SYNOPSIS:

This Idea, is based on How there was some 500+ boats sunk in the passageway to Montana on the Central Us Rivers. Many sinking just after leaving central ports like St Louis and Memphis. Based on the number of ships lost, it looks like there is a definite possibility that some of the ship wrecks were purposeful. I believe there was a scam going on, where Captains were getting paid for the voyage, then wrecking their boat soon after, and then going back to buy another boat. Doing it over and over. again and again.. It was possible to make over $20K at the dock, first trip, loading up, after buying a boat for $10K earlier that day. $10K in profit was made leaving the dock for the first time by many Captains. Operators looking for the best excuse to sink the ship, might run into trees, rather than trying to avoid them.

When I was a kid, I got to ride on a steam boat on Lake Michigan, I was entranced by the wheel. There was 2 types of ship.. Side paddlers, and Rear paddlers. Side paddlers were more common on the pacific rivers.. like the Columbia and Snake river, but we not as common on the eastern side of the Rockies, even though they were much more agile, the common boat.. was rear paddlers.

I went to the Bertrands Wreck Museum, (Eastern Nebraska) is where I came to this idea. I had no idea there were so many ship wrecks in the rivers. It's interesting what all is in the museum, all recovered 100 years later. The majority of sinkings had zero casualties. Most sank slowly.

The Bertrand happened to come unmoored from a dock in a storm, and floated away and sank, miles away, and then wasnt found for 100 years. Its on the West Side of the Mississippi.

The Montana was a side paddler. The Montana, The Amelia Poe, The Cora, The Arabia, and The Bertrand, all sunk in the Central USA.

The Top Steamship Captain of the Northwest Territory, was McNulty, although a treacherous river, He was without any accidents. He has a Town Named After Him, while the story of Captains on the Missouri was practically opposite. He had a Side Paddling Steamship that likely costed more, but made up for it with how well He could navigate.

Most Shipwrecks were blamed on Trees in the water breaking into the hull. Apparently each Spring run off had many cottonwood trees that came down the river, and would destroy wooden bottom ships. Often poking holes into the Hull of the Ship.

Open:

It could Open a Close up area around the Rear Wheel.. thats cool paddle sound.. and the feel of the humidity the wheel puts off, everyone dressed in their finest.. patrons going in and out of cabins and walking around on deck..

Into We see Our Main.. He is navigating through a mess of tree stumps coming up through the water.. and seems to be working hard to avoid them. And standing beside Him, is someone saying annoying things too Him.. and just when we thinks He is thru them. He runs it into the Crest ahead.. oh no. Crash. And then its crazy.. and Hes Driving it towards the shore.. as it takes on water.

Telling everyone to get off and be careful and everyone is completely surprised, standing in the water and sand. He pulls a orange row boat off the top deck and it falls into the water. He pulls it up onto the shore.. And then gathers everyone up, and Lights the Big Boat On Fire.. and together, start walking with them towards town, not far in the distance.

He could say how, once there, if a boat is there too buy, He will. Then there isnt any boats there. He goes into the bar with them.. starts drinking.. talking with everyone.. He buys some food from the place, and then heads to the bathroom, shaves and changes, and then walks out, and leaves. Not talking to anyone when leaving. And goes back to the still smoldering Big Boat, pushes the dingy back into the water, and leaves, planning to float back as far as He has too, to the home port. Not long after in the water.. another Boat passes, and picks Him up. A Dutch Trader. The trader talking about how there is a ton of product to bring down from the river head, and gives him a ride back into St Louis. Showing Him all the Beaver Pelts and Supplies He Brought Down from Montana. Next scene.. is back in St Louis, at the train station.. Everyone on His team, advertising to the people arriving to take the Passage to Montana. Come aboard the Name of their Ship.. at the docks.

I would think a person could assume anyone's identity, just saying they are them. So a Advertisement at the Port, might include they have a Fake Celebrity appearance on board.. then have multiple people in the crowd to verify its them, with lines they say about the person. They might do Alot, just to draw in more passengers at the train station, to head to their docks. In this crowd, people would believe anything.

If you said this guy right here, This guy Right Here.. is that famous captain that normally does the northwestern passage to the ocean.. He came to this side of the mountains, to help get more people thru the Montana Passage. Would you take that Boat?? The first time we hear the mains name.. it needs to be part of their scam of saying the main is some famous boat captain. Then His name changes. . Next Time in Port. Keeps the Same first name as a side thing He does.

I would think with each boat ride, there is a potential person that wants romance with Him.. Each romance could happen, and many might figure out His real name isnt that name on the advertisement.. especially when He's called different names in-front of them. Before there, the audience will have been along for the ride with them, till then, believing that is His name, and story. He could avoid the name question.. making up different names to each person that asks. Leaving us unknowing what His real name is the whole film.

Our Mains beard could grow and take shape during His travels to show times passage. I would expect many sunk ships over the course of the film.

Interesting beards could be something the captain notices in all places during the film. I would think our operator would see someones look at the train station, and soon after, going home and trimming His hair and beard to match what He saw.. a making his way then, down to the docks.

So when He spots a interesting one, we get a eye full.. He then changes his look too it.. and later, might see the same person He's now copying. This copying, could happen multiple times even after caught by the person. I would think more than once, our Captain will have to shave His beard to disappear. His beard, is good enough that He feels He will win any beard contest. He does the Twisty thing.. and He knows what towns have yearly beard contests, that He tries to win, each year.

He makes His way down to the docks, and we see His partners have a vaudeville act and a bunch of different things they are selling at the dock, along with advertising their trip.

I would think at the docks they have a presentation, boards advertising the western route.. their News of the Day, where they are making up news from other towns, and the weather, via looking at the western horizon. There could also be a newspaper reporter that frequently stops by to hear their news.

Along with promoting the News and Western Passage, they promote their singing vaudeville act on board, that is doing card tricks and scamming people, but giving back the money, as a joke over and over. There is all kinds of ads around the docks. He has a team of people helping run the scam. They promote a party like atmosphere on-board. When they sink, they try and save the liqueur.

"Are you in a certain trade.? There is a discount. " "Make the Trip in Much Less Time, than the Competition." "Strike it Rich in the Gold Rush" "Come take the Western Passage to Montana".. They could come up with other things they say are RUSHES too. "Its Rush Season"

After the train Station, the Team would walk down to the Docks, maybe pass thru their office or place they stay in town.. before, with the team, as they prepare to leave with the same ship they just finished repairing. We get onboard, and are shown the repair. There is a whole vaudeville act that is done on the docks.. that helps load up the boat. They leave.. and travel for we see at least.. 2 days.. then another wreck.. where the boat is either lost, or needing repaired again, and taken back to port, in darkness, leaving the passengers again.

The idea of the Film, is to have multiple ship wrecks that are caused, to show they are scamming people at the docks for the whole payment, then giving them a short trip, and disappearing.

If the accident was on purpose, they might "forget" they can fix small issues like this.. and have everyone leave, walking with them back to town.. Shaving.. changing clothes, and walking back immediately in disguise . . to sneak back on, and fix the boat. Circling back, without the passengers, to fix and take back to the original port.. just to start over. that boat, might have a rough repair that is pointed out at the dock that next time. That same repair, might fail again.. and they pretend to need to leave it again.. a cycle. I would think they are sick of the constant stream of people coming thru. They wont see many of them ever again, they dont care if the boat sinks with their stuff. He could know a few card tricks, and a decent other tricks that make a person laugh. Like that card trick of taking 21 cards.. choose one.. any.. then arrange them in 3 columns, and He can tell you what card was yours, after re arranging them 2 times.. across.. down.. across other way.. down.. across.. down.. across.. What Column is in your card in?? And then counting out 11 cards.. its right there. (its a cool card trick.)

He could have gambling scams on the Ship, that one gets called out, and they have a shootout. Along with His singers run their own scams on patrons.. as well as someone needs to catch a pick pocket.

They could have 4 people on the team.. and only 3 people fit in the row boat.. so each time, they draw straws to see who stays.. and have to find their own way back, or wait for them to come back thru.

Each time one sinks, the passengers will go the other way. Often the passengers would have time to get off a slowly sinking ship, after pulled to the side of the river before sinking. When unloaded, it wouldnt sit as deep in the water.. and repair might be possible. Most sinkings were slow and they could navigate after striking a log in the water.. if the log came into the boat.. and made navigation harder, the accident would become alot more interesting. I would think the majority of lost ships, was when the log came farther into the boat, and made steering impossible.. many might even tilt over, to sink.

There could be a Crash that happened prior, in the middle of native country. That didnt go well for the patrons.. Its said that natives would sometimes plunder a left empty boat, after its considered a loss.. I would think sometimes there was attacks to take the goods left. Because of this attack in His past.. He always tries to let them off with a town fairly close at least in sight. He could say.. No matter what, if the town is in site, they dont complain as much. One wreck, could happen in a more remote part of the river, and they have to deal with natives till another boat comes to rescue them??

Other times, the boat might be stuck on the stump, in the middle of the river, and taking on water fast. So fast its gonna explode. Cold Water Hitting the boiler would cause a catastrophic steam explosion. Everyone Off.. Off Now.. Hurry.. Omg.. and when they are diving in, the boat could go up.

We could think thats about to happen, then the boat is ok.. just not able to get it off the stump.. that they decide to burn it down, to remove it. After a Boat is Stuck in the river, no matter where, if stuck, they have to burn it down to get it out of the way. . that was the common way to remove a wrecked ship from in the channel.

There could also be a fire on board one, that burns down a floating ship.. without a hole in the hull. The chances of a accident are also high. Fire would be a hard thing to combat back then. There is coal that is piled up somewhere on the ship, as well. There could be a fire scare in the final ship, that they stop the fire before it can get that bad. How? dunno.

I think as a reoccurring thing, there could be a small row boat that the captain takes on each boat He Captains. Puts it up on top. . sometimes its still new, and just makes it on the boat moments before leaving, still needing put away, and then the ship sinks.

Multiple times, the boat would get destroyed.. but the row boat makes it out. There could be a times the row boat just doesnt make it. And we get to see what happened to the row boat after. Like someone could come and update the captain on the accident, and say the row boat is tree'd, and they find it in a tree near the water.

When back at port, He's shopping for a new row boat, before shopping a big boat. After Sinking a Ship.. He knows where the closest bar is . Almost Always. When He has to buy another row boat, He has choices and each time, buys an identical to the first, model. Maybe He Paints it, puts on His logo, as something He does after buying it each time.. or when we see Him next after purchase He is painting it Orange.

There could also be manufacturing flaws and things that break soon after purchase.. like glass, sealants that didnt work that they tried this time.. paddles that because they are brand new, had bad boards, and break that He has to fix, stopping the paddle, and finding a board to replace it. There could be different things the maker tells Him to watch out for, since this is the first they made this way.. and the captain is like. I sure will. How far would you say it should, hold till i have to repack the bearings so they dont catch fire??? Leading to the Captain to do shoddy maintenance on things told to do it better. He would be advancing problems, to make them fail.

Its still $10K in profit, back at the dock, as long as he can get back there with $10K to buy another, if it sinks. He could have a spot He stashes His Money, in the next town, (like a Stash House near the docks, two towns West. maybe a wife or different GF there? ) Where He stops Each time, between Leaving the dock, and Crashing, so when His main spot for crashing happens, He's not pockets full, and getting beat up by mad drunks, and people that want their money back.

So each time one sinks.. He pulls the small row boat off the boat just in time, only to save it, then uses it, to ride it back down stream to the last town passed, and let them know there is a boat of people needing help.. while going the other way.

That could leave a bunch of things that can happen to that little boat. Maybe a thing could be, a drunk shoves it off His boats roof, and He has to circle back for it. twice..

So He's tired of having to circle back to pluck it from the river, that He ties a line to the row boat, so it will follow behind if shoved off roof of the ship. His tied on line then could first become a problem, as it wraps around a tree stump in the water while being towed behind. The Main having to slide out on the rope and cutting the rope in half, to free both boats, after seeing there isnt gonna be a way to free it, and then having to jump into the little boat, and rowing or even swimming with the little boat, back to the big boat.. This could be a race back to the big boat with it running out of time. The Big Boat floating uncontrolled into danger. It could crash instead of getting there in time.

The rope after He cuts off the dingy, could then get caught up around the wheel, He gets back to the boat.. its floating and drifting into the shore covered in trees. He pulls the dingy back on board, and after getting back on the controls.. the freshly cut rope, wraps around the wheel.. and as He powers out of the turn.. The rope getting tighter and tighter, and breaking paddles off as it locks up, letting the Boat then crash back into the trees on the side. Breaking the whole front of the boat.. and leading them to burn it down.

After the Sinking, when floating around in his dingy, He might have a speech He gives to other Captains from the row boat that is comical, to get them to give him a ride back to St Louis and Memphis. He would get picked up by a passing ship, and need to either load his little boat up or have to towed it behind. When towed, on a line, the dingy might become stuck in their paddle wheel, and its completely destroyed.

Another time, it might come undone, and float away.. Him watching the dingy go past, from the cabin, while its suppose to be on the deck. This uncontrolled row boat, becoming a thing in the credits.

Competition: The main could start a fight with the other passenger gambling line that is also sinking ships, that the cop could bust before He is questioned.. there could be a saves their life in a scene prior to them busted sinking a ship. There could be a boat chase. Including parking in a spot that hides the boat..

Chop Shop: There might be a few burnt down ships in the same area. The main might have a chop shop for ships in a cove.. that He after people have disembarked, He pulls the ship around to this area, where He has people stripping down the ship for parts, and are building a side and rear paddler ship.. 2 boilers.

I would think there is a local ferry service between towns that never sinks.. Based on the amount of boats sunk, I would say a older captains running a ferry between towns would notice a captain that keeps coming back and leaving with new ships over and over. This Ferry would be on a Scheduled between towns, where Each time one sinks.. the ferry should be close to coming by. The ferry Captain, might become suspicious of the mains behavior and might start to think this guy is sinking ships on purpose, and see His scam. The Captain Knows He can get a ride back if free by this certain time.. There could be one time, the ferry hits something.. and sinks, and both are in the small row boat together..

After that . The Ferry Captain realizes this guys doing criminal things, and He tells a Cop. That could lead to Our main being interviewed .. and feeling He needs to leave town, before the cop can come back. The first time the Cop comes around, He might have questions to answer, that He directs the cop to someone else to talk too, that He plans to be gone by the time He gets back. The Cop could have a person with Him, that is paid to tell the cop if the person is lying or Not.. and the main is like. Its just His opinion.. He wasnt there. So the Main Buys a New Boat, loads it up fast, and leaves. The cop unable to follow up with Him, after talking to the person He was sent to talk too.

The Next Time.. the cop could confront Him at the Purchase Place, while He's a Clean Shave, and looks different, the cop completely aware of who He is. His competition having gotten caught destroying a ship, and He feels they both are scamming people. He could then be taken to the police station, and somehow, manages to flee from handcuffs.. and gets away. But He realizes He cant really go back. So He Hides out sneaking out of Town to His Cove.. Where they finish making His side and rear paddler Boat, and Paint it. Some time passes. Working on the Boat, Drinking, Smoking, Hanging Out. Deciding What to Do. Tells the other Cast about How He hasnt sailed past where is now the state line.. yet. but dont tell anyone. Something Romantic as well..

They decide to steal a paddle boat from the next town away, then park in the their competitions port, the next morning, making it look like the cop did it, to get the competition in trouble.. leaving clues that the cop owns. Like.. He could have pick pocketed the cop, just prior to running away, so the cop knows He stole that Boat, and planted that evidence, and the competition knows its that Cops stuff. Then, they go back to their Cove.. and The Next night.. They get the boat running, and sail back to St Louis to Load up at Port at Dawn, before the cop realizes its them in port.

Where there is a large group of people waiting for a Boat to show up, to Board.. at the area between his and his competition dock, there is no boats there. The cops are waiting for Him at His Dock, so He loads up at the competitions dock.. opens the gate.. starts taking money and loading people on. He's already taken most of the money. The Cop see's Him at His competitors dock, and comes over.. He telling everyone lets go.. the boat is leaving when the cops board. Coming to hand cuff him, leading them to a scuffle. They play chase around the boat, leading THEM, to throw all the "crooked cops" off the boat into the water.

There could then be a Boat Chase, where the cops after splashing into the water, put up a chase, but His boat, having 3 wheels and 2 boilers, is much faster than theirs. The police boat follows for a while.. then gives up when out of site.

He could decide at this point, He cant go back, so they are gonna take this boat all the way up the river and start over as a person shipping things back down the river.. like starting a business, building new ships, and providing a logs and pelts supply. His will have metal hull panels. He might have equipted this boat with a new metal front panel on the hull, that allows him to not worry when running into a log.

He could get stuck on a sand bar, and have to use the row boat with a couple ropes like a cup that they hold onto into the water, and use the current to pull the boat off the sand bar.

Then dumping out the water so the little boat floats, and getting it back on the boat.

At the credits have the outtakes, various ways the row boat it destroyed, including things that arent in the film.. like breaking apart different times when the film it stays together. It could break in a outtake of the time when its holding the big boat back on the line.. and it has to be filmed again. Things like the little boat going off a water fall. . and being destroyed. It needs the little boat destroyed in the credits to be funny, things like the wind blowing the boat off the top deck of the paddle boat. . Into the water.. and Hes like.. "Great." It setting up the following outtakes as it gets away from the big boat.. The camera following this little boat thru the credits.. without anyone.. just floating away.. seeing spots its almost destroyed a few times.. traveling alone.. into ending in some way it is completely destroyed. (last scene at the end of the credits.) I'd like to see the movie end Our Main getting to Montana for the first time. It needs to get to a point on the river, that the Main says he has never been past.

When the main does take the whole journey, He would hear stories from people all along the way.. that were former passengers on His ship, and Having Had many hardships after He crashed their ship. He left many along the way.. passing them now. Each place He stops after fleeing, having people that Have already been on One of His Ships. He might give a ride to multiple people He runs back into along this part of the journey. He might choose to wear a different look even shaves His award winning beard, after realizing there are many people from the last wreck, here.

Submersible Platform: I would think the thing in this film that pays out long term, would be the creation of a submersible platform that could have the boats tops wood frames attached. That then can be sunk, then re surfaced easily. Something with electric jet ski pumps that blast inside the hull and let the boat look steered by a regular rudder, when instead its a more modern steering system. It could have alternators on each pump motor to provide charging and not take only.

Guns: They might sell equipment including guns. Then choose to stop Arming the patrons they are robbing.

Onboard Scams: The vaudeville act might have a betting on something funny that they convince people to bet on, and they lose, then double or nothing. And Get their money back, as part of the scam to keep the people interested. They cheat at the cards, and never get caught. It needs clever sketchs in the vaudeville act during the trip..

Ghost Ship: So After abandon, sometimes they become unstuck with a lighter load, and come floating back down river on their own. Ghost Ships that Float By.. would be one reason they burn down stuck ships. Less Ghost Ships running into things at ports. Less questions. Boats Leaving Port were often overloaded, and often would sink in shallow water. The Majority of sinkings had zero casualties. Often slow enough to unload them. They often didnt have fatalities unless the boiler went under water quickly.. I would think, being all wood, and stuck on a sand bar, would lead to often they would float again when unloaded. Then they drift away. . as a ghost ship. The characters could talk of accounts of them... Our crew, could hear someone say they thought the main is dead??? Now prior to Him being thought of as dead, the could simply tell stories of ghost ships and damage they did at different places. So then the team creates a ghost ship instead of burning this one down.. to be funny.

Animals on-board: I would think a Horse would be a interesting thing onboard. Maybe some chickens, goats, and a cow..

Pitching Water: Has Buckets mounted on walls, to Scoop Water while onboard, like a fire extinguisher.

Covered Wagon Scene: They could see covered wagons, that are by the river and talk with them.. then later, we see the same wagons got attacked by natives.

Fire: There could be a scene where the Boat was launched without lube on the wheel, and it catches fire shortly after that He gets out, but then the wheel is loose and floating away?

A Chase with the Romance: I dont have a idea on what, but it needs a romance intertwined with running from the Law. I would think he would meet a new a love interest in a town near where He hasnt crashed before. As well as a spot he wrecks often to see someone. It needs meeting a romance, and the common thing is running for their Lives

Trick Shooting: It needs a element of trick shooting to keep him alive.

A Boat Crash: They could crash a boat into their competitions dock.

Coughing/TB: The bad part is the actual thing caused tuberculosis with its coal smoke. Be careful with the smoke. I would suggest use a water to hydrogen torch instead of coal, and power that boiler with a torch, that is powered with a 240vac solar cell built into the top deck.. or with a generator. Then Cg the Black Smoke in. Propane and natural gas put off radon when burned. I dont think it fits, but I saw a gorgeous steam train on the News running in the Snow, it makes a ton of steam and its pretty.. as the film passes time, winter would come and go??