Original subtitles

Oh, look, antelope.

They're cows.

Ben, we're in the middle of Nevada. They're antelope.

Cows. Oh, stop being a dick in the mud.

Well, it's just I don't get it. You go to this charity auction, and of all the

trips you could have bid on, you had to wind up with this one.

Because I thought that spending the weekend with a bunch of friends at a

ranch sounded like fun.

And I hadn't thrown a party in a long time, and the money went for a good

And if luck would have it, nobody else bid on it.

There's going to be horses.

Of course there's going to be horses.

It's a dude ranch.

I don't know how to ride one.

Well, you'll learn.

I'm not going to get on one of them. Oh, Ben.

I'm afraid of them.

as well get out and stretch your legs. Oh, wow.

This is great.

Reminds me of a mini mall my ex -brother -in -law talked me into buying.

Well, this isn't good.

Dude Ranch, is it, Julie?

No, I'm sure the driver's just taking a break or something.

Yeah, that or he's looking for a fire extinguisher. Oh, Beth.

Well, let me go see what's going on.

What's the trouble?

Edge is overheating.

Any reason why?

Out of oil.

Out of oil?

Yep.

Crank case is leaking like a sieve.

How long are you going to take to fix it?

My job is to drive this bus, not fix it.

Well, what are you going to do about it? Get on the radio, tell the boss to send

a mechanic out here.

May as well make yourselves comfortable, folks.

Looks like I'm going to be here a while.

It's okay. He's got a radio.

It's not like we're going to be stranded here for days or anything.

Come on, you guys.

It'll be fun.

Now, who wants to go exploring?

I vote we find a nice shady tree and play a little game of chess.

Have a few cold ones.

Now you're talking.

Come on, let's flip around.

Want to go with us? No, thanks.

Hey, Ben, Julie, come here. You've got to see this.

You're blocking the door.

They're talking to you.

That's Ned Salem.

Card Shark's Gil Briscoe.

Must be new in town.

That's old Bob.

Dead drunk.

Same as always.

Well, well. I don't believe I've had the pleasure.

Welcome to Golden Spring, stranger.

My name's Michelle.

What's yours?

I need to talk to you.

It'll have to wait.

I'm busy.

Miss Thomas!

I just heard about Willis.

He drew on me, Conrad.

Drew on me in love.

Here's what I'm going to do, Sheriff.

First, I'm going to step over to that bar and get me a drink.

Then I'm going to go get my gun, and I'm going to come looking for you.

You do.

You're going to wind up just like your uncle.

Not that stuff.

Good stuff under here.

They'll never let him pour from them bottles up there. He'll water them down.

Thanks for the tip.

I'm Ben Matlock.

Conrad McMaster.

New in these parts?

Real new.

Where are you staying?

I don't know yet.

Any suggestion?

Julie's boarding house right down the street.

She's about to have a vacancy.

She is?

Her brother's room.

He's a sheriff.

my brother told me about.

Need a room, do you?

Matter of fact, I do.

Gonna be in town long.

I'm not really sure.

This here's your room. Cost you a dollar a day in advance.

A dollar?

That includes meals, of course.

Oh.

I'll take it.

What, some of these do?

My Lord.

I'm renting you a room, not selling you the place.

This is just fine.

Well, you got yourself room and board now for five days.

Oh. You, uh, with the railroad, mister?

Matlock. No, I'm not.

Men who carry all that cash usually work for the railroad.

Or just got done robbing it.

No, I'm a lawyer.

I'll just get you some water so you can wash up.

Actually, right now I'm more interested in using the facilities.

You know, the restroom.

The men's.

Oh, of course.

It's right out back.

I ain't gonna tell you but one time, Sheriff. If you don't stop messing in my

affairs, ten badger know you're gonna be real sorry, you hear me?

Where's the Sheriff?

At the jail.

Hey, Willis is no good troublemaker, Conrad.

He ain't worth dying for and you know it.

A man's got to do what a man's got to do.

Get your gun on.

You don't want to do this, Conrad.

You killed my uncle.

You didn't even like your uncle.

He raised me.

I owe him.

He raised you because he liked having somebody around he could kick the tar

of. Get your gun on.

In my desk.

Bottom drawer.

Some folks are just too nice for their own damn good.

Excuse me. Excuse me.

Excuse me. Can I just slip in here?

Come on, let's

go. I didn't kill him.

I didn't do it.

Somebody's got to believe me. I didn't kill him.

I'm in.

And I guess he clobbered me.

Because the next thing I know, I'm lying on the floor and he's lying across from

me with a big hole in his chest.

Where was your gun?

In my hand.

And I don't know how I got there, I swear.

Then what happened?

I got up to take a look at the sheriff, and then the deputy comes in and starts

hollering. You mean the deputy came in and saw you standing over the sheriff

with a gun in your hand?

Yes.

Oh.

Are there any lawyers in this town?

Used to, but it seems like people always get mad at them and wind up shooting.

Damn it, Willis!

If I'd have just shot at myself instead of waiting around for the sheriff to do

it, none of this would have happened. I thought he was your uncle. He's the

meanest man ever walked this earth.

Why'd you go after the sheriff like that?

Willis was family.

A man's got to do what a man's got to do.

Why is that? Why is what?

Why does a man got to do what a man's got to do?

Do you realize how many people have been killed in John Wayne movies all because

of that one line?

Men, women, children, towns, villages, forts, all wiped out because

somebody strapped on a gun and said a man's got to do what a man's got to do.

Somebody should have jerked that jackass around and knocked the living hell out

of him.

A man's got to do what a man's got to do.

If you want me to take your case, I will.

As it happens, I'm a lawyer.

How come?

I like being a lawyer. No, how come you'll take my case? You don't hardly

know me.

I don't know.

Somewhere in my mind, I feel like I do.

Well, I can't pay you much.

The fact is, I can't pay you nothing.

You don't have to pay me.

Just don't shoot me.

Any idea what time it was when you heard the shot?

I didn't hear no shot.

You didn't?

A gun this big, I'd think you could hear the shot all the way to California.

There's five bullets.

Six of them went through the sheriff and stuck in the wall there.

You are going to run ballistics to make sure the bullet came out of this gun,

aren't you?

I'm going to do what?

You're going to run a full investigation.

Conrad said he was going to get the sheriff. That's what he done.

Of course, if the sheriff had been wearing his gun, that would have been

-defense. But since he weren't, that just makes a cold -blooded murder cut

dried. Just the way a circuit court judge likes it.

Ned Taylor.

I saw him out behind the boarding house today giving the sheriff what for.

Sheriff was probably talking to him about that cattle rustling.

What cattle rustling? The rustling he thought Ned was doing.

Where can I find Ned Salem?

As ranch, I expect.

It's a lazy bee. It's about hours ride north of town.

Hours ride.

Let's be friends. Yeah.

Now, I'm kind of... I'm kind of new at this.

So, I'll... I'll take all the help I can get.

Now, you... There you go.

Now, you stay right here. And I'm still...

Stand still.

Come on. Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on. Come on.

Come on. Come on.

Come on.

Come on. Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Oh, this saddle is getting... It's getting a little hard, Brownie.

We're getting close, Brownie, but we're going to get them. Come on.

Is that anyone?

I'm Ben Matlock.

Oh, I seen you earlier in the saloon.

You know, if you come to town to buy some beef, you come to the right place.

no, no, no. I'm not buying.

I'm a lawyer.

Too bad.

Lawyers don't seem to fare too well around here.

That's what I heard.

Anyway, I'm representing the man accused of killing the sheriff.

Oh, that's a terrible thing. The sheriff was a good man.

Yeah, I understand that he suspects you of coming by some of these cattle

illegally.

I ain't no cattle rustler, and the sheriff knew it. Why, him and me was

It didn't sound like it from what I heard behind the boarding house today.

You look here.

I run a big outfit here, and I run it right.

The army over at Fort Rye wants beef. They buy it from me. I got me a

I got lots of contracts. Now, some of the ranchers don't like that, so they

to make me look bad by accusing me of things I didn't do.

Oh, yeah.

It's just that you were so mad, and then an hour later...

He was so dead.

Well, I wasn't mad enough to kill him, if that's what you're getting at.

McMasters.

Now, he was mad enough.

Briscoe, too.

Gil Briscoe? Yeah.

Sheriff threw him in the hoose gal for cheating last week just when a bunch of

miners he was looking forward to gambling with come to town. Well, Gil

was fit to be tied.

Swore he'd get even.

Oh, well, I... Appreciate the tip.

Glad to help.

Come up, Brownie.

Come up.

Come up, Brownie.

Come on. Come on. Come on.

You ain't going to do this for a whole hour, are you? Are you, Brownie?

Hey, Mr.

Briscoe. Hey, Ben Matlock.

Oh, yes, of course.

Word gets around fast in Golden Springs, Mr. Matlock.

Pleased to meet you. Yes.

You know, I don't think I've ever seen a lawyer up close before.

Not a live one, at least.

Oh.

I'd like to ask you some questions.

Where are you from?

Atlanta. They play five -card draw down in Atlanta?

Thought I got to ask you some questions.

Well, nothing loosens my tongue quite like a game of cards, that's all.

Oh.

$2 .80.

Well, you're not going to cheat, are you? I have never cheated at cards in my

life, and I never will. That's God's honest truth, Mr. Matlock.

Is that why the sheriff threw you in jail last week?

He threw me in jail because I was showing what he considered to be an

interest in his sister.

Cards.

Accusing me of something I never did and temporarily depriving me of my

livelihood was his clever way of telling me to stay away from it.

Oh, I bet that made you mad.

Yes, it did.

What you didn't stay away from?

Ray's.

No, I didn't.

Why, he wound up dead an hour later?

Looks like everybody but you and me is folded.

What you got?

Three fives.

Three ladies.

Where were you around 1 .30 this afternoon?

I'm afraid you're gonna have to ante up before I answer that.

You've taken everything I've got.

Then our conversation...

Though it has been my pleasure.

It's over.

Well, hello, Ben.

I've been expecting you.

You have?

I have.

I've heard all about you.

And I just assumed in time you'd hear all about me.

Hey, let me help you get more comfortable.

I just came up here to talk.

I gambled all my money away. I mean, every penny.

Poor thing.

What I mean is, I can't pay you.

Oh, well, sure you can.

Look, you've got these nice silver cufflinks.

Oh, this beautiful gold pocket watch.

Why, if all I took around these parts was cash, I'd have gone out of business

years ago.

I wanted to ask you about the sheriff.

What about him?

What do you want to talk to me about?

Same thing you always wanted to talk about.

My leaving.

He was the only man in town who wasn't pleased his pie had settled here.

Of course, that's because he was the only man in town who hadn't availed

of my services.

He would have eventually if he hadn't had such a prude for a sister.

I will just eat this right off. I just came up here to talk.

And now that we've talked, I just soon leave.

See, I'm kind of a prude myself.

Wait a minute.

I'll walk you out.

It's not often I get to be seen with a lawyer.

Just hope nobody shoots you.

Hey, are you Michelle?

I am.

What's your name?

Blue. Just came down from Hollister. Buy you a drink?

No, you didn't come all the way from Hollister just to buy me a drink, now

you, Blue?

Hold it, Michelle.

I'm here to see you right now. Hey, what's your turn? Stay out of this.

AHHHHH!

Bob? Bob!

Are you alright?

Some coward.

You ask you is that fair?

I say we do something about it.

And I say we do it now.

Unlock it, Tom.

Miss Julia, you know I can't do that.

You owe my brother, Tom.

Or did you forget how he saved your hide that time Lenny Canfield come out after

you for accidentally shooting his own son?

Judge Ogilvie has already been sent for. All right, now if he gets here and he

finds Conrad has already been hung, there's going to be hell to pay. And I'm

going to be the one paying it. Excuse me, excuse me, let me through, let me

through. Excuse me, let me, let me just through. Come, watch your feet, let me

through.

You can't do this.

Of course I can.

He killed my brother.

It just looks like he killed your brother.

Well, that's good enough for us, isn't it?

All right, all right, all right, all right.

You want to string him up?

Okay.

But two points.

One, I'm his lawyer and he deserves a fair trial.

And two, I'm a customer at your place of business, your boarding house.

And that's a conflict of interest.

and might be viewed as against the law.

All right, everybody out.

Out. Out.

Hope you like beans, Mr. Matlock, because that's what you're going to be

for lunch.

And dinner, more likely.

Breakfast, too.

there for a second i thought she was too i i rode out to ned salem's place and

he said all this cattle rustling stuff just a rumor well all i know is some

cowboy swore he saw a bunch of steers with a broken rock and brandon with ned

salem's herd why didn't the sheriff take a look himself well he did he wrote

that the same day the only brand he saw in salem's herd was salem's this cowboy

what's his name rudy sims

You know where I can find him?

We don't happen to be the first ones there.

Rudy Sims?

Yeah. I'm Ben Matlock.

Boy, that was some brawl, wasn't it?

I remember seeing you there.

Well, I spend most of my time under a table. I have this strong sense of self

-preservation.

I'm trying to help Conrad McMasters prove that he was not the one who shot

sheriff. I'm his lawyer.

Yep. Well, I hear that you told the sheriff that you thought Ned Salem had

stolen some capital.

Yep, that's right.

You want to tell me how that happened?

Well, you know, the last time it rained, about a week ago.

Actually,

I'm kind of new in town, so no, I don't.

Go on.

Well, I was riding watch around midnight, northern flank of the herd,

always, when the rain started.

Let me tell you, bored.

So hard I couldn't see two feet in front of my face.

Come morning when the rain let up, those pointy heads were missing.

I looked and I looked, but I'll be damned if I could find them.

And a couple days later, when I was riding by Ned Salem's herd,

This morning I saw a bunch of stairs in the Broken Rock brand mixed in with his.

So I told the sheriff.

He rode out there and took a look.

He didn't see no Broken Rock stairs.

That was the end of it.

Any idea what happened to him?

Maybe I just plummeted a mistake.

Yeah, I guess you did.

Oh, could I, uh...

Yeah, there you go.

Stand real still.

Stand real still.

Stand still now. Here I come.

Bye.

Come on, come on. Come on up here. Come on up.

May I come in?

Not if all you want to do is talk.

This time, I'm buying.

Well, what are you standing out there for? Come right in.

Well, that was some fight, wasn't it?

It was disgraceful.

I swear, I just don't know what gets into you boys sometimes.

What did Rudy want?

Rudy? The cowboy that started it.

Same thing you want.

He seemed determined to get it.

Well, some men have needs that just can't be denied.

So he was just a customer?

Just like you.

Well, not exactly.

You leaving?

Well, I said I was buying, but I didn't say what.

Bug soda with a lime.

Whiskey.

Something wrong with your drink?

Smells like stain remover.

Want me to taste it for you?

Just don't get it. Why would Michelle pay off Rudy?

Rudy.

Now, there's a walking testimony to the goodness of man I've ever seen.

Just last week, he come walking down the back stairs from Miss Michelle's room.

Sees me lying in the alley trying to sleep in the pouring rain.

Gives me a dollar.

So as I can spend the rest of the night in the boarding house.

A man's truly a monument to charity and mercy.

Here.

Have another.

Have it all.

You're a genius.

Thanks. I always thought so.

Oh, that's all right. I'm just on my way to the boarding house.

But on second thought... On second thought... What the hell?

I've been riding so much lately, I've got bruises in places I've never seen.

This is a much more civilized way to travel.

You're rigged?

Uh -huh.

When I go somewhere, I like to go in style.

You like it?

Yeah, it's nice.

I need cushions the real nice.

Well,

here we are.

Well,

thanks for the lift.

Should have known you two'd get together.

Why, Miss Julie, I do believe you're jealous.

scene was Conrad standing there with his gun in his hand.

The next thing he seen was the sheriff, shot through the chest, dead as Moses.

Wasn't wearing his gun or nothing.

Where was his gun?

Bottom desk drawer.

Yeah, Conrad come in and shot him before he could even get it open.

Objection. Witnesses speculating.

I know that.

Sit down.

Well, what about them?

Well, they ain't standing up. I mean, aren't you going to tell them to

what he just said?

is asleep.

Other half wouldn't know what I was talking about if I told him.

Now, sit down.

But, Your Honor.

I've had about enough of you, Mr. Matlock.

I gotta be in Carson City come sundown because at sunup I gotta preside over

Buck Macy's trial because if he ain't hung pretty quick, them outlaws he's

running around with is gonna bust him out of jail and a whole lot of people

gonna get killed in the process.

Now, I can't get down there if you keep jumping out of your chair every ten

seconds like some jackrabbit.

You sit down!

How many times was the sheriff shot?

Once. And there was only one bullet missing from Conrad's gun.

Thank you. You can go sit.

What about my cross -examination?

I don't want a cross -examination.

Anybody else got anything to say? Yes, sir.

I called somebody else to the stand.

Who?

Michelle Thomas.

Don't tell no family secrets.

Mr. Jeff?

We can land you.

I suppose a woman in your profession gets to know the cowboys around here

well.

That's one way of putting it.

What they do, where they work, when they ride watch.

Most of them got better things to do when they're with me and talk about

jobs, Mr. Bell.

Yeah. But they tell you, though, don't they? Sometimes when they're down here

having a drink, especially when they ride watch.

Then you pass that information along to Ned Salem, and then between the two of

you, you decide which cowboy you'll lure up to your room. And while he's busy

with you up there, Ned Salem and his boys are busy helping themselves to the

cattle that cowboy is supposed to be watching, aren't they? That's the

notion I've ever heard.

It's so crazy it worked every time, didn't it?

Ned would sell the cattle right away and give you your cut, and nobody ever

knew. because the cowboys you got up to your room were too embarrassed or afraid

of being fired to say anything.

Until Rudy came along. Now, as it happened, Rudy was with

you instead of watching the broken rock herd that night it rained last week.

But a couple of days later, he came across some of those stolen cattle.

Only by now they were part of Ned Salem's herd. So Rudy told the sheriff

thought you and Ned were in cahoots. Then the sheriff confronted you, and

thereafter, you shot him.

Me? Shoot somebody?

Why, I wouldn't even know which end of a gun to point.

And then, then Rudy confronted you.

But you couldn't shoot him right there in your room. You wouldn't have anybody

to frame.

So you paid him off.

with a solid gold candlestick made him promise to keep his mouth shut about the

cowboys, your relationship with Ned Salem, and everything else. And he was

prepared to do that until last night when I explained to him

what perjury means.

Now, if I put him where you're sitting, Miss Thomas, he's not going to lie.

Mr. Batlock, I don't reckon that... Half the people in this room know what the

word conjecture means.

But I do.

And I've had enough.

Now, either you prove what you're saying or stop saying it. And sit down. Prove.

Right. Prove.

Believe it or not, that's just what I was coming to.

Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. Hold it.

Everything's all right. Everything's fine.

See, that's just Bob shooting Conrad's gun off over at the J.

Order!

Order! Order in the corner! Everybody back here!

Everybody back here and sit down!

I've always wondered why nobody heard the fatal shot.

Yet you all heard that shot just now. You even had a pretty good idea where it

came from.

So why didn't anybody hear it then?

I'll tell you.

Here's why.

Would you tell the judge what this is, Tom?

Well, it looks like one of those cushions off of Miss Michelle's buggy.

right.

Jake King watched me take it off her buggy over at the livery stable this

morning, didn't you, Jake?

And this is why you didn't hear the shot.

The other afternoon when Conrad came in here wearing his gun looking for the

sheriff, you went and got this cushion, didn't you?

And you also got a gun.

And you went over to the sheriff's office, and not only was the sheriff

alive, but Conrad was unconscious.

And you saw your opportunity.

And you put your gun into this pillow and fired through it so no one could

the shot and come around him.

And then, with the sheriff dead, you walked over to Conrad, took one bullet

of his pistol, and put the gun in his hand.

Then you slipped out without anybody seeing you. And finally, you put this

cushion back in your buggy.

thinking no one would notice.

But I noticed.

Yesterday.

When you were so kind to give me that ride.

Order!

Order!

All right, don't nobody move.

Now, sit here, young lady. Sit down!

Now, I'm leaving here, and if anybody tries to stop me, the lawyer here gets a

bullet.

Get out of my way.

Nope. I'll kill him. I swear I will. I got nothing to lose. Let her go.

She makes a good point, Tom.

Move. Nope.

No.

Ben,

are you all right?

That sign came loose and whacked you on the head.

You're alive.

Of course I'm alive.

You've been out cold, Ben.

Mechanic's here.

Wait, wait, don't get up. You should rest.

That's okay, I can get... I can get plenty of rest.

On the stage, coach.

No, I mean, I mean it, bud.

You think it will take for you to get us rolling again?

I don't know. Now get on the bus and sit down.

She just asked you a simple question.

Look, I gotta be in Carson City come Sunday because another one of these

broke down and if I don't fix it, there's gonna be one mad busload of

Now a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. So get on the bus and sit down.