February 12 1922 Original Studio / Distributor: Cosmopolitan Productions / Paramount Pictures Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: #BackPay1922 #FrankBorzage #SilentFilm #SeenaOwen #Drama #ClassicCinema #PublicDomain