Original subtitles

Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.

Dillon, narrating: Just looking at a grave,

you can't tell if it holds a good man or a bad one.

But if you saw the man himself, while he was alive,

you could tell easy.

Out here on the frontier,

where there's little law and less civilization,

the bad in a man grows fast and deep.

There's not much to stop it,

and there's a whole lot to encourage it.

Some men grow strong with adversity,

but a few become as cruel and inhuman

as the bitter elements of nature that surround them.

It's because of these vicious few that I'm here.

Matt Dillon, U.S. marshal.

Anytime you say, I'm ready to ride back to town.

5 miles out and you're done in already.

Chester, that soft life is really getting to ya.

Yeah, that and the high pay.

You wouldn't want to get fat, would ya?

I sure wouldn't mind.

Dillon: All right, hold up there!

Now what's going on here?

You're barging into the wrong place, stranger.

These boys of mine can shoot your eyes out.

Mister, I'm a United States marshal.

I want that man cut down.

No, sir.

Make him do it, Marshal.

Chester, cut him down.

Keep your hands off him, you.

Go ahead, Chester.

Chester, is it?

Well, Chester, you touch that sinner hanging there,

I'm gonna bring you to judgment just as I have him.

Huh?

It's all right, go ahead.

If you're planning to use those rifles,

you'd better get started at it.

Pa?

Hold your fire. I got no quarrel with the marshal here.

It ain't his hand that's interfering. It's Chester's.

And it's Chester I'm gonna bring to judgment.

What are you talking about, Mister?

Chester's bringing help to a sinner.

And therefore Chester's going to be judged as a sinner.

I'm the one that gave the order.

But he's the one that's carrying it out!

And he's the one that will pay!

You never mind about that.

You got any complaints, you bring 'em to me. You understand?

Give me that gun, Marshal.

All I ask is a gun.

Take it easy cowboy.

What happened here? What's your name?

Jim Bride. I was just riding into Dodge, and they stopped me.

What for?

What for? 'Cause they're crazy.

That's what for... all three of 'em.

You watch your mouth, you!

Shut up, Hod.

I was just riding along, and they come at me with them rifles.

And they drug me off my horse.

Then they held a trial.

I ain't lying to ya. They held a trial!

That old devil was the judge, and them boys of his was like jurors.

And they even took a vote.

I'll tell you why we stopped him, Marshal.

It's the Sabbath.

So?

He was riding into Dodge to sin,

to waste his substance in riotous living.

Out of thine own mouth I judge thee.

There. See what I mean, Marshal? Now do you believe me?

All right, cowboy. Why don't you get on your horse?

We'll see you into Dodge.

What's your name, Mister?

I got nothin' to be ashamed of.

My name's Ira Skurlock.

These are my two boys... Hod and Dal.

Are you some kind of a preacher or something?

I am a man that has been through the fire and through the water,

a man that's renounced the devil and all his works.

Uh-huh. You are a preacher, huh?

Pa ain't no preacher, Marshal.

He just don't like sinnin'. That's all.

He's powerful strong ag'in' it.

So am I.

As far as I'm concerned, it's a sin to tie a man to a tree

and try to beat him to death.

I was trying to save him, Marshal.

That man was in need of a hard lesson.

Now let me tell you something, Skurlock.

The next time you try anything like that,

you're going to wind up in jail.

And you boys here with ya.

You got no right to talk like that.

No right at all!

No right? He's a United States marshal.

It's his job to keep the peace, ain't it?

A scarecrow in a garden of cucumbers keepeth nothin'.

You interfered with my work, Chester.

It was your hand.

And you shall be judged. I promise it.

Skurlock, it was me that gave that order.

Now, if you want any satisfaction on it, you call me.

Come on, Chester.

He's fit to cast a spell.

Never mind him, Chester.

It's all right for you to talk. It's me he's mad at.

I lie not!

Ye shall be judged!

Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Hey.

Thank you, Kitty.

I want you to know that this is almost as good as Chester's.

By golly, I think you're right.

You know, I'm glad I came in today, even if it is Sunday.

Well, I am.

Who in the world's that?

I'll be dapped.

Hmm?

You know that old man I was telling you about last week,

that Skurlock?

Mm-hmm.

That's one of his sons.

If that old man finds out he's in here,

why, he's gonna take that boy apart.

That's the darndest story I ever heard.

That old man sure sounds fierce.

Oh, he is.

Say, by the way, how's that cowboy they beat?

Oh, he's all right.

But it's a good thing we came along when we did.

Otherwise, he might never have stopped beatin' on him.

Skurlock: Dal!

Pa, what are you doing in here?

A son of mine drinking hard liquor in a palace of sin?

Now... now, Pa, you don't understand...

My own son before my very eyes?

Pa, it ain't what it seems.

I just wanted to try a little taste.

A little taste? Why, you fool!

Oh, please, Pa...

Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction.

I ain't as bad as all that!

Why, I'm a growed man...

You're nothing but a pig!

I have a pig for a son, and I'll treat him like a pig.

Now, you come with me.

Where you going, Pa?

The way of transgressors is hard, boy.

I'm gonna teach you just how hard! Now walk!

Pa, I was only trying to tell you...

Shut up and get going!

Pa, no, please! Please, no.

Stand right there, boy.

You just do what I tell you.

What for, Pa?

Now you're gonna get it, boy.

Oh, Pa, I didn't mean nothing. Honest, I didn't.

You learn hard.

I never took a drink before in my life!

You got no right to whup me!

The man that spareth the rod hateth his son.

Step closer, boy.

I said step closer.

Closer.

Ah. That's better.

No, Pa! No! Please, Pa! No! No! Don't hit me!

Pa, please don't hit me!

What's going on, Mr. Dillon?

Ah, old man Skurlock's weaning his son, Chester.

Weaning him? He looks like he's beatin' him half to death.

Skurlock!

All right, that's enough.

I won't kill him.

A living dog is better than a dead lion.

That's a terrible thing for you to say, calling your own son a dog.

Chester, you and I have made a covenant with death,

and with hell are we at agreement.

Whatever in the world are you talking about?

It was your hand interfered with the work of the Lord last Sunday.

Ye shall be judged, and by me.

Come on, boy.

Golly, Mr. Dillon, you know he... He leaves me a little bit skittery.

I think he means that.

He's a strange man, Chester.

Well... Huh?

What?

No, I didn't say nothin'.

I just said "huh."

A couple of beers sure don't loosen your tongue much, does it?

Huh.

I might as well have done my drinking with a horse.

Well...

a man's gotta do his thinking sometime, Doc.

What are you thinking about?

Oh. Well, to tell you the truth, I'm just...

Just a little bit worried.

Oh? What is it this time?

Women or money?

Oh, no. You... You... You...

You don't understand nothin' at all,

just nothing at all.

Yes, I do.

There's one thing I always do understand.

What?

When it's bedtime.

Well, golly, Doc, I think you might be right.

I might turn in myself.

- Good night, Chester. - Good night.

Oh, ahem, Chester...

don't worry.

Never did help anyway.

Well, no, I guess you're right about that.

Thanks for the beer, Doc.

♪ Do, do, do, do, do, do ♪

♪ He'll make his home in Kansas ♪

Ahh!

Don't you try nothin'.

If you go to hollering, we'll shoot.

What are you doing here? What do you want with me?

Pa's waiting for you out at the camp.

For me?

That's right. Down the alley.

We brought an extra horse for ya.

Now, move it, Chester.

No, I ain't going. I... Ugh!

Punch a hole in you!

All right.

Come on.

Dal, what are you doing here?

Your pa just about half beat you to death this afternoon.

Pa will kill him the next time he gets out of line. Dal knows it.

Come on, Chester. Let's go.

It's gonna be a long enough night as it is.

No! No! I ain't going! No!

Get him!

Hod, you didn't have to kill him.

You just wait until I tell Pa about you not helping, Dal.

You do it, and I'll put a bullet in your mouth.

I swear I will.

We'll see about that later.

Now you help me get him out of here

before somebody comes by and sees him.

And you better help too, Dal! Come on!

Come on.

Hod: Get my gun.

Rise.

You heard him! Get on your feet.

I said, get on your feet!

What are you doing, Hod? You know he's tied!

I'll get you for this, Hod. I'll get you good.

Do you want me to knock you down again?

Silence, both of you.

Chester, you heard the evidence again't ya.

It was your hand did allow the sinner to escape punishment.

Therefore, you shall be punished in his stead.

For they have sown the wind

and they shall reap the whirlwind.

Trial is over. I shall now pronounce judgment.

What right have you got to bring any man

out here and try him for anything?

Especially anything as crazy as this.

Chester, I swear I'm gonna give you

another crack on the head if you don't shut up!

Okay, Pa.

He won't be no more trouble.

All right.

After judgment is pronounced,

we shall take the vote.

With your right hand you did interfere in the Lord's work.

Therefore, I pronounce that your right hand you shall lose.

My what?

Pa, you don't aim to cut off his hand.

Skurlock: Silence!

You're gonna get Pa real mad at you, Dal.

We shall now take the vote.

Wait... What... What was that about cuttin' off my right hand?

That is your punishment.

What?

You can't be serious.

He's serious, all right.

Pa don't run trials ordinary-like, Chester.

We vote after he's already fixed what the punishment is to be.

But it don't matter none in the long run.

You'll see.

You... You... You can't cut off a man's hand.

You just can't do that.

Hod, how do you vote?

He's guilty, Pa.

One vote, guilty. Dal?

Dal?

I want your vote.

It's too mean, Pa. It's too doggone mean.

Dal, have you gone loco?

Please, Pa.

Pa.

I find your drinking hard liquor in a saloon.

My own son standing, feeding like a common sinner

on the pomps and vanities of this wicked world.

Pa, we done had that out.

And tonight, you turn ag'in' me.

There's something gone rotten in you, boy.

Ye are fallen from grace.

Pa, listen!

Good for you, Pa! He had it comin'!

If a house be divided ag'in' itself, that house cannot stand.

Stand guard on the prisoner.

Punishment will be carried out in the morning.

Well, Chester...

sun's up.

That blanket been laying there all night?

Of course not.

I'd have froze without it.

Well, I'm glad that you was comfortable.

Well, I had to stand guard, didn't I?

Yeah.

Besides, you've been asleep the past two hours.

Well, is one blanket all that you got in camp?

Why, I swear you'll be wantin' breakfast next, Chester.

Now, what would you like?

Eggs?

Fried taters, huh?

Piece of fat back?

Why didn't you say so, boy?

We wouldn't want a man like you to starve to death, now would we?

How 'bout a cup of coffee?

I'll get Pa to build a fire for ya.

I know he'd want to do that for you.

That ain't too funny.

Well, it's just that I want

to get this business over and done with

so I can get some sleep.

I'm sorry I put you out so much. I apologize.

Ahh. Don't matter none.

I go without sleep lots of nights.

Hod, your Pa's crazy. You go through with this,

the law will get you. You'll got to prison.

- Chester! - You got sense enough to know that.

You see that? Do you see that?

I'm gonna push that in your mouth if you don't quit talking.

You're just as crazy as he is!

Hod!

Hod!

Answer me when I call you, boy.

Yes, Pa.

I don't see Dal about.

Well, he...

he come to a while after you whupped him.

He got up, and he wandered off somewhere.

I ain't seen him since.

But we don't need him, Pa.

I got Chester so tied up, one man can hold him easy.

All right.

Free his right arm.

All right, Pa.

Now... Now, look, you ain't gonna chop my hand off, are ya?

If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off and cast it from thee.

You can't do a thing like that. You just can't.

Chester, shut up!

Be brave. The Book says that each man shall carry his own burden.

You don't know nothin' about the Bible.

You're just mouthin' a lot of words

that you heard somebody say somewheres.

It's a wonder God don't strike you down dead

for all the mean things that you've done.

Chester, shut up!

Hold it tight, Hod.

Now, Pa.

Aah! Pa!

You did not hold him, son!

My arm!

It was the devil that gave you strength for that.

I'll kill you now for sure.

He's dead, Dal.

Oh... help me, somebody.

I'll bleed to death if you don't help me.

Dal, get something to tie his arm up with.

Try to stop the bleeding there, will ya?

Hod: Hurry up, Dal, will ya?

- Mr. Dillon. - Chester.

If you hadn't shot him when you did, I wouldn't had no head left.

I didn't shoot him, Chester.

- You didn't? - Dal did.

He shot his own pa?

Yeah.

I got the bleeding stopped some, Marshal.

You all right?

Yeah.

Dal, you stay out here.

We'll send a wagon out for your pa.

Rest up here.

But, Marshal, ain't you feared I might run off?

Why should you?

I killed Pa, didn't I?

Yeah.

But you also saved a man's life.

Yeah, I guess you're right.

Poor old Pa. I guess he wasn't so bright.

He meant to do right, Marshal.

I guess he just got lost somewhere.

What does the Lord require of thee

but to do justly, to love mercy,

and to walk humbly with thy God?

I guess that's one of the things your pa never understood, Dal.

Can you ride?

Sure can.

All right.