Original subtitles

♪

[COCKS GUN] BAT, V/O: THERE'S A REASON THEY CALLED IT THE WILD WEST.

[FIGHTING, LAUGHING]

YOU REMEMBER WHEN THAT GLOBE TO FLORENCE STAGECOACH

PASSED US LAST WEEK?

AND YOU REMEMBER YOU TALKING ABOUT HOW NO ONE'S

RIDIN' SHOTGUN ANYMORE?YEAH...

ON ACCOUNT OF AIN'T NOBODY ROBBIN' STAGE COACHES NO MORE.

BAT, V/O: SHE WOULD BECOME ONE OF THE MOST INFAMOUS

WOMEN OF THE WEST.

MAYBE IT'S TIME YOU AND ME BRING BACK A FINE, OLD TRADITION.

BAT, V/O: THIS IS THE TRUE STORY OF PEARL HART,

THE BANDIT QUEEN.

[TRAIN WHISTLE]

I WAS JUST A YOUNG MAN WHEN I FIRST HEADED WEST.

♪

IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED I BECAME A COWBOY, A GUNSLINGER

AND EVEN SERVED AS SHERIFF OF DODGE CITY --

ONE OF THE MOST LAWLESS TOWNS IN THE COUNTRY.

MY NAME IS BAT MASTERSON.

NOW, I'M A REPORTER AND I'VE COME WEST AGAIN TO CHRONICLE

THE WORLD THAT I KNOW BEST -- THE AMERICAN WEST.

LURE OF GOLD, LAND, DESTINY FLOODED THE FRONTIER WITH

MEN BOTH GOOD AND BAD.

THESE ARE THE INCREDIBLE, TRUE TALES OF THE WILD WEST.

♪

AMERICAN WEST HAS ALWAYS ATTRACTED MEN

OF STRONG CHARACTER.

NOT ALWAYS OF GOOD CHARACTER.

THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF COMMON CROOKS AND CONMEN.

AND THERE WERE SOME PRETTY RUTHLESS OUTLAWS.

AND THEY WEREN'T ALL MEN.

IN FACT, THERE WAS A WOMAN WHO BECAME ONE OF THE MOST

INFAMOUS OUTLAWS OF THE DAY.

HER NAME WAS PEARL HART.

SHE WAS BETTER KNOWN AS THE BANDIT QUEEN.

NOW I KNEW OF PEARL HART FROM THE NEWSPAPERS BUT...

I DIDN'T KNOW MUCH.

AND IT TURNS OUT NOT MANY OTHER FOLKS DID EITHER.

I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO LOCATE THE ONE PERSON WHO MIGHT...

JOE BOOT.

♪

[GUN COCKS]

JOE BOOT?

BAT MASTERSON, PLEASURE TO MEET YOU.

♪♪

ANYBODY FOLLOWING YOU?

THERE WERE A COUPLE BUZZARDS CIRCLING BACK THERE

MADE ME A LITTLE NERVOUS BUT NO.

I'M ALL ALONE.

COMPLIMENTS OF MY EDITOR.

LET'S CALL IT AN HONORARIUM IN RETURN FOR HELPING

ME OUT WITH MY ARTICLE.

'COURSE YOU KNOW WHAT I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT, JOE.

YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT PEARL.

RIGHT.

I'LL JUST START BY SAYING I KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT HER.

WELL, THAT MAKES TWO OF US.

WELL, TELL ME WHAT YOU REMEMBER.

[SIGHS]

PEARL WAS FROM A WELL TO DO FAMILY BACK EAST...

SHE WASN'T BUT 16-YEARS-OLD WHEN SHE MET THIS GAMBLER

FELLA BY THE NAME OF HART.

AND SHE ELOPED WITH HIM.

♪♪

PEARL...

THERE'S SOMETHING I'VE BEEN MEANING TO PUT INTO WORDS.

♪

YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL.

I WANT YOU BY MY SIDE, FOREVER AND EVER.

PEARL...

♪

WILL YOU MARRY ME?

♪♪

I'M GONNA NEED SOME TIME TO THINK IT OVER.

♪

YES, OF COURSE I'LL MARRY YOU!

♪♪

[LAUGHTER]

IT'S BEAUTIFUL, I LOVE IT.

I LOVE YOU.I LOVE YOU.

BAT: TELL ME MORE ABOUT HIM.

HE GOT HIMSELF A JOB AT THE CHICAGO WORLD'S FAIR.

THAT'S WHERE PEARL FIRST SEEN ANNIE OAKLEY PERFORM.

AH, ANNIE OAKLEY.

MATTER OF FACT SHE SAID IT WAS ANNIE THAT

INSPIRED HER TO COME WEST.

THAT AND HER WANTING TO GET AWAY FROM THAT MEAN

OLD DRUNK OF A HUSBAND.

I CAN'T EVER DO ANYTHING RIGHT FOR YOU!

YOU DON'T EVER DO ANYTHING AT ALL!

I GOT MARRIED BECAUSE I WANTED SOMEONE TO COOK AND CLEAN.

YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING!

WHY I EVER THOUGHT TO MARRY YOU, I'LL NEVER KNOW!

IF I WOULD'VE KNOWN YOU GOT THIS MEAN EVERY TIME YOU TOOK A DRINK

I WOULD'VE NEVER MARRIED YOU.

WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?

DON'T YOU EVER TALK BACK TO ME, PEARL.

[SIGHS]

♪

JOE: SO ONE NIGHT SHE SNUCK OUT...

♪

NEVER LOOKED BACK.

♪

EVENTUALLY SHE MADE IT TO ARIZONA, TO A LITTLE MINING

TOWN CALLED MAMMOTH.

SHE GOT A JOB AS A COOK, SLOPPING CHOW TO THE MINERS.

[SIGHS]

AND THAT'S WHEN I FIRST SEEN HER.

[CHATTER]

YEAH, HUNGRY BOYS?

YOU KNOW I LIKE A MAN WITH AN APPETITE.

THANK YOU, PEARL.YES SIR, YOU'RE WELCOME.

HOW WE DOING TODAY?

OH, FINE THANK YOU.

WHAT DO WE GOT, PEARL?

GIBLET STEW AND HOMEMADE JOHNNY CAKES WITH MOLASSES.

AH... WE HAD GIBLET STEW YESTERDAY.

YES YOU DID, PETE.

IF I GOT GIBLETS LEFTOVER AFTER SUPPER TONIGHT,

YOU'LL BE GETTING IT AGAIN TOMORROW!

HEY...

YOU GOTTA GET TO THE BACK OF THE LINE, SIR.

HEY YOU'RE A PRETTY LITTLE THING AREN'T YOU?

HOW MANY OF ME DO YOU SEE, MISTER?

LOOKS LIKE YOU COULD DO WELL WITH SOME COFFEE.

YOU GONNA PUT A LITTLE SUGAR IN IT?

THIS FELLA BOTHERIN' YOU MISS?

HEY, WHY DON'T YOU MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS?

[GRUNTING, MEN SHOUTING]

[LAUGHTER]

[POURING, LAUGHTER]

AFTER THAT WE UH...

WELL WE BECAME REAL CLOSE IF YOU GET MY MEANING.

DID YOU LOVE HER, JOE?

♪♪

COULDN'T HELP MYSELF.

SHE WASN'T LIKE ANY OTHER WOMAN YOU'D EVER MEET.

[LAUGHS]

AND AS PRETTY AS A PICTURE.

SO YEAH, I DID.

ANYWAY, THINGS WERE GOING WELL FOR US THERE IN MAMMOTH.

TILL ONE DAY THINGS STOPPED GOING SO WELL.

WHAT'S GOING ON?

YOU DIDN'T HEAR?

THEY CLOSED THE MINE DOWN AS OF TODAY.

JOE: MAMMOTH TURNED INTO A GHOST TOWN OVER NIGHT.

PEARL WAS OUT OF WORK AND THEN THINGS GOT EVEN WORSE FOR HER.

"DEAR SISTER, I MUST SHARE SOME UNPLEASANT NEWS.

OUR MOTHER HAS BECOME QUITE ILL AND IS REQUIRING CONSTANT CARE.

I'M WRITING TO IMPLORE YOU TO HELP US WITH MOTHER BY SENDING

WHATEVER MONEY YOU ARE ABLE.

SHOULD YOU WISH TO SEE HER BEFORE SHE LEAVES US,

YOU SHOULD MAKE HASTE.

AND GOD BLESS AND PROTECT YOU, MY DARLING SISTER."

[THUNDER]

JOE: YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IT'S HUMAN NATURE THAT WHEN GOOD

FOLKS GET BACKED INTO A CORNER, ANY A MAN, OR EVEN A WOMAN,

CAN BECOME DANGEROUS.

AND IF I'D HAVE KNOWN WHAT PEARL WAS GONNA GET US INTO I WOULD'VE TURNED TAIL AND RUN.

♪♪

[THUNDER]

[RAIN POURING]

PEARL, COME ON IN OUT OF THE RAIN.

[RAIN POURING]

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, JOE.

I DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY TO SEND AND...

I DON'T HAVE THE TRAIN FARE TO GET BACK BEFORE SHE PASSES.

[THUNDER]

IT BREAKS MY HEART THAT YOUR MAMA WOULD PASS WITHOUT

YOU THERE TO SAY GOODBYE.

♪

I WISH THAT I COULD HELP YOU PEARL, BUT...

I'M IN BAD SHAPE MYSELF MONEY WISE.

♪♪

WELL...

MAYBE THERE IS A WAY YOU COULD HELP, JOE.

HOW'S THAT?

YOU REMEMBER WHEN THAT GLOBE TO FLORENCE STAGECOACH

PASSED US LAST WEEK ON OUR WAY TO KING SPRINGS?

YEAH.

AND YOU SAID THEY STOPPED THERE AT THE SPRINGS TO

WATER THEIR HORSES, RIGHT?

AND YOU REMEMBER YOU TALKING ABOUT HOW NO ONE'S RIDING

SHOTGUN ANYMORE?YEAH...

ON ACCOUNT OF AIN'T NOBODY ROBBIN' STAGECOACHES NO MORE.

IT'S TRAINS THAT'S HAULING AROUND ALL THE MONEY THESE DAYS.

WELL...

MAYBE IT'S TIME YOU AND ME BRING BACK A FINE, OLD TRADITION.

SURE COULD SOLVE A LOT OF OUR PROBLEMS, JOE.

YEAH AND IT CAN GIVE US A WHOLE BATCH OF NEW ONES.

ONLY IF WE GET CAUGHT.

♪♪

SO LET'S NOT GET CAUGHT.

JOE: THAT'S WHEN I SHOULD'VE JUST PACKED UP AND BEEN

ON MY WAY BUT...

OLD PEARL HAD A WAY OF PULLING YOU IN.

♪

[GUN COCKS]

♪

♪

[SCISSORS SNAP]

♪

♪

SO DID YOU TRY TO TALK PEARL OUT OF THIS PLAN?

[CHUCKLING]

WASN'T IT OLD ABE LINCOLN THAT SAID WE SHOULD LISTEN

TO OUR BETTER ANGELS?

WELL MINE MUST'VE FLOWN THE COOP THE DAY I AGREED

TO GO ALONG WITH PEARL.

♪♪

STOP SHOWING OFF PEARL.

I NEVER SEEN NOBODY SO EXCITED ABOUT ROBBIN' A STAGECOACH.

WELL, IT'S MY FIRST TIME JOE.

FIRST TIME'S ALWAYS EXCITING.

♪♪

[STAGE COACH APPROACHING]

[HORSE BLOWS]

♪

♪ [SUSPENSE]

♪

[EXHALING]

♪

♪ [SUSPENSE]

[HORSES TROTTING]

♪

WHY ARE WE SLOWING DOWN?

THIS MUST BE KING SPRINGS.

DRIVER NEEDS TO WATER THE HORSES.

♪

♪ [SUSPENSE]

[GUNS COCKED]

HANDS UP!!

HANDS IN THE AIR, MISTER!!

♪♪

I THINK WE'RE ABOUT TO GET ROBBED.

LOOKS LIKE A MAN AND A YOUNG BOY WITH 'EM.

DON'T YOU MOVE.

STAY THERE.

YOU DO ANYTHING FUNNY AND I'LL SHOOT.

GOOD MORNIN' FOLKS.

WHY YOU AIN'T NO BOY.

YOU'RE A LADY.

WELL THAT'S NICE OF YOU TO SAY MISTER, BUT I'M SURE THERE'S

SOME FOLKS WHO'D BEG TO DIFFER.

ABOUT ME BEING A LADY, I MEAN.

NOW IF YOU WOULD ALL BE SO KIND AS TO CLIMB OUT OF THERE FOR ME.

AND EITHER OF YOU FELLAS HAS A PISTOL YOU'RE THINKING

ABOUT REACHING FOR, I'D DISCOURAGE THAT.

LET'S GO.

COME ON.

COME ON, MISTER.

NOW...

I'D LIKE YOU TO GET OUT ANY CASH AND ANY OTHER VALUABLES FOR ME.

AND WHAT IF WE DON'T?

[GUNSHOT]

YOU SAY SOMETHING MISTER?

NO MA'AM.

HEY, YOU'RE A WOMAN!

YES, I DO BELIEVE WE'VE ESTABLISHED THAT.

WOULD YOU MIND HOLDING OPEN THIS BAG FOR ME WHILE THESE

KIND FOLKS DONATE TO OUR CAUSE.

♪

COME ON.

♪♪

WATCH.

♪♪

THAT'S ALL I GOT, MISTER.

UH, I MEAN MISS.

EVERY LAST CENT, I SWEAR.

WHAT DO YOU GOT?

♪

♪

DON'T NONE OF Y'ALL MOVE.

STAY RIGHT THERE.

WAIT, JOE GIVE ME THREE DOLLARS.

WHAT DO YOU WANT THREE DOLLARS FOR?

JUST GIVE IT TO ME.

COME ON, COME ON.

♪

ONE FOR YOU, ONE FOR YOU, AND ONE FOR YOU MISS.

Y'ALL HAVE A NICE DAY NOW.

♪

SO WHAT KIND OF ROBBER GIVES BACK MONEY THEY JUST STOLE?

WELL SEE NOW I WONDERED THAT AT THE TIME.

NOW THAT WAS PEARL'S SWEET SIDE SHOWIN'.

I REMEMBER I SAYS TO HER, "PEARL YOU KNOW WHAT THREE

DOLLARS COULD BUY US?"

AND SHE SAYS TO ME, "I KNOW THAT THREE DOLLARS

COULD BUY THEM A HOT MEAL WHEN THEY GET TO TOWN."

THAT WAS PEARL FOR YA.

SHE'D STEAL YOUR HEART ONE MINUTE,

STEAL YOUR WALLET THE NEXT.

[LAUGHS]HOW MUCH MONEY DID YOU GET AWAY WITH ANYWAY, JOE?

$436.

[WHISTLES]

WELL, MINUS THE THREE.

MM.

NOT A BAD DAY'S WORK.

NOTHING WORTH THROWING YOUR LIFE AWAY FOR.

♪♪

♪ [SUSPENSE]

UH-UH.

♪

[GROANS]

HEY, HEY DON'T DO NOTHING STUPID NOW.

HEY!

A LOT OF MEN'LL HAVE A PROBLEM KILLING A WOMAN.

I AIN'T ONE OF 'EM.

[GRUNTS]

♪

♪

♪ [SUSPENSE]

UH-UH.

♪

HEY, DON'T DO NOTHING STUPID NOW.

[GRUNTS]

♪

♪

♪

[LAUGHS]

I REMEMBER HOPING SHE'D GET AWAY.

THAT'S HOW BAD I HAD IT FOR THAT WOMAN.

LOVE CAN DO FUNNY THINGS TO A MAN.

FUNNY MAYBE.

BUT I WEREN'T LAUGHING FOR LONG.

TELL ME ABOUT THE TRIAL JOE.

[LAUGHS]

WELL, IT'S WHAT I'D CALL A MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE.

PEARL TURNED ON THE WATERWORKS FOR THE JURY, TOLD THEM SHE

WAS JUST TRYING TO RAISE MONEY TO GET HOME TO SEE HER

MAMA BEFORE SHE DIED.

AND THEN, SHE CLAIMED THE WHOLE THING WAS MY IDEA.

[LAUGHING]

AND THEY FOUND HER NOT GUILTY.

THE JUDGE WAS NONE TOO HAPPY ABOUT THAT, THOUGH.

SO HE GAVE HER FIVE YEARS FOR TAMPERING WITH THE U.S. MAIL.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

[LAUGHS]

JURY FOUND ME GUILTY.

JUDGE GAVE ME 30 YEARS.

NOW YOU TELL ME THAT'S FAIR.

AS SOON AS THE STORY OF THE HOLD UP GOT OUT EVERY REPORTER

AND PHOTOGRAPHER IN THE COUNTRY CAME TO SEE HER.

THE BANDIT QUEEN THEY CALLED HER.

YEAH, I HAD ANOTHER NAME FOR HER...

WASN'T QUITE SO NICE.

♪

THANKS WARDEN, THAT'LL MAKE A SWELL PHOTO.

YOU SEEM TO BE GETTING AN AWFUL LOT OF ATTENTION LATELY, MISS HART.

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? WELL...

MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I SHOWED THEM THAT A WOMAN CAN DO

ANYTHING A MAN CAN DO.

YOU MEAN LIKE GOING TO PRISON FOR ARMED ROBBERY?

HEY PEARL, YOU EVER SHOT A MAN?

NOT YET.

OH, THE WARDEN, HE LOVED ALL THE ATTENTION SHE WAS GETTING.

BECAUSE THAT MEANT THAT HE WAS GETTING ATTENTION TOO.

SHE GOT WHAT YOU MIGHT CALL PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT.

MM-HMM.

AND YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE HOW SHE GOT OUT OF PRISON.

♪

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO THANK YOU WARDEN.

YOU'VE BEEN AWFULLY KIND.

WELL, YOU CAN THANK ME AND THE GOVERNOR BY NEVER

COMING BACK TO THE ARIZONA TERRITORY.

YES SIR, YOU HAVE MY WORD.

I'M DONE WITH ARIZONA.

I THINK ARIZONA'S DONE WITH ME TOO.

NOW IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY...

PEARL FOUND HERSELF WITH CHILD A COUPLE YEARS

INTO HER PRISON SENTENCE.

SEE NOW, THE WARDEN DIDN'T WANT THAT KIND OF ATTENTION.

THE GOVERNOR DIDN'T EITHER.

SO HE GRANTED HER A FULL PARDON.

AFTER PEARL WAS RELEASED I WAS...

WELL I WAS MADDER THAN A BOILED OWL.

I MEAN SHE GETS ME INTO THAT MESS AND THEN AFTER A COUPLE

OF YEARS SHE'S JUST FREE TO GO ON HER OWN MERRY WAY?

AND I'M THERE FOR 30 YEARS?

NO SIR, THAT AIN'T FAIR MR. MASTERSON.

ANY REGRETS?

♪

I JUST GOT ONE REGRET IN LIFE.

AND THAT'S THE DAY I LAID EYES ON PEARL HART.

♪

BAT, V/O: BORN IN CANADA, PEARL HART LEFT HER REFINED

WORLD BEHIND FOR THE ADVENTURE OF THE AMERICAN WEST.

HART WAS THE FIRST WOMAN TO EVER ROB A STAGECOACH.

HER STORY FASCINATED THE PUBLIC.

NEWSPAPERS AROUND THE COUNTRY RAN POSED PHOTOS OF HART

THAT WERE TAKEN WHILE SHE WAS STILL BEHIND BARS.

JOE BOOT WAS SENTENCED TO THIRTY YEARS IN PRISON,

BUT ESCAPED AFTER JUST THREE.

HE WAS NEVER APPREHENDED BY THE AUTHORITIES.

♪

♪

♪

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