''Seed'' is a 1931 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was an era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry that occurred between the widespread adoption of sound in film in the late 1920s and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship gui ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by John M. Stahl. The screenplay by Gladys Lehman is based on a novel by Charles G. Norris.

Plot

Bart Carter has sacrificed a writing career so he can support his wife Peggy and their five children by working as a clerk in a

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

publishing house Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...

. When his former girlfriend Mildred Bronson, a literary agent who has been working in the Paris office, returns to the States, she arranges for Bart to draw his regular salary while working on a novel. Because his home life is so chaotic, Bart writes at Mildred's apartment during the day and frequently stays for dinner, and the two soon discover their old feelings for each other have been revived. Bart's novel is published, and when ''Seed'' becomes a critical and commercial success, he abandons his family and moves to France with Mildred. Peggy opens a dress shop and lives with the children in an apartment above the store. A decade later, the now-married Bart and Mildred return to New York. His grown children are delighted to see their father, who wishes to make amends for having left them. He suggests enrolling his daughter Margaret in finishing school, sending the twin boys to

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, finding employment for his oldest son, and having the youngest boy live with him and Mildred. At her children's urging Peggy reluctantly agrees, although she feels she is losing them. Mildred assures her they will return to her one-day, whereas she believes their renewed relationship with their father will place her own future with Bart in jeopardy.

Cast

* John Boles as Bart Carter * Lois Wilson as Peggy Carter *

Genevieve Tobin Genevieve Tobin (November 29, 1899 – July 31, 1995) was an American actress. Early years Tobin was born in New York City. Career Tobin's stage debut came in 1912 in ''Disraeli''. She appeared in a few films as a child and formed a doub ...

as Mildred * Raymond Hackett as Junior Carter * ZaSu Pitts as Jennie *

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympatheti ...

as Margaret Carter * Richard Tucker as Bliss * Frances Dade as Nancy *Jack Willis as Dicky Carter * Dick Winslow as Johnny Carter *Bill Willis as Danny Carter * Dickie Moore as young Johnny Carter * Helen Parrish as young Margaret Carter

Production

Director John M. Stahl cast

as Margaret Carter after seeing her in the studio commissary. It proved to be the smallest role of her career, and in later years she recalled "If you blinked for a moment, you would have missed me. I should have joined the extra's union."

Critical reception

Mordaunt Hall of ''The New York Times'' wrote that the plot was "undoubtedly an interesting theme, but in the film it merely results in being an adult idea offered in adolescent form." He thought John Boles was "too placid to be convincing" and John M. Stahl's direction was "unimaginative." He concluded "It is a lethargic and often dull production, in spite of the good acting by both Genevieve Tobin as Mildred and Miss Wilson as Peggy, Zazu Pitts as a servant and passable performances by some of the other players."''New York Times'' review
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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Seed (1931 Film) Universal Pictures films 1931 films 1931 drama films American drama films Films based on American novels Films set in New York City Films set in Paris American black-and-white films Films directed by John M. Stahl 1930s English-language films 1930s American films