Original subtitles

♪ [ trumpet ]

The gold rush brought ships like this one

from all over the world to the port of San Francisco.

Back then, everybody wanted to come to California,

but nobody wanted to leave.

In the year 1850, nearly 800 ships

were left stranded in a harbor

because their crews had deserted them to hunt for gold.

There was only one way to find a crew to leave San Francisco--

shanghai them.

One of those scoundrels who made his living

dealing in human cargo

became the most famous member of his profession the day of...

Morning, sailor. Welcome to Kelly's.

Just get in to San Francisco?

Yeah. Do you have a room?

Want one facing the water?

No, thanks. I've been watching the sea

all the way to Argentina and back.

I know what you mean.

How well I remember my own sailing days.

The first thing I wanted when I got into a port

was a good straight drink

and a little feminine companionship.

Am I right? You are.

Well at Kelly's, a sailor is king.

Al?

Give this gentleman the specialty of the house.

SAILOR: Well, thanks.

KELLY: Flora?

How do you like her, sailor?

Fine, but I don't even--

KELLY: Don't give it a second thought.

Flora, I'd like you to meet...

Jim. Jim Hungerford.

Say hello to my friend Jim.

He just came in on a boat from Argentina.

That's a long way from here.

It sure is.

Look, do you people always treat sailors so nice?

Only the handsome ones.

Let me buy you a drink.

FLORA: Whiskey, Al.

Got your hands on another victim, I see.

Too bad.

Looks like a nice kid.

No lectures please, Marianne.

Now, that's the way I like to see a man drink.

Down the hatch.

Boy, I'm sure glad I came here.

You gonna be around long?

Just tonight.

Tomorrow I'm headed for the gold fields.

Maybe we can change your mind about that.

No, I don't think so.

But you could try.

JIM: I guess I'm kind of tired.

Be sure nice to sleep in a real bed instead of a hammock.

I've just had my last voyage.

Oh, I've heard lots of fellas say that,

but you never can tell.

What, uh, what do you mean by that?

You never know when the sea may call you back.

Not me.

I've had my belly full of it.

Boy, my ears are ringing.

You see? It's calling you back already.

I'm dizzy.

It's that drink.

Don't worry, honey.

You just had one too many.

Yeah but I only had one.

That was the one too many.

Little too much to drink, huh?

Well, we'll put him in back and let him sleep it off.

How many does this make?

19. We need one more.

Mr. Kelly?

Yeah.

I was a guest here once. You bought me a drink.

I'd kinda like to repay you.

That's mighty nice of you.

I'll have a whiskey, Al.

The same.

You don't remember me, do you?

No, I'm afraid I--

Oh, that's all right. That's all right.

After all, you have so many guests here.

That's true.

Besides, I didn't get to stay very long.

I guess nobody stays around here very long, do they?

I don't follow you.

I met many a buck who been here.

Every one of them said he only got to stay

about time for one drink.

Down the hatch.

I don't-- I don't know what's bothering you but--

I think you know.

Me and my mates had a name for you.

We used to call you Shanghai Kelly.

[ chuckles ] Wait a minute.

I've been waiting a long time for this.

I'm going to kill you.

Now take it easy, sailor.

You've got much--

I remember you too, lady.

Soon as I get through with him,

I'm going to settle the score with you.

Now, look at it this way--

Now you listen to me.

Ever since you sold me to that ship,

I've been treated like dirt.

I had to eat slop.

I had two floggings before I jumped ship in Acapulco.

Besides, I promised my mates I'd get you,

and I never go back on a promise.

Before you do anything foolish,

maybe there's one thing that'll change your mind.

Yeah, what?

This.

Why you dirty yellow bilge rat.

I think this calls for a drink, friend.

Let's get him out in the back room.

Oh, Kelly, you could have been killed brawling with that man.

He didn't give me much choice.

I knew something like this would happen, just knew it.

Well, you might have told me about it.

I've told you a hundred times.

Look, of all the men who come in here.

One is all that it takes.

Kelly...

I'm going to ask you this for the last time,

to get out of this horrible business.

Marianne, we've been through all of this before.

I've waited for four years for you to marry me.

Now, I didn't mind waiting

when you were running a boarding house,

but when you turned to shanghaiing...

well, I told you somebody would come back and kill you,

and look what happened.

I'm still alive.

This is the last time, Kelly.

I'm through waiting.

Now, I love you,

but I'm not going to wait until somebody kills you.

Just one more year, then I swear I--

No, Kelly.

Right now.

Look, honey...

Please.

Don't you understand? I'm making money.

I can't quit now.

You'll never live to spend it.

Well I'm leaving San Francisco,

and if you love me, you'll come, too.

Don't you see, Flora?

If I don't stop him, a bullet will.

But honey, what if he doesn't come after you?

Then I'll have wasted an awful lot of time.

Where will you go?

She's not going anyplace.

Not without me.

Then you've decided to quit the business?

That's right. And we're getting married.

Oh, Kelly.

Let me be the first to congratulate you both.

Guess I'll have to look for a new job.

Well, no, not just yet.

I'll have some arrangements to make.

Have to sell the place. It'll take some time.

How much time?

There you go, doubting me again.

Well, maybe-- maybe this will change your mind.

Engagement ring.

Oh, it's just beautiful.

And you're going to be a June bride

just like you've always wanted.

Oh, June.

Why, it's June already. And you thought he was stalling.

Oh, Kelly, what's the wedding date?

June 5th.

June 5th. Oh.

That was last week.

Well, not this June. Next June.

A year from now?

I believe in long engagements.

Well, I don't.

Kelly, I could--

Would you excuse us for a few minutes?

I think my fiancé and I

are going to have a small discussion.

Sure.

There's not going to be any discussion.

You can have your ring right back.

Just one more year.

What's one more year?

It's one year out of my life and yours.

And in a year, you'll ask for another year.

Oh, I know you, Kelly.

That's impossible. If a ship comes back

with a crew that I've shanghaied, they'll kill me.

That's why I only work for ships

that are going on very long voyages.

And a ship's do back in a year, is that it?

That's right. The Vagabond.

It's due next year in June.

I've got to be gone by then.

Well, what if a ship comes back early?

Or what if a sailor jumps ship like that man today?

Today was just one of those things.

We don't have to wait. We could go now.

Haven't you got a conscience?

Why, we're no better than slavers.

Of course we are.

Take a look through that window.

What'd you see?

A lot of ships.

Yeah, too many ships.

Dead in the water like so many floating corpses.

Jamming the harbor for want of deckhands to man them.

All I'm really doing is helping them become useful again.

Now, don't say it.

Say what?

That you're really performing a great service

for San Francisco or the country

or mankind, because I don't believe it.

I'm only trying to explain.

Oh, Kelly.

Of all the men in San Francisco,

why did I have to fall in love with a shanghaiier?

I guess you couldn't help yourself.

No, heaven help me. I guess I couldn't.

Okay, Kelly.

I'll wait a year.

We'll both be very happy you did.

Excuse me, young lady.

Aren't you one of them girls from Kelly's?

Yes.

Well, I got a little problem I need to see him about.

You know about his other business, don't you?

Yes, I know all about it.

Well, my crew's supposed to report in this morning,

and none of them showed.

They never do in San Francisco.

Seems like they all got gold fever.

You know Kelly pretty good, don't you?

Too good.

How much do you think it would cost me

to get a crew of 42 together right away?

I'm sure I can't help you, Captain.

You'd have to talk to him about that.

I'll do that, ma'am.

I just thought maybe you might be able to help. Good day.

Uh, Captain?

Perhaps I could be of help.

When do you want to sail?

So he wants 42 experienced men in three days, huh?

That's what he said.

Didn't you tell him that's impossible?

Take me at least 10 days to find that many men,

and even then, most of them would be bums

who'd never been to sea in their lives.

Well, fine, I'll tell him you can't do it.

Uh, wait a minute.

There must be more to it.

What made you think I'd be interested in the first place?

Well, you seem to think you can do anything for a price.

What price?

A thousand dollars

if you can have them on time.

A thousand dollars?

Well why didn't you say so?

All right, tell him they'll be ready.

How in the world am I going to find 42 men in three days?

You didn't have to take the job, you know.

There's got to be a way.

There hasn't been that many men in here

since the time those boarders

threw you that big birthday party three years ago.

Hey, that's it.

That's it.

You've given me the greatest idea of my life.I have?

Look, get over to the newspaper office

and tell Rankin I want to see him right away.

I'm going to buy a great big ad.

Well, Rankin? He's the editor.

Fellas like that are always interested

when something unusual's going to happen.

What's going to happen?

I'm going to throw a birthday party.

A birthday party? For who?

For me.

But your birthday's not for five months.

That's what's so unusual about it. Now, get going.

Okay.Go on!

♪ [ saloon piano ]

[ crowd chattering ]

KELLY: Come on in, friends. Come on in.

There's plenty for everybody.

Hello there, I'm glad to see you.

How about a drink?

When you've finished that one, there's more up the bar.

Help yourself.

Hello there, mate.

How about one to start with, huh?

And after you've finished that, there's plenty up at the bar.

Circulate around, have a good time.

Come on in.

Well, I hope you gentlemen are having a good time.

Remember, everything today is on Kelly.

Now, that's the last of 'em.

Well, I'd hardly call them seamen.

That's the best I could do on such short notice.

Where did you get them, anyway?

I picked them up in a little bon voyageparty at my place.

Is my fee ready?

I think you'll find it all there.

I'm sure I will.

I admire a man with initiative, Mr. Kelly.

Maybe we can do business again.

See you next trip.

Well, I'm afraid I won't be around when you get back.

It's been a pleasure doing business with you.

You mean you won't be here next month?

Next month?

I expect to be back by the end of July

and I suppose I'll be needing a new crew again.

How can you get back in a month?

I'm only going to San Diego

to pick up some mining supplies.

San Diego?

You can't.

I might even get back sooner.

If you get back in a month, they'll all want to kill me.

I don't follow you, Kelly.

I only work for ships that are going on long voyages,

a year or more, China, the Far East.

But I told that young lady where we were bound for.

Marianne?

Oh, she couldn't.

She wouldn't...

She didn't...

She did.

How could you do this to me?

Do what?

You knew that boat'd be back in a month, didn't you?

Yes, I knew.

You admit it. You admit you knew it.

Kelly, I did it for you.

For me?

I'm through. I'm finished.

I've only got time to sell the place and get out of here.

Darling, I just didn't want you to get yourself killed.

Don't you see? I had to do it.

The one person in the world I really trusted,

and you sold me out.

How much did you get for doing it?

Oh, Kelly--No, I want to know.

How much did it take to make a traitor out of you?

All I wanted to be was your wife.

And I didn't want you to get yourself killed.

Couldn't wait another year, could you?

You must really be desperate.

Desperate?

Oh, I must have been.

Otherwise I might have noticed

how important money meant to you.

Well, I'm sorry if I bothered you,

and I'm sorry I ever met you.

What's everybody looking at?

The biggest fool in San Francisco, Kelly.

Yeah, I guess so.

Where will you go?

As far away from here as I can get.

Well, you'd be better off without me.

You know that, don't you?

Whole town would be better off without me.

Oh, are you leaving, too?

I can't very well hang around here

till that boat gets back from San Diego, can I?

No, I suppose not.

I'll sell the place right away and clear out.

You know, I used to think I was pretty smart,

smarter than anybody.

Truth is, I'm just about what Flora said--

the biggest fool in San Francisco,

a sucker.

I just lost the only thing that really matters to me,

and I didn't know it until I'd lost it.

What are you trying to say?

That I love you.

I wish it wasn't too late to ask you to stay.

Maybe it's not.

Would you?

I need you so much.

Oh, Kelly.

I am sorry I tricked you,

but I didn't know what else to do.

I'm not sorry.

You might call it poetic justice.

Seems entirely fitting that my wife

should catch me by shanghaiing me.

So ended the scandalous career

of the man they called "Shanghai Kelly."

He and his bride left San Francisco for good

and were never heard of again,

but he's still remembered

among the most colorful of San Francisco's rogues gallery

for that famous birthday party he gave himself.

See you next week with another true story of the Old West.