Directed: William K. Howard

Year: 1928

Nominated: Best Actress – Louise Dresser

Plot in 25 Words: Polish immigrants strive to gain admittance to America. Treated like garbage they become citizens. Wrongful imprisonment and the ultimate sacrifice complete the Polish family’s woes.

In My Opinion: I didn’t enjoy this film very much. The story and plot were very good – bleak but good. But the acting was a bit bizarre. Rudolph Schildkraut as Peter Pleznik was terrible, very cartoonish. There was no doubting he put his all into the role but most of the time his ‘earnest’ came across as stupidity. His blank childlike expressions were ridiculously over the top. He appeared very simple and it was hard to believe Louse Dresser’s no-nonsense Mrs Pleznik would have stayed married to him too long.

The whole family comes to America and settles in with Peter finding work as a janitor for a judge – a man he admires and respects. The judge tells him he must live and work in America for five years before he can become a citizen, so he vows to do this. No mention of his wife and kids becoming citizens – just him. Was this the Polish way in the late 1920’s or simply just the way? Did women and children have no nationality? Whatever the case, it doesn’t stop his son signing up to fight for America and making his pa so proud.

On the day that he is to be made a US citizen, the day he has waited and worked so hard for, a disgruntled immigrant plants a bomb in the judges chambers and detonates it, killing a man. Our man Peter takes the fall. Accepting the blame and sentence with no complaint – just trusting completely in the legal system…which totally lets him down. Again, his expressions let him down just as much. I’m unsure if i watched a naive man or a complete idiot.

After several years in prison the true culprit is found and the judge comes to release Peter. Telling him he always believed his innocence. Now, I personally would be quite bitter, but no, Peter is grateful and rushes home to share the good news and produce presents.

But instead he returns home to find out his son was killed, while fighting for America. Not a happy ending  at all.

Star Performer: Fritz Feld as Sokol, the disgruntled immigrant who set the bomb off. He had a very sinister beard that should have alerted anyone to his malicious intentions.

Overall: Won’t be watching this again. Very good plot which I’d watch as a talking film with all the characters fully fleshed out, but as a silent film with that particular cast, no thank you. Not entirely sure why Louise Dresser was nominated for an Oscar. She barely speaks or cracks a facial expression.