The Prodigal

The Prodigal (1931)

Genres - Drama, Musical  |   Sub-Genres - Romantic Drama  |   Release Date - Feb 21, 1931 (USA - Unknown), Feb 21, 1931 (USA)  |   Run Time - 76 min.  |   Countries - United States  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson

The third of Metropolitan Opera star Lawrence Tibbett's MGM vehicles, The Prodigal casts the star as Jeffry, the proverbial black sheep of an aristocratic Southern family. After several years on the bum with his buddies Doc (Roland Young) and Snipe (Cliff Edwards), Jeffry returns home, where he immediately falls in love with Antonia (Esther Ralston), the young wife of his hateful older brother Rodman (Purnell B. Pratt). Though he knows she'd be happier with him, Jeffry finally acquiescences to family honor and walks out of Antoina's life. The film's best-remembered musical number was "Without a Song", originally composed for the never-completed MGM epic Great Day. Also released as The Southerner, The Prodigal was retitled Wandering Son for television, to avoid confusion with the 1955 Biblical spectacle of the same name.

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Keywords

bride, brother, bum, homelessness, love-triangle, on-the-road, riches-to-rags, romance, vagabond