Back Pay

Back Pay

The woman pays — but what part of the reckoning does she owe?

NR 1922 · 90 min · ★ 6.9 · Drama

Hester Bevins is a simple country girl who yearns for adventure. Though she has a handsome young man, Jerry, who is devoted to her, she leaves her village and goes to New York in search of a grander life. There she becomes the lover of a wealthy and unscrupulous businessman. But when Jerry returns blinded and dying from the war, Hester must choose between her new life and the man whose loyalty to her has never failed.

Directed by Frank Borzage · Written by Frances Marion

Your Rating

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 29m together

Back Pay

7th Heaven

Both from Frank Borzage.

More from Frank BorzageSee all →

The Mortal StormThe Mortal Storm · 1940
The Mortal Storm
7.31940
MovieDrama
The Roth family leads a quiet life in a small village in the German Alps during the early 1930s. After the Nazis come to power, the family is divided and Martin Breitner, a family friend, is caught up in the turmoil.
Three ComradesThree Comrades · 1938
Three Comrades
7.31938
MovieDramaRomance
A love story centered on the lives of three young German soldiers in the years following World War I. Their close friendship is strengthened by their shared love for the same woman who is dying of tuberculosis.
7th Heaven7th Heaven · 1927
7th Heaven
7.31927
MovieDramaRomance
In 1910s Paris, a sewer worker disillusioned with Christianity feels his prayers have been answered when he chances upon a street waif and they fall in love.
The RiverThe River · 1929
The River
7.11929
MovieRomanceDrama
Passion carried an innocent boy and a worldly woman beyond the barriers of conscience.
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the AgesIntolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages · 1916
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages
7.11916
MovieDramaHistory
The story of a poor young woman, separated by prejudice from her husband and baby, is interwoven with tales of intolerance from throughout history.
Strange CargoStrange Cargo · 1940
Strange Cargo
7.01940
MovieDramaRomance
Convicts escaping from Devil's Island come under the influence of a strange Christ-like figure.
The OscarsThe Oscars · 1953
The Oscars
7.01953
Series
An annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette, officially the Academy Award of Merit, that is better known by its nickname Oscar.
DesireDesire · 1936
Desire
7.01936
MovieRomanceCrime
Madeleine steals a string of pearls in Paris and uses American engineer Tom, who is driving on his vacation to Spain, to get the pearls out of France. But getting the pearls back from him proves to be difficult without falling in love.
China DollChina Doll · 1958
China Doll
6.91958
MovieDramaRomance
American pilot Cliff Brandon, fighting the Japanese in China, finds himself the unintentional "owner" of a Chinese housekeeper, Shu-Jen. The unlikely couple falls in love and marries, but not without tragedy brought on by the war.
The Shining HourThe Shining Hour · 1938
The Shining Hour
6.71938
MovieDramaRomance
A nightclub dancer shakes the foundations of a wealthy farming family after she marries into it.
History Is Made at NightHistory Is Made at Night · 1937
History Is Made at Night
6.71937
MovieRomanceDrama
An American woman seeking divorce from her wealthy, controlling husband falls for a romantic Parisian who saves her from his entrapment.
The Spanish MainThe Spanish Main · 1945
The Spanish Main
6.41945
MovieAdventureDrama
Laurent van Horn is the leader of a band of Dutch refugees on a ship seeking freedom in the Carolinas, when the ship is wrecked on the coast of Cartagene, governed by Don Juan Alvardo, a Spanish ruler. Alvarado has Laurent thrown in prison, but the latter escapes, and five-years later is a pirate leader. He poses as the navigator on a ship in which Contessa Francesca, daughter of a Mexican noble, is traveling on her way to marry Alvarado, whom she has never seen. Laurent's pirates capture the ship and Francesca, in order to save another ship, gives her hand-in-marriage to Laurent, who sails her to the pirate hideout. This irks his jealous pirate comrades Anne Bonney and Captain Benjamin Black. They overpower Laurent and send Francesca to Alvarado, and then Mario du Billar, a trusted right-hand man, makes a deal to deliver Laurent to Alvarado.
MoonriseMoonrise · 1948
Moonrise
6.31948
MovieDrama
Stigmatized from infancy by the fate of his criminal father, a man is bruised and bullied until one night, in a fit of rage, he kills his most persistent tormentor. As the police close in around him, he makes a desperate bid for the love of the dead man’s girlfriend, a schoolteacher who sees the wounded soul behind his aggression.
Stage Door CanteenStage Door Canteen · 1943
Stage Door Canteen
6.31943
MovieComedyRomance
A young soldier on a pass in New York City visits the famed Stage Door Canteen, where famous stars of theatre and film appear and host a recreational center for servicemen during the war. The soldier meets a pretty young hostess and they enjoy the many entertainers and a growing romance.
A Farewell to ArmsA Farewell to Arms · 1932
A Farewell to Arms
6.21932
MovieDramaRomance
A tale of the World War I love affair, begun in Italy, between American ambulance driver Lt. Frederic Henry and British nurse Catherine Barkley. Eventually separated by Frederic's transfer, tremendous challenges and difficult decisions face each as the war rages on.
Magnificent DollMagnificent Doll · 1946
Magnificent Doll
6.11946
MovieDramaHistory
While packing her belongings in preparation of evacuating the White House because of the impending British invasion of Washington D.C., Dolly Payne Madison thinks back on her childhood, her first marriage, and later romances with two very different politicians, Aaron Burr and his good friend James Madison. She plays each against the other, not only for romantic reasons, but also to influence the shaping of the young country. By manipulating Burr's affections, she helps Thomas Jefferson win the presidency, and eventually she becomes First Lady of the land herself.

More Like This

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter