Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 6, Episode 27 - Dead and Gone - full transcript

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I can make do with
worn-out harness,

but you spent $1.50 extra
just for some cloth and thread.

The storekeeper saved
it especially for me.

Oh, yeah, sure, he's very nice.

He knows how to
make his fortune from us,

especially from my sister, who
thinks our money grows on trees.

Spend good money on all
that embroidery foolishness.

For what use? We can't
eat it. We can't wear it.

I enjoy it, Johann.



It keeps me busy.

We are busy enough
with work on the ranch.

I think I do my share of that.

All right. Sure, Hilda.

Do I say you don't work?

Just that, to me,
money is money.

It's hard to come.

Cost me enough
for all these supplies.

JOHANN: Whoa.

What now?

At this rate, we
will never get home.

HOWARD: Hold it.

Take it easy.

Hyah!



HOWARD: Give me your money.

- Johann.
- Stay still, Hilda.

[HORSE NEIGHING]

JOHANN: Hilda, the reins!

Pull! Pull! Pull!

All right.

You win, friend.

Just don't break the guitar.

Now, you got a lot more to
worry about than that, friend.

HOWARD [SINGING]:
Poor Howard's dead and gone

Poor Howard's dead and gone

Poor Howard's dead and gone
Left me here to sing this song

Poor Howard's dead and gone
Poor Howard's dead and gone

Poor Howard's dead and gone
Left me here to sing this song

Poor Howard's dead and gone

Who's been here
Since I've been gone?

Well, a pretty little
girl With a red dress on

Now, who's been here
Since I've been gone?

Well, a pretty little
girl With a red dress on

Who's been here
Since I've been gone?

Well, a pretty little
girl With a red dress on

Who's been here
Since I've been gone?

Well, a pretty little
girl With a red dress on

Poor Howard's dead and gone

Poor Howard's dead and gone

Oh, who's been here
Since I've been gone?

Well, a great big man
With a black hat on

Who's been here
Since I've been gone?

A great big man
with a black hat on

Poor Howard's dead and gone
Poor Howard's dead and gone

Poor Howard's dead and gone
Left me here to sing this song

Psst.

Adam. Glad you dropped by.

I got that complaint off made
out against Howard Mead.

The Brunners is already signed.

Now, you just put your
John Henry down here.

Let me talk to him
a minute, will you?

Why, sure.

Might shut him up.

HOWARD: Poor
Howard's dead and gone

Poor Howard's dead and gone

Poor Howard's dead and gone
Left me here to sing this song

Poor Howard's dead and gone Yeah

Poor Howard's dead and gone

Poor Howard is dead and gone

You're in serious
trouble, you know.

Or doesn't that worry you?

I don't have a worry
I don't have a care

Going back to Frisco
Lady love me there

Lady love me there Mm-hm

I can see it doesn't worry
you enough to stop singing.

[IN NORMAL VOICE]
You take a bird.

Does he sing because
he's got no worries?

Mm-mm.

He sings because
he has to, that's all.

You know, I've been
standing outside there,

listening to some
pretty good music

and trying to figure out
the fellow doing the singing.

You know, you, uh...

You know, you handle a guitar
a lot better than you do a gun.

[LAUGHS]

Ain't that the truth?

You know, I don't
know how to say this,

but I wanna thank
you for stopping me.

I've done a lot of things in
my time that I'm not proud of.

But not that one.

That's pretty good.

Yeah, I, uh...

I pick up a few
things here and there.

Hey, I do too.

Yeah, I know. Other
people's money.

I'm gonna tell you
something, Adam Cartwright.

I don't give a hoot if
you believe it or not.

That's the first time I tried
a stunt like that with a gun.

Broke, hungry.

Was in town, I looked
in that store window,

there's that big German
sodbuster and his woman,

had a fistful of money
could choke a horse.

The name is Brunner.

Johann and his sister, Hilda.

They're good people and
they work hard for their money.

I'll take your word for it.

The stuff about being
hungry, that's true?

Nobody ever believes
a guitar-picking drifter.

[CHUCKLES]

Adam, I got some things to do.

I'd like to get you to
sign this complaint.

Roy, I, uh...

I'd like to talk to
the Brunners first.

What do you wanna waste
your time with this guy for?

How do you know
I'm wasting my time?

Besides, it improves the
atmosphere around here.

That? I just don't understand
this yahoo and his singing at all.

Don't try, just listen.

ADAM: So that's his story.

Well, I'm not saying that
what he did wasn't a crime,

but I think if a man makes one
slip, he deserves a second chance.

I'm not the person to
put another soul in prison.

I will withdraw the complaint.

Well, I do not withdraw.

He pointed a gun at my
face to take my money.

I'll get the satisfaction of
putting him where he belongs.

ADAM: Oh, Johann.

A whole barrel of flour,
grain seed, mush for the pigs.

Ten, $25 worth I lost
because of that robber.

Oh, I didn't think
it was that much.

But, uh, let's say it was 15.

I'll pay for the damages
out of my own pocket

if you drop the charges.

The satisfaction of
putting a man in prison

isn't worth $15, is it, Johann?

[DOOR OPENS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

[PLAYING GUITAR]

[SINGING] Smile as you go
by, buddy Smile as you go by

'Cause I ain't got time
To hear no grown man cry

My pappy was a poor
man All he ever had was fun

And all he had to give me
Was the earth, the sky and sun

But the greatest thing he told
me Was, "Boy, don't weep or moan

'Cause the man Who's
always crying now

Will always cry alone"

You just smile as you go
by, buddy Smile as you go by

'Cause I ain't got time
To hear no grown man cry

Who's the singing hand?

It's a new fellow
Adam brought in.

Well, he's not a hand yet.

Any word from Sacramento?

Nope. Nothing.

I can't understand it. Can't
sit here twiddling our thumbs

while those millstones are lost
in some Sacramento warehouse.

Why don't I go down
there and take a look?

Yeah, why don't you do
that tomorrow morning?

What about Howard
Mead out there?

Well, I can tell you one thing
about him. He can sure sing. Heh.

Well, he may be pretty good at
singing, but as a hand, I don't know.

The fellow worries me some.

Why? Just because he
got hungry and broke?

Lot of men have had that
problem at one time or another.

Yeah, but they haven't tried to
solve that problem with a gun.

But you said yourself
that everybody's entitled

to at least one mistake.

Well, I'll tell you this, Pa,

if he can punch
cows like he can sing,

we got ourselves a gem.

Well, let's talk to him.

HOWARD: Smile as you go by

'Cause I ain't got time
To hear no grown man cry

Smile as you go by,
buddy Smile as you go by

'Cause I ain't got time
To hear no grown man cry

I ain't got time To
hear no grown man cry

Oh, yeah

That's a pretty song.

Fellows, you got
some chores to do?

MAN: Well, I guess he's
sending us back to work.

- Howard, this is my father.
- How are you?

- My brothers, Hoss,
Joe. HOWARD: Hello.

- How are you? Good to see you.
- Howard, how are you?

- Mr. Cartwright.
- Howard,

I understand you would
like to do some work for us.

I certainly would appreciate
it, sir. Anything would be fine.

Well, a couple of things
that should be cleared up first.

About the money that
Adam put up for me, sir,

I plan on paying that
back, the first wages I make.

Well, good, but I
was really thinking

about our neighbors
and friends, the Brunners.

I've been aiming to go over

and tell them how sorry I
am about what happened.

In fact, I'll head
over there right now.

Well, I'll take you
over there tonight

after we done a little
picking and singing first, huh?

[PLAYING GUITAR]

[SINGING] My pappy was a
poor man All he ever had was fun

And all he had to give me
Was the earth, the sky and sun

But the greatest thing he told
me Was, "Boy, don't weep or moan

'Cause the man Who's
always crying now

Will always cry alone"

BOTH [SINGING]: You
just smile as you go by, boy

Smile as you go by

'Cause I ain't got time
To hear no grown man cry

Smile as you go by,
boy Smile as you go by

'Cause I ain't got time
to hear no grown man cry

You just smile as you go
by, boy Smile as you go by

[HORSE APPROACHING]

Visitors.

HILDA: You sure now?

It's Adam Cartwright.

- Hello, Hilda, Johann.
- Hello.

I think you know who this is.

JOHANN: Of course
she knows who he is.

The man who tried to rob us.

I'm here to tell you both
how sorry I am about that.

I never tried anything
like that before.

I know there's no excuse.

I'd sure like to make
it up to you, if I could.

Johann, please invite
our company to sit.

Company?

Please, Johann.

Sit.

Adam tells us that you
are a musician, Mr. Mead.

I pick at a guitar now and then.

Sometimes I think he would
rather pick at that thing than eat.

JOHANN: We have not
got time for such foolishness.

Once, she even had some crazy
idea to run off to study music in a school.

[CHUCKLES]

And us with a ranch to run here.

I told her we have not the time
to go around to sing and socialize.

[PLAYS HARPSICHORD KEY]

- Is this a piano?
- No, it's harpsichords.

It's very old.

My father brought
it from Germany.

It's pretty.

And do you play it?

I used to.

Would you play for me?

Perhaps sometime.

Why not now, Hilda?

I haven't heard you
play for a long time.

Johann?

[HILDA PLAYING HARPSICHORD]

Look, I can't keep patching that mill.
Is Joe going to Sacramento or not?

Yes, he is, as soon as I get
this letter of authorization written.

Can you take me into
Virginia City in the buckboard?

ADAM: Sure, anything
to get rid of you.

Ha, ha. Thanks a lot.

- Hey, Joe.
- Ha-ha-ha.

Did I give you that
extra cash to take along?

No, uh-uh.

HOSS: Hey, Pa?

Howard Mead's gone, Pa,

and along with him,
one of our best mares.

Took a rifle out
of the bunkhouse.

[GUITAR PLAYING IN DISTANCE]

[SINGING] They
say I'll never settle

They say I was born wild

But they don't know my burden

I'm my mama's hard luck child

My mama's hard luck child

I've been all over this land

From Texas up to Maine

And everywhere I've rambled

Good people curse my name

Good people curse my name

[HORSE WHINNIES]

[IN NORMAL VOICE] Hello, Adam.

You come to bring me in?

Why?

That horse ain't that valuable.

Sorry you chased all
this way for nothing.

Because it's hello and goodbye.

Don't try anything.

Go ahead, use it.

You stole the money,
you took the mare.

Go ahead, use the
gun. You stole that too.

What kind of a man
are you, Howard?

I don't know.

I don't know.

Maybe I was born wrong.

Or bent wrong.

[HOWARD PLAYING GUITAR]

I never had a mother
either, Cartwright.

Only, I never had a pa.

A pa.

All I remember
about him was this...

He was real tall.

He used to sing...

in jail.

He died in jail.

What's the use of talking about
it? Nobody's listening anyway.

[SIGHS]

I'm listening.

You know,

sometimes I feel like I'm never
gonna be satisfied anywhere

but in jail or on the run.

Howard, you got too
much going for you.

Just give us a
chance to help, huh?

- It's charity.
- It's not charity.

- I never did cotton to charity.
- Oh, come on, Howard.

Would you sing some? You
sing a lot better than you talk.

[HOWARD PLAYING GUITAR]

[SINGING] Well, every road I see

Leads away from me

There's not a single
one That leads me home

[ADAM WHISTLING]

All the roads keep
saying, "Friend

Come and see
What's round the bend"

So is it any wonder that I roam?

All the places I have
been [ADAM HUMMING]

Keep a-calling me back again

Now down in the pines I
hear the cold wind blow

My heart keeps telling me

Footloose and fancy-free

And the road goes by
And calls me as it go

[SINGING] Well, maybe somewhere

There's a someone
Waiting there with a smile

And maybe there'll be someplace
I can stop and rest a while

'Cause maybe you weren't
meant To be just a rolling stone

And there's a road to travel on

That leads you back to home

BOTH: Oh, but I'll
keep traveling on

Keep a-looking at the dawn

Till I can lay This
lonesome body down

And when that day has come

I never more will roam

And every road I see
Will lead me home

And when that day has come

I never more will roam

And every road I see
Will lead me home

[IN NORMAL VOICE]
Yeah. Ha-ha-ha.

Adam, I know
he's had a hard life,

but what's gonna make
him change his ways now?

Well, I think he's
learned something.

I think he's learned that
people care about him.

Is that gonna make
him change his ways?

Well, I'll say this.

I'll take the responsibility
for him. Deal?

All right.

Just don't forget
that old Indian saying:

"Fool me once, a curse on you.

Fool me twice, a curse on me."

[CHUCKLES]

[HERDERS YELLING AND WHISTLING]

HOSS: Whoa, ho.

- Well, by George, Howard, you can.
- Can what?

Well, you can punch a cattle
dang near as good as you can sing.

Thanks. I gotta get cleaned
up and get on into town.

I'm seeing Hilda tonight.

Maybe I'll even
take her to dance.

Good. I'll see you there.

Hey, just remember,
she's my girl. Come on.

[HILDA PLAYING HARPSICHORD]

[SINGING] Early one morning

Just as the sun was rising

I heard a mädchen
sing in The valley below

Oh, don't deceive me
Oh, never leave me

How could you use
A poor mädchen so?

Remember the vows that
You made to your Mary

Remember the bower
where You vowed to be true

Oh, don't deceive me
Oh, never leave me

How could you use
A poor mädchen so?

That's mighty pretty.

- Play another?
- No.

Now you play one.
And we'll listen.

And after that, I
make some coffee.

We have a fire. What
did you do with the lamp?

Kerosene costs money.

Johann's right.

I like it better with the
light down low anyway.

[PLAYING GUITAR]

[SINGING] But I'll
keep a-traveling on

Keep a-looking at the dawn

Till I can lay This
lonesome body down

And when that day has come

Oh, I never more will roam

And every road I see
Will lead me home

[HUMMING]

Howard, you always
sing such lonely songs.

Do I?

Tell you what.

Let's go to town.

There's big doings
in Virginia City tonight.

And you and me
might do a little dancing.

No, I don't think I should.

I really don't dance very well
and I don't have a dress to wear.

What do you call what you
have on, an Indian blanket?

Come on, let's give it a whirl.

The answer is no.

I'm not asking you to the dance,
brother, I'm asking your sister.

You don't hear so good.

She told you no.

Now you can get
out of this house.

Johann, I won't
have you talk like that.

What do you think he is after,

with all his singing
and his smart talk?

You?

My money, that's
what he's after.

Why else would he
spend so much of his time

going for a plain
little nothing?

Mr. Mead?

I like very much
to go to the dance.

I get my wrap.

Hilda, I didn't
mean what I said.

I do not want you to
go out with this man.

He's not good for you.

Why?

Because he's kind to me?

Because he appreciates me?

Hilda.

What about me?

You are leaving me all alone.

Johann, I love you very much,

but you are my brother.

[DOOR OPENS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

[MOUTHS] Hilda.

ADAM: Well, welcome back.

JOE: It's good to
be back, brother.

ADAM: How was your trip?

JOE: Long and dusty.

I found the lost order.

Yeah, Pa told me. To tell you the
truth, I didn't expect you back so soon.

Don't they have any
pretty girls down there?

They had some pretty girls, but
there's something I wanted to tell you.

Wanted to tell you,
there's a dance here.

Told Pa we'd be
home after it's over.

The dance can wait. Come
on over, I'll buy you a beer.

Like a couple of beers, Murray.

Now, come on, out with it.

Well?

Down in Sacramento, I
found out Howard Mead

is wanted by the
law in California.

But we knew that, didn't
we? Some trouble he got in.

And the trouble is murder.

I don't believe it.

You better start believing.

Meads is as good with a
gun as he is with a guitar.

Shot and killed a saloonkeeper.

That's not his
first killing either.

He's wanted for murder
of a man in Kentucky

and a string of robberies all
the way across the country.

[DOOR BANGING]

It's good thing I see
your horses outside.

I want to tell you about
your song-singing friend.

What about him?

This is what about.

He robbed me when
my back was turned,

when he was pretending
to court my sister.

Forty-six $5 gold pieces.

Now I got that thief
right where I want him.

ADAM: Johann.

If it's true, you ought
to go to the sheriff.

So he can let him
go, like the last time?

No. No sheriff.

I handle this my way now.

JOE: Where you think he's going?

Probably to the town hall.
Howard took Hilda to the dance.

- Get the sheriff. I'll meet
you there. JOE: All right.

[BAND PLAYING]

[INDISTINCT CHATTERING]

[ALL CHEERING]

Howard Mead.

Howard, how about
you getting your guitar

and playing some songs for
us folks while we rest a bit?

ALL: Yeah! MAN: Come on, Howard.

Oh, yeah.

[PLAYING GUITAR]

[SINGING] I don't have a
worry I don't have a care

Going down to Frisco
All my friends are there

All my friends are
there JOHANN: Thief!

You listen to a thief.

He should be put in
jail where he belongs.

Hilda, wait outside.

Johann.

You want to be here with this
man who took all our money?

You are crazy.

Johann.

JOHANN: Get out!

[ALL GASPING AND MURMURING]

You want to sing song?

[GUNSHOT THEN ALL GASP]

[YELLING INDISTINCTLY]

Hold it right there, Mead.

- Now, drop that gun.
- Johann.

Johann.

JOE: Adam, are you all right?
- I'm all right.

He's dead, all right.

[HILDA SOBBING]

Mead, this time, I'm
arresting you for murder.

[SOBBING]

[SOBS]

HOWARD [SINGING]:
Poor Howard's dead and gone

Poor Howard's dead and gone

Who'll be here to sing his song?

[HOWARD HUMS]

Poor Howard's dead and gone

Poor Howard's dead and gone

Poor Howard's dead and gone

Who'll be here to sing his song?

Can't you sing
something cheerful?

I don't have a worry
I don't have a care

Going to hanging All
my friends are there

That's cheerful?

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

ADAM: Hilda?

Hilda.

Anybody home?

ADAM: I keep thinking of
her sitting in that dark house.

What thoughts she
must be thinking,

hating Howard and hating me.

- You?
- If it wasn't for me,

Johann would still be alive.

- Where are you going?
ADAM: See Howard.

And take him your guitar.

Yeah, well, he's gonna die.

Man should have some comfort.

It's the only thing that
ever meant anything to him.

[HOWARD PLAYING HARMONICA]

[PLAYING GUITAR]

[SINGING] Hang me up high, boys

Forty feet high

So I can see her As she rides by

[HOWARD HUMMING]

[STOPS HUMMING]

Thanks.

You know, I guess
Hilda was right.

I always sing the lonely ones.

- Have you seen her?
- No.

Do me a favor, Adam.

Ask her to forgive me.

You know, no matter
what other lies I told,

I really did care for her.

How much of the rest was lies?

They're all lies, I guess.

Well, I've stole
and I've killed.

Lying didn't seem to
make much difference.

[PLAYING GUITAR]

[SINGING] Strongest
of oak is the gallows

Tightest of knots is the noose

Why, oh, why
did I kill that man?

Now I'll never get loose

Now I'll never get loose

Boy, you're looking to die.

I've rode o'er hot dry deserts

And over mountains tall

I believed in the
Badlands saying

A good gun never falls

A good gun never falls

Well, Adam, listen to me

Yeah, hear the words I tell

If you can't help it
Don't you cross the Law

You'll spend your days in

Well, you'll finish
your life in, yeah

HILDA: Go away.

Hilda, it's Adam. I
wanna talk to you.

Howard sent a message to you.

He asks you to forgive him.

Was that all?

No, he said that no matter what
other lies he may have told you,

that he really did care for you.

There's no hope
for him, is there?

Not anymore.

Adam.

I love him.

Hilda, the man
threw his life away.

Now, don't you go and
throw yours away too, huh?

Thank you for
bringing the message.

Did you go over to see
Hilda Brunner today?

- Yeah.
- Well, something funny happened.

I passed her on the
road and she stopped me

and asked me to tell
you to please forgive her.

What do you suppose
she meant by that?

Thanks. I'll never forget it.

What? I'm coming with you.

You can't. You'll just
get yourself killed.

I don't care. I
want to be with you.

Well, I don't want you.
You'd just be in the way.

Nobody goes with me!

Hold it there, Mead.

Howard!

HOWARD: You make
a fine, big target, Adam.

I could've put the rest
of these in your back.

Why didn't you?

Who'll sing my songs...

when poor Howard's...

dead and gone?

Who'll be left...

to sing his songs?

ROY: Hilda.

These are the final papers
to the sale of your ranch.

I reckon the bank told you
that they'd transfer the money

to your address in Germany?

Yes. Thank you, sheriff.

[HILDA SPEAKS IN GERMAN]

Well, the stage will be
ready to leave in a minute.

- Adam?
- Yeah?

I still can't understand it.

To be able to sing like that

with so much feeling
and sorrow for the people,

and their sorrows,

and yet to be what he was. Why?

I don't know.

A hundred reasons probably.

You just have to forget him.

Is that why he lived?

To be forgotten?

CHILDREN [SINGING]:
Poor Howard's dead and gone

Left me here to sing his song

Poor Howard's dead and gone

Poor Howard's dead and gone

Poor Howard's dead
and gone Left me here

Maybe not.

CHILDREN: Poor
Howard's dead and gone

Poor Howard's dead and gone

Poor Howard's dead and gone

Left me here to sing his song

Miller.

- Goodbye, Adam.
- Bye.

CHILDREN: Poor
Howard's dead and gone

Poor Howard's dead and gone

Poor Howard's dead and gone

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