Original subtitles

(upbeat orchestral music)

- Makes you feel kinda small, doesn't it?

- Yeah.

Looks like the beginning of the world.

- More like the end of it.

- How long do you suppose it's been like this?

- Millions of years.

- You know, when I was a kid, I knew an old guy,

lived to be 94.

His hands were all wrinkled with rheumatism.

I used to think he was the oldest thing in the world.

- [Tod] That was a different world, that's all.

- Short cut, huh?

- It's what the man said.

You take the short cut and I'll take the long way,

♪ And I'll get to Canada before you

(light orchestral music)

- Just sit there and let that car run right into you.

Get yourself sued.

- Hey what's a matter with you two?

- What did ya have to stop for?

He was just going to move.

- Sorry, we lost our heads.

Three to one on the donkey.

No bet.

- He's not a donkey, he's a mule.

Come on, you're making a spectacle of yourself.

- It's the wrong approach, he's got no shame.

- You don't have to make remarks.

He understands every word you're saying.

- Well, in that case we better M-O-V-E.

- I-I-G-H-T.

- Nice game you've got there, have fun.

- They think they're so smart.

Listen, Overjack, you have to understand.

You don't come with me now, you'll die.

Can't make it any plainer than that.

That's it, come on.

(gentle orchestral music)

(upbeat orchestral music)

- Well now, this letter from Tom Harrison,

could be a letter of recommendation or couldn't be.

Depends.

Which one of ya's Buz?

- That's me.

- Says here you're fast with your hands.

Doesn't say at what.

- Well, Mr. Harrison, he left that open.

- Wouldn't be you cleaned up on his foreman,

Jim Cutler?

- There was a little misunderstanding.

- Who won?

- Well, like Mr. Harrison says, Buz is pretty good with

his hands, anyway, we understood that the only

qualification for this job was to be good

with our seats.

- [Man Wearing Hat] You ride?

- More or less.

- More for him, less for me.

- Let's have a look.

- Oh just think of all those wasted hours in the

smoke filled pool rooms at 10th Avenue.

When you could have been out in Central Park

with the real people, learning to ride a horse.

You could have been up here with me.

(laughing)

- I see you got him back on his feet.

- Mr. Moorecraft?

It's Homer Paige, Mr. Moorecraft.

- Homer Paige and friend!

- Don't make jokes about things you don't understand.

- Afternoon, Homer.

- Afternoon, Mr. Moorecraft.

- How are your brother and sister?

- They're fine, I didn't come here socially, Mr. Moorecraft.

I came to sell Overjack.

- Oh, well,

I don't know, Homer.

- I'm not especially concerned about the price.

So, we shouldn't have any trouble about that.

- Well, it's not the price, exactly, Homer.

We don't use many mules anymore.

Just about all horses now.

- Oh.

Thank you very much anyway.

Come on, Overjack.

- Tell ya, Homer.

I'll tell ya, (mumbles) do get somebody who remembers

the old days, and they ask for a mule.

Might be a good idea to have one around.

Take $25?

- Yes, sir.

That's your signed bill of sale.

All you have to do is add the price.

I left a place for it.

I guess this isn't the best thing we would want in

the world, but it's the best I could figure out to do.

You stay here with Mr. Moorecraft.

You belong to him now.

He's not so young anymore you know.

Whoever rents him, you make sure they understand that.

I wouldn't want anybody to get mad at him.

He's used to be treated gentle.

- Well, I expect he'll be working mostly with children

anyhow, matter of fact,

I'll see to it that way.

You want a lift home?

- No thanks, that's all right, Mr. Moorecraft.

- I'll drive out your way this afternoon anyway.

No trouble at all.

- [Homer] No thanks, God gave us legs.

- How far has he got to go?

- Eight, nine miles.

(somber orchestral music)

- I sold Overjack,

for $25.

I didn't think it was gonna be so hard.

We can use the money though.

Virgil and Helen send their regards.

I mean, I guess they would if they knew I was coming here.

They'd send their regards.

They're working very hard to keep everything going.

I think their ranch is doing just about as well

as could be expected this year.

We're doing about the same things you'd be doing

if you were here.

I'm 12 years old today.

Supposed to be pretty grown up when you're 12.

But it won't hurt anything if I come and talk to you

for another year, will it?

I'm pretty grown up in most things.

(horn honking)

- Move!

(whistling)

Come on.

(horn honking)

Your buddy!

- My buddy?

Who's idea was it to buy him?

- Well I read it in your eyes.

All I did was say what you were thinking.

I don't suppose it means anything to you

that we gotta work for nothing to pay for you.

Now move.

- Why should he?

We're the sentimental slobs.

He's a realist.

- Oh now you move.

Come on, come on.

(flouncy orchestral music)

- [Man] Hey.

- Hi.

How far are we from the Paige ranch?

- Oh you're about 10.5 miles or a mile and a half,

depending on which way you go.

- Mile and a half sounds better.

- It's a little hard to describe,

unless you're familiar with the country.

- Mylanta, Paul, aren't you gonna offer them a cool

drink of water?

They must be dying a of thirst.

- What she's dying of is curiosity.

That wouldn't be the Paige boy's mule you

got there, would it?

- We've got him or he's got us, either way.

- (chuckles) I know what ya mean.

- That's Homer's mule you got there, isn't it?

- Yes ma'am.

- You know, they're three nice children,

those Paige children.

Homer, Helen and Virgil.

From the youngest to the oldest.

Now Virgil's hardly 20, and they've been running

that place by themselves ever since (mumbles)

to the father ever since he died.

That was two years ago, last May 23rd.

You know, there's the most independent youngsters

you ever saw, won't take help from anybody.

Of course, in a matter of speaking,

they've been on their own ever since right after Homer

was born when Grace died.

Grace Paige was the mother. when she died--

- Hey, hey.

- Green, you ought to get married again.

For the sake of the children.

But then he (mumbles) because he died himself.

Two years ago last May 23rd, 11:00 in the morning.

- Mother, I don't think that the boys are interested

in the Paige family history.

- Oh dear.

- I'll tell ya what, since you're driving,

you better just follow the lane here back to the main

highway and then you turn left and go down to where

it's marked Bright Canyon and turn in there.

- Thanks, thanks for the water, too.

(flouncy orchestral music)

- Dust storm's kicking up, I do believe.

- Yeah, it's been a dry year.

(gentle orchestral music)

- Mr. Moorecraft gave me $25 for him.

- Very proud of ya, Homer.

- Virgil around?

- He went up to Bright Canyon to hunt stray.

Now you wait out here a minute and I'll call you

when you can come in.

Surprise.

- It's some middle clouds up there.

- All right, you can come in now.

- Gee, thanks, Helen.

- Happy birthday.

We'll light the candles when Virgil gets back, okay?

- Hey, come out here and see what I got.

- Calfin' season's been over almost two months.

- Well that ain't all, there's another one up there.

Homer, I figure that's God's birthday present to you.

Well, let's get this one down.

Come on, now.

All right, let's get this one penned up,

then I'm going up there, get the other one before

dust rises too high.

Come on, get up.

Come on, come on.

Did he sell the mule?

- $25.

(cows grunting)

- Overjack!

Overjack!

- Special delivery for Homer Paige.

- Overjack, Overjack!

You came back to me, you came back to me.

- Either you're fools, or you're the meanest rottenest

men I've ever met.

(intense orchestral music)

- [Helen] Please just go away.

- After I get an explanation.

- Well leave him alone, I'll give you the explanation.

This ranch,

there's been drought here for two years.

Do you see that?

That's what gives us water.

Last year we got water at 900 feet.

When suddenly it stopped.

We got 10 drops of water an hour.

We took our last savings and we drilled down

400 feet more, and water came.

You see that alfalfa across the road?

Without water it dies.

You see those steers?

Without water, they die.

And there's me and Homer and Virgil.

And that ranch is all we have.

And we don't have it anymore if we don't have any water.

Now it was done, and you undid it.

There isn't enough water here for Overjack, too.

He doesn't pull his weight here anymore

and he has to go.

Do you understand?

How many times do you think you can ask a 12 year old

boy to give up the thing he loves the most in the world?

There isn't enough water here for Overjack, too.

If you were really as ashamed as you look,

you'd take that mule back with you.

Take him right back where you got him.

- No.

I already gave him away once today.

It's not fair twice in the same day.

Couldn't I just have him for today and tonight

and tomorrow morning?

- No, Homer.

- Well, just for the rest of the day then?

- Homer it'll only get more difficult.

Before you take him back, won't you come in?

Have some coffee?

(dramatic orchestral music)

- No.

- I'm gonna give him my water.

- Homer, that mule,

he belonged to me long before he ever belonged to you.

Before you were even born.

You know that, don't you?

And last night when we all of us sat down about it,

did we put it on you, me and Helen,

to think our way?

You thought it was right last night,

either sell him or destroy him.

Can you think of anything that's been changed, Homer?

Just this once.

- Virgil?

- Hm?

Helen!

Helen, the well's gone dry!

- Maybe it'll start up again.

Maybe the washers on the pump wore out?

- Eh, we got about 19 hours of water.

- What happens after that?

- Cattle begin to die.

- Could be just the washers, Virg.

- Eh, we got 1300 feet to go down just to find out.

About 30 hours of work, day and night.

All we got is 19.

I think maybe I ought to go into the bank

and see Harvey Payson and see if we can borrow some money,

buy some water, huh?

- You might borrow some from the Pepperells.

- Oh, they got little enough without carrying us

on their backs.

Back soon as I can.

(truck ignition humming)

- God brought down boils on Job, also.

(truck ignition humming)

Come on, I'll drive ya.

(truck ignition humming)

What are you gonna do, walk?

(dramatic orchestral music)

- Now you wait here.

See that that tank is kept covered.

- Where are you going?

- For that other calf is up on Bright Hill with

the dust coming this way.

- You suppose I could borrow that horse?

(ambient orchestral music)

We came all the way up here for that?

- That calf is another head of cattle.

(calf grunting)

(ambient orchestral music)

Give me a hand, will ya?

Where do ya live?

- We just sort of move around.

- My great grandfather settled in this land in '47.

1847.

We Paige's don't move around much.

Put him right here.

- There now how would you have done that if I wasn't here?

- You'd be surprised what you can do if you have to.

- There are things that can't be done.

- Do you think we're the first generation that

ever came up against a drought?

There's always a drought.

It's part of the way things are.

- Sorry, Overjack.

- Good luck.

(knocking)

- Virgil.

- Mr. Payson.

- We're closed, but come in.

- Mr. Payson, our well broke down again.

- Can you fix it?

- I don't know.

Maybe just the washers on the pump,

but I need enough water to carry me through

until I find out.

- You go down about 1300 feet, if I remember.

- That's right.

- You need water to last you about a week?

- Well, I got 19 hours on hand.

- You got 123 head of cattle.

- 25.

Picked up a couple of late calves this morning.

- Eight gallons a day a piece.

- Six.

- Should be 10, Virgil, eight's cutting it pretty thin.

- We'll make do on six.

- 750 gallons a day, five days, that's 3750 gallons

for cattle alone.

You figure to move the cattle to the water

or truck it in?

- I wanna truck the water in.

- That means you'd have to rent a truck, too.

Five days, $35 a day.

Rental 11 cents a mile.

Who do you expect to buy from?

- Charlie Grease.

- That's about 18 miles from here.

Two trips a day, back and forth.

That's how much you need.

What's your collateral?

- My cattle.

- You know what cattle are bringing at the stock yards?

Now figuring in feed, harmonization of the land and labor,

everything, a man with 125 head of cattle this year

stands to lose $12.60 a head.

That's the only collateral I have.

- You've got your land.

Free and clear.

- In 1931, my father took out a loan for $4,700

against that land.

It took him 18 years to pay it back.

- I can't take your beef, Virgil.

- Mr. Payson, as long as I own that land,

free and clear, everything that I get for the beef,

I can give to you.

I'll pay you back that way.

- Where does that leave you, Virgil?

Where does that leave you for next year?

Now a drought can last one year, five years, 10 years.

How much longer can you hang on without going under?

- Mm-mm, not that land.

- You hang on and you hang on.

What for?

Just to push back further the day when you have to go under.

Dollars and cents and arithmetic don't make bargains.

You and Helen and Homer, all of you,

you have your lives ahead of you.

Now you ought to consider that before you dedicate

yourself to a piece of land that won't make out.

- Those cattle gonna die if they don't get water.

- You put up your land for collateral, and the bank'll

be glad to put up the money.

- [Virgil] No sir.

- Virgil, you walked in here for a loan.

I don't intend for you to walk out empty handed.

I want you to have some advice.

Don't borrow money for water.

Sell out.

They're are plenty of ranches around here big enough

to buy you out, add you on and profit by.

Plenty of 'em will offer you a fair price.

You talk about free and clear, Virgil.

That's the only way you'll ever be free and clear again.

- The day I die, the deed for that land will still

be in the name of Paige.

Thank you, sir.

(children laughing and chattering)

- I don't suppose they keep a spare bank around

just in case of an emergency.

- We're gonna pull that pipe up from that well.

We're gonna hope it's only the washers,

then we're gonna fix it.

- Meanwhile, what happens to your cattle?

- Well, we'll hope we can hang on to a few of 'em.

Hope some of 'em won't die.

(engine humming)

(wind whistling)

- Whoa!

- Motor's getting hot again.

- Shut it off.

Hold it.

It's over 210.

Give me a rag.

Ow!

Get it water.

(mule grunting)

- Homer!

Now he's your responsibility.

You take him and tie him up, and tie him up good this time.

And when you come back here I want you to water the stock.

(wind whistling)

- Hold it!

Start the motor!

(dramatic orchestral music)

- Well, it's gonna be dawn soon.

- You wanna go sleep in the house?

- Mm-mm.

(gentle orchestral music)

(mule grunting)

- Looks peaceful.

- Won't as soon as the sun comes up.

You don't know the wind in this part of the country.

In the mornings it's always quiet like this.

Then the sun comes up, the wind comes up with it.

When there's drought like there is now,

everything that isn't tied down with crops or trees

or brush begin to blow.

Sometimes it seems like half the earth is blowing

through the air.

- How do you work with all that going on?

- We don't have much choice, do we?

You better wake the others up now.

- Breakfast.

Give me a couple minutes before you wake up old Virgil, huh?

- What are you doing?

- Borrow a cup of sugar.

Ready?

(gentle orchestral music)

- Virgil will be awful sore when he finds out.

Not sure about this.

I'm not sure I can do it, either.

- Virgil's got too much pride for his own good.

- What does that mean?

- When you fall in the ocean, you holler for help.

- Not Virgil.

- How about you?

- [Homer] Morning, Mrs. Pepperell.

- Good morning, Homer.

- Well go ahead, ask her.

I'd like to speak to your husband.

- He's mending fences.

- I'll go where he is.

- Well you follow that road about a mile and a half,

till you get to the first fork.

You turn left there, and just keep on going.

He's somewhere there.

- Thank you.

Homer, you wait here for me.

- [Mr. Pepperell] Hello.

- Morning.

- How's the well coming?

- You mean you know about that?

- You know a man can't walk in a bank to borrow money

for water without everybody knowing about it,

not around here anyway.

- You mean everybody around here knows about it,

and you're just letting those kids work their hearts

out and nobody's lifting a finger to help them.

- They haven't asked for any help that I know of--

- Do they have to ask?

Does it have to come out of their mouth?

Isn't it enough to know the fix they're in?

What are you people gonna do, just let 'em go under?

- Come on over here with me.

(ambient orchestral music)

If you was to look on the map, you'll find this place

still marked as the town of Adaireville.

This is all that's left of it.

Just a dozen graves here.

4,000 years ago, there were basket makers living

up in those hills there, Indians.

But they died out, then this land was empty for awhile.

Maybe 1,000 years, a little over 100 years ago,

a community of Mormons moved in.

Well they hung on for about 50 years,

and then it got too tough for them and they moved away.

The sand, and the wind came in and covered everything.

There's nothing left here.

Not a trace of that town nor those people.

Just these few graves here.

It was never written down that people had to be

the winners here.

There's no guarantee for anyone.

Not for this town, nor for us, nor for the Paige children.

We've managed to hang on, but only

because we've helped one another.

- So who's helping those three kids now?

- You think we haven't tried?

They can have help whenever they ask for it.

But they have to ask.

- I didn't ask for anything, Virgil.

- That was my idea, and it was a bad one.

Talk about false pride, this boy was more afraid

of displeasing you by asking than he was at watching

the steers die.

What's a matter with you people?

- Hold it, get out of there, you mule!

You stay away from this water.

Get away!

- [Homer] Let him go, you're hurting him!

- Get out of here!

Get away, stay out of here.

Get out of here and stay out of here!

There's no water for that mule around here, boy.

If I catch him here again, I'm gonna kill him!

- If there's water for us, then there's water for Overjack.

He'll wonder all the way to the Pepperell's and back.

And it wasn't his fault, I didn't take charity

or a drink of water.

And Virgil's (yelling).

- You stay here, boy, you let that mule go,

you understand?

I'm responsible here and I said let him go!

(intense orchestral music)

- [Helen] Homer!

Homer!

(dramatic orchestral music) (wind whistling)

- We couldn't find any tracks.

The wind's covered them over.

- They must have gone beyond Bright Canyon.

- We'll find them, the car will be ready in a minute.

- Virgil, Homer's lost.

We've got to go look for him.

- All right.

- Please come with us.

- I can't, Helen, I've got to fix the well, otherwise

we're gonna lose the ranch.

- Sometimes you fight, Virgil.

But you get beaten.

- I can't give up.

- You've come as far as you can.

You're licked.

- You don't understand.

This earth was made for human beings.

Sure it fights, it tries not to yield.

The hand of man has got to turn it, plant it.

Bring forth food and life.

That's what we was put here for.

Whether it's easy, better, it makes no difference.

You gotta hang on.

From generation to generation.

Till that bitter earth gives itself up to your will.

- You see that rock, Virgil?

It has no choice.

It has to stand there until it's worn away.

You're a man.

You have a choice, you can move.

- Car's ready, Helen!

(wind whistling)

- Overjack!

Overjack!

Overjack!

Overjack!

(intense orchestral music)

(mule grunting)

You don't need to worry anymore.

We'll just get in one of these canyons and just sit it out.

We're gonna be all right.

Don't worry, we'll be all right.

Come on.

Come on.

Oh, come on, just a little more Overjack.

Just a little more, I promise you.

We'll get you out of this.

Come on.

Come on, Overjack.

(wind whistling)

(hollering)

- Come here.

Here's a footprint.

(somber orchestral music)

- Overjack, Overjack.

Don't worry, I won't leave you, Overjack.

I won't leave you.

I didn't leave him, Helen.

I stayed with him all the time.

I never left him.

(sobbing)

(dramatic orchestral music)

- We need help.

Oh please (sobbing).

- Looks like you're back in business again, Virgil.

- I wanna thank ya.

Well, been long, but we've come through.

- [Helen] This time.

- We come through.

What do you got to cry about, Helen?

- What about next time?

What about next year?

Virg, I don't want to fight anymore.

- Helen, we got a piece of land,

that's more than most people.

- And did you ever stop to add up the cost, Virg?

Mother was 31 when she died.

Dad was 44.

- What is it you wanna do instead?

- I want to sell out.

Don't tell me that you never thought about it.

- Helen, we had three generations of people give

up their lives for this ranch.

Not so we could sell out.

- When we found Homer,

he was just sitting there next to Overjack.

And Overjack was dead.

Homer knew it, but he just sat there because he promised

not to leave.

Promises don't belong to the dead, Virg.

They're for the living.

- Virg?

I just wanted you to know, I wasn't angry when you hit me.

I was talking to those two fellows, Virg.

They're telling me about places they've been to,

jobs they worked at.

- I know.

- I was thinking,

I don't want to live here anymore, Virg.

Place where there isn't enough water for some poor old mule.

- We got water now, Homer.

- Wasn't when Overjack needed it.

- Well, how's the car?

- It's fine, needs a bath.

Well, maybe we'll see you again sometime.

- Maybe.

I guess, I guess you fellas seen a lot of the country, huh?

- Well, it's a big country.

You have to travel a lot if you want to see it all.

- You ever been up northwest?

Oregon, say?

They tell me it's pretty lush up there.

- Never know, till you see it for yourself.

Good luck.

- Thanks, hey Mr. Pepperell!

Hold on a minute, will ya?

I need to talk to you.

(laughing)

- I don't know what we're so happy about,

we're gonna have to work for nothin' till we

pay for that mule.

(laughing)

- I guess that's it.

We didn't do too bad selling out.

We got a pretty fair price.

We got money in our pockets.

I guess the main thing, Dad,

we've got something to look forward to.

It's a little far away,

and that's a little scary.

But we're all three of us together.

There's nothing all three of us together can't handle.

That's the way I look at it.

You be well, Dad.

Good bye.

Let's go.

(blissful orchestral music)

- [Announcer] This has been a Screen Gems Film presentation

from Columbia Pictures, Herbert B. Leonard,

Executive Producer.