Scenes from Steamboat Round the Bend Anne Shirley as Fleety Belle The New Moses is the only witness to Big Steve's death, and therefore the only person who can exonerate Duke and save his life. In this scene Doctor John and Fleety Belle are in the pilot house of the CLAREMORE QUEEN looking for the New Moses and come across the "New Elijah" instead . . . DOC: Hey, brother, you seen anything of the New Moses? ANSWER: Yes, sir! He was down in the swamp baptizin' about a week ago! DOC: Hello, friends! Hey, have you seen anything of the New Moses? ANSWER: Brother, he was here two weeks ago and I ain't had a drop since! FLEETY: Uncle John, come here! Look! DOC: What is it? Huh? Oh! Say, that does look like a baptizin'. That might be him. Pull over here. Hey! Hey, brothers! Is that the New Moses? NEW ELIJAH: No, brother, but I am the New Elijah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! DOC: No. Its the wrong prophet. Folks out there don't look like they seen anybody comin' through here. Hey, brothers! You seen anything of the New Moses? SMART PILOT: Brother, I ain't even seen the old Moses! DOC: Fresh thing. Hmph. Your joke's old enough you ought to have seen the old Moses. Doc promises Duke he will take care of Fleety Belle. Buthe calls her "swamp trash," and she tries to stab him. However, he protects her when her father, fiancé, and brother try to take her off the boat. She is grateful, and Doc gives her an outfit that belonged to his late sister, Duke's mother, to replace her tablecloth dress. "You know where those clothes come from? Way up to Memphis." This still from ROUND THE BEND is from a scene that comes after the following dialogue between Doc and Fleety Belle in which he give gave her some vintage ladies fashions that had belonged to his sister: DOC: That belonged to Duke's mother. She was the prettiest woman I ever saw in my life, even if she was my sister. She was a skinny little thing, just like you. FLEETY: Doctor John, do you think any body'll take me for a swamp girl? DOC: Swamp girl? What, in those clothes? No more swamp girl. Say, there's gals up in the big city like Vicksburg that ain't got duds like those. You know where those clothes come from? Way up to Memphis. FLEETY: Do you think Duke'll like it? DOC: Like it? Say, he ain't even gonna recognize you at first. Duke's gonna have two sweethearts now. FLEETY: Two? DOC: Yeah. He's gonna have two. You and the CLAREMORE QUEEN. DOC - Was it one of her kinfolks you killed? DUKE - No, sir. It was Big Steve. DOC - Who's he? DUKE - Engineer on the MEMPHIS GIRL. When he found Fleety Belle on the steamboat where I was hiding her he started after her. You know I don't get mad easy, but but when I do, it's like a thorn tree a-growin' and growin' inside of me, well, we started in fightin'. He drawed a knife and I picked up a chunk of stove wood and throwed it at his hand. And he ducked right into it, and I knowed by the way he fell that he was dead. DOC - Well, then, ain't nobody can say that that wasn't self-defense. Did anybody see it? DUKE - Nobody but a preacher fella. Calls hisself the New Moses. DOC - I know him. He come up on the PRIDE OF PADUCAH with me. I sent a message to you by him. Did he give it to you? DUKE - Yeah, he told me. DOC - He seen it, huh? DUKE - He seen it. And it was night, and he was sleepin' on deck. He didn't blame me none. Just done a lot of prayin' and told me to give myself up. DOC - I don't know nothin' about religion. But he's right. He - he's right. You gotta give yourself up. There ain't no jury could blame you for doin' a thing like that. Now, come on. Come on and sit down there. Come sit down. Get you something to eat here now. Then we'll go on over. We'll see the sheriff, and you can give yourself up. FLEETY - No! He ain't gonna give his self up. DOC - Listen here. Who asked for any opinion of yours on this thing? You've done enough to him already. Now, sit down there and get you something to eat. He's gonna do as I say. He knows that he can trust me. FLEETY - No, he ain't gonna do what you say. We heard tell of this hangin' judge. Ain't nobody gonna hurt Duke. DOC - Sit down! DUKE - Sit down, Fleety Belle. Eat somethin'. Uncle John's right. There ain't nothin' to run away from. FLEETY - I told you not to come here. We'd be safe in the swamp. DOC - Aw, swamps! He's a river man. He couldn't live in the swamps. He's not that kind of people. FLEETY - But they'll hang you, Duke. I know they will! DOC - Aw, they won't do any such a thing. They won't hang him. Don't pay any attention to her, Duke. She'll only get you in worse. FLEETY - You shut up and stop sayin' that! You're just thinkin' of yourself! You don't care what happens to Duke! DUKE - Now, honey, Uncle John is - FLEETY - I ain't never had nothin' to love in my life, and I'm not gonna let 'em take you. DUKE - Nobody's gonna take me away from you, honey except maybe for a little while. You and me gotta be free to get married and - and live on this boat. FLEETY - If you don't come with me now, you'll never see me again. DOC - Come on, son. Let's get on over and see the sheriff. FLEETY - You let him alone! DUKE - Now, honey - DOC - Come on, son. FLEETY - I know why you're doin' this. It's because you hate me, and you think I ain't good enough for him. DOC - Comin', Duke? DUKE - I'm comin', Uncle John. But you've gotta take care of Fleety Belle while I'm gone. Fleety Belle was holding a rifle on the Sheriff while Will Rogers held Eugene Pallette as the Sheriff in a choke hold, but honorable nephew Duke, the Sheriff's prisoner fends off the barrel of Fleety Belle's rifle and prevents his own rescue from the law. I believe that sign on the screen door behind Fleety Belle read "WHITE" indicating a "white's only" entrance in what would have been the segregated South in the 1890's setting of the story of STEAMBOAT ROUND THE BEND. DIALOGUE FOR THIS SCENE: RUFE - Hurry up now, Duke. Here she comes! DOC - Yeah. Darned ol' train. It would be on time. RUFE - Reckon Duke 'n me will be down in Baton Rouge before midnight. I hate to do this, Duke, but it's according to the law. DUKE - I guess you done all you could, Rufe. FLEETY - (Lifting a double barreled shotgun to help Duke escape from Rufe) They ain't takin' you! DOC - Go on, Duke! Get away! DUKE - Ain't no sense in that. I don't wanna get you in trouble. Or you either, Uncle John. I don't wanna get you in no trouble either, Rufe. You been mighty good to me. RUFE - Oh, that's all right, Duke. I ain't holdin' no grudge. DOC - Well, guess I kinda lost my head too. I wanted to see him get away. DUKE - Don't cry, honey. Rufe ain't gonna hold nothin' against ya. RUFE - Don't reckon we'll be needin' these handcuffs none, Duke. CONDUCTOR - All aboard! RUFE - C'mon, let's get on. Go ahead, Duke. Fleety Belle stands up to Doc - Dramatic scene with Fleety Belle protesting Doc's proposal that his nephew Duke surrender to the Sheriff for the killing of the engineer Big Steve who was threatening Fleety Belle. This still which is very good of Anne Shirley as Fleety Belle corresponds with what she says to Will Rogers as Doc: "I know why you're doin' this. Its because you hate me, and you think I ain't good enough for him." FLEETY: We heard tell of this hangin' judge. Ain't nobody gonna hurt Duke. DOC: Sit down! DUKE Sit down, Fleety Belle. DOC: Eat somethin'. DUKE: Uncle John's right. There ain't nothin' to run away from. FLEETY: I told you not to come here. We'd be safe in the swamp. DOC: Aw, swamps! He's a river man. He couldn't live in the swamps. He's not that kind of people. FLEETY: But they'll hang you, Duke. I know they will! DOC: Aw, they won't do any such a thing. They won't hang him. Don't pay any attention to her, Duke. She'll only get you in worse. FLEETY: You shut up and stop sayin' that! You're just thinkin' of yourself! You don't care what happens to Duke! DUKE: Now, honey, Uncle John is- FLEETY: I ain't never had nothin' to love in my life, and I'm not gonna let 'em take you. Nobody's gonna take me away from you, honey except maybe for a little while. DUKE: You and me gotta be free to get married and live on this boat. FLEETY: If you don't come with me now, you'll never see me again. DOC: Come on, son. Let's get on over and see the sheriff. FLEETY: You let him alone! DUKE: Now, honey- DOC: Come on, son. FLEETY: I know why you're doin' this. Its because you hate me, and you think I ain't good enough for him. DOC: Comin', Duke? DUKE: I'm comin', Uncle John. But you've gotta take care of Fleety Belle while I'm gone. Doctor John "learns" Fleety Belle how to be a pilot: DOC - Put it over a little bit. Put it over a little. A little more there. Now just hold it steady. FLEETY - You don't want me to run into that sandbar, do you, Captain John? DOC - Hmm? What-Hey, hey! Look out there! Say, wait a minute there. Hey, you got to make up your mind who you're gonna take orders from - me or you. Now, hold her right there now. Right there. FLEETY - You think I'm learnin'? DOC - Say, you takin' to the river just like an old turtle. lf you listen to me, you'll be the best pilot on the whole river outside of Duke and me. FLEETY - I sure would like to get back and see Duke. DOC - You ain't, uh, getting tired of my company already? FLEETY - Why, you know that ain't so. I ain't never had a dream like this. I ain't never knowed nobody like you. Why, you bought me dresses and pretty things like I ain't never see'd before. Sometimes, when we're goin' down the river at night I get to thinkin' about Duke and what you done for him and me. Seems like I can hardly stand it. I feel like the Lord's just shamin' me for having hated you so. DOC - You don't have to worry about that, the Lord's a lot more broad-minded than you think he is anyhow. Put her over a little bit. Look out for this bend. That's it. Hold it steady. FLEETY - Steamboat round the bend! DOC - Hey, that's the river talk! Steamboat round the bend. Steamboat round the bend! Here she comes. Hey, you know what that is? That's the PRIDE OF PADUCAH. Its old Captain Eli. Want to just give that old snappin' turtle a toot here to show him my boat can toot louder than his. After Duke is taken away by the Sheriff on the train to Baton Rouge Doctor John tells Fleety what they're going to do next: DOC - We're gonna get on that boat and we're gonna go all up and down that river. And we're gonna hunt and hunt till we find the New Moses. We'll find him somewhere. Preparing for the start of the race: DOC - Hey, come on there, Fleety Belle. Don't be standin' around. FLEETY - Are we really goin' in the race? DOC - Sure. We got to get down the river anyhow. Come on, honey. Let me get it, now. I wanna get a flyin' start. That's the boat we got to beat, this PRIDE OF PADUCAH. Frame capture of Anne Shirley as Fleety Belle steering the CLAREMORE QUEEN to victory after she passed Cap'n Eli's PRIDE OF PADUCAH at the close of the steamboat race. Actress Anne Shirley's real name was Dawn Paris and had performed under the stage name Dawn O'Day until she played Anne Shirley in "Anne of Green Gables" in 1934, at which point she took the name of the character - full story below. Round the Bend Rogers & Shirley Tinted Color 1935 11 X 14 photo of Will Rogers and Anne Shirley at the pilot wheel in the sound stage set of the pilot house for the "Claremore Queen." The print was color tinted by Fox studio artists for display in the lobbies of theatres that screened STEAMBOAT ROUND THE BEND. WARNER ARCHIVES JUST RELEASED ANNE SHIRLEY'S 1934 "ANNE OF GREEN GABLES" ON DVD. I SAW THIS VERSION ON VHS TAPE YEARS AGO AND IT WAS GOOD. FANS OF STEAMBOAT ROUND THE BEND 1935 WITH ANNE AS FLEETY BELLE WOULD ENJOY SEEING HER IN THE ROLE WHICH LED TO HER CHANGING HER "HOLLYWOOD" NAME FROM "DAWN O'DAY" TO "ANNE SHIRLEY" (HER CHARACTER'S NAME IN "GREEN GABLES"). SHE WAS BORN "DAWN EVELYEEN PARIS" IN NEW YORK CITY IN 1918. ATTACHED PHOTO OF HER WITH "MARILLA" AND "MATTHEW." Anne Shirley . . . Anne O.P. Heggie . . . Matthew Helen Westley . . . Marilla THE 1985 CANADIAN TV MINI SERIES WITH MEGAN FOLLOWS IS EXCELLENT WITH THIS GREAT CAST: Megan Follows . . . Anne Shirley Colleen Dewhurst . . . Marilla Cuthbert Richard Farnsworth . . . Matthew Cuthbert Anne of Green Gables (MOD) Anne of Green Gables (MOD) When a childless Canadian couple goes to an orphanage to adopt a boy to help work their farm, they are surprised to learn their new child is a girl--Anne of Green Gables. wbshop.com Ships to U.S. only. Genre: Drama, Family, Romance Director: Jr. Writers: Sam Mintz Cast: Anne Shirley, Tom Brown, O.P. Heggie, Helen Westley, Sara Haden, Murray Kinnell, Gertrude Messinger, Charley Grapewin, Hilda Vaughn, June Preston Item# Product: Price: 1000565159 Anne of Green Gables (MOD) Price:$21.99 She's talkative, imaginative, occasionally combative and regularly exhaustive, but redheaded orphan Anne Shirley works her way into the hearts of a Prince Edward Island farm couple - and she'll do the same with you. A year after its top-notch film of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, RKO scored another box-office hit with this equally admired version of Lucy Maud Montgomery's 1908 classic. Adopted by elder siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert (Helen Westley and O.P. Heggie), Anne isn't the able-bodied boy they requested from the orphanage, but they count their blessing anyway. Over time, she endears herself to one and all, particularly best friend Diana Barry (Gertrude Messenger) and romantic interest Gilbert Blythe (Tom Brown). Most moved by this experience was Anne Shirley, who changed her professional name from Dawn O'Day to that of her Anne of Green Gables title role, going on to renown as the Oscar®-nominated costar of Stella Dallas as well as leads in The Devil and Daniel Webster and Murder, My Sweet. All dialogue on this page is derived from the "S.S. Springfield Movie Script UK - Steamboat Round the Bend" page - see springfieldspringfield.co.uk. Return to Steamboat Round the Bend Program All captions provided by Dave Thomson, Steamboats.com primary contributor and historian.