Arlene Dahl guest-stars, Noah Beery debuts as continuing co-star and Darren McGavin resumes his starring role as "Riverboat". A fact-based adventure on the shanghaiing of President Zachary Taylor.
Capt. Grey Holden (McGavin) risks the wrath of President Taylor by deciding the only way he can make his sternwheeler enterprise the talk of the river is to shanghai the nation's chief executive. Holden gets help in his bold plan from both the beautiful Lucy Belle (Miss Dahl) and the shrewd Bill Blake (Beery). Blake helps by putting up the money needed to take the sheriff's padlock off the boat after the captain had lost it in a card game. In return Blake gets a half interest in the vessel plus the job of pilot.