On a ship headed from Europe to America, immigrants sing and have fun in steerage. Heather Gordon, a Scottish woman whose parents have died, is going to live with an uncle in Idaho. Her Russian friend Sascha, who wants to make it as a composer in New York City, is traveling with relatives. Wealthy Americans Larry Beaumont and Diana Van Bergh travel in first-class. Diana’s mother wants the two married and Larry has proposed, but Diana has merely stated that she will think about it. Heather and Sascha sneak into the first-class section for some fun, but they are spotted and chased. Later, in the ship’s stable, Heather meets Larry, who is a polo player, and mistakes him for a groom. Sascha and Heather meet again in the ship’s music room, where they are caught by the crew and accused of shipboard thefts. Larry, however, along with his Swedish valet Jansen, vouches for the pair. After Heather has a dream about her arrival in America, in which she is greeted by “Mr. Ellis” and a welcoming committee, who give her the key to the city, the ship arrives at Ellis Island, where Heather discovers that her uncle now refuses to take her in. According to the law, with no means of support, she must be sent back to Europe. Sascha offers to marry her so that she can stay, but she refuses, saying that she doesn’t love him in that way. Meanwhile, because Larry cannot see Heather before he departs, he asks Diana to deliver a letter to her, but after he leaves the ship, Diana’s mother tears it up. While Inspector O’Flynn, who is sent to make sure that Heather stays on the boat, is distracted by Jansen, Heather hides in a horse van, which is lowered directly onto a train. The horse turns out to belong to Larry, and Heather arrives at his mansion just as O’Flynn drives up to question him. Jansen hides Heather, but she is eventually discovered by Larry, who finds out that she never got his letter. Larry offers to help the girl, but she goes away during the night, leaving a note explaining that she cannot accept anything from him. Heather then goes to Sascha and his family, who put her to work in a café show disguised as a Russian. Olga, one of Sascha’s relatives, sends Larry a telegram explaining where Heather is. O’Flynn almost catches Heather, but he is fooled through the efforts of Larry, Jansen, and Olga. That same night, Diana and her mother show up to invite Heather and the Russians to play at the engagement party for Diana and Larry the following week. Heather, who has fallen in love with Larry, is crushed, and when Sascha proposes to her again, she accepts. The Russians buy them a radio as a wedding present, and they are all listening to Larry’s polo game when they hear that he has been injured. Heather rushes to Larry’s, where Diana lets her in, but then calls the police. Now realizing who Heather really loves, Sascha calls off the marriage. Meanwhile, Jansen proposes to Olga and she accepts. Heather escapes with O’Flynn hot on her tail and, after a mad chase around the city, gives herself up. A judge orders her deported, and she is sent to a ship about to set sail for Europe. Larry, however, finally realizes Diana’s true nature and rushes to board Heather’s ship. On the ship he proposes to Heather, who accepts, and they plan to be married by the captain on the high seas. More on Wikipedia
Watch Delicious (1931)
