Steamboat Round the Bend (1935)

Dr. John Pearly, a charming Louisiana con man and seller of whiskey-laden patent medicine, revives a dilapidated steamboat and enters a high-stakes race against the proud Captain Eli. Alongside a motley crew, Pearly races not only to win but to save his nephew Duke, falsely accused of murder. With Duke's execution looming, Pearly gambles everything on the river race, hoping to catch the attention of the Governor and secure justice.