Steamboat 'Round The Bend (1935)

Steamboat 'Round The Bend - 1935

The next film on our list is 1935's "Steamboat 'Round The Bend", starring Will Rogers.  A steamboat captain races to stop the execution of his nephew for cold-blooded killing by trying to find the only witness who can prove it was self-defense.

The film's supporting cast includes Anne Shirley, Irvin S. Cobb, Eugene Pallette, John McGuire, Berton Churchill, and Ferdinand Munier.

The film opens with a revival meeting held by a modern-day prophet, New Moses.  His teaching certain mainly on abstinence from alcohol.

Meanwhile, Doctor John Pearly (Rogers) is busy peddling his Pocahontas Remedies for ailments.  It basically sells itself as Doctor John tells everybody they're not allowed to work until the whole bottle is gone.  (It's mainly alcohol.)

Doctor John makes his way to the steamboat he's just purchased, the Claremore Queen.  He plans to run it with his nephew, Duke.  A friend and riverboat rival of his, Captain Eli, made a bet with him to enter it in the race.  The winner keeps both boats.  All Doctor John needs now is for his nephew to get back from his job onboard the Memphis Girl, a vessel that now has New Moses as a passenger.

Duke eventually does get to the Claremore Queen, and he's not alone.  He brought the girl he wants to marry, a "Swamp gal" named Fleety Belle.  He's also brought bad news: he killed a man in self-defense.  The man had been going for Fleety Belle, but Duke intervened.  The man brought out a knife, and Duke tried to throw something at his hand so he would drop it.  The man ducked at it, and it hit his head and he fell down dead.  He said nobody but a preacher named New Moses saw everything.  Doctor John tells Duke he's got to give himself up, because no jury in the world would convict him.

Duke turns himself in, and Fleety Belle stays on the steamboat.  Her family from the swamp comes to try and forceably reclaim her.  Doctor John steps in and keeps her safe, earning the everlasting gratitude of Fleety Belle.  He takes her in while Duke's away, and he gives her a new wardrobe to replace the tablecloth skirt she first wears.

Duke's trial doesn't go good, and he's scheduled to be hanged.  In the interim, Doctor John wants to hire a good city lawyer to appeal the case, but it will cost him five hundred bucks.  A wax museum owner who skipped town left his entire operation.  Doctor John gets an idea to stage it on the Claremore Queen and charge admission so they can earn the money to pay for the big city lawyer.

He and Fleety Belle set off on the Claremore Queen.  He even teaches Fleety Belle how to pilot the boat.  They get word that the show could be in for some trouble down the river.

When they arrive at their destination, a mob has gathered with torches, pitchforks, and axes, ready to chop up the boat.  Doctor John does some fast talking and gets them on board.  He shows them the wonders of the things he has, and they are thrilled.  They even snap to a salute when they see Robert E. Lee!

When they get back to town, Doctor John and Fleety Belle find out that Duke's case for appeal was denied, and they are planning to go ahead with his hanging.

Fleety Bell is distressed that they won't even be married.  The sheriff fixes it so they can have a ceremony before he has to take Duke to Baton Rouge.  After they take Duke away, Doctor John promises Fleety Bell that they're going to go and hunt for New Moses so he can testify that it was self-defense and not cold-blooded murder.  He says they'll hunt up and down the river 'til they find him.

They set out in search of New Moses.  They hear where he was, but not where he is.  They even find a prophet calling himself New Elijah.  After searching and searching, and with only two days left, Doctor John remembers that he knows the governor, and fought with him at Shiloh.  It's a last ditch effort, but it's all he's got left.

Unfortunately for Doctor John, the only way to Baton Rouge is blocked because of the riverboat race he was supposed to enter with Captain Eli.  He has no choice but to enter the race if he wants to get to Baton Rouge and see the governor in time.  Of course, the winner gets the prize money and the other's boat.

On the way down the river, they just happen to pass New Moses, who is praying the boats away.  Not having any second to stop the boat, Doctor John throws a lasso around him.

They pull him up on board and explain to him why they need his help.  New Moses wants to help but says, "No, I got souls to save!"  Doctor John replies, "Well, you got a life to save.  And the Lord don't care which one of your jobs you do first!"

Along the way, the Claremore Queen runs out of wood.  The crew starts breaking up the furniture, and even New Moses gets to work with cries of "Hallelujah, glory be...into the fiery furnace!"

To get them there on time, Doctor John lassos his boat to the back of Captain Eli's boat.  They get a free ride all night long.

Just when the boilers start to go cold and it looks as though Doctor John will lose the race, one hundred gallons of Pocahontas Remedy is discovered on board.  New Moses is thrilled to be getting rid of the demon rum.  And the extreme heat pushes the Claremore Queen into first place.

They sail into Baton Rouge just in time to save Duke.  Later, Duke and Fleety Belle are piloting Captain Eli's former boat to a happy ending after the Governor officially pardons Duke.

Cast rundown:

   Will Rogers.....................................Doctor John Pearly

   Anne Shirley...................................Fleety Belle

   Irvin S. Cobb..................................Captain Eli

   Eugene Pallette...............................Sheriff Rufe Jeffers

   John McGuire..................................Duke

   Berton Churchill..............................New Moses

   Ferdinand Munier.............................The Governor

That's a wrap on Steamboat 'Round The Bend.  This was the first of two films released after Will Rogers' death.  The original screen time was announced as 102 minutes.  The actual screen time is 82 minutes.  A scene where Doctor John waves goodbye was cut from the film as it was thought it would be too upsetting for the audience after Will Rogers' untimely death.  The cutting of the film accounts for the abrupt ending.

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