Original subtitles

Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.

Thad, don't never do that when I'm sleepin'!

Else I'll get on you like ugly on a ape.

I'll remember that.

Next time, I'll just throw a bucket of water on you.

I don't know what it is

a man's friends got against him gettin' a little peace and rest.

Well, ain't you supposed to be looking after things

while the marshal's out of town?

What in the tarnation does it look like I'm doing?

Well, then, what are you supposed to do

in case there's trouble down at the Long Branch?

The Long Branch? Well...

- Miss Kitty. - Yeah.

Well, why didn't you say that?!

See no busted arms on you.

Couldn't you handle it?

How many times have I been told to stay clear of any ruckus,

let the experts handle it?

What's wrong down there anyhow?

Well, there's a half a dozen trail hands down there,

and a couple of them are getting kind of ugly.

Well, come on.

Where's all the rookus at?

What "rookus"?

All them raunchy cowboys that's supposed

to be a-faunching and a-bellering around here...

Where are they?

Yeah, the one who said he was a trail boss.

You know, the one who was causing you all that trouble?

Well, they left.

It wasn't any worry.

It was... it was kind of worrisome

when I left here a few minutes ago.

Oh, Thad,

when I can't handle a few little bad boys,

then I'm going to close up for good.

How about you two having a nightcap with me?

Well, maybe I think I've already had enough.

Much obliged, Miss Kitty, but with Matthew out of town,

and folks, uh...

having nerviest fits...

Are you the same Festus Haggen that I know?

Well, yes, mum, but...

I just ain't in a drinking mood.

Much obliged.

Good night.

Sam, you're tired.

Why don't you just leave all that till in the morning?

Well, thanks, Miss Kitty.

I'll just take this case of empties to the cellar,

and then I'll lock up.

Fine.

Sorry I woke you up for nothing.

You only done what you figured was...

What was that?

Miss Kitty's room.

What's wrong?

Miss Kitty!

Miss Kitty, it's me, Festus!

You all right in there?

Watch it.

Miss Kitty?

Miss Kitty?

You all right, Miss Kitty?

He's dead, Miss Kitty.

Oh.

Don't you cry. It's all over now.

Don't cry. It's all over, Miss Kitty.

Howdy, Doc.

I've been looking every place for you.

- Well, I wasn't there. - Where?

- Every place. - Smart aleck. Where you been?

Well, it's none of your business.

But the truth is, I've been out

trying to make a living this morning

because there are some folks

who never think about paying their doctor bills.

Wait just a minute.

- You talking about me? - If the shoe fits.

It's been three weeks since I took care of that bullet wound

in your arm, and I haven't seen a nickel.

Why, you old scudder, you.

You told me right up yonder in your office

that you wasn't going to charge me nothing

because it was did in the line of duty.

Did I say that?

- You sure did. - Must have been delirious.

No, you wasn't, neither, 'cause I just seen Miss Kitty,

and she said you didn't charge her nothing for doctoring her.

Kitty's different.

How?

Hmm.

Matthew?

Freight agent?

Yes, sir?

You got a shipment there for Judge Calvin Strom?

Came in day before yesterday.

Bring it out.

It's too heavy. I ain't got no help.

Cal, Mark.

♪♪

Mr. Strom?

Judge Strom!

Judge, you're not going to leave this here?

We'll be back.

Oh, barkeep, a whiskey, please.

Bring the bottle?

That the one?

That's the one.

Kitty Russell's her name.

The one on the end is the brother

to the man Festus killed.

Yeah. How long have they been here?

They just came in.

Did I tell you right about her, Pa?

All I had to see was the color of her hair.

If your brother was going to be shot dead in a woman's room,

it would be that kind.

Looks like they recognized Cal.

I've seen all I have to.

That's him... The one with the marshal.

Marshal?

This fellow a friend of yours?

That's right.

Just about as I figured.

Ornery-looking bunch, ain't they?

Well, his boy's buried here.

Guess he's got a right to put a headstone on his grave.

Long as he don't try to put one on mine.

Hmm, well, now, that's kind of hard to say.

Festus don't have no regular job

if that's what you mean.

Well, how does he live?

Oh, well, he, uh...

he does odd jobs from time to time.

He still manages to have enough money in his jeans

to buy drinks over at the Long Branch.

Well, now, just a minute.

Some of them drinks he gets for free.

Oh, from that lady saloon keeper?

Well, she ain't the only one.

That's-that's all I wanted to know.

Water's hot, mister.

Morning, Jim.

Uh... Thad...

uh... gonna be quite a wait, Thad.

They's two more ahead of you.

Well... th-they'll be right back.

Well, don't hurry on my account.

It's the first chance I've had to sit down all day.

Jim, why don't you introduce me to the young man?

Yeah, sure.

Uh, Thad...

this here is Judge Strom.

Oh. Pleased to meet you, sir.

Likewise, boy, likewise.

The judge has come all this way to find out why Festus...

Jim, Jim, come on, come on, get along with it, will you?

Haven't got all day.

Yeah. Sure, Judge, sure.

Oh, uh, Jim was just about to say

that we were discussing Mr. Festus Haggen.

Ah, he must be quite a character, hmm?

Uh...

Jim was saying he doesn't seem to have any...

visible means of support, yet he always does,

however, make ends meet somehow.

Well, Festus is kind of shifty.

But I tell ya, there ain't a trick in the book

that he don't know about.

- Right, Jim? - Thad, maybe you shouldn't talk...

Would you say he's the kind of man

might be interested in a somewhat, oh, risky operation?

That is, if there's a dollar or two in it for him?

Well, I've never known Festus to be afraid of a risk,

if that's what you mean?

That is exactly what I mean.

Sounds to me like just the kind of man I'm looking for.

Uh, tell me, Thad, how would you rate him with a gun?

A gun?

He's good enough, I guess.

Good enough? Seems to me I heard

he was just about the fastest gun in these parts.

Well, now, I... I don't know about that.

But I'll tell you one thing for sure.

He ain't the slowest.

That just about answers my question.

Got 'em right here, Pa.

Ah, good boy, Cal.

Take 'em on back into the bath, will you?

I'll be with you in a minute.

Jim, don't just stand there.

Come on. Get on with it.

- I got things to do. - Sure, Judge.

♪♪

How's it look to you, Judge?

Hmm...

You sure this is the right grave, Cal?

Wouldn't be likely to make a mistake about that.

Never forget bringing Rick up here.

It was a day about like this was.

Just me and a couple of our drovers.

Nobody from that town.

Nobody.

The preacher, and that was it.

Folks from back there didn't have the face

to come and pay their respects.

Been different where we come from.

Even a no-good horse thief is entitled to respect

when he's dead.

Well, this ain't our territory, son.

Don't go expecting any...

wide country manners from these folks.

Not till we're through here.

I'd say we'd done just about everything we can out here

to make sure that...

Richard Strom will never be forgotten in these parts.

Let's get back to town, finish the job.

I've saw folks having more fun than this

at a wake, with a heap less people.

Kind of creepy.

I mean, there's some folks here I haven't seen in months.

Well, there's not a theater within 200 miles of here.

This is high drama; they came to see the show.

Smart aleck.

Maybe they're not coming at all, Festus.

Maybe they put that headstone on the grave and just rode on out.

Sure wish I could believe that.

The marshal must have figured they'd be here,

or he wouldn't have told me to tell him when they arrived.

If they're looking for me, they know where I'm at.

Well, now, there's an attitude that's calculated

to bring peace and tranquility to the whole Long Branch Saloon.

What do you expect me to do?

Go skittering off to the hills with my tail betwixt my legs?!

Sorry, Festus, for getting you in this mess.

Just didn't know who he was.

What are you sorry about? You told the truth.

He hasn't got any visible means of support.

Doc, this isn't a joking matter!

You haven't seen the Stroms.

Oh, yes, I have.

I saw 'em.

Well, I'm just not gonna sit here all night.

I'm gonna go get a drink.

Rick was my oldest boy. Firstborn.

He was kind of special with all of us.

Your boy was kind of special around here, too, Judge...

if you're interested in hearing the truth of it.

That's exactly what I want to know.

But I already found the truth.

However, since you're the man that... killed him,

I'd be...

I'd be interested in hearing your story of it.

Fact is, we've come a long way to hear it.

Glad to oblige you, Judge.

There's a few things I want to tell you

about the two days them young'uns of yours was in town.

I'm listening.

Now, they didn't get into town

with the first trail herd that ever hit Dodge, you know.

Fact is, we're used to cowboys letting off a little meanness

that they couldn't take out on some mossy-horned ol' steer.

Let me tell you this... Them two cubs of your'n

was triple-distilled ornery, the worst I have ever saw!

If Matt bad been here, he would have thrown them

out of town the first day.

Matt?

The marshal.

I heard you the first time, lady.

Why don't we just stick to the issues, Judge?

That's just what we're doing...

Doctor.

Yes, a nice, neat little package you have here, hmm?

When your young friend comes back with the marshal,

we'll tie it all up with a pretty blue ribbon.

Let me ask you a question, mister.

Down yonder where the Stroms are so high and mighty,

even down there, you reckon it'd be all right

if one of your boys was to hide in a lady's bedroom

and gag her with a towel

and then beat her head pert near off?

Would anybody down yonder dare say

that was a poor way to act, even for a Strom?

One other thing.

When a Strom shoots a man...

is that man gave a chance to shoot back,

or is he supposed to just turn around

and jab his fingers in his ears and hope your aim's bad?!

Anything else, Mr. Haggen?

Yeah. One more thing.

I didn't want to kill that boy of your'n.

But if anybody ever needed killing, it was him.

Mister, I think we ought to give you a lesson

in how to talk to the judge.

Well, I need educatin'. Start teachin'.

Hold on there.

What's going on? What's all this about?

Oh, it's very simple, Marshal.

Me and my two boys have come a long way to find out

what's being done about a certain murder in this town.

And it looks to me like it's a good thing we did.

Meaning what?

Meaning that in this place,

in that woman's room, that man shot and killed my son...

and there's a conspiracy in this town to protect the killers.

Why, you...

I say my son was a victim of a conspiracy

between that man and that woman.

I say he was enticed to her room,

where he was supposed to be sweet-talked

and drugged and robbed.

And then when he found out about it, they killed him.

Now, that'd be a pretty foolish way

for them to handle it, wouldn't it?

No. No, not if the marshal's a personal friend of yours

and will cover up for you!

That all you got to say?

No, it isn't!

I want that man arrested for murder, and the woman

for conspiracy to commit murder.

And I'll sign the charges.

Judge, there's not gonna be any arrests or any charges,

because there wasn't any murder or conspiracy.

Are you the one who decides that in Dodge City?

That's right, I am.

Marshal, I'm gonna see that these two stand trial for murder

if it's the last thing I ever do!

Judge, you're a long way from the panhandle

and panhandle justice.

Maybe a little farther than you think.

Now, I'd suggest that you and your boys get out of Dodge.

Before midnight'd be just about right.

Are you running me out of town?

That's right. I don't want to see any Stroms in Dodge again

while I'm marshal here.

♪♪

♪♪

You know, I wish I'd been there when Festus took those Stroms.

Well, Festus is a pretty hard man to push, Thad.

Yeah.

Matt!

Missed him.

Can't get him if you can't see him.

Let's go see how Matthew is.

Let me through, let me through.

Get you bad, Matthew?

Did you get him?

No. All we could do was hurry him on his way.

Did you recognize him?

It's too dark, but I got a good idea who it was.

Yeah, so have I.

Get me a chair, will you, Thad?

Doc.

All right, get back everybody.

Matthew don't need you gawking at him. Move away.

Come on over to the bar and we'll have a drink.

Can you move that leg, Matt?

Yeah, a little, Doc.

Let's get him out of here, right now.

Well, Doc, what's the verdict?

Well, you're not gonna like it.

What do you mean? The leg's gonna be all right, isn't it?

Yeah.

Leg's gonna be fine.

But you're not gonna like laying there in bed

for two or three weeks, if I know you.

Two, three weeks?

That's what I said.

Then you can look forward to a few weeks on crutches

and after that, I...

I may let you walk around with a cane.

Well, that's something to look forward to, all right.

Well, it could have been a lot worse. You're pretty lucky.

Hobbling around on crutches isn't my idea of being lucky.

Let me tell you something.

You get this fixed in your mind.

That's a very serious wound you got there.

It's gonna heal all right, that is, providing

you do exactly as I tell you to, for once in your life.

Doesn't sound like you're giving me much choice.

Glad to know that wound hasn't impaired your hearing any.

Well, all right, I suppose if you're gonna keep me

tied down here in bed, well, you...

you better go find Festus.

I'm gonna need some help around the office.

I'll do it.

Kind of nice to know you're gonna be sensible.

♪♪

- What's the matter, Sam? - Miss Kitty... she's gone.

Was there any sign of a fight?

Not that I could tell.

I sent a girl to wake her.

When she told me Miss Kitty wasn't there,

I went to see for myself.

Get Festus.

No use. Festus is gone.

Nobody's seen him since last night.

Strom.

What do you mean?

It's exactly what he wanted. He wanted me

out of the way so he could get Festus and Kitty out of here.

Well, why didn't he just get 'em when he got you?

He made a big point of that, Doc.

He wants Kitty and Festus to hang.

You can't get up out of there.

You're gonna break that wound wide open.

Boys, get everybody you can.

We'll meet down at the livery stable in five minutes.

Thad, get my horse for me.

You can't get on a horse.

You know anything else I can do?

♪♪

Leave it on, Doc.

You're going right back out again.

What are you doing here?

We need a doctor.

The judge said to bring you.

Well, the judge knows I keep regular office hours.

He can come up here and see me if he needs me.

There's nothing wrong with the judge.

It's your friend, Festus Haggen.

What'd you do to Festus?

Well, we didn't aim to do nothing to him.

Least, not until after the trial.

What trial?

He's being tried for murder.

You mean to tell me your father's setting up

a kangaroo court to try Festus?

Him and that woman.

Only it's no kangaroo court.

My father runs a regular court.

He's a regular judge.

Not in the state of Kansas.

Well, he says he can overlook that.

But he can't try a man who don't know what's going on.

Your friend gave us a little argument last night.

Now I think we'd better get going.

I've got a horse waiting for you.

♪♪

Marshal, you all right?

Sam, I'm gonna let you fellas go on ahead.

I'm afraid I'm slowing you down.

Thad, I want you to take half the men.

Sam, you take the rest.

Now, spread out through these hills,

cover as much ground as you can.

Don't come back without 'em.

Yes, sir. All right, boys.

Let's go.

Go on.

♪♪

Whoa, whoa.

What are you stopping for?

Because I'm kind of tired. I'd like to rest a little while.

This is a friend of yours who's needing you.

Think you'd be in more of a hurry to get to him.

Go ahead.

Okay, now, head upstream.

Stay right in the middle, where it's deep.

♪♪

Strom, how can you dignify

what you propose to do here

by calling this a court of law?

It's Judge Strom.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Please remove your hat in my courtroom.

Doctor, just about any place I sit is a court of law.

Maybe, in your own territory.

But you have no jurisdiction here in the state of Kansas.

And if you did have,

you'd have to disqualify yourself in this case,

if I know anything at all about the law.

Oh, why's that?

You made up the charges.

And another thing...

Who was it you said they killed?

My oldest boy, Richard Strom.

There you are, Judge.

You don't mean to tell me that you really think

that you're qualified to sit in this case.

To say nothing of be the jury, too.

Nobody else around these parts cottoned to the job.

And I'm not bashful.

All right.

Doesn't the law specifically state

that a defendant has a right to a trial by a jury of his peers?

Is that right?

Well, where's the jury?

Well, it's not quite convenient, Doctor.

Well, who's representing the people

of the state of Kansas here?

Where's the prosecutor?

We seem to be in somewhat short supply, too.

I'll ask the questions.

I suppose you're gonna be defense counsel, too, huh?

Well, no.

Now, uh, I...

Say... Say, that'd be a good job for you.

I'm not a lawyer.

Ah, but you're a man of learning, Doctor.

Yes.

Yes.

This court hereby appoints you counsel for the defense.

All right.

Judge, isn't it customary and legal

for defense counsel to have an opportunity

to talk to his clients and prepare his case?

Good point, Doctor.

Yes.

I therefore declare this court recessed for...

five minutes.

Five minutes.

What's the matter?

Can't even wait five minutes to get into action...

counselor?

Come along, boys.

- Now, now, Doc. Get me untied, quick. - What for?

What do you think you're gonna do without a gun?

I don't know,

- but anything's better than sittin' here waitin' -Shh!

For us to get our necks stretched.

Waitin' may be the biggest weapon we got right now.

- What do you mean? - Matt's out there looking for you.

Matt?! What are you talking about? He can't ride a horse.

I told him he couldn't ride a horse,

but you know how much good that did with Matt.

Now, he's out there with a regular army,

beating every bush for you.

And if we can keep that madman talking long enough,

well...

seems to me like...

it's about the only chance we got.

♪♪

♪♪

Cal, you say your brother wasn't, um...

wasn't acting himself that night.

Uh, just what do you mean by that?

Well, Rick could always handle his liquor.

I mean, he put me under the table more than once.

That night, his drinks just up and hit him.

Well, how much had he had to drink?

Oh, I wasn't counting, Judge, but we, uh...

we had drink for drink there at the Long Branch Saloon.

First thing I knew,

Rick's blind drunk.

Blind drunk, hmm?

Like as if maybe-maybe somebody'd doctored his drinks?

Yeah, like as if, Judge.

Yeah.

Now, uh... now, who do you think

would want to do a thing like that, Cal?

The bartender. But, uh,

Kitty Russell gives all the orders there.

That's right. And I ordered the both of you out of there,

didn't I?

When I want to hear any testimony from you,

Miss Russell, I'll let you know.

Cal, why?

Why do you suppose anybody would want to doctor...

doctor Rick's drinks?

Rick was carrying a lot of money, Judge.

He-he had a payday to meet when-when the herd got to Dodge.

And, boy, he, uh... ol' Rick just about cleaned out

that whole crew of drovers in a poker game.

Yes. Uh...

what about the other defendant here, Festus Haggen?

Do you recall seeing him hanging around the Long Branch?

All the time.

The night Rick was killed?

Pa, him and Kitty Russell was watching Rick

like a-a couple of buzzards circling a dying calf.

That's a dang lie, and I can prove it.

I was at the jailhouse looking after a prisoner all night.

Is your witness in the courtroom,

- Mr. Haggen? - Courtroom.

Judge, does defense counsel have an opportunity

to question this witness?

Help yourself.

I assume the laws of perjury have been suspended

for the duration of this trial.

Why don't you just go ahead and ask your questions, counselor.

As I understand it, you and your brother were having

drink for drink there in the Long Branch,

is that right?

That's right.

Didn't put you under at all though?

Oh, no. Nothing like it.

On the other hand, your brother was drunk,

blind drunk, is that right?

What I say.

So drunk, in fact,

that a clever woman like Miss Kitty

was able to wrap him around her little finger

and entice him up to her room,

that right?

That's just what she done.

Yet you were not drunk.

Matter of fact, you were cold sober, is that correct?

Mister, you heard me.

Rick was carrying all the money,

so nobody bothered putting any drops in my whiskey.

Just wanted to see if I understood you.

Now, let me see if I did.

You were cold sober.

Yet you let these two buzzards, as you put it,

move in on your helpless brother,

and you did nothing.

Not a thing.

Now, I always thought the Stroms stuck together.

Don't sound like it, does it, Judge?

Not if we can believe anything he said.

Cal,

you weren't there.

I was there, Pa.

Honest.

Only, I...

Only what?

Only I must've passed out

be-before they took him up to that room.

The witness will step down.

Pa, I didn't want to tell you.

Step down.

Well, Judge?

Hmm? Doesn't change anything.

Doesn't change anything? He lied. He admitted it.

Well, he lied.

But the truth only confirms what happened.

You see, they-they doctored his drinks, too,

so he wouldn't be able to interfere.

That's another dang lie.

The defendants will rise.

Do you have anything to say

for yourselves before I pronounce sentence?

What is there to say?

Start spouting.

Very well.

It is the opinion of this court

that both of you are guilty of murder.

And I am herewith sentencing you both to...

Judge.

Now, we may not have proved 'em innocent in your eyes,

but we certainly have established a reasonable doubt!

The court does not concur.

I am herewith sentencing you both to...

Judge!

Don't you do this, I warn you.

Are you threatening the bench?

If you consider good advice a threat,

if you go through with this, I'll tell you something,

Matt Dillon will run you to earth.

You'll never be able to hide anywhere.

He'll find you, and he'll kill you, all three.

Doctor, the Stroms

have never hid in their life,

and the place we're going is right back

to where we came from.

You can tell Matt Dillon where to find us,

and tell him we'll be ready to welcome him.

Defendants Russell and Haggen,

this court finds you guilty of murder,

the murder of my son, Richard Strom.

And I hereby sentence you both to hang by the neck

until you're dead.

Bailiff.

Yes, sir.

Prepare the prisoners for hanging.

♪♪

All right, boy.

Move those horses.

Oh, Doc. Oh.

- Now slip it right up. - Get-get...

Oh, thank you.

- Get my bag, Kitty. - Okay.

Doc. Hurry up, Doc.

Got me an idea, Judge,

you're a-fixin' to see a courtroom just one more time.

How's my pa?

Appears like His Honor's gonna live.

If you want to know what I think, he's just too mean

and ornery to die.

Uh, they gonna hold the trial here?

No, they ain't.

The way the feeling in this town's

running against you Stroms,

why, Matthew says it ain't

the fairest place in the world to try to pick a jury.

That's a way of looking at the law

that your pa might do a little thinking about.

Matthew!

- Festus. - I didn't figure to see you up and around

for another couple of weeks.

Well, I'll tell you something.

11 days in that bed's enough for anybody.

Now he's his own doctor.

Tell you something, it would serve him right

if that wound busts open again.

He's got a head of solid marble.

He's worse than that mule of yours.

He's worse than that... He's worse than you are.

Why don't you go over and get in that bed like I told you.

That's where you belong.

Festus, uh,

why don't you get us a cup of coffee.

Oh, no. What do you want to bother him for?

Why don't you hobble over there and get it yourself.

Or better still, why don't you limp over to the Long Branch

and get a drink.

Now, there's an idea.

Well, fine! Go on.

But if that starts bleeding again,

have him sew it up for you.

Eh, don't it look like things

are gettin' back to normal, Matthew.

Well, might be if I ever get that cup of coffee.

You got it. Give it to you before you can say,

"Rat run over the roof of the house

with a piece of raw liver in his mouth."

It's good and hot, too.