Original subtitles

- [Matt] By 1854, San Francisco began to lose

the sharp edges of frontier life.

A new society developed.

This new society dined as daintily

as its counterpart in New York, Boston, or Philadelphia.

It seemed a hundred years removed

from the violence of a gold rush.

But under the facade of culture,

there still lurked the threat of violence and sudden death.

- Did you send this note?

- Yes.

- I do not care to be disturbed at dinner, mister--

- Johnston, Cornelius Johnston.

- If you have anything to discuss with me,

see me in my office tomorrow.

- We'd better talk now.

It's about your daughter.

- My daughter?

- I think you call her that.

- What is it you want?

- Money, Mr. Drayton,

lots of money,

or I'll tell the world

who really is the mother of Miss Julie Drayton.

(dramatic music)

* Californi-a

* Californi-a

- [Announcer] The Californians.

* In Californi-a

* I've come to live where life is best *

* In the golden west

* I'm gonna strike it rich in Californi-a *

* Californi-a

- Mr. Drayton, it isn't often

that we receive bankers in this office,

especially when accompanied by lovely young ladies.

- Mr. Wayne, my daughter.

- Miss Drayton.

- How do you do, Marshal Wayne.

- Why don't you come sit down?

- The matter I came to discuss with you involves Julie,

so I felt that she ought to be here.

- What's the trouble?

- Blackmail.

Doesn't that surprise you, Mr. Wayne?

- The blackmail doesn't

but the fact that you'd come to the police.

It isn't every man, or a woman for that matter,

who considers their past life an open book.

- Well, I refuse to pay blackmail for the rest of my life

to suppress an old scandal.

- Who

approached you?

- I believe he called himself Cornelius Johnston.

- I'll see if he has a police record.

What did he threaten?

- He threatened to name Maude Sorel as Julie's mother.

- That seems ridiculous on the face of it.

- Oh, not so ridiculous, Mr. Wayne.

You see, Julie is an adopted child.

- Oh.

Where did the adoption take place, when?

17 years ago in Salem, Massachusetts.

That was our family home

before I came out here two years ago.

- How does Maude Sorel come into this?

- Well, I,

I knew her years ago in Salem.

As a matter of fact, we were,

well, we were briefly married.

So you see,

well, there is a chance that she could be Julie's mother

and that I'm her natural father.

- How do you feel about this, Julie?

- I don't know.

- What if it's true?

- I'll try to accept her.

- Well, I think the first thing we have to do

is find out the real truth.

Julie, suppose you and I go visit Maude Sorel.

- Oh, Mr. Wayne.

- You go on home and wait, Mr. Drayton.

And don't worry about blackmail.

I'll take care of Mr. Cornelius Johnston.

(ominous music)

You'll be all right.

Where's Maude?

- Upstairs.

(knocking on door)

- Come on in.

- Hello, Maude.

- Who's your friend, Matt?

- Maude Sorel, this is Julie Drayton.

- Skinny little squall, ain't she?

What are you doing in a place like this?

Get outta here!

- Mother?

- What did you say?

- Mother?

- Are you out of your head?

What's the matter with you

coming in here calling people mother?

- Maude, you know a Cyrus Drayton?

- Sure, everybody knows Cyrus Drayton.

- I mean before you came west, back in Salem.

- Well, what if I did?

All right, all right, I know Cyrus Drayton.

Everybody in Salem knows the Draytons.

- How well do you know him?

- How well do you suppose a mill hand's daughter

know the boss's son?

What's this all about?

- Do you also know a Corny Johnston?

- [Maude] Heard of him.

Why?

- He's blackmailing the Draytons.

He's threatening to expose Julie as your daughter.

- Now, what would you do if I was your ma?

You'd like that.

I'll bet not.

I'll bet you'd tell everybody that you'd found your mother.

You'd tell your friends that your mother is Maude Sorel!

Maybe I could meet your friends at tea.

It'll break your heart if I was your mother, wouldn't it?

(laughs)

Oh, come on, speak up.

Well, I ain't your mother so you can rest easy.

Come on, get out of here.

Get out of here.

- Come on, Julie.

Wait outside.

It'll be all right.

- Thank you.

Thank you very much.

- Whatever gave you the idea that I was the motherly kind?

What are you staring at?

- I'm beginning to see

you're a lot more woman than I thought you were.

- Yeah.

You ain't got the idea that I'm her mother.

- You said you weren't.

Maude, that was awfully kind of you.

- It was the only thing I could do.

Now, what are you gonna do about Big Corny Johnston?

- Cornelius Johnston?

We'll bring him in, question him.

- Why don't you drop it?

- Why?

- No sense starting scandal.

- The law doesn't work that way, Maude.

How well do you know Corny?

- Oh, he's just around, that's all, just a customer.

Not even a regular customer.

I just know him to say hello.

- Where would he get the idea

that Julie might be your daughter?

- Oh, I don't know.

- We'll find that out when we bring him in.

- Not if I find him first.

- Now wait, Maude.

Don't get the idea of settling this thing yourself.

- I just don't want that girl hurt.

- She won't be.

Oh, if you get to Corny Johnston before we do,

make sure you send him to me.

- Zen.

- Yeah, Maude.

- Drop whatever you're doing

and go find a Big Corny Johnston.

Tell him I wanna see him.

- There's nothing in the record on Corny Johnston.

- I want a line on him fast.

Start squeezing our informants.

- There's been a shooting down at The Painted Lady.

- Maude Sorel in trouble again?

Oh, that does it.

(ominous music)

Now what's happened?

- A shooting, sir, upstairs.

Move along now.

- This is your gun, isn't it, Maude?

What's the story?

- No story.

I pulled the trigger and he's dead.

- Maude.

- I said no story, deary.

- I'm taking you in and the charge is murder.

Why'd you do it?

- It's Corny Johnston.

(dramatic music)

- Hello, Joe.

You prosecuting this.

- Yeah, they got me out of bed to question the Sorel woman.

Hello, Pitt.

What are you doing here?

- Acting for Maude.

- Well, you're gonna have a hard time with this one.

- Oh, I wouldn't say so, counselor.

All my clients are innocent.

- Let's get started.

(ominous music)

- Now, you admit you shot Big Corny

and you shot him in the back.

Why?

- You gotta tell him, Maude.

- Maybe I felt like a little target practice.

- Do you realize you may hang for murder?

(Maude scoffs)

There's no sense my taking the case, Matt.

- You wouldn't stand a chance in court, Pitt.

It's open and shut.

- Maude, why don't you tell them about Julia Drayton?

- No.

- [Matt] Do you want me to tell them?

- Please don't do it.

- What's this about the Draytons?

- He's going to tell you that Julie was my daughter,

but it ain't true.

It's a lie!

- Well, what's that got to do with her killing Big Corny?

- Big Corny was trying to blackmail the Draytons.

He threatened to expose Julie as Maude's daughter.

- Well, there goes your open and shut case, Girard.

There isn't a jury in the world

that'll convict when they hear that.

She killed to protect her daughter.

- I was 25 years old at the time

and Maude Sorel worked in my father's mill.

My people were in cotton then.

She fascinated me.

I thought it was love,

and well, we ran away and got married.

- Against your family's wishes, I bet.

- Definitely.

They arranged for an annulment

and packed me off to Europe.

- [Jeremy] When was the next time you saw Maude Sorel?

- About four months after I returned.

It was then that she told me

that she was going to have a baby.

There was a scene, an angry, bitter scene.

Then she left.

Oh, I gave her money, offered to support the child,

and told her to leave me alone.

- [Jeremy] And then what?

Later, you adopted the child?

- [Cyrus] Yes.

- Do you think there's any chance

that your adopted daughter, Julie

could actually be the daughter

of your marriage to Maude Sorel?

(ominous music)

- I'm convinced of it.

- No.

No, I won't believe it.

She can't be my mother.

She's not my mother.

- I think she'll be better by herself.

I want you to at Maude Sorel's arraignment.

- I'll be glad to be there.

It's the least I can do after what she did to protect Julie.

- Your Honor, in light of this testimony,

we believe it'd be a waste of the court's time

to go to trial on this matter.

It would simply mean a matter of equivalent.

(gavel bangs)

- Now what?

- You're free, Maude.

- What are you thinking, Girard?

- I'm thinking about a man who was shot in the back

and his killer going free.

- Any doubt in your mind

that Corny Johnston was a blackmailer?

- He was a man and he was murdered.

- Don't worry, Girard.

I'm not through with my investigation.

- Hello, Julie.

Excuse me, Mr. Drayton.

I wonder if I could talk to Julie a minute.

- Alone?

- I'd rather, sir, yes.

- I'll be in the bar, Julie.

- I'm surprised you're not celebrating my mother's release

with the rest of her friends.

- You're still not convinced that she is your mother?

- No, and I never will be.

- But you thought so once.

Who changed your mind?

That day we went to The Painted Lady,

you called her mother even when she denied it.

What made you change your mind, Julie?

- I,

I don't know.

It came over me all of a sudden.

After that day in her room, I went home feeling grateful.

And then I asked myself,

why was I grateful that she wasn't my mother?

Do you know how it is with orphans, Mr. Wayne?

Even when they've been adopted and cherished

all of their lives,

they still want someone who's really their own.

All my life, I said if I ever found my real mother,

no matter who or what she was,

I'd love her and want to be with her.

I didn't feel that way about Maude Sorel.

That's why I know she's not my mother.

- Matt, if you reopen the case,

you'll be the biggest fool in California!

And if the people ever hear

of your persecuting that little old lady,

that wonderful woman,

they'll ride you out of town and I'll help 'em!

- Would you stop pounding my desk?

- Oh, Matt, I don't know what makes you tick.

You got me into this case.

You were convinced that Maude was the girl's mother.

What made you change your mind?

Female intuition,

a simple girl's refusal to face the facts of life.

That's all you've got.

Thank heaven that sort of thing won't hold up in court.

Now tell me, why are you suspicious of Maude?

- Because I told her to bring Corny in to me and she didn't.

- (sighs) You just don't understand women, do you?

She's just a mother trying to protect her child.

I thought you liked Maude.

- I do.

What's that got to do with it?

Now, you go practice law.

I'll tend to this department.

- Matt, if you bring Maude Sorel before a court for murder,

I'll tear you, the girl, or any case you make into shreds.

(ominous music)

- Sergeant!

- Yes, sir.

- Bring in that bartender.

Come on in, sit down here.

- What you got me down here for?

I ain't done nothing.

- I want you to tell me all you know about Maude Sorel.

What about Big Corny?

What did she have against him?

- How would I know?

- Did she see much of him?

- Well, sure.

He used to come into the place quite a bit.

I guess she talked to him, say hello.

Never figured Big Corny for a blackmail job.

Hmm, guess he needed the money to get married.

- Married?

Did he have a girl?

- Sure.

Sadie.

They was real close.

(ominous music)

- I felt real bad about Corny.

He was a sweet man.

I even went in mourning for him for a whole week.

- Were you thinking about marriage?

- Every girl thinks of marriage.

- Come on, Sadie.

I mean with Big Corny.

- We had a kind of understanding.

He said we'd see the preacher

as soon as he had enough money to do it in style.

- Blackmail money.

- Don't you go mixing me up

in that Drayton business, Marshal.

I had nothing to do with it.

Really.

He was in with somebody else on that deal.

- Who?

- He was a fool to tangle with Maude Sorel.

Got himself killed, and it serves him right.

- I take it you don't like Maude Sorel very much.

- Ever heard of a girl

who liked her gentlemen friend's old girl?

- He's what?

- Sure.

Big Corny and Maude.

A couple of years ago down in Monterrey,

they had a real fire going.

That was before she moved up here.

It's funny how a woman's love can change.

- Hello, Maude.

- The joint is closed, deary.

I'm going out of business.

It took me a long time to get rid of the old Painted Lady.

- Yeah, real long time.

Hey, Maude, the last time I let you reopen,

you promised me a drink on the house.

- It's all there.

Help yourself, deary.

- Where are you going, Maude?

- Uptown.

Cyrus is giving me some money,

enough so I don't have to run a saloon no more.

- You're doing pretty well for yourself, aren't you?

- Yeah.

Real good.

Stop playing cat and mouse.

You didn't come here for no drink.

You turned on me.

What's bothering you?

- Why didn't you send Corny Johnston to me?

- Well, I told you, I wanted to settle him myself.

- Mm-hmm, but you told me

you didn't know him very well, Maude.

- That's right.

- And he came to your room and you shot him.

Why did he come to your room?

- I sent for him.

- You sent for him and he came just like that

even though you didn't know him very well?

- What are you driving at, deary?

- You're a liar, Maude.

You told me nothing but lies.

You shot Corny Johnston

because you knew I was gonna sweat him about blackmail,

and you had to shut him up

because it was your blackmail plot.

- I told you I didn't even know Corny Johnston.

- That's the lie that really tripped you up

because you've been in love with Corny

ever since two years ago in Monterrey.

But then you found out he was double-crossing you

for a girl named Sadie.

- How did you find out about Corny and me?

- Sadie herself.

She told me.

You know, Maude, I can understand everything you did

except what you did to the Draytons.

You made everybody believe

that Julie really was your daughter.

Got you a lot of sympathy, even from me.

Why'd you have to do that?

- Cyrus Drayton married me.

He married me and then he threw me out.

He threw money in my face and told me to get out of town,

said I wasn't good enough for him.

He didn't care about nothing.

Not for me.

Not for my baby.

- Your baby?

You mean you really did have a child?

- Oh, she was a pretty little thing,

prettiest thing you ever saw.

She died.

And when she died, I swore I'd fix Cyrus straight,

fix him for good.

I swore I'd put on him all of the shame

and the pain

and the misery he had put on me.

I did too.

Took me a long time, but I did it.

- That's all over now.

- Everything is just beginning,

beginning for me and ending for you.

And they'll fish your body out of the bay

and everybody will say he was just too brave once too often.

You shouldn't have turned on a friend, Matt.

(door opens)

- You better have a bullet in that for yourself, Maude.

Look.

- Well, I hope there's some understanding gentlemen

on the jury.

I ain't exactly probate yet.

(dramatic music)

- Verdict in?

- 15 minutes ago.

Came over to tell you.

Guilty.

But they won't hang her because she's a woman,

but we won't be seeing her again.

Well, just as well.

- Yeah.

- She was a cold-blooded killer.

- That's right.

- She got what she deserved.

- Mm-hmm.

- Anyway, things will be a lot quieter

around the Barbary Coast without her, not so many riots.

- Yeah, sure.

- I bet one thing though, you'll really miss her.

- I sure will.

* California

* Oh, I've traveled here, I've traveled there *

* I guess I've been most everywhere *

* But I like where I am today

* And here is where I'll stay

* Now one thing I just can't endure *

* Is being broke and being poor *

* So I come west to take the cure *

* And here is where I'll stay

* I've come to Californi-a

* Californi-a

* There's gold in them there hills in Californi-a *

* I've come to live where life is best *

* In the golden west

* I'm gonna strike it rick in Californi-a *

* Californi-a

* Californi-a

* There's gold in them there hills *

* In Californi-a