Steamboat Round the Bend (1935)

A Louisiana con man enters his steamboat into a winner-take-all race with a rival while trying to find a witness to free his nephew, about to be hung for murder.

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Dudley Nichols (screen play), Lamar Trotti (screen play)

Stars:

Will Rogers, Anne Shirley, Irvin S. Cobb

Cast

Complete credited cast:
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
Francis Ford	...	Efe
Roger Imhof	...	Pappy
Raymond Hatton	...	Matt Abel
Hobart Bosworth	...	Chaplain
Stepin Fetchit	...	Jonah

Storyline

Dr. John Pearly is an affable, turn-of-the-century con man who sells a patent medicine whose primary ingredient is whiskey. He resurrects a broken down steamboat with a makeshift crew and challenges the respectable but arrogant Captain Eli to a winner-take-all river race. Pearly hopes his nephew Duke will serve as pilot, but the young man stands accused of murdering a 'swamp rat' who threatened the honor of 'swamp girl' Fleety Belle. After Duke is arrested, Pearly tries to raise money for a lawyer by charging admission to a wax museum aboard his ship. Ultimately he gambles it all in the river race to Baton Rouge, where he hopes to find a witness whose testimony will free Duke.

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Plot Keywords:

witness | steamboat | patent medicine | wax museum | uncle nephew relationship | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 September 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

Steamboat 'Round the Bend

Filming Locations:

San Joaquin River, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min (FMC Library Print) 82 min (copyright length)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rogers' boat, "Claremore Queen," was named after his home town of Claremore, Oklahoma.

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Quotes

Fleety Belle: I feel like the Lord's just shamin' me for having hated you so.
Doctor John Pearly: Yeah - Don't have to -
[clears throat]
Doctor John Pearly: worry about - The Lord's a lot broad-minded than you think he is anyhow.

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Connections

Referenced in Paper Moon (1973)

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Soundtracks

Steamboat Round the Bend
(1935) (uncredited)
Music by Oscar Levant
Lyrics by Sidney Clare
Sung by an unidentified chorus during opening sequence and played during closing credits

User Reviews

This River Runs Deeper Than You'd Expect

It's funny to think that when this film was made, it was about a time in the early 1890's, only 35 years earlier than it's production. Now we are looking back almost 75 years at the film itself. I expected a light wacky comedy, but there is definitely a well-rounded plot here revolving around murder in self-defense. Will Rogers gives a very skilled and sympathetic performance, but some of the more hilarious gags in this are gifts from the writers.

The sheriff/preacher's wedding speech goes right up there with Donald Sutherland's in "Little Murders" for sheer comic value.

A great throwaway gag involves the search for the New Moses, when they accidentally run into the New Elijah instead!

Steppin Fetchit, while no great symbol for African Americans, actually plays against his lazy type in this, and his hard work and quick thinking actually save the day on a couple occasions.

A great (and uncommon) saw-playing musical interlude!

To me, the only major weakness was Ms. Shirley as the ingenue. She was quite likable, but did not seem to have lived as hard as her character was supposed to have.

All told, a winner of a film for fans of the 1930's view of the 1890's.