The Oscar Project

A Ship Comes In (1928)

A DeMille Pictures Corporation Film, Distributed by Pathé Exchange.

A Ship Comes In (1928) is a heartfelt film about a Hungarian, immigrant family rehoming themselves in America. The film has a heavy hand in themes of patriotism, longing, grief and reinvention, and explores all of these discourses against the backdrop of New York during the First World War.

The story begins with a ship harbouring in New York, ushering in the immigrants as ‘hopeful strangers’. We meet Peter Pleznik (Rudolph Schildkraut), his wife, referred to only as ‘Mama’ (Louise Dresser) and their three children, Eric (Milton Holmes), Marthe (Linda Landi) and Katinka (Virginia Davis & Evelyn Mills). They move into an apartment and Peter gets a job as a janitor in a federal building. After five years, Peter is sworn in as an American citizen, something he has immensely desired, only to be framed for an act of terrorism intended for a Judge with whom Peter has formed a friendship. On the same day, the Pleznik’s eldest son enlists in the army for the First World War.

The film itself is actually kind of tedious, with lengthy scenes, unsympathetic characters and a plot that doesn’t so much thicken as ramble. Having said that, performances across the board are pretty solid. Rudolph Schildkraut gives a strong performance as the wistful and proud Peter and Louise Dresser also gives an emotional performance as Mrs. Pleznik, a woman defined by the traditional life roles of motherhood and wifedom. (Dresser actually has some of the most expressive eyes I’ve seen in cinema).

Though thematically, the film is still incredibly relevant, the narrative itself hasn’t really aged well and whilst the scope of themes such as terrorism, patriotism and a sense of home are explored admirably, the film itself is a bit of a drag.

Rating: 5/10

Director: William K. Howard

Writers: Sonya Levien & Julien Josephson

Cast: Rudolph Schildkraut, Louise Dresser & Milton Holmes

Nominations: Best Actress in a Leading Role – Louise Dresser