A lecherous ship captain becomes spiritually changed by a female passenger, not realizing she and her "minister" husband are really bank robbers.A lecherous ship captain becomes spiritually changed by a female passenger, not realizing she and her "minister" husband are really bank robbers.A lecherous ship captain becomes spiritually changed by a female passenger, not realizing she and her "minister" husband are really bank robbers.
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFilmed in September 1930, but not released until April 1931, two months after the death of Louis Wolheim, its star and director.
- Quotes
Charlie: I think in the first part you should have said, "Dear Madam."
[Captain McVey starts to chase after Charlie]
Charlie: I didn't mean nothin'! That's what you say when you're writin' to a dame. Sure, that's right, that's right.
Captain Sam McVey: Say, how do you spell Madam?
Charlie: M-A-D D-U-M.
Captain Sam McVey: Yeah!
Now I know that this film is very on believability. You just have to accept the film for what it is and if you do you will no doubt be rewarded. The film begins with the hard-living Wolheim and his buddy (Hugh Herbert--in a role that was VERY different from his usual screen persona) after they arrived back at port after a voyage. It seem that the Captain (Wolheim) is in the mood for 'dames and booze' but something distracts him on the way. A preacher and his pretty wife (Mary Astor) have missed their boat and were looking for passage on some other ship. Oddly, though, with Wolheim it was like love at first sight--he was totally captivated by Astor's beauty and sweet good looks. So, when the pair eventually check with Wolheim about using his boat, the gruff Captain was more than willing to accommodate them. In fact, he even agreed to cut their shore leave short and take them for free since it was 'God's work'.
On the voyage, Wolheim eventually shows his hand--coming on to Astor like a Moose in heat! However, she berates him--calling him an animal and shaming him. At this point, a profound change takes place. Wolheim realizes she's right--he IS like an animal and he wants better for himself. So, he quickly cleans himself off, demands that his men treat the passengers with the utmost civility and he turns over a new leaf. Surely this woman is NOT some dame but a lady! What Wolheim doesn't know is that Astor and her 'husband' are actually crooks on the run. They are about as far from the saintly couple they appear to be as possible--especially the no-account preacher. Yet, the more Wolheim treats Astor like a lady, the more guilty she feels for her lies. In other words, she starts to want to be the woman Wolheim thinks she is. It's all very sweet, actually, to see both characters change. But there is still the problem of the evil preacher and the fact that they are wanted by authorities in Seattle. How can all this be sorted out and work out by the end of the film? Well, while the ending is perhaps too perfect, it is very satisfying and sweet. Thanks, of course, to a dynamic performance by the late and exceptionally talented Wolheim. Who knows what further work he might have done...
- planktonrules
- Jun 4, 2010
Details
- Runtime1 hour 5 minutes
- Color