Tripti Joshi (Editor)

The Sin Ship

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Director
  
Louis Wolheim

Music director
  
Max Steiner

Duration
  

Language
  
English

5.6/10
IMDb

Genre
  
Drama

Story by
  
Keene Thompson

Country
  
United States

The Sin Ship movie poster

Release date
  
April 18, 1931 (1931-04-18) (US)

Writer
  
Keene Thompson (by), Agnes Brand Leahy (by), F. Hugh Herbert (screen play)

Cast
  
Louis Wolheim
(Captain Sam McVey),
Mary Astor
(Frisco Kitty),
Ian Keith
(Smiley Marsden),
Hugh Herbert
(Charlie),
Russ Powell
(Inspector Colby),
Alan Roscoe
(Crewman Dave)

Similar movies
  
Mary Astor and Ian Keith appear in The Sin Ship and Two Arabian Knights

The Sin Ship is a 1931 Pre-code drama film produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures and directed by the actor Louis Wolheim in his only directorial effort. The film marks the last contribution Wolheim made to the film industry prior to his death from cancer one month shy of his fifty-first birthday. In addition to directing, Wolheim also starred in the picture, alongside Mary Astor and Ian Keith. The screenplay was written by Hugh Herbert (who also did double duty in the cast), from a story by Keene Thompson and Agnes Brand Leahy. The film was released in April 1931, two months after Wolheim's death, and is preserved at the Library of Congress.

Contents

The Sin Ship wwwgstaticcomtvthumbmovieposters43589p43589

Plot

Smiley Marsden (Ian Keith) is a bank-robber on the run from the police, with his moll, Frisco Kitty (Mary Astor). Cornered, they arrive at the San Francisco docks, where they convince the captain of a small cargo ship, Sam McVeigh (Louis Wolheim), to take them aboard on his run to Mexico, mostly because he is enchanted with Kitty. Marsden is posing as a minister. As the ship sets sail, every sailor aboard lusts after Kitty, none more so than the captain. One night, when inebriated, he corners Kitty in his cabin and begins to force himself on her. She stops him by basically telling him that he is better than that, which makes him do some deep soul-searching. During the rest of the voyage, Kitty manages to fend off the rest of the crew, with the help of the disarmed captain.

By the time they dock in Mexico, McVeigh has fallen in love with Kitty, who he still believes to be the wife of "Minister" Marsden. Aware that the authorities might become suspicious of him if McVeigh's ship departs immediately, Marsden delays their departure, first through the use of Kitty's flirtation with McVeigh, and later through outright sabotage. After the crew accuses McVeigh of the sabotage, Marsden's true identity is revealed, and he is shot trying to flee from the Mexican police. Kitty understands that McVeigh is truly in love with her, and the two end up together after the police release her.

Cast

  • Louis Wolheim - Captain Sam McVeigh
  • Mary Astor - Frisco Kitty
  • Ian Keith - Smiley Marsden
  • Hugh Herbert - Charlie - The Mate
  • Russ Powell - Inspector Colby
  • Alan Roscoe - Crewman Dave
  • Bert Starkey - Ship's Cook
  • (Cast list as per AFI database)

    Reception

    Unfortunately (being Wolheim's final film), the picture only received lukewarm reviews at best. Photoplay said that the film proved "... the difficulty of both acting in and directing a picture." Motion Picture Magazine described the film, "The first directorial effort of Louis Wolheim does not get off to a very auspicious start, but once the rat of melodrama is forced out into the open, a lively time is had by all." The Motion Picture Herald, on the other hand, was more positive, stating the film had a "... meaningless title tacked onto a cracking good sea story", classing it as a "... very satisfactory entertainment for the smaller communities."

    References

    The Sin Ship Wikipedia
    The Sin Ship IMDb The Sin Ship themoviedb.org