Crosby plays a Philadelpia Quaker engaged to a Southern belle. He becomes a social outcast when he refuses to fight a duel. Fields then hires him to perform on his riverboat, promoting him as "Colonel Steel...the notorious Colonel Steel...the singing killer." The plot then follows a predictable course, but there are plenty of scenes featuring W.C. Fields.—Chris Wigert
A young pacifist after refusing on principle to defend her sweetheart's honor and being banished in disgrace, joins a riverboat troupe as a singer, acquires a reputation as a crackshot after a saloon brawl in which the villain of the piece accidentally kills himself with his own gun, falls in love with his former fianceé's sister and finally bullies an apprehensive family into accepting him.—Alessandro Martini <alemartini@geocities.com>
The son of a wealthy Southern family is disowned by them because he does not believe in dueling. He gets a job as a singer on a Mississippi riverboat. After an altercation with a notorious river tough, who gets accidentally shot with his own pistol, the riverboat captain, in order to attract business, bills him as "The Singing Killer."—frankfob2@yahoo.com