Original subtitles

Corporal, wanna get your head blown off?

Man can't keep his head down is askin' for a bullet.

Yes, sir, Colonel, sir.

You know, in a war, I trained my men to do the impossible.

What's the use of having a brilliantly planned campaign

if the men don't know their job?

Jimmy? Dinner Jimmy!

That's my ma, sir.

Yeah.

Well, an army marches on its stomach.

Don't wanna be late for mess.

Troop, attention!

Dismissed!

Marshal, Festus.

- Hello, Colonel. - Howdy, Colonel!

Looks like you had a hard ride.

You bet it was.

Take him inside, will you, Festus?

You betcha, Matthew.

Y'all think you're gonna keep me locked up?

Look, sonny, we'll keep you locked up

and cost Pappy a mule.

One of the Higgins gang?

Jeff Higgins' brother.

So young.

I commanded boys his age.

Ah, but they were a different breed.

They were that, Colonel.

Uh, Matt, I've got some free time,

if you want your horse groomed.

That'd be fine. I appreciate it.

Whoever made up this game could have sure

saved himself a heap of trouble.

Oh, I suppose you think you can improve

on a game of checkers now.

- How would you do it? - Course I could!

- Yeah, well... - Why don't a feller

just have to make one move,

instead of a whole mess of 'em?

Well you only get one move at time.

Well of course, for heaven's sake.

Well, but how does a feller know

that it's a good move he's making?

Why don't you move?

Just go on and move something, move!

All right, all right.

Matt, your horse's coat's as shiny

as the seat of a cavalry sergeant's pants.

Thank you, Colonel.

Oh.

Yeah.

Festus, you know the best attack

is a wedge between enemy strong points.

He's right.

Of course, I know he's right.

Well, move! Go on!

All right, I'm fixin to.

Let me see here.

Well now...

you don't have to make that move if you don't want to.

I'll let ya take it back if you want to.

Well of course I ain't gonna take it back.

That there is my move, and I'll stay by it!

Wait a minute!

How many of you am I gonna have to play anyway?

Onlyest one you're playing is me.

Newly ain't did a thing

- to help me. - Oh no, all he's doing

is standing there and nodding and shaking, and you too!

Say, you know what these are?

You see whisky glasses, and you're right, of course.

I see a gun emplacement here and here, and...

these are trenches...

glistening with rifles.

It was a beautiful bright day.

I was up on the ridge line with the staff,

and General Williams rode up to me.

Said, "Colonel, Bentonburg must be taken!"

I caught the looks on the other officers' faces.

They thought it was impossible.

That was January '65.

I read about it, Colonel.

We all did.

It was a great victory.

Well, go on, move.

Just hush a minute! I'm gonna move.

There.

No, that's not it!

You done took your finger off it!

You can't change it!

You're too late, Doc.

Well, I didn't wanna do that.

Appears like old Matthew and the Colonel and me's

got your old hide nailed to the barn door.

Heh!

Here, jump that.

All right, now jump that.

Hah, ha, ha!

What do you think of that?

I'll tell you what I think of that!

I think I've been victimized

by the most unscrupulous conspiracy...

I've ever seen in my life!

Hello, Carl.

Doc.

Oh, did you get that letter you were looking for, Carl?

She said, yes.

- Well congratulations. - Thank you, thank you.

Me too, Carl.

Congratulations.

Uh... would it be all right

if I bought everybody a drink?

Does a mule got ears?

Drinks is on Carl!

I'm going to Wichita on Thursday to bring her back.

We're gonna have the biggest wedding

this town's ever seen, so everybody can meet her.

- That's wonderful. - That's good, Carl.

Uh, could you run my store Thursday and Friday, Festus?

Pays a dollar a day.

Well, I'd sure like to,

but Matthew here's got me going to Dry Creek.

I gotta get someone, someone honest.

My whole future's sitting on those shelves.

- Newly, I don't suppose you'd - Oh I'm sorry, Carl.

I'm way behind on my ammunition orders.

I've been loading shelves since four o'clock this morning.

Matter of fact, I oughta be getting back right now.

I'll see you all.

Yeah, I gotta go too, Carl.

I gotta spell old Burke at the jailhouse.

Don't forget, Floyd, you got me a drink comin'!

All right, Festus.

Carl...

What about him?

Why not?

Colonel?

Carl wants to ask you a question.

He needs somebody to look after his store for him for a while.

I haven't had any training as a storekeeper.

You could learn what's needed.

You know, I've never been able to hold down a job.

I don't know why.

The fault is mine.

But I thought it's fair you should know.

Two days only, Thursday and Friday.

Oh, just while he's fetching the girl he's gonna marry.

Pays a dollar a day.

Colonel, he's got to have somebody honest.

Well, uh...

my best wishes to you and your bride, I...

You're invited to the wedding.

Well, if I can be of any help.

Good!

I'll count on ya.

Thursday morning.

Thanks, Marshal.

Hey, Marshal!

Look, you got no call to keep me locked up in here.

I mean, you can't prove nothing I did.

Not in a court!

If I can't, then you got nothing to worry about.

Well, you see, my brother Jeff,

he made me go along, but I didn't do nothing.

Jeff's gonna bust me outta here,

and he's gonna get you too!

I wouldn't count on that, sonny.

Remember, shelves want filled as soon as something's sold.

People don't see what they want, they forget they want it.

Oh yeah.

There's extra stock in the storeroom off the kitchen.

I probably should have brought you in here a day ahead.

There's a lot to learn.

You think you'll be all right?

I'll be fine, I'll be fine.

I'm clucking like a mother hen.

What, with leaving the store for the first time

and going for my intended, I don't know where my head's at.

You think she'll like it?

Oh, be a rare kind of girl that didn't appreciate

a husband with a good, solid business,

his feet on the ground, head on his neck,

instead of in the clouds.

Anne Ludley is not just any girl.

She's special.

Carl, wait.

I, um...

just remembered.

You better get someone else to run the store for you.

Don't make jokes.

The stagecoach will be here any minute.

Oh no, no, no, I mean it.

- I can't do it. - You'll be fine.

I just remembered, I promised a fellow.

There's a war starting south of the border.

I'm supposed to train troops!

You promised me!

Gave me your word!

I did give you my word.

You'll be all right.

Goodbye.

- Howdy, Colonel. - Festus.

Thought you were out of town.

Oh, I was, but I got back quicker than I figured.

You know, Carl's gonna be plum tickled

with what you're doing there.

Well, bringing his bride back.

She's gonna see the store for the first time.

Wouldn't wanna spoil it for him.

That there's mighty thoughtful-some of you, Colonel.

Everything all right, is it?

Oh yeah, it's fine, thank you.

You know, I ain't never heard you say

that everything wasn't all right.

Well, a man who looked ahead

might see trouble.

But one whose got his eyes on the back of his head

sees only happy times.

Yeah, but a feller looking backwards all the time

is liable to stumble, ain't he?

Well that's a small price to pay

for trading today in on yesterday.

Mind, I don't recommend my way for anyone else.

There are times when I don't even recommend it for myself.

Still, a man is what he is.

Would you believe I was once in the rail shipping business?

Is that right?

In six months, goods intended for Illinois

ended up in Alabama.

Most of the rest stalled on its side

between New York and Virginia.

I don't wanna brag, but if I'd stayed on,

I might have bankrupted

the entire Eastern seaboard single-handed.

You know something, Colonel?

That's the onlyest time that I've ever heard you

talk about what you did outside the Army.

Onlyest time.

Shows you the kind of business man I am.

Here I am gabbing with a customer.

I didn't ask you what you wanted.

Can I interest you in a few hundred pounds of oats,

or a plow or...?

I'll have to study on that, Colonel.

I'll tell ya, I got to thinking about old Carl

leaving in such a tizzy the way he done.

He might not have thought to leave you vittles to eat.

This here's some stew from Delmonico's.

Of course, it'll take a little hottin' up 'fore ya eat it.

Festus...

Oh fiddle, Colonel. You don't have to say nothing.

All right, Corporal.

Corporal Clancy reporting for duty, sir.

At ease.

Troops waiting.

Well, I'm afraid we...

we can't drill today, Corporal.

Gosh, you promised.

Did I?

Well, uh, that poses a problem.

Please?

Well, Josiah Johnson didn't make his reputation

as a strategist by shriveling

in the face of problem, did he?

No, you march the troops from the drill field.

We'll assault a fortified position.

This one.

Yeah, that way I can keep my eye out

in case a customer shows up.

Yes, sir, Colonel, sir!

Fire, fire! Bucket brigade!

- Where? - In the store!

Fire, fire, the store's on fire!

Oh my god.

Carl.

Matt.

This is Anne Ludley.

Anne, meet Marshal Dillon.

How do, Miss Ludley?

Carl's talked a lot about you.

Well, I'd hope so.

I'd hate to think I was on his mind

only when he visited Wichita.

Carl, there's been an accident.

There was a fire at your store.

Oh!

Excuse me.

How'd it happen?

How?

Spark from the stove.

You're making excuses.

Well, it was my fault.

I left the stove door open.

- Can't tell ya how sorry I... - Sorry?

Does sorry pay for the years I've spent

getting this store in shape?

Look at it! Look!

Can I bring a wife to live here?

I feel like I've been hit over the head!

I can't think straight!

Do you realize what you've done?

You have every right to feel as you do.

Get out.

Pa?

Pa! Here.

What a fine young woman you've become.

Oh, Pa.

Are you all right, Pa?

Oh, couldn't be better.

Heard about you and Carl.

Good man.

He doesn't know you're my father.

I understand.

Pa, I'm not a very strong person.

Nonsense.

You're your mother's daughter.

Never was a stronger woman in all the world.

I didn't even know you were in Dodge City.

This is no place to talk.

I...

I sleep here sometimes, when the weather's fine.

Nothing's changed, has it, Pa?

Why, I'm gonna see my girl

marry a fine young man.

What's gonna happen to you?

Well, after the wedding, I'll be leaving Dodge City.

To spare me?

You know, I hear your mother's voice in you.

She was a wonderful woman.

But she couldn't understand that a man who...

was somebody...

and didn't take easily to...

being nobody.

But you are somebody.

Or you could be.

Sweet Anne.

Yeah.

You know, the U.S. Army

still has too many colonels and...

But south of the border,

a man with my record is highly valued.

You're highly valued by me.

I'll be so proud

when I see you at the altar with Carl.

I only wish...

Well, a man ought to give his one child some

fine gift when she's getting married.

Doesn't matter.

Doesn't matter.

Come in.

What do you want?

Well, I'm the cause of all this.

I'm responsible, I,

I owe you what it will cost to fix it up.

Are you saying you wanna pay for the repairs?

That is no more than right.

That's nice of you, Josiah.

I want to get you a suitable wedding present.

You needn't worry about that.

I'm better off than I figured

if you pay even part of the damage.

It came to $87.

Oh no, no, no, not part.

All.

And an extra week, even two weeks,

as a wedding present.

I can start tomorrow.

Start what?

Well, I meant?

I mean to work for nothing, nothing...

But, look...

You're just plain bad luck to me.

Please, Josiah... just stay away.

Please, stay away.

Pa?

She walks in beauty, like the night...

Oh, Pa.

Lord Byron wrote that.

He didn't even know you.

I got your note.

Is something wrong?

I just asked to see you.

Must something be wrong?

It always has been.

Beauty like the night, not gloom of night.

Cheer up!

Pa, every time you've tried to make me cheerful,

it's been to hide bad news.

Ah.

This time is gonna be different.

Remember my telling you about their interest

in the south of the border?

Well...

it's better than I even hoped for.

Full command...

of all strategic operations

with a rank of Major general.

When did this happen?

Well, the courier arrived not an hour ago.

Oh, now I'll be able to buy my girl

the wedding present she deserves

with my first month's salary.

Won't you smile?

Does it please you?

Where will you be stationed?

Well now, that's not settled yet.

The headquarters' moving about.

I'll write ya.

I'll write ya.

Well, it's wonderful.

You've got the kind of job you want.

Yeah.

There is one thing, though.

What?

They need me right away.

I have to leave in the morning.

You know what that means.

Oh, Pa.

I'm being married at two in the afternoon.

Can't you just wait a few hours?

I would if it was possible.

You've...

You have no idea how I've dreamed and...

Well.

It's what comes of being a soldier.

When they call you, you go.

You understand, don't you?

You're not angry?

I've been angry at you ever since I was old enough

to know how much I love you.

Annie.

Annie, you're a loving,

dream of a girl.

Man couldn't wish for a more...

wonderful daughter.

Oh, another goodbye.

How many does this make?

Oh, it's the last one.

When I come back, I'll be rich, famous.

You'll be proud.

You take care of yourself, Pa.

God bless, Annie.

- Oh no. - Oh please!

Annie.

Farewell... celebration calls for wine women and song.

Mm, no.

At my age...

Well, two outta three...

Wine and song.

Ah, well.

Wine and song, wine and song.

Yeah.

Mm.

I think I have a surplus of funds.

Here... Drinks for everybody.

Drinks for everybody!

Especially my friend...

my friends, the marshal and the good doctor.

Sure fixing to hang on a beauty tonight.

That's for sure.

I think the only question is,

what's gonna happen first?

Is he gonna pass out or raise a ruckus?

Well now, you know the strategy is two-thirds...

knowledge, knowledge...

and then one half...

one half timing, timing.

And then there's a fourth, three-fourths, four-thirds...

Instinct, instinct!

And I just went, went to a bank...

And I said to my flag corporal,

"Raise the banner!

High and charge.

Charge!

Charge!

Charge!"

I think the answer to your question is ruckus.

All right, all right.

Charge!

I can, I can make it.

Just, uh...

I think I can

take care of my troops, you know.

Hey, how long am I gonna rot in this hole?

Can't that old drunk sleep it off someplace else?

Hey now, Marshal, wait a minute now.

I might make a deal.

I mean, I tell ya where my brother's gang hides out

and you let me go.

It'll be up to the judge.

I'll talk to him about it in the morning.

You think I'm fool enough to sell out my own brother

without a guarantee I go free?

God!

Shut up!

Going loco in here!

Here we go, easy.

I didn't think I was gonna make it, Marshal.

There was an ambush.

Come on, we'll get you over to Doc Adams.

You're lucky, son, here.

It's not bad.

I'll just clean it up a little.

How'd it happen?

There was four of us driving the herd north.

About 20 miles from here,

there's a dry stream bed cuts a gully below a ridge.

- Arroyo Seco? - Yeah.

It was an ambush.

I tell you, you never seen nothing like it.

One minute we was riding along just like usual,

and the next thing, there was bullets slamming into us.

They thought I was dead.

Mike and Pegas and Shorty, they was.

I played possum.

You get a look at their faces?

Two of 'em.

There's a big fella with a scar over his right eye.

He seemed like the boss man.

Other fella could've been anybody.

I mean, it's a face I'm gonna remember,

but wasn't nothing you could latch onto

for me trying to tell you what it was like.

You ever hear of a man named Jeff Higgins?

I heard plenty about him.

He's a bad one.

You just had a run-in with him.

I tell ya, I thought I was lucky,

but I didn't know how lucky.

Yeah, he's a bad one.

Hour of glory!

Oh, shut up!

Bill!

Bill!

Obie.

Obie, it's all right.

He's just old drunk.

Hey, what took you so long?

I was figuring I was gonna have to break out of here all by myself.

Keep watch, anybody comes in.

Ain't nobody out front. I checked.

Get me out.

- Tomorrow night. - No, right now.

Where's Jeff? He'll get me out.

You ain't gonna bust nothing staying here one more day.

- Obie. - Besides, they got it fixed.

Marshal ain't gonna be nowhere around.

Obie, you listen to me!

- Shh! - Huh?

Huh?

Don't worry none about him. He's drunk.

Tomorrow night.

No! Obie, wait!

There's no need to wait until night.

Now listen, at two o'clock tomorrow,

there's gonna be a wedding.

I've been hearing the talk about it.

And every man in town is gonna be all together in that church,

all bunched up like in a cage.

And if anybody tries to stop ya,

y'all can pick 'em off

like they's lined up for target practice, huh?

All right.

Then plus getting you out tomorrow...

we'll take the bank and everything else in this town we want.

Hey!

If snores were sheep,

you could make wool overcoats for the whole army.

I don't know what I was dreaming of.

Something I can't remember.

Hey well, uh, how's about you get some coffee for me?

The sun is high.

Didn't he give you any?

Oh yeah, Dillon, before he went out.

That was hours ago.

You was rattling the walls with nose music.

Yeah, well.

All right.

Hey, uh, how come the Marshal

leaves your cell door unlocked and locks me in?

You think he don't trust me?

You know, when I was commanding troops,

I always kept a sharp look out...

for any man who...

started to act different for no reason.

Either he knew something I didn't,

which is bad for a commander,

or he was getting ready to crack,

which is even worse.

Well what's that supposed to mean, old man?

You have pretty high spirits,

whistling and all.

Well a guy stuck in this hole,

he ain't got much to whistle about.

Food's lousy and coffee's slow.

But, well I reckon all that might change.

Why?

Well Marshal's going after my brother Jeff.

And... he never misses when he goes after a man, right?

You're telling it.

Well it's 500 on Jeff's head.

Dillon's sure to use the money for better food

for us poor prisoners, now ain't he?

Huh?

That's something to whistle about, ain't it?

They swallowed it just like sugar candy, Jeff.

You sure they believe ya?

Sure, why shouldn't they?

I told 'em practically the truth.

I was shot in the arm with the Higgins gang

wrestling a herd of cattle.

Even got a bullet in my arm to prove it.

Sort of forgot to tell 'em I was one of the wrestlers.

Well I remember that.

Come on along.

Takes a bullet, proves he's an honest man.

Colonel, sir!

Men will be ready as soon as Tommy,

I mean, Private Bailey, wipes his ma's dishes.

Corporal, I'm...

promoting you to Sergeant,

effective immediately.

Gosh, thanks!

I mean, thank you, Colonel, sir!

Yeah.

From now on, you'll be in charge.

Me?

Troop is...

your responsibility.

Wow!

I'll make the kids, I mean, the men,

so good at marching, you'll see.

We'll be the best ever.

Well now.

I won't be here.

How come?

Duty.

If I go back to corporal from sergeant, will you stay?

All right.

And you're a... good soldier.

Hmm?

Please don't go.

You know, when a solider is called, he...

You can't refuse.

Now can you?

Yes, sir, but...

You're gonna make this troop the best ever...

Aren't you?

Sergeant, attention!

Dismissed.

I sure do hate to see you go, Colonel.

I did want to say goodbye to Matt.

You know when he'll be back?

Well like I told ya, he went after Jeff Higgins,

probably couple days, maybe three.

Yeah.

If, uh...

If Matt was gunnin' for your brother,

how would you feel?

I'd be plum glad I ain't got no brothers.

Bill Higgins a happy man.

Happy?

Huh.

He's got less to be happy about than a...

packed jack in a mud hole.

Last night...

I don't know, I may have been dreaming,

but I thought I heard Bill talking to someone.

There couldn't have been no visitors, or...

Matthew, he'd have told me.

Is there some reason why Matthew decided so...

suddenly to go after Jeff Higgins?

Yeah.

See, this here cowboy come into town,

been shot by Higgins.

Matthew figured out from him where the gang would be.

You know, if I was planning a jail break, I'd...

create some kind of diversion,

get Matt out of town.

Some kind of trick.

Oh, yeah, that there'd be a good idea.

Could explain why...

he's been acting so different, whistling...

I'll tell ya this,

he's a'whistlin' way ahead of his-self,

'cause I'm gonna be here in town

and a lot of the other folks in town.

It'd take a regular army to pull a prisoner

right out of the middle of Dodge City, don't ya see?

Well, if Higgins knows that,

he may be planning a way to get around that.

Like what?

Oh I don't know, but he's running around loose.

He must be some kind of strategist.

Colonel?

If it was you was doin' it...

what would you do?

I don't know, I...

plan a...

night jail break, maybe.

All right, then.

Come night... I'll be waiting.

Doors barred and my pistol in my hand.

I could be wrong.

Higgins might be planning something else.

Well just in case he is,

I'm fixin' to take them cell keys with me.

Now the onlyest way they're gonna get that door open

is to shoot the lock off,

and ain't gonna be no shootin' that I don't hear,

I'll guarantee ya that.

Would you lend me a rifle?

Until Matt gets back?

Why, I thought you's...

going someplace so important that you couldn't even

stay around for Carl's wedding.

Well, there are other things that are important,

like what I owe Matt...

some other people in this town.

- Festus. - Carl.

- Happy day for ya, ain't it? - Sure is.

- If I could dance, I'd dance. - See ya at the wedding.

We'll save a piece of cake for Matt and Newly.

Good.

Billy, can you take care of Barry and his men?

You going after Higgins alone?

This doesn't make any sense to me at all.

What's that?

Supposed to be cattle rustlers.

They killed three men and then don't take the cattle.

I'm going back to Dodge.

Bill! Bill!

- All clear? - Just the old bum.

Ain't no keys out there.

Well, shoot out the lock.

Eh, in a minute.

What are you waitin' for?

You having a good time watching me behind bars?

Well now, your being in there don't tear me up all that much.

But that ain't why I'm waiting.

Well, you better have a good reason,

or when I get outta here, I'm gonna take ya apart!

Just one shot...

and that whole town comes outta that church.

Just giving Jeff and the boys time

to get in position to pick 'em off.

While that's going on...

you and me take the bank.

Drop that gun.

Right now.

Obie, he won't shoot!

He heard you tell what'll happen at the town

when the shot's fired!

Hey!

Just my luck.

Jeff's gonna kill you,

and I ain't even gonna get my hands on ya!

Ain't it about time Bill and Obie got here?

Yeah, you better go see what's happening.

Hey.

Wait for that thing gonna to get through.

Tell 'em to get that wagon out of there.

Hey, get that wagon outta here!

Cobie!

Doc!

Hold it, Higgins!

Hold it right there.

Go check on him, boys!

- No, no, no, no! - Anne, wait!

Colonel?

Pa?

Oh, Pa!

Oh, Papa.

You make a beautiful bride.

Pa?

Don't blame her, Carl.

She didn't choose...

a failure for a father.

Pa, I love you.

There were four of them,

plus the one I knocked out at the...

at the jail.

We got three of 'em.

We're fixin' to the other one too.

We already got him.

It's Jeff Higgins.

Colonel, ain't no way of tellin'

how many of us they'd have killed

if it hadn't of been for you.

Well...

I was supposed to...

outthink the enemy.

Can't we move him, Doc?

My store's close and theres' a bed.

It's a good idea. Let's do that.

Ah, no, Doc. I...

Just as comfortable here.

Matt, the boy in the cell

says there's a $500 reward on Jeff Higgins.

- Is that right? - That's right, and it's yours,

because we wouldn't have captured him

if it hadn't been for you, Colonel.

I promised you a wedding present.

Pa, just get well.

That's all the present I want.

I never been...

better in my life.

I know that...

words are not gonna wash away the hurt you feel now,

but it might help for you to remember that...

it's no small thing for a man to die happy.

One thing I could do, Doc.

What's that?

If you's to print it out for me,

I could carve on his headboard that

he was a fine soldier.

Yeah, I think he'd like that, Festus.