Fire on Board is Sjöström's last silent film made in Sweden. Still with a mandate to appeal to the lucrative international market, Sjöström collaborated with Hjalmar Bergman to make this adventure thriller at sea starring British stage actor Matheson Lang. While praising the film's overall quality, contemporary Swedish reviewers criticized its “American-style” ending, in particular, for further “internationalizing” the uniqueness of Swedish cinema. Captain Jan Steen moves his wife, Ann-Britt, and child aboard his ship to still his suspicions about her faithfulness. His plan backfires, however, when Dick, Ann-Britt's former lover, is hired on board. Fearing that his contraband cargo will be discovered if he returns to port, Jan has no choice but to continue the voyage.