Over the Hill to the Poorhouse

aka Over the Hill Ma Benton (Mary Carr) has six children, but she favors John, the troublemaker (Jerry Devine). John grows up (to be played by John Walker) and his older brother, the self-righteous Issac (Noel Tearle), predicts he will come to no good end. Through no fault of John’s, he seems about to fulfill his brother’s prediction — when he finds his father (William Welch) stealing horses, he takes the blame and is sent to prison for three years. When he gets out his father is dead, and he decides to go West. He sends money to Issac to take care of Ma, but Issac pockets the money and she is stuck trying to see if any of her four other ungrateful children wil take her in. None of them want her and she winds up in the poor house. When John returns and finds out where his mother is, he beats up Issac and retrieves his mother. He then sets her up in a home of her own. Ma brings the children together and forgives them all, even Issac. Character actress Mary Carr was known best for her role of Ma Benton, but she also did comedy. She can be seen in a couple of Laurel and Hardy talkies (One Good Turn and Pack Up your Troubles). In addition, she was in the silent 1925 version of The Wizard of Oz along with Oliver Hardy.