Original subtitles

Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.

♪♪

Señor Dillon!

I have been told that behind that badge...

there is the heart of a coward.

Is true?

Who are you? What do you want?

Ah, my name, my name.

Miguel. Miguel Samando.

Nothing.

Today.

But tomorrow...

tomorrow I shall be the pistolero who shot the famous...

Marshal Dillon.

I-I cannot let you go, señor.

You see,

there are some people in some cities

who do not like some of the things that I have done.

And they pay other people to hunt me and kill me.

I do not like that.

I do not want people hunting me and killing me.

Well, let me tell you something, young fella, I'm not after you.

So why don't you ride out of here.

Oh, regardless.

I... have got to kill you.

Why?

Well...

the path that this bullet will take

shall lead me south to my home.

¿Comprende?

I'm afraid I'm not much for riddles.

I agree.

The time for riddles has-has passed.

Hold it right there.

Matt Dillon.

You're not aiming to bushwhack an old friend, are you?

Jack?

Jack Pinto.

Well, I'll be darned.

I see you still ain't wasting any bullets.

Well, I can't understand it. This fella just stepped out

into the road here and forced me to draw on him.

I heard a shot. I figured somebody needed help.

Oh, were you after him?

No, I'm not a lawman anymore,

not for the last three, four years.

Well, that's hard to believe, Jack.

I got just a hair slower than I once was.

I figured I better stop facing up to these young punks

before one of them outdrew me.

That's not likely.

What brings you down this way?

Matt, I'm reaching for the promised land.

I'm taking the biggest gamble of my life.

Gamble?

For nearly 30 years, I worked for the law for $12 a month.

Now I decided I'm going to get something back.

What do you mean?

I'm going to California.

Land is cheap there, and they tell us country boys

that the streets are paved with gold.

You're not going by way of Dodge, are you?

Well, I was just planning on it.

Well, good. Ride along with me.

Give me a hand here, and we'll get started.

- Who is he? - I don't know, Jack.

- I never saw him before. - Hmm.

♪♪

What in thunder... Of all the imbecilic, silly...

Never mind that. Where's Matthew at?

- Didn't hurt you none, did it? - Oh, no, didn't hurt me at all.

I'm scalded, I got third-degree burns here to my...

- Doc, well... - I spend 45 minutes

making myself a cup of coffee, and just as I get it all just...

What in thunder's the matter with you anyway?

There's another one in town.

There's another one what?

One of them gunfightin' fellas.

Oh, you got gunfighters on the brain!

Doc, it's a Haggen truth.

I seen him right out yonder in the street,

just big as you please.

Will you tell me how in thunder you can tell a gunfighter

from any other cowboy that's wearing a gun?

Well, it's easy. They got... The way that...

- I can tell 'em a mile off, - Yeah.

Just like you can tell when the weather's a-fixin' to change.

Well, I've got a little secret for you

about that weather business.

That is no psychic phenomenon with me.

It's rheumatism!

Well, wait a minute.

You gonna tell me where Matthew's at or...

No, I'm not going to tell you where he is,

'cause I don't know where he is.

Well, he was supposed to have came back from Hays

- two hours ago. - Well, I know that. I know that.

But he told me before he left that if he had time

he was gonna stop by Ben Wilmer's place

and find out why Wilmer's dog

has been chasing Old Man Ferris's chickens.

- Chickens? - That's what he said.

Well, now, that ain't no fittin' kind of a job

for a United States Marshal to be a-doin'.

Yeah, well, when Matt gets back, why don't you sit him down,

have a talk with him, explain his duties to him.

- He'll appreciate it. - All right.

Just keep on hoorahing.

Now, Doc, you don't understand the seriousness

of what I'm trying to tell you.

I'm trying to tell you that there's three gunfighters

right down yonder at the Long Branch

and they would have been four if that Mexican hadn't a-rode

out of town before daylight.

By golly, it's a shame you can't read and write.

- Why? - You could start your own newspaper!

Well, I'll tell you this, I got better things to do

than standing around here jawing with an old man

that's so feeble he can't even pick up a coffee pot.

- You get out of here! - I'm goin'.

And while I'm gone, I'm gonna find out what's going on in town

while the United States Marshal's

out a-chasin' chickens.

♪♪

- Let me have a whiskey. - Sure.

Looks like Old Home Week, don't it?

Phleger.

Now, Tresh, I'm surprised at you.

Lookie here,

putting a jack where a king belongs.

You already got one of my bullets in you.

You looking to get another one?

Hmm?

One of these days, I'm gonna kill you, Phleger.

You're gonna have to take lessons from our friend

Billy Coe over there, then, aren't you?

I heard that he likes to shoot people in the back.

What are you doing here in Dodge anyway, Billy Coe?

Same as you.

Drinking.

You drinking real whiskey?

I ain't looking for no trouble.

That sounds like a good idea.

Is there something you want, mister?

Reckon I do, if you're buyin'.

You're real funny, ain't you?

Cowboy.

I can see right off I'm making your whole day for you.

Well, you keep on grinnin', you're liable to die grinnin'.

Sit down, mister. I'll buy you a drink.

Get me another glass, Sam.

Much obliged to you.

That's right thoughty of you.

Name's Festus Haggen.

Goes down right smooth, don't it?

Can I have another swallow?

Help yourself.

Did you ever notice, Billy Coe, how some people...

just got to spend their money

and buy themselves a friend?

I'm gonna get me a room at Ma Smalley's, Matt.

- Maybe I'll see you for supper. - Sure thing, Jack.

That's Miguel Samando.

I forgot to tell you, Phleger,

this morning there was four of us.

Who is he?

Well, he called himself Miguel Samando, that's all I know.

Mexican, huh?

Well, I thought maybe Festus was just trying

to get everybody worked up over nothing,

but this could be one of the fellas he was talking about.

What do you mean?

Well, he claims the town's full of gunfighters.

He says that they've been drifting in ever since you left.

Said one of them was a Mexican,

and he rode out of town this morning.

Where's Festus now?

Two or three of these fellas are supposed

to be over at the Long Branch.

I suppose he's over there snooping around

- or something. - I better go over

and have a look, Doc. I'll see you later.

Oh, can you take care of him?

- Sure. - Thanks.

Give me a hand here.

♪♪

Miss Kitty?

Sam.

- Matt. - Kitty.

Looks like quite a party you're throwing here.

You know 'em?

One by name, two by breed. Has there been any trouble?

Not yet. Which one's your friend?

Oh, this first one down the bar here.

Who's that sitting with Festus?

He introduced me. His name's Al Tresh.

Yeah.

Then I know two of them by name.

- Thanks. - I'll be in the back.

- Hello, Phleger. - Oh, hi, Marshal.

I wasn't sure whether you was gonna remember me or not.

I always remember a man that kills one of my friends.

You remember how it was, Marshal.

It was a fair fight.

What are you doing here in Dodge?

Business.

How about these others, they here on business, too?

Well, what "others" is that?

This one here and Al Tresh.

Oh, you know Al Tresh?

Yeah. Yeah, I know Al Tresh.

Who's that one?

His name's Billy Coe.

I'll tell you something, Phleger.

If there's any trouble here,

I'm gonna throw you in jail.

All three of you.

♪♪

Draw, Marshal!

I mean it, Marshal.

I don't miss often, Marshal.

I suppose I ought to thank you for that.

No, you don't need to do that.

Any man that was giving himself an edge

like this man was doing on the draw

deserves to end up with a mouthful of dirt.

At least, uh...

this one wasn't no friend of yours...

was he?

You boys get him off the street.

Hey, Sam...

Give us another bottle of this watered-down rotgut

and put it on old Festus' bill!

Eh...

is you sure that your ma and pa give you that name...

uh, Festus?

Well, of course I'm sure.

What's wrong with that?

It just sounds to me like if I had, uh...

it on my little finger that I'd have to cut off my whole arm.

Cut off your whole arm!

If that don't take the checkered rabbit!

You want to know something, Mr. Tresh? You're a real corn.

How come I ain't never saw you around Dodge before?

Well, maybe that's because I ain't never been here before!

And that means that something real special's

got to have brung you to town this time, right?

Well, I want to tell you something, Festus, my friend.

There's only three things that makes a man move.

A woman or a bankroll

or a .45 a-tickling the back of your neck.

Well, here you go, Sam.

Keep the change.

Well, I'd say this, it's either a woman or a .45,

'cause you sure got yourself a bankroll, ain'tcha?

Ah, well, th-that ain't much.

Sure looks much to a man

that ain't got nothing but jingling money in his pocket.

Well, maybe so.

But it ain't rich.

If that ain't rich, what is?

$25,000.

That's rich, all right.

And that's just what I'm gonna earn me tomorrow.

Golly Bill, what are you fixing on doing,

robbing the bank or something?

What business is that of yours?

Well, it ain't none.

I mean, if you're figuring on robbing the bank...

I was just a-funnin' with you.

I didn't know you was actual gonna do it.

What's wrong with you?

I ain't gonna rob no bank.

I'm just gonna do a nice neat little job

that I was a-hired to do.

Unless somebody tries to stop me.

You mean like that Phleger fella?

Yeah, maybe.

But I ain't gonna let him stop me.

You ain't no friend of that marshal's, now, are you?

Aw, foot!

I look like the kind of a man

that'd get thick with some yay-hoo a-wearin' a tin badge?

You surely don't.

Fact is, I got me a-plenty of good reason

to want to know if anything's gonna happen to that marshal.

Well, you just keep your eyes open, Festus, my friend.

Maybe you'll see somebody put a bullet in that tin badge.

And you think they really are gunslingers, huh?

Well, Tresh and Phleger are, and they're the only ones left.

What are you gonna do about it?

You wouldn't mind some help from an old friend, Matt.

I mean, I've had years dealing with gunslingers.

Well, I appreciate that, Jack, but, uh,

I thought that's something you were gonna try and forget.

Forget? It's like riding a horse, Matt...

Sometimes you want to get off and rest a while,

sometimes you even make up your mind

you're never gonna ride again...

but you never forget how.

Well, thanks, Jack, but...

I want to try and find out what they're really here for.

I think I'll just give them a little rope.

Maybe they'll hang themselves with it.

Another one ain't gonna hurt you.

Of course it ain't.

Won't hurt if you don't swaller it.

Let's get it on.

You know... the thing I can't understand

is why you got to get him fair and square like that.

'Cause that's what the man said.

What man?

I think I've told you too much already.

Well, well, just hold on, now.

The reason why I'm asking you,

if you got to get him fair and square,

you're gonna earn every nickel of that $25,000.

'Cause Matthew Dillon is the fastest man

that I have ever saw with a pistol.

And I mean it.

Yeah?

Faster than a diamondback rattler

with a tarantula running up his backside.

That's a bunch of talk.

Now, it ain't my insides that's a-gonna get a airing out,

but you have been neighborly with your hooch here,

and I just want to let you know what kind of a thorny patch

you're getting yourself into.

That's all I'm trying to do.

- Where are you going? - I'll be right back.

I'm just going to attend to a little unfinished business.

You know something, Tresh?

You drink way too much.

All that whiskey there

takes the edge off a man's draw.

Get away from me, Phleger.

Oh...

now, that ain't no way to talk to an old friend, now, is it?

Hmm?

Especially seeing you and I are playing in the same card game.

Both kind of looking to draw the same card, right?

What do you mean by that?

Well, you know what I mean.

I mean it figures that, uh, you've probably been in touch...

with a man named Pringle, right?

Beat it, Festus.

- What for? - I said beat it!

All right!

You know something?

You know, you keep talking to people like that,

and there ain't gonna be nobody left to love you.

You said something about Pringle... get on with it.

Well, it figures, don't it?

I mean, this morning there was four of us, right?

And now there's just you and me.

Now, either Pringle planned it that way,

or else he's aimin' to have some fun with us.

And either way, there's one of us too many.

Well, that all depends on who gets there first, don't it?

There ain't gonna be no problem...

if there's just one of us left, now, is there?

It ain't gonna work, Phleger.

Now, get on up out of the chair.

Come on.

Push your chair back and get on up.

I said get up from the table.

Get up.

You ain't gonna make me draw on you, Phleger.

All right, then, maybe I'll just kill you for the fun of it.

Nah...

Nah.

You won't do that, Phleger.

If I don't draw on you, they'll hang you.

And that ain't gonna put no money in your pocket,

now, is it?

You keep your voice down, boy.

You're a big man.

I got plans for you, Mr. Phleger.

I'm gonna kill you just like I said I would,

and I'm gonna tell you how I'm gonna do it.

I'm gonna wait till you draw on the marshal,

and then I'm going to kill you the way you killed Billy Coe.

And they ain't gonna hang me.

They gonna give me a medal. How do you like that, huh?

How do I like it, huh?

Go ahead.

Kiss your $25,000 good-bye.

It's all right, folks,

the, uh, excitement's over.

Go on back to your drinking or your seats. Uh,

as a matter of fact, ol' Al Tresh is gonna do the buying.

Admit it, Mr. Phleger.

I got you right where it hurts.

You ain't gonna fight me

and the marshal at the same time.

All right.

And I got you, too, because you know

you can't take him by yourself.

That's right.

Ain't either one of us can take him alone.

So what we ought to do is, uh,

stop fighting each other.

Ah, now I know that I ain't exactly the kind of partner

you had in mind.

My, uh, clothes, they ain't suited for the job,

but I don't see you got no choice.

All right.

Phleger.

You see, uh...

it's not hard to love me.

All you got to do is, uh, give a little.

You can sit around and wait to get shot if you want to,

but you're not very considerate of other folks.

- Who's that? - Well, me for one.

I don't like the idea of getting waked up

in the middle of the night to pick bullets out of your back.

Well, I tell you, maybe I'll arrange to get shot

after breakfast, then.

Doc, don't you know you're talking

to the most stubborn man in the world, pound for pound?

And about the orneriest, too.

Well, Matt, since you don't seem to need me,

I think I'll turn in, I want to got an early start.

- All right, Jack, good night. - Take care, Matt. Doc.

- Good night, Jack. - All right.

You known him a long time, huh?

Yeah, he's a good lawman, Doc.

Kind of smart, too. At least he knew when to quit.

Matthew.

Matthew, come on, you got some marshalling to do.

What's your problem?

Well, it ain't mine, it's your'n.

Somebody put $25,000

on your head, and there's

a couple of yay-hoos in town that's fixin' to collect it.

I just spent the last four hours a-drinking with one of them

trying to find out what's going on.

I found out this:

it's got to be a fair fight.

And you better come on, 'cause they're just a-faunchin'

and a-bellerin' down there.

They just pert near had her out, just now.

Come on.

I know a place...

♪♪

Shh, shh.

It's Phleger.

Appears like ol' Tresh got to him, don't it?

Nancy, what happened here?

I don't know, it happened...

One minute he was laughing, and the...

and the next he was just lying there.

And my hands were...

my-my hands were...

A man can't hardly get any rest

at all in this town of yours, Matt.

Matthew, we'd ought to get to looking for Tresh.

What does this Tresh look like?

Well, he looks like a feller that wouldn't be against

sticking a knife in another feller's back.

Matt, lookie there.

Tresh!

I'm coming with you, Matt.

♪♪

What's the matter?

Quiet.

Over here, let's go.

Get up.

I didn't kill him, Marshal.

Get your hands up.

I-I swear, I didn't kill him.

Then why'd you run?

I figured nobody'd believe me after seeing me and Phleger

fight in that saloon. Uh, but I didn't kill him.

I suppose you're gonna try and tell me you didn't come to Dodge

to kill me either, huh?

Oh, I decided I wouldn't go through with it.

Why not?

I didn't like my chances.

$25,000 ain't no good to a dead man.

Cover me.

He went for his gun, just like I knew he would.

I've had my fill of these punks

who think that a gun is the answer to everything.

Thanks.

Well, I guess I might as well get him loaded up,

and get him back to town.

If you don't mind, Matt,

I think I'll just go on.

You mean you're not coming back to Dodge?

Well, I was planning to go about sunup,

and that ain't but two hours from now,

so I might as well push on.

Well, Jack, I'll be sorry to see you go.

Don't you have any stuff back in Dodge, though?

Everything I own is on this horse.

Gives you an idea what a lawman's got to look forward to.

Well, it's been good seeing you again.

Pleasure running into you.

You're Marshal Dillon?

That's right.

My name's Pringle, Ben Pringle.

I'm in the cattle business.

I had a deal with a man named Pinto

to pick up some of my cattle.

I understand he rode out of town with you

and didn't come back. Could you tell me why?

He went on to California.

California?

Yeah. Now, if you're through with your questions,

I got a couple for you.

What's your connection with a couple of gunfighters

named Tresh and Phleger?

Gunfighters?

I don't know what you're talking about.

Oh, just a minute, now.

If you'll just step into the office,

we'll talk about this a little further.

Matt! Matt!

It's Lafe, he's been shot.

He was still alive when I left,

but I think he's hurt bad, Matt.

What happened?

I don't know.

I was out back and I heard the shot,

came running around the side of the house

and there was a man just disappearing over the hill.

Then I went in the house and...

and Lafe was...

All right, Neddie.

Now you just take it easy.

You go on down, meet me in front of Doc's office.

I'll be there in just a minute.

Mr. Pringle, I'll ask you to stay around Dodge

till I get back.

See that he does, would you, Festus?

Mr. Pringle, I'll just walk back

over to the hotel with you.

Well, you needn't bother.

Wait a minute.

There's a bunch of ornery yay-hoos around town.

I sure don't want anything to happen to you.

♪♪

Now, hey.

Ain't you the feller that rode out of town

with Matthew last night, the one that killed Al Tresh?

That's right. Name's Jack Pinto.

Festus Haggen. Uh... I thought Matthew said

you was a-fixin' to head out for California?

Well, that's what I was planning to do, all right, but, uh...

uh, then I remembered this frisky little gal

lives about a mile or two out of town.

Well, she kind of convinced me to stay around a while.

A mile or two out of town, you say?

Aw, you don't want me to give you no road map, do you?

Well, I was just thinking I might know her.

Then you'd sure know why I stayed around, huh?

Pringle.

I ought to put a bullet through that miserable,

conniving heart of yours.

He said you'd gone.

I guess he was wrong.

Well, what do you want?

You acting dumb.

You acting real dumb.

Now, you put that gun away.

Guns scare you, Pringle?

You hired a whole passel of them.

I-I... I don't know what you're talking ab...

I'm tired of listening to your lies, Pringle.

In my book, there's only one thing that's worse

than a man who kills for money, and that's a man

who hires somebody else to do the killing for him.

I didn't think you were so particular.

We're not talking about me; we're talking about you.

You hired me to kill Matt Dillon,

$1,500 going in, and $25,000 when it's over.

- That's right. - But now when I come here to do the job,

I find four other fellas here before me.

Just wanted to make sure.

They're all gone now... You're the only one that's left.

Why, they're scum like you... They're not fit to live.

Oh, and you are? A man who'd kill a friend for money!

He was more than a friend... He was a good lawman!

And now it's either him or me.

All my life I've killed to protect people like you

for a lousy $12 a month, and now for the first time

I'm offered what the risks are worth.

And I'm gonna make sure that you'll be around

to pay off when it's over.

I'll be here.

With the money... the $25,000!

I got it!

Where? Where?!

You don't think I'd keep it here!

Where?!

Got it at the bank.

And you'll get it when you earn it.

You make sure you'll be at the bank

when it opens in the morning.

I'll be there, all right.

You just keep your end of the bargain.

My job will be over when the bank opens.

Sure you can take him?

I hear he's pretty good.

Tomorrow he won't be so good.

You can just set the light down there now.

Is he gonna be all right, Doc?

He's gonna be just fine, Neddie.

He'll... probably be up dancing the two-step with you

in a couple of weeks.

Thank the Lord!

Except, Doc...

I never could dance the... two-step.

You ought to be asleep, Lafe.

- I'm sorry. - What are you sorry about?

Eh, getting you all the way out here in the...

middle of the night.

Well, you might've been a lot sorrier

if Neddie hadn't come to town after me.

Lafe... did you see who did this to you?

Yeah, I sure did.

Do you know him?

I never saw him before, but I'll never forget him.

What'd he look like?

He was a dark man, not too big.

Had a... checked shirt,

sheepskin jacket.

Tan hat, I think.

I better be heading back to Dodge.

- You know who done it, Marshal? - Yes, I'm afraid I do.

Oh, but you can't go back to Dodge tonight.

You've been riding all day.

I can fix up a place here for you, easy.

Well, thanks, Neddie, but I've got to be getting back.

- Doc, make him listen to reason. - Well, I gave up on that

quite a while ago.

Neddie, give Lafe a couple of those, will you?

You think it's Jack Pinto, huh?

Got to be, Doc.

I don't know why I didn't guess it before.

Well, what makes you think he's gonna be in Dodge?

He'll be there.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute.

Where are you going, Mr. Pringle?

Isn't the marshal back yet? I got to talk to him.

Well, you better have a hollerin' kind of a voice,

'cause he's 45 miles out of Dodge.

Be back sometime tomorrow.

Yeah, well, I've to to get word to him.

Listen, Pinto's out to kill him.

- Pinto? - Yeah, he's up to some trick or something.

Aw! Now, just don't you worry none about Matthew.

That gun he totes come with a little book

a-tellin' him how to use it. Now, just go on upstairs.

Now, look, we've got to warn him.

I'll tell him, I'll tell him! You quit frettin'.

Just get upstairs and stay there, now.

♪♪

Matthew?

- Festus. - Golly Bill, you look awful.

Well, I'm a little tired, but I'm all right.

I-Is Lafe gonna be all right, is he?

- Yeah, he's gonna be all right. - Did you find out who done it?

Yeah. Where's Jack Pinto?

Pinto?

- That's who Pringle's been... - Well, forget about Pringle.

- Where's Pinto? - Oh, Pringle says he's gunnin' for you.

- You ain't going after him now, are you? - Where is he?

He's over at the Dodge House, I reckon, but, Matthew,

you ain't in no shape to be going after him now.

Just wait a little bit and git... Matthew?

Welcome back, Matt.

I said welcome back, Matt.

Don't try him now, Matthew... You can't even hardly see him.

Why'd you shoot Lafe?

I thought I'd sleep better

dreaming about you out on the trail.

You look a little tired.

My gun hand's not tired, Jack.

Anyway, it's a beautiful morning for dying.

Sun bother your eye, does it?

Jack, I'll take you, sun or no sun.

Maybe you will...

but I knocked down the odds a little.

I'm coming at you, Matt.

Why'd you do it, Jack?

$25,000...

buys an awful lot of land in California.

A man could live like a king.

But the truth is, Matt...

I'm kind of glad it turned out this way.

Well, is five of them enough,

or you got some more hidden away somewhere?

Five's all I could find, Marshal.

Too bad things didn't work out the way you planned.

Well, that's where you're wrong, Marshal.

It worked out just the way I planned it.

You see, I had a big spread just outside of Wichita.

Took me 40 years to build it.

And last year I got caught in the middle of a range war

and lost everything.

My cattle, crops...

They killed my grandson...

a fine young fella.

I think you knew him, Marshal.

- Thad Ewen. - Go on!

Well, they gunned him down.

They hired eight, ten gunfighters,

and he was no match for them.

And these men were five of those gunfighters?

They were all I could find, Marshal.

See, I wanted them to get it just like he did,

knowing it was coming,

and I figured you could take them all,

or they could take each other.

That's just what happened.

Where'd you get the money?

I sold out my land for $8,000.

$1,500 apiece and a little extra.

What about the $25,000?

Well, I figured I wouldn't need it, Marshal.

Guess I was right.

Get him up to Doc's, Festus.

I can't stand the sight of him.

What's the matter with him?

Those men were trash!

Hired guns, that's all.

Maybe so, Pringle...

that there goes one man that ain't.