Yankee lawyer John Reynolds (John Wayne) and Southern belle Julie Mirbeau (Ona Munson) meet and fall in love on a riverboat going to New Orleans in the Gay Nineties. Upon arrival they are met by Julie's father (Henry Stephenson) who runs the popular Louisiana State Lottery Company and Reynold's Aunt Blanche (Helen Westley) who is a key figure in the anti-Lottery forces hoping Wayne as State's Attorney will end the Lottery.