Long Way Home

In 1975, a short-lived television series "The Family Holvak" aired. But it only lasted ten episodes and the film "Long Way Home" consists of the first two episodes of this family drama.

The Holvak family lives on a farm in rural Tennessee during the Depression. The father (Glenn Ford) is a preacher who supplements his income by farming. He has a wife (Julie Harris) and two children. The oldest child is Ramey (Lance Kerwin) and he is a nice but gullible boy. I say gullible because when he happens upon a chain gang working nearby, he befriends one of the prisoners and believes all the lies 'Craw' (David Carradine) tells him...and he manipulates the boy into helping him escape.

Later, Craw shows up on the Kolvak farm...claiming to be a homeless guy in need of work. The boy says nothing...and the Reverend agrees to let Craw stay. You know that nothing good will come of this...but at least for a while, Craw seems like a real stand-up guy and a welcome house guest.

All in all, this is a nice family show...along the same vein as shows like "Little House on the Prairie". Well acted and it made me want to watch more.

The movie The Family Holvak proved so popular on television that it was thought that it might make a good Walltons like television series. Unfortunately the Reverend Holvak played by Glenn Ford was killed in the first film, The Greatest Gift. Never mind Ford was resurrected for the series.

This film Long Way Home was taken from the first two episodes of the TV series and it was not as good, not even close yo as good as the original film. In addition to being a country preacher Ford and wife Julie Harris now also have a farm as well.

They also have one naive son in Lance Kerwin who helps a convict played by David Carradine escape from a road work gang. Carradine who is the best thing in this story spins a real good line, but I refuse to believe Kerwin could be that gullible.

Sadly the series didn't last. But this was not a good example or at least I hope it was not an example the YV series had to offer.