Films
/
Back Pay (1922)
Back Pay (1922) poster
Letterboxd

Back Pay (1922)

Drama • 1h 30m

Director: Frank Borzage

Cast: Seena Owen, Matt Moore, J. Barney Sherry, Ethel Duray, Charles Craig, Jerry Sinclair

Letterboxd
IMDbThe Movie Database (TMDB)

Best English-friendly & video release

Undercrank Frank Borzage: 1922 Silents Blu-ray

Updated 1 month ago


About the film

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.

More from Frank Borzage

See more →

Director: Frank Borzage

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Undercrank Frank Borzage: 1922 Silents Blu-ray

Director: Frank Borzage

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Sources: DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

While Indicator Blu-ray used a newer 4K restoration from 2022 instead of the older 2K restoration, Kino Lorber has the original aspect ratio, and the Indicator Blu-ray looks very soft in comparison see comparison

Director: Frank Borzage

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray, 4K transfer

Director: Frank Borzage

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray 4K scan from the 35mm B&W nitrate original negative and 35mm B&W composite fine grain

Director: Frank Borzage

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Director: Frank Borzage

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Indicator or Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Video Notes:

No comparison available, but from track record, Indicator Blu-ray is likely better than Kino Lorber

Director: Frank Borzage

Best English-Friendly & Video:

BFI Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

BFI Blu-ray with minimal encoding improvement compared with Kino Lorber Blu-ray see DVDBeaver caps 

Additional Info:

BFI has alternative ending as extras that's not present on Kino Lorber

Director: Frank Borzage

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Director: Frank Borzage

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Carlotta France Blu-ray

Sources: academymuseum.org (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

4K restoration has no home media release yet

Director: Frank Borzage

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

More from Undercrank

See more →

Director: Robert Z. Leonard

Best English-Friendly:

Undercrank Blu-ray

Best Video:

Undercrank Blu-ray new 2K restoration

Director: Sidney Franklin

Best English-Friendly:

Undercrank Blu-ray

Best Video:

Undercrank Blu-ray 4K scan of 35mm nitrate print

Director: George W. Hill

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Undercrank Blu-ray

Video Notes:

2K scan from a 35mm safety duplicate negative made from an original tinted nitrate print in the Marion Davies Collection at the Library of Congress.

Directors: Francis Ford & Grace Cunard

Best English-Friendly:

Undercrank The Craving Blu-ray HD extra

Sources: eastman.org (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Undercrank The Craving Blu-ray HD extra, 2K restoration

Also available in HD Streaming by George Eastman Museum

Directors: Francis Ford & John Ford

Best English-Friendly:

Undercrank Blu-ray

Best Video:

Undercrank Blu-ray, 2K scan of Eye's 35mm preservation print

Director: Lynn Reynolds

Best English-Friendly:

Undercrank Blu-ray

Best Video:

Undercrank Blu-ray 2K restoration

More Drama on Blu-ray

Director: Robert Altman

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Vinegar Syndrome Cinématographe 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Cinematrographe's HDR grading is overcooked, which is a known VinSyn tendency. Additionally, their booklet mis-credits the encode to FiM.

YMMV, but for some, the included BD encoded by Marcus Johnson—ironically may make for a more pleasing experience.

Director: Roman Polanski

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Carlotta France 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

UK 4K teased by 88 Films https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?p=24252379

Video Notes:

Carlotta France 4K Blu-ray > Vinegar Syndrome 4K Blu-ray (better encode on Carlotta without any low-pass filtering, more extras and English subtitles on Vinegar Syndrome)

Director: Alan J. Pakula

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Olive Films Blu-ray

Director: Vincente Minnelli

Best English-Friendly & Video:

MGM Blu-ray

Director: Steve Gordon

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Director: John Woo

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray or Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Plaion Germany 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Arrow has a different grade and a better encode than the Shout! Factory, though the difference in either is not major. Imprint release, which leaves Shout! Factory's master and subtitles as is, is encoded by FiM. https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24473097&postcount=56

Best Audio:

Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD

Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)

Audio Notes:

Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray (similar to Criterion LaserDisc, but less distorted)

Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD

Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)

Arrow used the alternate mix, but with extra filtering and lowered dynamic range. The alternate mix has much better fidelity.

Imprint presumably used the Shout! Factory original mix and left it as is, though no official confirmation.

Additional Info:

Arrow has a much better translation.

Arrow LE has the Taiwan Extended Cut which will not be present on the standard edition. However, Imprint is FiM and has its own archival extras not present on the Arrow.

Director: Richard Brooks

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Vincent Sherman

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Jonathan Demme

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

1991 Orion LaserDisc vs 2024 Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Criterion Blu-ray has exclusive extras

Edit history

1 edit

Researched and maintained by

vanshady

· last reviewed 1 month ago

Every recommendation follows the same method — how these calls are made.