Original subtitles

Well, come on, Louie, shake a leg.

It's about time for this party to start to commence.

We got a whole heap of things to get did yet.

Bring it on. Bring it on. Bring it on.

Just put her right in there.

Right there. Yeah.

Well, that there's the last one, Louie. You done a good job.

- I'm gonna put in a word for you. - Thanks.

All right, let's get them banners up there.

You... Here. Here. Get ahold of them...

Lydia, I don't think this is gonna be near enough glasses.

Would you run and ask Sam to bring me some more, please?

- Sure, Miss Russell. - Thank you.

All right, go on, get them other over there. Get that...

Hello, Lydia.

- Apple? - Thanks.

Are you saving all your dances for me tonight?

Lots of fellas been asking.

Well, now, you know the kind of sweet talking you'll be getting.

Fences need fixing. The wells went dry.

And not enough rain for the crops. Pigs slopping.

I guess you'd be talking different?

Well, I won't be stepping on your toes.

Billy Holland, now just quit before somebody sees.

If you don't care, I won't.

I ain't no saloon girl.

Oh, you ain't no girl.

You're a woman. I can see that.

Now, that dance tonight, you and me gonna slip off by ourselves.

- What for? - Hm...

We'll take a walk, have us a talk.

Holland, you get back!

- Liddy, you get about your business. - Now, look, you two boys got no...

You get on with what you're doing!

See you tonight, Lydia.

Now, how many times do we have to tell you, stay away from our sister.

You know, I'm getting tired of listening to you pig sloppers.

- Well, you better listen! - Here, what's going on here?

Stop that! Stop it!

What in thunder's the matter with you fellas?

Uh, just a little misunderstanding, Dr. Adams, that's all.

- Well, what's your name? - Billy Holland, sir.

Otis, you and CV know better than that.

That's no way to settle anything.

We know about you, Holland, your kind.

- Stay away from Liddy. - You hear?

Well, what's the matter, pig sloppers? Huh?

One little old knife make that much difference?

Oh...

You two keep pushing on me and I am gonna carve you up... like side pork.

Hear?

♪ Bow to your corner ♪ Bow to your tall

♪ Wave how do to your ma-in-law

♪ Now, all join hands and circle to the south

♪ Little-diddle moonshine in your mouth

♪ Now, drop your host and run tail back, Injun style

♪ To your homes, swing and whirl

♪ Swing and whirl that pretty little gal

♪ Swing that gal around and around

♪ And make that big foot jar the ground

♪ Allemande left, your left hand

♪ And meet your honey with a right and left grand

♪ Meet your honey and pat her on the head

♪ If she don’t like biscuits, feed her corn bread

♪ Promenade her home

♪ To your homes and everybody swing

♪ Swing and whirl that pretty little gal

♪ First couple out to the couple on the right

♪ With the right hand crossed and shake 'em out of view

♪ Left hand back and how are you?

♪ To your homes and everybody swing

♪ Swing and whirl that pretty little gal

♪ Swing that gal around and around

♪ Let that big foot jar the ground

♪ Third couple out, the couple on the right

♪ Right hand cross and swing 'em out of view

♪ Left hand back and how are you?

♪ Pig in the pen three rails high

♪ Pop that pig and pig'll never die

♪ Allemande left to your left hand

♪ And meet your honey with a right and left grand

♪ Meet your honey and pat her on the head

♪ If she don’t like biscuits, feed her corn bread

♪ Promenade on home

♪ To your homes, everybody swing Swing and whirl that...

- Kitty. - Hello, Matt.

- How's the punch? - It's punch.

Well, it looks like you've done it again.

Well, everybody seems to be having a good time.

All right, all right. Hold on. Hold on now.

Hold on. I want you all to go get your favoritest partner,

'cause this here next is gonna be a romantical kind of a dance.

The old Varsouvianna. Put your little foot down.

- I think I'll even dance that myself. - Wait just a minute.

If you're gonna start dancin', I'm gonna leave

because with those spurs on, you're gonna cut people all up.

Oh, just hold on, you old...

Bertha, take him my turn on the floor and learn him something.

Well, just hold my hat and I'll show you something, Bertha. Thank you.

Come on, cowboy. I understand you're a pretty good dancer.

You sure you know what you're getting into?

I think so.

When we gonna move in on the girls?

See anything?

Hey, gimme some of that stuff, will you? Come on.

How am I gonna grow?

I'm still waiting for your answer.

What answer is that?

Well?

You sure talk in riddles.

You go out the back door.

And I'll meet you by the ice house.

Billy.

- Billy! - Well?

Do no such thing.

If we don't take hold of him, he's gonna come after Liddy till he gets her.

Done caught her.

You know, Jess, that daughter of yours is getting to be quite a little lady.

- What? - She's all growed up.

Well, full day tomorrow, Cal. I'll be getting on home, I guess.

Good night.

- Howdy, Mr. Fletcher. - Get your wraps, Liddy.

- Time we were getting home. - Already, Pa? But...

How's come Otis and CV don't have to leave this early?

'Cause they're growed. They're men. Come along.

Doc?

And... looks like 20 minutes after ten, Louie.

Time I was in bed. Time you were too.

Real nice punch they've been serving, Doc.

Slightly fermented too.

He thinks he's got us buffaloed with that knife.

We wouldn't wanna stay in this town

until after this little old dance is over.

We're gonna stay real late.

Tens and sixes.

Will these three girls win it?

They not only win it, they clean me.

I'm much obliged.

It got a little chilly, Sam. So I figured...

No more, Sam.

Louie, I don't want you to show up around here

until you've had a good night's sleep and something on your stomach.

- Now, I mean that. - Please, Miss Kitty.

You've had more than enough for one night.

Maybe you can let me have something

on the watch, Miss Kitty.

Hold it for a dollar.

Then I'll have money for something to eat.

Except you won't eat.

I'm sorry, Louie. The answer is still no.

Louie.

That's a mighty fine looking watch there. Where'd you get it?

My father gave it to me.

Pretty.

You don't see many around like that anymore.

It's very old.

- You wanna sell it? - Oh, no, no.

I get loans from Miss Kitty.

She holds it for me.

Then I work and get the watch back.

I'll tell you what I'm gonna do, Louie.

A sporting proposition.

Now, I never saw that watch before, right?

- Uh-huh. - Now, I'll bet there's something

very special about that watch, isn't there?

Just a watch.

Well, think a second.

What makes that watch different from most others?

- You mean... - Whoa. Don't tell me. Let me guess.

And if I'm right, I win the watch.

But if I lose, you get this bottle.

I'll go a step further.

Even if I win, you get this bottle here.

Now, either way, win or lose, you'll be coming out on top.

You mean, even if I lose...

You get the bottle.

Now, may I?

The most interesting thing about this watch is...

it plays a tune.

Now...

Well, I guess you win the bottle, Louie.

All right, cowboys, this watch is worth at least $40.

I'll take a ten to get back in the game.

Louie, what happened?

Sam, I lost my watch.

I made a bet.

You're not a very nice person.

- What? - Not nice at all.

A fool.

A fool in the forest.

Who laid him down and basked him in the sun.

And railed on Lady Fortune in good terms.

In good set terms.

A motley fool.

"Good morrow, fool," quoth I.

"No, sir," quoth he.

"Call me not fool till heaven hath sent me fortune."

And then he drew a dial from his poke,

and looking at it with lackluster eye, says very wisely,

"It is 10:00.

'Tis but an hour ago since it was nine.

And in one hour more, 'twill be 11."

When I did hear the fool thus moral on the time,

my lungs began to crow like chanticleer.

That fools could be so deep contented.

- Straight. - Nine is full.

Take the watch.

Thank you, gentlemen. It's been a real nice evening.

New Orleans, we're quitting the country.

It's a bit late for you pig sloppers to be up, ain't it?

Now, we told you to stay away from our sister.

- Go tell her. - Liddy ain't for the likes of you.

Oh, come now, you boys have been farm raised.

You know that all the talking in the world

ain't gonna stop a brood mare from kicking up her heels.

Are you likening our sister to a brood mare?

Filly got a better sound?

Come on!

- Get him! - Oh!

- He's dead, CV! - He ain't dead!

Now, let's get outta here! Leave that thing!

Will you come on?

Louie.

Louie.

Louie.

Louie.

Louie...

- Louie, what happened? - Not a nice person, Festus.

- Louie, Louie... - Holland, who done this to you?

It was... it was...

Louie.

Louie.

Not a nice person.

Not a nice person.

Louie, now I have to ask you once more,

did you kill this fella Holland?

I don't remember anything, Marshal.

Don't remember.

You stay here with him, Festus.

All I know is Louie is a very gentle man.

Well, we've all seen him drunk, but I've never seen him so drunk

he couldn't remember his own name, have you, Doc?

- No, never. - Well, I don't believe it.

- I just don't believe it. - Kitty, this fella Holland.

When he's gambling around here,

has he ever made any enemies or anything?

Well, he's not liked too much. I can tell you that.

Well, but has he ever been in any outright fights or...

- No. - Hey, wait a minute.

This afternoon there was some kind of a scuffle right underneath my stairway.

It was Holland and those two Fletcher boys.

The two Fletcher boys? What about?

Well, I don't know what it was about, but it didn't seem too serious to me.

That might have been over Lydia Fletcher.

What about Lydia?

Well, Holland's been seeing quite a bit of her.

Ah!

Ah, crossing that Berkshire with the Chester White sure was a fine idea.

You two have been dragging tail all morning.

Time you learn to keep your noses out of that bottle, if you can't hold it.

- CV, slop that other pen. - Yeah, Pa.

- I got my gut tied in a knot, CV. - Now, you listen to me.

Nobody saw us in that livery.

It was Holland's own fault, wasn't it?

Yeah, it...

- CV. Otis. - Marshal.

I want to ask you boys a couple of questions, if I could.

- What about? - Billy Holland was knifed

last night after the dance. He's dead.

Sorry to hear that, Marshal. What do you want to talk to us about?

Well, I'd understood that you and Holland had a little trouble.

- Suppose you tell me about it. - You saying we killed him?

I'm not accusing you of anything, Otis. I'm just waiting for an answer.

Well, he kept hanging around Liddy. And we just told him to quit it.

- That's all? - Yeah, that's about what we told him.

Yes, sir.

- Louie Pheeters? - That's right.

But I'm not convinced that he's the one that did it. Is your pa around?

Yeah, he's in the cellar.

Old Louie Pheeters getting the blame.

They gotta know he couldn't do nothing like that.

I sure have to agree with you.

I can't see Louie Pheeters getting mixed up in a knifing.

What's it got to do with us?

Well, CV and Otis had some trouble with this fella Holland.

Seems like they had to warn him to stay away from your daughter.

That a fact?

One thing about my boys, they do take care of their sister.

But their hands would be enough on the likes of this Holland

in keeping him away from Liddy. Don't you think so?

Well, I hope you're right, Jess.

Might have to come back and look in on you a little later.

Well, social call, you're always welcome, Marshal.

Bless us, oh Lord, for this food we're about to receive.

Bless the hands that prepared it.

- In His name, amen. - Amen.

Amen.

First I'm told my daughter's fooling around

with a saloon gambler named Holland.

Then my sons is getting after him without saying a word to me.

We just... told him, Pa, that's all.

- Why? - 'Cause he kept after Liddy.

For what reason?

The question's meant for you, girl.

What you been doing your brothers have to speak to Holland?

Pa, I don't like what you're meaning.

You just lay it out for me. There's something more here.

Pa, quit treating me like I'm ten years old.

You may be near 20, but you're not too old I can't take a strap.

Holland fella! Now, what about him?

CV and Otis, they can do most anything they want.

It's me you keep watching like a chicken hawk.

They're different.

I keep telling you what men do is an entirely different thing!

You know exactly what I mean.

If you'd just trust me like you do them,

I wouldn't have to sneak behind your back.

Behind my back?

Lydia May Ellen, what do you mean behind my...

Pa, somebody's dead and we're fightin'.

I just knew the fella, that's all.

- Matthew. - Festus.

- Where you been all mornin'? - Oh, I been out at the Fletcher's.

Louie, I got some good news for you.

I stopped by Cal Haines' place on the way back.

- You remember him, don't you? - Yeah.

Well, he's the best lawyer in these parts

and he's gonna defend you at your trial.

- Trial? - Well, yes, Louie.

You see, Judge Brooker and the state prosecutor are coming in today.

I kept hoping there was some kind of a mistake.

A trial.

I'm beginning to have a bad feeling about it all.

Look, CV, Marshal coming out here if they're blaming Louie Pheeters,

that's what keeps worrying me.

It's the marshal's job to ask around.

If only Holland didn't have that knife.

Punching him around was all we was aiming to do.

It's not our fault that he got stuck the way he did.

I'm not gonna think about it anymore, and you either.

But Louie Pheeters is in jail!

Will you stop worrying about Louie Pheeters?

Nobody's gonna believe he did it.

He's gonna get off clear and so are we.

How do you know that? How do you know?

Well, I told you I'm not gonna...

- Liddy. - Liddy!

Liddy!

Liddy! Now look, you gotta understand something, Liddy!

- It was nothing we wanted to do! - Let go of me!

- Liddy! - Come back here!

Liddy!

- Liddy! - Let us in, Liddy.

- Liddy, you come out here! - Listen to us, Liddy!

Liddy!

Open up, Liddy!

What's going on?

I said, what's going on?

Liddy!

Lydia May Ellen, you open this door!

Now, I've had just about all the lies I'm gonna stand for around here.

I don't get told what's going on, there's not a one of you too old

to feel some leather on your backsides.

You gotta tell Pa.

Tell me what?

CV.

Otis.

You tell me! Now!

It was a accident, Pa. Nothing we meant to do.

We was gonna teach Holland a lesson, but he pulled a knife.

What... what?

It was us, Pa. It was us with Holland.

We was wrasslin' around.

And the next thing we know, the knife was in Holland, and he was dead.

So we ran.

Why didn't you tell Matt Dillon?

Scared, I guess.

It was a plain accident, Pa.

But nobody'd believe it.

Old Doc Adams saw us fighting with Holland

a couple of hours before the dance.

Pa, you know they won't convict Louie Pheeters.

No.

Wait a minute!

I gotta puzzle this out.

Pa, Louie Pheeters is in jail for something he didn't do.

You hush your mouth! You started this!

- You took up with Holland! - Now, wait a minute, Pa.

I told you to shut up.

Your brothers are worth a dozen like Holland.

A dozen like Louie Pheeters if you want to know.

Here, Otis and CV try to do what's right.

God knows what you've been up to.

That's right, think the worst of me. Just keep thinking of me like I was a...

What are you, Lydia?

I'm a woman, Pa. A woman. Now, that's something you have to face.

A woman makes sense. She don't go around flittin' up her heels.

Pa, it's time I do as I like!

You were wrong.

Wrong.

I believe you're right about Louie Pheeters.

I don't think they're gonna hold him.

We'll do nothin' for the time being.

Now, confound it, I don't want any more pictures taken in here!

Get that camera outta here!

For the rest of you, take your hats off!

Settle down! No smoking! No talking! No chewing!

Or I'll clear this court!

All right, Mr. Haggen.

Well, this here fella Holland was a-sayin' Louie's name,

but the onlyest reason he was 'cause Louie was a-standin' there.

Don't you see?

No further questions of this witness.

And then Miss Russell said Louie wasn't to have any more to drink.

Continue.

Well, there's not much to say, except Louie did get more to drink

- when Holland won his watch. - When Holland did what?

Well, he didn't really win it. But he tricked Louie out of it.

Now, let me get this straight.

Did Louie Pheeters and the deceased have an argument, in fact,

that night in The Long Branch?

Oh, not an argument, Your Honor.

Now, Louie didn't like Holland walking off with his watch,

but that's all there was to it.

Nobody walked off with my watch, Sam.

I got it here. I always had it.

Mr. Pheeters, I wanna hear from you... any way you wanna tell it,

your version of how you obtained your watch.

I never knew I didn't have it.

Mr. Pheeters, weren't you angered with Holland when he took your watch?

But I don't remember anything.

Mr. Pheeters, I find it hard to believe

that you cannot remember anything from that night.

I suggest that you waited outside in the street for Holland

and followed him down to that livery. And there you killed him for that watch.

- Mr. Pheeters? - Yeah?

What happened that night in the livery stable?

Mr. Pheeters, did you or did you not kill Bill Holland?

Well? Did you kill him?

Maybe I did.

Thank you, Sam.

Five years in the state penitentiary. I just can't believe it.

Well, Kitty, Judge Brooker says he still might be able

to come up with something, but Louie, in the meantime's,

gonna have to stay in jail, might be as long as six months.

Six months?

Good heavens, Matt, one month would destroy Louie's will to live.

And five years...

Well, it's a death sentence, what it is.

Well, Judge Brooker's staying over tonight.

Were gonna go over the whole testimony.

He says he might possibly be able to find some kind of loophole.

- You mean like a mistrial? - Yeah, something like that, Kitty.

He says he might be able to get him off on the grounds

of being incompetent to testify on his own behalf.

Let me tell you something.

There's been an awful lot of time and money wasted around here.

And Louie Pheeters is over in that jailhouse of yours dying right now!

And I know it's impossible for Louie to kill anybody.

Festus.

Festus.

Festus.

- Yeah, Louie? - What time is it, Festus?

Oh, must be pretty near 2:00.

Maybe three hours to light.

And the prison wagon will be here at dawn, won't it?

Afraid it will.

I keep hearing sound, shadows.

- And sometimes there's... - Louie.

You gotta try to get that outta your mind.

Festus, let me out!

Louie, I can't do that.

I promise... I promise to come back to the jail.

Please, Festus!

It's the most important thing in my whole life. Just...

I'll be back before the prison wagon gets here.

I promise!

Louie, you just ain't got no idea what you're askin' of me.

No idea.

Be light soon.

- What do you think you're doing? - I'm leaving.

Leaving is it? Leaving going where?

I don't know where. What difference does it make?

It makes a lot of difference to me.

No daughter of mine is gonna tell me she's leaving my house...

Will you listen while I'm talking?

Pa, you don't see what we're doing? You don't see the wrong of it?

Stop this!

Pa, a man's going to prison, maybe die there.

My sons are not swinging from any rope.

Or were you planning on turning them in?

No, I can't do that. That's why I'm leaving.

You're not doing that either.

Now, you get in there and get some food up.

You're gonna listen to me while I do some talking.

- Pa! - Now, get in there!

I've got something to say to all of you.

A man lives out his life, has to make compromises.

Sometimes you do things you don't want to do.

But you do them because if you didn't...

you don't survive.

That's right. Survive.

Your ma is buried out there

on land worked for our children.

She died for this land.

She died for you, her children.

Now, someday I'll be dying too.

But I'll know that a life's work is being turned over to my children.

Haven't heard Louie Pheeters' name mentioned yet.

Because he doesn't matter.

The town drunk. There's no feeling in the man.

He could die tomorrow and nobody'd be surprised.

Probably gonna let him out in a couple of months, anyway.

That's another thing. I'm firmly convinced...

They let him out.

How'd you get out of jail?

I'm going back.

But first I had to know something.

See, I keep seeing things, faces.

Must've been there, you boys.

You can't prove that.

You don't understand, it's for me.

Please, I just have to know.

I have to know, boys.

Did you see me kill Holland?

Please.

Tell me if I killed him.

If I only knew I did it,

be right for me to go to jail.

Please tell me if I did it.

Mr. Pheeters...

You're not supposed to have any feeling.

What kind of people are we?

About what time's it getting to be now, Matthew?

Oh, it's after six, Festus.

Twenty after.

Festus.

Look, you know Louie's never on time for anything.

You ought to have saw the way that he looked at me

and the way that he asked me. I just...

He wouldn't do a thing like that.

Matthew!

Matthew, he's back! They're here!

Right here!

Whoa.

Jess.

My boys and me got something to say to you, Marshal.

Louie.

Thank you, Festus.

Oh, fiddle. I knowed you'd come back.

Just like I just got done telling Matthew in yonder.

I said, "Old Louie, he ain't never...

been on time...

for nothing."