Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 10, Episode 30 - The Pariah - full transcript

A mousy local man is hailed as a hero when he shoots and kills a man wanted for murder. Then a newspaper reporter interviews him and uncovers facts that cast a very different light on the shooting.

(theme music playing)

(both guns fire)

ANNOUNCER: starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.

♪♪

♪♪

(sniffs) Oh, mamma
mia, smells good!

Give me a little bacio.

- Oh, oh.
- Bacio.

Ooh, you go finish
the wood, huh?

Hey, Pa, look!

Mama?



We got company.

Buongiorno!

Good day!

Anything to eat?

Rosa, is there something
left from dinner?

Sì.

I'll fix it.

It will only be a minute.

- You come.
- Hold it!

Is there anybody
else around here?

I do not understand.

Anybody besides
your wife and the kids?

No, there is no one.

(horse snorts)



All right, go on.

There!

YOUNGER BOY:
That's him, all right!

OLDER BOY: John Hooker.

YOUNGER BOY: Dead or alive.

Get me some coffee.

♪♪

Anything bothering you, mister?

What's the matter?

Ain't you never seen
a man eat before?

Get me something
I can take with me.

(clears throat)

The preserves?

They should be in the
jars while they are hot.

What about that coffee?

You go now.

(pours coffee)

Hey, you!

Keep your hands out
where I can see them.

(gasps)

♪♪

Howdy, Mr. Scanzano!

It's Johnny Hooker, Festus.

Where? Where?

It's Johnny Hooker the outlaw.

- My pa shot him.
- Johnny Hooker?

Johnny Hooker?

They saying he's dead?

Well, I don't believe it, Seeb.

What's all the excitement about?

Johnny Hooker's been shot.

Johnny Hooker?

Hey, Marshal! Marshal!

What's going on?

In the wagon there,
it's Johnny Hooker.

Scanzano shot him.

Take care of
this, will you, Doc.

Mr. Scanzano,
come on in, will you?

You boys around
when it happened?

Our pa shot him.

When we come running in,
he was lying on the floor dead.

His gun right beside him.

Now, how'd it
happen, Mr. Scanzano?

He come to my house.

I shoot.

He is a bandit, huh?

Oh, he's a bandit, all right.

He's wanted in six states
for robbery and murder.

My boys save posters of bad men.

Uh, bandits.

Was that how you recognized
him, from a wanted poster?

Just once my pa shot.

Just once.

Yeah, he-he must be
mighty handy with a gun, huh?

What did John Hooker
want on your old farm?

Give the boy a chance.

Now, what did Hooker say
when he rode into your farm?

Just that he wanted
something to eat.

He'd kill us all if Pa
didn't shoot, I bet.

Your pa always keep a gun handy?

The gun?

I always keep it loaded.

I see.

Well, he was a man you
were entitled to shoot, all right.

Putting him out of circulation
was a public service.

Was anybody hurt out at
your place, Mr. Scanzano?

No, no, Rosa is fine.

Are there... more questions?

No, I don't think so.

You can go on back home now.

(cheering, excited chattering)

You know, it'd be my pleasure

to buy you a drink,
Mr. Scanzano.

For the man who out shot
and out drew Johnny Hooker,

I'll make it a bottle.

Draw? What is draw?

I just shoot.

(laughter)

Come on, let's get on
down from there and buy

those drinks we're
talking about. Let's go!

Yeah!

I'll get your statement
later for the paper.

Right now, I want to
get this on the wire.

Wire?

Telegraph. A story like this

will hit every
newspaper in the country.

Why, sure it will. Here.

Here, you boys go on
and buy some candy

while we have a
drink with your pa.

- Come on, get on down.
- Help him off there.

- Help him down, boys.
- Help him off.

(excited chattering)

(cheering)

Well, you just never know
about some people, do you?

What do you mean?

Well, Scanzano.

Never figure him to
bring in a man like Hooker,

dead or alive, would you?

(crowd chattering, laughter)

Hey, you're falling
behind, Mr. Scanzano.

- What?
- Here.

- Drink it!
- You know, you've got a...

You got a drink coming
from every man in here.

That's right!

Oh, no, no.

Hey, where'd you learn
to handle guns, anyway?

I don't learn.

I just shoot.

- (laughter)
- Bang. Oh.

No, no, wait, wait,
wait a minute, wait.

Wait.

It was a faster trigger finger
what got him, Mr. Scanzano.

- (growling) -Yeah.
- That's right, that's right.

And a good riddance, too.

I still think it was
that John Hooker

what caused them three women
to be killed up in Deadwood.

- Sure it was.
- Three women?

Oh, he's a bad man.

- Bad man.
- He's a bad man!

Oh, forget him. Here-here's
to you, Mr. Scanzano.

Here! Paolo Scanzano!

(cheering)

(laughter)

Yeah... Oh!

(laughter continues)

(sighs) Time go home.

- (others exclaiming)
- Time to go home.

It's been a pleasure
drinking with you.

That goes for all of
us here, Mr. Scanzano.

Right, right!

I-I don't bring money today.

Tomorrow, I bring
money to return, uh...

how you say, the, uh, salute.

(shouting)

Thank you, thank you.

Oh, so much thank you.

(laughter)

Oh!

♪♪

(coughing)

Mr. Scanzano, um,

St. Louis wants a clarification

on who drew first,
you or Johnny Hooker?

What is this drew first?

Draw fast gun?

I point a gun, I shoot.

Was Hooker going for his gun?

How did you manage
to get in the first shot?

How does one kill a bandit?

Wait for him to lift his gun?

No, one shoots.

I'm-I'm not being clear.

Now, he came up to you.

He must have said something.

Now, what was he doing
when the showdown came?

Eating.

A man eats with his hands.

I shoot.

Eating?

He ask for food,
we say all right,

come in...

You mean you asked
him in to eat at your table

then you shot him?

He was a guest in your house?

No, not a guest.

A stranger.

My sons, they-they
say that he's a bandit.

Bang.

I shoot.

(groans)

Hey, Mr. Scanzano.

You're a-fixing to have a
powerful good day tomorrow.

I just seen Matthew down
at the telegraph office,

and he got that confirmation,
or whatever you call it,

on you getting your reward money

the first thing.

Money?

Of course, $5,000 you
got a-coming to you.

What do you think of that?

It's true.

Matthew will have the
voucher for you in the morning.

All you got to do is take it
down yonder to the bank

and get your money.

Reckon you young'uns are
awful proud of your papa,

- ain't you?
- I sure am, Festus.

Well, it's sure been a good
day for you, Mr. Scanzano.

Be wishing you
a good night, too.

- See you directly.
- Eh.

Money?

How much is $5,000, Pa?

$5,000, stupid.

What is this money?

It's the reward money for
shooting Johnny Hooker.

You always get a reward.

Johnny and I knew that.

You knew... $5,000?

This is mine?

(chuckles)

"A good day," Festus say.

Paolo Scanzano
never had such a day.

(muttering)

We go tell Mama, huh?

Yee-haw. (smacks lips)

You got yourself a
good story there, Will.

It's bigger than you think, Ed.

Good night. Sleep well.

- Good night.
- Good night, Ma.

Maybe... maybe for first time,

I get to know the
people of this town.

People maybe we should have over

for dinner.

Oh, it's a good feeling, Rosa.

Your husband is happy.

Maybe we should both sing.

Paolo, the money, I
have been thinking...

Fencing, I get, and cattle.

And I call myself a rancher.

Not a farmer.

Rancher Scanzano.

♪ Rancher Scanzano ♪

- No, Pao... Paolo.
- ♪ Ra... ♪

And another room to the house.

Another room to the...

We must also think about that.

Paolo, money for
killing... It is the way.

It's a reward.

- Can we use such money?
- Mm.

For a man's life?

Reward.

A bandit has
money... on his head,

like they say.

Paolo, think.

To take gold for a life.

Where are we gonna
get $5,000, huh?

In a lifetime, does
one save $5,000?

A lot of money.

So... we throw it away, huh?

We could sleep

in this new room you
talk about building.

(sighs) Why not?

I did not kill him for a money.

I don't know there's a reward.

But to refuse,
that's foolish, now.

But to buy cattle, to buy land,

build for our sons.

That is good.

I don't know, Paolo.

Oh, cara mia, what is this?

For Paolo Scanzano,

this has been a
day like no other.

Is it to end with
a long, long face?

Ah, that's a little better.

That's much better.

Oh.

Oh. (sighs)

Cara mia.

Shot with a mouthful of food.

Well, that kind of
beats all, I'd say.

What about it, Marshal?

This the way it happened?

I mean, you're not
gonna pay the reward

to a dirty back-shooter?

It so happens that he
wasn't shot in the back.

If I was you, boys, I'd
start paying attention

to my own business.

FESTUS: I'll tell you this.

I'd like to get my hands on
some reward money like that.

'Cause if I did, I'd be
living high off the hog.

Oh, I'd buy me a
bunch of good heifers

- and a good bull, and I'd get...
- Wait a minute, wait a minute.

(chuckles) That-that's sugar.

Well, I know this.

Oh, you don't either.

- You don't...
- I do, too!

This is all part of my new plan.

See, I figure I ain't
been a-getting no place

because I ain't been
planning far enough ahead.

Well, what in thunder
has that got to do

with trying to make
molasses out of coffee?

If you'll just hold
your taters now,

I'll tell you.

See, I figure a little
bit of saving here

and a little bit
of saving there,

and one of these
days I could wind up

a-being my own boss.

Well, by golly, I got
lost in there someplace.

Well, I can't say
it no plainer, Doc.

Now look, I figure sugar's
something that I can do without.

See? So when I
find some free sugar,

I make up for the times
when I been a stinting myself.

- See what I mean?
- Festus, Doc.

- Hi, Matt.
- Matthew, sit down.

Want coffee?

Yeah.

Well, you see the morning paper?

Yeah.

Wasn't very flattering
to Mr. Scanzano, was it?

No, I guess not.

What else did you expect?

A man invites a
fella in for dinner,

and shoots him
while he's eating?

Like everybody
in town is saying,

it's the same as shooting
Hooker right in the back.

Festus, I'll tell you something.

If I were you, I wouldn't
pay too much attention

to what everybody is saying.

Sic transit gloria mundi.

Sick what?

Will you... It's Latin.

Sic transit gloria mundi.

You wouldn't understand
it, but it means,

"Thus passeth the
glory of the world."

Like yesterday
Scanzano was a hero.

Today he's a... he's
a... he's a pariah.

Well, now you're
doing that on purpose.

Doing what?

You know what.

Them sic transiting
and pariah and stuff.

Fiddle.

Matt, can...

You think you can spare
the time to take over here

for a little while?

What do you mean?

Well, I...

I just can't stand
any more of this.

Scudder.

He just plain
can't help hisself.

It just comes over
him like a cloud.

He don't know what
them things mean.

He just makes them up.

(sighs)

(coughs) Whew!

What's the matter?

Sure is bad coffee in here.

What time is it?

7:00.

7:00? I should've been
up three hours ago.

Why didn't you call me?

I tried.

Why don't we ride down
there and kill him right now?

It'll be easy.

Too easy.

We'll wait and do
it the way we said.

Can I start tonight?

Why not?

(muttering)

(sighs)

Too much wine, eh?

(chuckles)

A man should know when to stop.

Did the boys see me?

They were asleep.

Hey, what you do today?

Eh, I go to town,
I get the money.

You do not remember what
we talked about last night?

I remember.

Still you will go
to get the money?

I have decided it
would be foolish

not to take the money.

I have a plan for it.

- Paolo, please.
- Rosa,
come with me.

I will tell you what
must be done.

I come for money.

It says there... $5,000.

You pay me now?

I know what it
says, Mr. Scanzano.

We've been expecting you.

Is something wrong?

No, nothing wrong.

We have your money.

Grazie. Thank you.

Mr. Scanzano, aren't
you going to count it?

Count it?

No, I trust you.

Well, that's more
than I'd do with you.

♪♪

Well, there ain't no
denying he was a gunslinger,

but there ain't a man here
that can say John Hooker

didn't face up to his man
gun against gun, right?

Yeah, you're right there, Seeb.

You wouldn't be making a hero

out of Hooker, would you, Seeb?

Just because he's dead?

Hero nothing. I mean,
all I'm saying is there's a...

there's a difference
between an outright killer

and a fast gun like Hooker.

Hey.

Today I bring money.

I buy drink.

Why?

Look, Mr. Scanzano,

why don't you let me buy
you a drink on the house?

That's him!

Coward! Coward!

- Dirty coward!
- (all shouting)

(groaning)

(shouting continues)

Go home!

Hey, Scanzano,

why didn't you shoot
a couple of them kids?

Their scalps ought
to bring a dollar or two.

Now, now, wait a minute.

Wait a minute.

We got ourselves a
Dodge town hero here,

and, uh, we got to show
him our proper respect.

(laughter)

Appears you like being
in the dirt, Mr. Scanzano.

Don't seem right, a
man being in the dirt.

(grunting)

(cheering)

Well, now that ain't no place

for a hero to be
lying, Mr. Scanzano.

(grunting)

- (woman screams)
- Look out.

(excited chattering)

♪♪

(choking)

Paolo!

That's enough now!

That's enough.

(panting)

All right, who started this?

He liked to kill
Ed here, Marshal.

What happened, Paolo?

(sighs)

I see.

Wouldn't be the first time

that loud mouth of yours
has started a brawl, would it?

Ain't no reason I got
to be polite to this...

weak-bellied sodbuster.

Next time I see you
start a street brawl,

you're gonna wind up in jail.

And that goes for
the rest of you, too.

Now break it up and move along.

Paolo, I want to talk to you.

I don't understand.

If you do not want
this man killed,

why do you put his
name on a paper

and tell everybody
to shoot him on sight?

Well, Paolo, it's...

it's kind of hard to explain.

Now the man was an outlaw,
right, he deserved to die.

But some people seem to feel

that a man like that
should be given a chance

before you shoot him.

If I give him a chance,

maybe he'll kill me, huh?

Very possible.

Marshal, in my
country... in Sicily...

There's also bandits.

They come, mostly by night,

but they eat, they drink.

They kill.

They kill my mother.

They kill my sister.

Bandits.

Paolo, you know, you
should've told the folks

down at the Long
Branch the other night

that you were just trying
to protect your family.

I thought they understood.

I thought what was
why they make me this...

hero.

No, I'm afraid most
of them got the idea

that you killed
him for the reward.

That is not true.

Paolo, you know, I, uh,

I think it might be a good idea

if you'd, uh, kind of
steer clear of Dodge

for a while till this
thing blows over.

I've done nothing to be ashamed.

I will not run from them.

Well, I don't
blame you for that.

Come on. I'll walk you back.

Howdy, Marshal.

Mr. Scanzano.

My name is Wayne Hooker.

This is my brother, Ben.

We heard about how
Mr. Scanzano picked up $5,000

for killing Johnny.

What about it?

We're a close family.

We come down for the funeral.

(thunder crashing)

(thunder crashing)

Paolo, you must eat.

I am not hungry.

In a few days, it
will all be forgotten.

People have slapped
me on the back.

They say, "Good, Paolo, good."

Now even the children
call me a coward.

Paolo, it is all talk.

It will end soon.

Are they still awake?

I don't know.

What is it?

Nothing.

Finish your dinner.

(thunder crashing)

Tony, shh, shh.

You fight.

Where?

School?

Sì, Papa.

Johnny, too?

Sì.

Because they call
your father a coward?

But you're not a coward.

Shh, no.

It's all right.

"Coward" is a name of anger.

It does not matter...

(flames crackling)

The barn's burning!

Wake up, Johnny!

The barn's burning!

Get the water!

(horse whinnying)

Go! Go!

Bring the water!

Where's the water?!

The rope is cut!

(explosion)

♪♪

(patrons chattering)

I should've run
you two out of town

- the minute I laid eyes on you.
- What's the matter with you?

We got some pretty
tough laws in this town

about people
that play with fires.

You crazy? We're
minding our own business.

You bust in here
and start rousting us.

What have we done?

Don't play dumb with me.

You burnt down
the Scanzano barn.

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

There was a storm last night.

Maybe that barn
was hit by lightning.

Come on, you're
going to jail, both of you.

No, you ain't putting
us in no jail, Marshal.

We never left the
Long Branch last night.

That's right, Marshal.

We was right here at that table
playing poker till almost dawn.

Sorry, Marshal.

He's right; they were here.

(sighs)

All right, but nobody's
gonna convince me

it wasn't your idea.

You got us all wrong, Marshal.

We don't know
anything about any fire.

We're telling you the truth.

Then why don't I believe you?

Where'd you find this?

Well, by an abandoned campsite
out near the Scanzano farm.

Then you was right.

There's somebody
out there in cahoots

with them Hookers, ain't they?

You bet there is.

Question is who and
how do we find him?

Well, why don't we just start
out and track them down?

Not a chance, Festus.

The rain would've washed out
any tracks there might have been.

Anything happen around
here while I was gone?

Well, nothing I
couldn't handle myself.

Say, I jawed for a spell

with that preacher
fella, Mr. Biddle?

Yeah?

And he was saying

that he's finally able to help

some of the needy folks,

and he wondered if you
wouldn't give him the names

of some of the folks that
may be too proud to ask

- for theirselves.
- What'd he do,

come into a windfall
or something?

Well, I reckon
you could say that.

$5,000.

$5,000?

He didn't, by any chance,
say where he got it?

Well, you know me, Matthew.

I didn't want to get nosy,

but it appears like he got
it on the very same day

that Mr. Scanzano
got that reward money.

We go to town some other time.

Run away? No.

But this is... Oh, the
supplies can wait.

No.

They will not drive us out.

They will not.

We have done
nothing to be ashamed.

Say, uh, Festus, do
me a favor, will you?

Sure.

Run down and send off a telegram

to the sheriff at Jansen City.

Get all the information you
can on the Hooker brothers.

Like how many of them might
have left town during the past week?

That'll do for a start.

We'll do 'er, Matthew.

Giddup, Ruth.

Heard you been, uh,
sort of accusing us

of being perched on your
shoulders, so to speak?

The marshal talked
to us about your barn.

Well, if you think we
made any trouble for you,

Mr. Scanzano, you know,
you always got the right

to put on a gun and
come looking for us.

No trouble.

I told you.

Mr. Scanzano's a
real peaceful man.

Yeah, he sure
has got a long fuse.

I'll say that for him.

You sure you ain't
got no beef with us?

I mean, uh, we're
real obliging fellas.

Take away your hand.

Wayne,

we're sure gonna
need plenty of patience.

Well, that I got
plenty of, Brother Ben.

As long as we can
watch Mr. Scanzano

spend that $5,000.

You know, I got a
hunch his expenses

are gonna keep
going up every day.

Take away your hand.

I'd say this is just a
friendly talk, Scanzano.

Kind of, you might
say, giving you a chance

to speak your mind.

Don't you boys
get too friendly now.

Leastwise, don't get
invited in for breakfast.

(laughter)

(laughter continues)

DILLON: Hold it.

All right, put the gun away.

- You see what he done?
- I saw what he did.

Looks to me like you got
exactly what you deserved.

Go on, put the gun down.

All right, now get
out of here, all of you.

Go on!

You all right?

Yeah.

Should've put a
bullet in that marshal.

We got plenty of time for that.

First we take care of Scanzano.

Let's get a drink.

♪♪

Poisoned, all right.

The Hookers.

They say I will have expense.

Last night they come,
and the night before.

- (cattle lowing)
- Maybe tonight, they come again.

No, I don't think so, Paolo.

They had an alibi.

They were playing poker
the night your barn burned.

You can bet they got
an alibi for this, too.

Then there is
nothing to be done?

Well, I wouldn't say that.

We couldn't find any
trail the other night

because it had been raining,
but it didn't rain last night.

Now I bet I can pick up
a trail here somewhere.

If you can find it.

Well, I'm gonna try.

It's all because they
want me to wear a gun.

Maybe it's best.

No, that's exactly what
they want you to think, Paolo.

The very fact you don't normally
wear a gun is what they want.

They can kill you and
claim self-defense.

But this must stop.

All I'm asking you to do is
wait and give me a chance.

A man is given
his father's name.

This he must hand to his sons.

(sighs) The name.

Scanzano.

A name to be proud.

My papa once say, "A man's name

"at the end," it
is all he leaves.

"Only the name is important.

"To his sons" go the name.

"While he lives,
"the name is only...

a loan."

Paolo, no.

We are part of this land now.

We must live or
die by their rules.

♪♪

♪♪

You're Willy Hooker, aren't you?

Leave me alone. I ain't
done nothing to you.

Not to me, to the Scanzanos.

Now, you got just three
seconds to tell me the whole story.

(piano playing lively tune)

♪♪

(music stops)

I come.

Yeah, I see.

You already drew your gun?

I am ready.

Guess there's enough witnesses
around we've been called.

Put the gun away, Mr. Scanzano.

I am not a coward.

You say Paolo
Scanzano is a coward.

Is not true.

My sons will remember.

Their father, not a coward.

The only thing we have to
remember here is who drew first.

(gunshot)

Pick it up!

You get a second chance.

Leave him be, mister.

You just made a big speech!

That what you
came to town to do?

Go on, mister.

Pick the gun up.

It's right there
in front of you,

if you're man enough.

Leave it where it is.

What was it you
wanted us to remember?

Something about you
not having a yellow streak?

Leave it where it is.

Don't be a fool!

Getting a second
chance, Scanzano!

That's more than my
brother, Johnny, did.

- Don't touch it.
- Leave the gun.

Now, he can't shoot
you if you don't touch it.

You don't have to
prove anything more.

(gunshot)

Take his gun, Sam.

Now get off.

WAYNE: This was
all legal, Marshal.

You had no right to shoot
him. He had a gun on him.

Take him over and
lock him up, Sam.

Be a pleasure, Marshal.

No, were in the
right here, Marshal

He came looking for us.

You're not in the right on
arson and cattle destruction.

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

- Take them out of here.
- Let's go.

We'll get you up
to Doc's, Paolo.

(Paolo muttering)

On my feet, I stand.

(panting)

Scanzano is the name.

My sons are Scanzano.

Only this is important.

You remember.

Scanzano... is not a coward.

Only this is important.

All right, break it up.

Let's move along.

Paolo?

Look!

Ma'am.

They wanted me to come
along in case you misunderstood,

Paolo.

What?

Well, that this is not charity.

See, barn raising is
an old custom out here

among neighbors when
somebody's unfortunate enough

to have their barn burn down.

What's this "barn raising"?

I have no barn.

Well, you will have by
tonight if you give them

a chance to put it up for you.

"They"?

(groans)

They would not
mean this build a barn.

They will not forget
Paolo Scanzano

killed this Johnny Hooker.

Now you could be wrong
about that, you know.

I guess you'll never find out
unless you give them a chance.

No.

We don't stay.

Well, that's up to you.

But I'll tell you
something else.

We got another
old custom out here,

and that is to give a
man a second chance.

Sometimes it works.

Paolo.

You said we're
part of this land now.

We must live or die

according to their rules.

Our sons were born here.

Will we not build a
place for their sons?

(horse snorts)

Well, what do you sit here for?

Don't you see those
people are waiting?

What kind of politeness is that?

Go!

Tell them that they are welcome.

Yeah.

Marshal, you take a
glass of wine with us?

By golly, it was a
warm ride out here.

I believe I will.

♪♪