A Ship Comes In

A Ship Comes In
Lobby card
Directed byWilliam K. Howard
Written byJulien Josephson
John W. Krafft
Sonya Levien
StarringRudolph Schildkraut
Louise Dresser
Milton Holmes
Linda Landi
CinematographyLucien N. Andriot
Edited byBarbara Hunter
Distributed byPathé Exchange
Release date
  • January 4, 1928 (1928-01-04) (U.S.)
Running time
70 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesSilent
(English intertitles)

A Ship Comes In (also known as His Country) is a 1928 American silent film which tells the story of immigrants coming to the United States. It stars Rudolph Schildkraut, Louise Dresser, Milton Holmes, Linda Landi, and Fritz Feld.[1]

The movie was written by Julien Josephson (story) (adaptation), John W. Krafft (titles) and Sonya Levien. It was directed by William K. Howard. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress (Louise Dresser).[2]

Plot

The film focuses on the Plezniks, a European family immigrating to the United States just before the outbreak of the first World War. The family is boundlessly optimistic about their new life, in particular Peter, the family patriarch. Peter makes a friend of his neighbor Mr. Casey, who helps him get a job as a janitor at the local embassy; after five years, the embassy's Judge makes an enthusiastic Peter a citizen of the United States. At this time, Peter's oldest child Eric, has left to join the military, with the same level of enthusiasm as his father. Mama Pleznik, however, is worried, but lets him go.

In a plot to kill the embassy judge, Peter is framed when an explosive is hidden in a package he had given to the Judge as a thank-you gift. Upon a jury finding him guilty, Peter finally breaks down in tears, but is soon back to his normal optimistic self in prison. His fortune improves when the real bomber, having suffered a guilty conscience, confesses to the police. His patriotism praised, Peter is released, gets his job back (with back pay), and returns to see his family. After a warm welcome, Peter is disheartened to learn that Eric has been killed in action. But his and Mrs. Pleznik's grief turns to pride when they remember Eric was just as loyal to his new country as they were; the film ends with Peter saluting his son's portrait on the wall.

Cast

Preservation

Prints are preserved in the Library of Congress, George Eastman House, and Filmarchiv Austria.[3]

References

  1. ↑ A Ship Comes In at silentera.com
  2. ↑ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: A Ship Comes In
  3. ↑ "American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: A Ship Comes In". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
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