onlinesteamboatmuseum

Scenes From Steamboat Round the Bend
Francis Ford as Efe


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Francis Ford, born born Francis Joseph Feeney in 1881, was an actor, writer, and director, and older brother of film director John Ford. In Steamboat Round the Bend he plays Efe, working for Doctor John. Here he is seen in a confrontation with his critic, the New Moses.

MOSES - Nothing can save us now but the power of prayer. Hey! What are you drinkin' there?

EFE - Medicine.

MOSES - Brother Efe, you've been deceivin' me! That's demon rum!

DOC - Hey, that's Pocahontas. Its never failed us yet. Say, we got 10 gallons, right?

EFE - Ten? We got a hundred!

MOSES - Then fire it up! Down with demon rum! Down with demon rum! Down with it! Down with the demon rum! Into the fiery- Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

JONAH - Boy, that stuff is dangerous!

MOSES - Give it here! Keep it goin'! Down with the demon rum! There we are! Into the fiery furnace!

DOC - That must be some powerful roots and herbs in this Pocahontas!

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It appears that they dried off the robes of the the New Moses and Francis (Frank) Ford as Efe the "First Mate" is wearing them along with the DOWN WITH DEMON RUM! badge. Frank is hamming it up into full alcoholic goofiness, having drunk to much of Doc's 90 proof Pocahontas "remedy." I think he's trying to listen at the engine room speaking tube where he could communicate with the pilot house. The "speaker" is probably that thing that looks like a lamp in the background over his right shoulder. Wonder how he injured one of the fingers on his left hand? Might have been when he was throwing fuel into the furnace to heat up the boiler.

steamboat round the bend

Doc to his engineer Efe (Francis Ford): "Hey, Looky that! Says Captain . . . says Captain on it!"

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Unusual still from "Round the Bend" which may have been filmed as a scene for the movie then "cut" from the final version. Francis "Frank" Ford seems to be offering some advice to the little girl sitting on sacks of grain while a little boy sits between them nearby looking dubious. The little girl looks a bit baffled and/or intimidated. The PRIDE OF PADUCAH is behind them probably during the scene where Rogers as Doctor John is talking to the New Moses at the boat landing.





More Stills of the New Moses and Efe

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New Moses befriends Efe.

From the opening sequence of ROUND THE BEND aboard THE PRIDE OF PADUCAH . . . New Moses bestows a DOWN WITH DEMON RUM badge of honor and promise to stop indulging alcoholic spirits until we get a dose of POCAHONTAS remedy from Doctor John a few scenes later. Also included a detail of the hand of the New Moses and the DOWN WITH DEMON RUM award.

The photo came from a dealer in the UK. This appears to have been a publicity still for a French release of the movie. Was probably dubbed rather than subtitled in the French language.

The logo in the lower right hand corner features a cartoon of a St. Bernard dog sitting down, holding a screen in front of it while upon the screen the words CINEMAS ASSOCIES are projected from out of the eyes of a cat sitting on the far right.

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Attached scan of the most dramatic photo of the Round the Bend collection . . . The New Moses "Lording it over" poor Efe who's cowering in the lower right corner on the foredeck of the PRIDE OF PADUCAH.

It turned out that the dealer I bought these 3 promotional stills is is in Saint-Clair-de-la-Tour, a commune in the Isère department in southeastern France.

Had to plumb and clean up the scans of these 9 1/2 x 12 inch prints quite a bit since they needed to be refreshed and also "plumbed them up" to straighten out the Title and John Ford credit lines which were not parallel to the bottom edge of the prints.

For more Burton Churchill - the New Moses - click here.

More information about Francis Ford

Francis Ford (born Francis Joseph Feeney; August 14, 1881 September 5, 1953) was an American film actor, writer and director. He was the mentor and elder brother of film director John Ford. He also appeared in many of the latter's movies, including Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) and The Quiet Man (1952).

Francis Ford was born in Portland, Maine. He was the son of John Augustine Feeney, who was born in the village of Spiddal, County Galway, Ireland, on June 15, 1854. His mother was Barbara "Abbey" Curran. By 1878, John had moved to Portland, Maine, and opened a saloon, at 42 Center Street, that used a false front to pose as grocery store. John opened four others in following years.

After service in the United States Army in the SpanishAmerican War (In Pappy: The Life Of John Ford, Dan Ford wrote about Francis Ford and the war, "The Army soon discovered that he was only fifteen and sent him home.")

Francis left home. He drifted into the film business in New York City, working for David Horsley, Al Christie and the Star Film Company's San Antonio operation under Gaston Mlis. He adopted the name Ford from the automobile. From San Antonio, Francis began his Hollywood career working for Thomas H. Ince at Ince's Bison studio, directing and appearing in westerns.

Francis Ford's younger brother, John M. Feeney, nicknamed "Bull," was a successful fullback and defensive tackle on a Portland High state championship football team. In 1914, "Bull" followed Francis to Hollywood, changed his name to John Ford and eventually surpassed his elder brother's considerable reputation.

Francis Ford's son, Philip Ford, was also a film actor/director. Ford died after being diagnosed with cancer.


All dialogue in this section is derived from the "S.S. Springfield Movie Script UK - Steamboat Round the Bend" page springfieldspringfield.co.uk or scripts.com.





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All captions provided by Dave Thomson, Steamboats.com primary contributor and historian.

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