Homefront - A Look At Small Town Americana

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Back in the 90s, a great television show was introduced on ABC Television between September 24, 1991 and April 26, 1993. Unfortunately, this highly acclaimed program which critics raved was yanked around so much that the public barely had the opportunity to embrace the families in a small town in Ohio right after World War II. Created by Lynn Latham and Bernard Lechowick.

"S.N.A.F.U." was the pilot episode and "All Good Things" was the untimely finale. These are the episodes in the order of progression:

1. S.N.A.F.U. - September 24, 1991
2. Take My Hand - July 28, 1992 (not shown after the first episode since it was considered too much of a downer.)
3. Bedsprings - October 1, 1991
4. So All Alone - October 8, 1991
5. Patriots - October 15, 1991
6. Holier Than Thou, Too - October 29, 1991
7. Toledo - November 12, 1991
8. Kids - November 19, 1991
9. Man, This Joint Is Jumping - November 26, 1991
10. Splitting Hairs - December 3, 1991
11. Szabo's Travels - December 10, 1991
12. Sinners Reconciled - December 10, 1991
13. All These Things Will I Give Thee - January 7, 1992
14. When It Rains, It Pours - January 14, 1992
15. That's The Way The Cookie Crumbles - January 28, 1992
16. Bad Connection - February 4, 1992
17. Getting To First Base - February 18, 1992
18. No Man Loyal and Neutral - March 4, 1992
19. First Sign Of Spring - March 11, 1992
20. At Your Age - March 18, 1992
21. Obstinacy Or Constancy? - March 25, 1992
22. If You Want It Done Right - April 1, 1992
23. Spanish Moss - April 8, 1992
24. Songs Unsung Are The Sweetest - April 15, 1992
25. By Popular Demand - September 17, 1992
26. The Lemo Tomato Juice Hour - September 24, 1992
27. Can't Say No - October 1, 1992
28. Appleknocker To Wed Tomatohawker - October 8, 1992
29. A Nickel Plate Romance - October 22, 1992
30. When The Stars Begin To Fall - October 29, 1992
31. The Traveling Lemo All-Stars - November 12, 1992
32. First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage - December 3, 1992
33. Life is Short - December 17, 1992
34. Signed, Crazy In Love - March 9, 1993
35. On The Rebound (This has never aired in the United States until TV Land showed it on the Homefront marathon)
36. Like Being There When You're Not - March 16, 1993
37. Who What When Where and Why - March 23, 1993
38. Garfield Slept Here - March 30, 1993
39. By Word Or Act - April 6, 1993
40. The Lacemakers - April 13, 1993
41. Shabbat Shalom - April 26, 1993
42. All Good Things - April 26, 1993 (The last two episodes aired back to back.)

This show was moved around so much and pre-empted that it was hard to catch. Low ratings caused the cancellation.

The drama plays out kind of innocently during the early episodes and ends up more like a soap opera. To follow the story, here is the character breakdown:

The Metcalf Family -

Anne Metcalf (Wendy Phillips) is the matriarch of the family. Her husband died some years ago before the war and was unfaithful in the marriage. She worked at the Sloan plant during the war in order to support her family, but was laid off when the men came back home. A very devout Catholic who likes to analyse the correctness of every thought, word and deed.

Jeff Metcalf (Kyle Chandler) is the youngest in the family. His dream is to be a baseball player. He had a fling with his brother's girlfriend while he was off at war, but had his heart broken when she married his brother. He eventually fell in love with his sister's best friend, Ginger, until they had a falling out. Then a brief fling with Charlie's ex-wife until he realized he loved Ginger after all. When not playing ball, he works in a bar, although he had a brief fling with radio commercials for Lemo Tomato Juice.

Hank Metcalf (David Newsom) is the oldest son. He just came back from war hoping to find things exactly as he left them and was disappointed to find the changes. He was worried when his girlfriend seemed to avoid him, but delighted when she decided to marry him. It wasn't until her death that he realized how she and his brother betrayed him. He left town after his wife dies. When he came back to town, he worked for the Sloan plant and was made a manager in an effort to keep him out of the union. His position was in direct opposition to his sister who was a very active union member.

Linda Metcalf (Jessica Steen) is the middle child and best friends with Ginger. She worked at the Sloan plant (as it seems everyone does). She has been fired when the men came back from war, but made such a protest that they took her back. She was fired again for going to her brother's wedding. Then they took her back. That was when she became really active in the union. Her heart was broken in the beginning when not only did she realize her boyfriend got married to someone else while overseas and she was having his baby, but he was also killed.

Sarah Brewer-Metcalf (Alexandra Wilson) was not much of a pivotal character beyond the first episode. She had a fling with Jeff while her boyfriend, Hank was at war. Eventually, she married Hank. She felt a pang of jealousy when Jeff found love elsewhere, but she eventually got over it. She gets killed when someone protesting the Sloan plant lockout came by and shot at the house.

The Hailey Family -

Charlie Hailey (Harry O'Reilly) before the war promised to marry Ginger, but came back with his British bride, Caroline. When he came back he worked at the plant that everyone works. We come to realize his attitudes were all too common for that era, closet racist and sexist. He expected his wife to have a lot of babies, cook, clean, and want to stay at home. She had other things in mind. Eventually he divorces her and marries Gina.

Caroline Hailey (Sammi Davis-Voss) arrived from England after the war ahead of her husband. In a few words, she is a scheming gold digger. She does not want to have children. She only married Charlie in order to live in the United States. She would do anything to save her own interests including being unfaithful, blackmail and betraying her husband's confidence with secrets of the union which would eventually cause a death and many injuries for her actions.

The Sloan Family -

Mike Sloan (Ken Jenkins) is the richest man in town who is co-owner of the factory with his wife. He thinks he is a fair business man and takes the union as an insult. He calls it communist and resents an outside party telling him how to run his shop and how much money he should profit and have to give to his workers. While he is sorry his son, Mike, is dead, he feels he can still connect to him through his granddaughter, Emma. In order to do this, he has to fight hard to make amends for hurting Gina.

Ruth Sloan (Mimi Kennedy) is a proper socialite who must always have a martini mixed the right way with the right gin. Misses her son very much since he was killed on his way back home from the war. Never really accepts her daughter in law.

Gina Sloan (Giuliana Santini)is a war bride from Italy. She is also Jewish. She was in the concentration camps and was next to die until the soldiers came to her rescue. She lost all of her family in the Holocaust and lost her husband. All she has is Emma and that was enough to give her the strength to go on.

The Davis Family -

Abe Davis (Dick Anthony Williams) is the head of the family who works as the driver for the Sloan family. He is very optimistic that things will get better for the sake of his son. He and his wife plan on opening a restaurant in order to get free from the Sloans.

Gloria Davis (Hattie Wilson) works as a maid for the Sloans. She is very active in her church and sings in the choir. It is through the connection of her and Abe that they find work for Gina so she will stay in the country (not to mention the large financial contribution to the church made by Gina's father-in-law.)

Robert Davis (Sterling Macer Jr.) came back from fighting in the war as a hero. He was promised a job at the factory, but was given a job as a janitor until Abe pulled strings to get him on the line. After dealing with the injustice and prejudice, especially after almost killed at the plant, he joins the union. Eventually he marries a woman he met in France and they both go off to college to protect her family from the hatred of the town who would not accept a mixed marriage.

Grandmother Davis (Montrose Hagins) mother of Abe who is getting on in age. She values her independance and gets a kick out of giving Gloria a hard time.

Other Key Characters -

Ginger Szabo (Tammy Lauren) came to the train station after the war in a wedding dress to meet her boyfriend, Charlie, only to find his wife, Caroline. On the rebound, she opens up to Jeff and they become a couple. She wants to be an actress which sometimes causes a conflict with her boyfriend, Jeff. She worked for the drug store until she won a dance contest then went to Hollywood where she stayed until she came back to work for the radio and eventually became the Lemo Tomato Girl.

Judy Owen (Kelly Rutherford) is a baseball fan who also works as a bartender during spring training. She met Jeff Metcalf and Mike Sloan during training on different occassions, but had a flirtatious relationship with both men who never actually had relations with her. When the bar she worked burned down, she moved into their small town which provoked the jealousy in Ruth Sloan.

Al Kahn (John Slattery) is the union leader who travelled from town to town, but fell in love with Anne Metcalfe. He is also Jewish. After overcoming their differences, they get married and have a child. To make ends meet, he eventually works in a bar.

Sam (John Di Santi) is the direct manager at the Sloan plant who is a hard nosed business man who disdains the union. He doesn't have much of a sense of humor. He also thinks women have no place at the plant.

This show covered issues that were especially valid during the mid and late 40s such as racial issues, unions, women's rights, communism, mc carthyism, birth control, as well as the day to day topics of love and family.

While it is generally a clean show, some of the topics might go over the heads of children, but it is safe for the family. I highly recommend this program.

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