You are here:

Ellis Island

Name: Ellis Island
Director: Phil Rosen
Released: 1936
Duration: 68 min

No Poster Available

Representation Score

1.8/10

Minimal

1936

Approved

Director

Phil Rosen

Runtime

68 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Ellis Island is a traditional 1930s crime drama that prioritizes genre clichés over social complexity. The narrative follows a group of bank robbers as they transition from criminal activities to state-mandated deportation. The film adheres to established social hierarchies, focusing on the pursuit of stolen wealth and the tension between criminal underworlds and legal authorities. It functions as a standard period piece rather than a work of social deconstruction. Ultimately, the film lacks intentionality regarding diverse representation, instead centering on traditional power structures and the effectiveness of the legal system.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Ellis Island have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not depict any non-straight relationships or same-sex intimacy. Character interactions are based on traditional, period-specific gender roles.

How does Ellis Island portray gender?

Limited

Women play supporting roles such as Betty Parker. The story focuses primarily on male-dominated spaces like criminal gangs and government agencies.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Ellis Island?

Fair

While the Ellis Island setting suggests immigration, the story focuses on specific individuals rather than a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. It emphasizes criminality over multi-ethnic representation.

How does Ellis Island represent religion and culture?

Limited

The plot reinforces the authority of the state and its legal system. It centers on the legal consequences of crime without critiquing Western institutions or cultural norms.

Does Ellis Island include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no characters with visible physical or neurodivergent disabilities. The narrative does not include any instances of disability-related ability to act.

Present on Screen

The setting of Ellis Island connects to the immigrant experience and historical themes of migration.

Limited or Absent

The narrative lacks women's ability to drive the story, relegating women to secondary roles.
There is a notable absence of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
The film fails to represent LGBTQ+ identities or disability.

Official Synopsis

It opens in 1926 when three bank robbers, Theodore Kedrich, Jan Imarski, and Petra Lonelli, stage a daring daylight bank robbery and get away with a million dollars in cash. They are soon apprehended and sent to prison for ten years but the money is not recovered. Flash forward to 1936 when all three men have been released from prison and are about to be deported back to where they came from via the Deportation department at Ellis Island. They arrive by the ferry boat and already on hand to bid them adieu, and possibly learn where they stashed the missing money, is gang leader Dude and his three henchmen, Nails, Moxie and Bugs, and also Kendrich's niece Betty Parker there to bid old Uncle Ted a fond goodbye. Also on Ellis Island is a crook called Solo, who has an upper hand as he has stolen the credentials of a Treasury Agent named Peter James and has access to the prisoners, and has cut a deal with Kendrichs to get him off of Ellis Island.

How are these scores produced? →