Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 15, Episode 3 - Coreyville - full transcript

Gunsmoke, starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.

Hey!

Old lady!

Why don't you have
'em hang me now?

You be sleepin' a lot better!

Get a Coreyville
trial talked about!

Can't anybody in this town do
anything without that old hen's say so?!

Wonder you two breathin' without
running up and askin' permission!

- Good morning, Miss Ellie.
- Titus!

Hey, little sister.

When I need you, there you be.



Titus, what'd you
go and do this time?

Nothin'. I ain't done nothin'.

Titus?

Ellie, I done wrong
plenty of times before.

Stole, cheated.

Even that knifin'
fight I had last week.

Half my fault, anyway.

But this time I'm tellin' you,

I never done nothin'.

What do folks here say you done?

That gal at the saloon,
Mary Elizabeth...

they say I killed her.

- Holdin' trial tonight.
- Killed?

Titus, you speakin'
gospel? You never done it?



I never touched her.

Well, then they can't
do nothin' to you.

Hey. They can do plenty.

All I'm facin' tonight is a rope

without some real law in here.

What I need is a
sheriff or marshal.

I'll head out. I'll ride to Dodge.
They got a marshal there.

If I don't get some water,

I won't be spittin'
dust time you get back.

I'll get you some water.

Here you go, Titus.

Why, you half-growed mule! You
ain't got no call to do that to my brother,

treating him like
he was an animal!

Maybe that's just what he is.

You!

Don't you try that again, girl.

I'll be back, Titus,
bringin' a marshal.

Gentlemen of the jury, I could
stand here talkin' to you all night.

- And it's a hot one.
- Yeah.

But the facts speak
plain and the facts say

that this here Titus Wylie was
seen goin' upstairs, the back stairs,

to Mary Elizabeth's room,

by no less than four honest and
respected citizens of this town.

Nobody never said I
never went up them stairs.

How come none of them
honest, respectable citizens

never seen me come
back down again?

Now, you keep your mouth shut
until you're called on to speak.

And when'll that be?
When I'm hung out to dry?

Now, accordin' to Miss
Watson over at the saloon,

she heard that shot
fired, she went up,

and she found Mary
Elizabeth, that poor girl,

lyin' on the floor,
her head bashed in.

What about the shot?

We gotta have
everything clear here.

- Who shot a gun?
- Mary Elizabeth did.

Tryin' to protect
herself from him.

That ain't so! I hardly got past
the door, she chased me out.

Now, I ain't gonna tell you
again to keep your mouth shut.

Now, gentlemen of the jury, all
we've been gettin' from this rawhider

is that he didn't do it.

Yet everybody knows that he'd
been pesterin' Mary Elizabeth,

everybody knows there
ain't a day goes by in this town

that he ain't
drunk and fightin'.

Why, just last week, he
went after that Crawford boy.

It was him that started it.

Something we can
do for you, Marshal?

In case you're interested,
we got our own charter

sayin' we can hold our own
trial, elect our own judge.

Who's your judge?

Clel Wilson over there.

And if he ain't a
sight to skin a frog!

Hey, Clel!

Hold up that county charter
we got says we got the right

to elect our own law officers.

That piece of paper we read
to this rawhider, Clel, hold it up!

Mumbled it. Didn't read nothin'.

You want us to read
it to you too, Marshal?

I've seen 'em before.
Who's your peace officer?

Well, you might say I fill that
bill. I kinda run things in general.

Come on, Marshal.

Why don't you have a little drink
and watch us hang that rawhider.

This your idea of a jury?

Well, I got no objection
to a man drinkin',

just as long as he pays
attention to what's bein' said.

This man have a lawyer?

Well, he's managin' pretty
good at doin' his own lyin'.

- I'm declaring a mistrial.
- You're declarin' a mistrial?

- That's right.
- I wouldn't go stirrin' up

no still water if I
was you, Marshal.

Marshal, I'd sure
appreciate it if you'd

loosen these
chains just a little bit.

- You got a key?
- I swear I think that key got lost.

Anybody tries to stop me
from taking this prisoner's

gonna be arrested for
interfering with a US Marshal.

- You prepared to arrest the whole town?
- If I have to.

All right, Marshal.

One thing we have here
in Coreyville is fair law.

You say this trial ain't bein' run
right, we're sure prepared to listen.

One, this man's gonna have
a lawyer to defend his rights.

- Two...
- Ain't no lawyers in town.

'Course anybody's got the
right to speak for the defendant.

You want the job?

Two, we're gonna have a sober
judge and jury to conduct the trial.

Not even the good Lord's gonna
keep 12 men sober during a trial.

Well, that's the way it's gonna
be or there isn't gonna be any trial.

Now, you've been doin'
a lot of talkin', Marshal.

I'm gonna do some of my own.
You just remember one thing.

That badge you're wearin' don't
give you the right to overrule our judge.

Now, this trial is still gonna
be held right here in Coreyville,

tomorrow night.

You sure are some
after my hide, ain't you?

There a jail or a lockup
somewhere around here?

Been so peaceful around here,
we never had a need for one.

Leastways, till that
rawhider showed up.

All right, let's go.

Sure likes to barrel his
way through, don't he?

Mr. Blake, my ma would like
to see you, and Mr. Rankin too.

Come in!

You're a prize pair of fools!

Well, we didn't count on that
marshal comin', Miss Agatha.

His presence wouldn't
have made any difference

if you'd used your brains and
stopped that drinking down there.

And why didn't you appoint
somebody to speak for that rawhider?

Miss Agatha, nobody in this
town would take on that job.

You could have done it! That marshal
had every right to declare a mistrial.

Tomorrow, I want
everybody on that jury sober,

and you tell Clel Wilson that
the first drink that crosses his lips

before the trial is his
resignation as a judge.

Well, you know it would
have been a lot better

if I'd thrown that marshal out of
this town the moment he spoke.

After all, I'm the law
in this town and I...

You're the law?

I'm the law!

The Coreys have always
been the law in this town.

And the next time
you don't think so,

just think about the food and
whiskey you put in that belly!

Miss Agatha, all Amos meant

was maybe we should
have stopped that marshal

before he stepped
in and took over.

He's not goin' to take over!

Tomorrow night, I
want that rawhider

legally tried,
legally convicted,

and legally sentenced!

Yes, ma'am.

Miss Agatha.

Listening at the
door again, Billy Joe?

I was just getting afraid.

Billy Joe, there's
nothing to be afraid of.

Yeah, but the marshal, he...

He'll be gone after
the trial tomorrow.

But what if he finds out things?

I don't want you talking to him.

I... I'd never do that, Ma.

But what if he finds out things?

There's nothing to find out!

Now, go up to your
room and go to bed.

Yes, Ma.

Say it again, Marshal.

The onliest way you're
gonna keep old Titus

from lookin' up a limb
is to get me out of here.

Now, wait. Let me
tell you something.

Remember this. The people of
this town have a right to try you.

Now, let's go back to
the shot fired in that room.

It seems to me that, drunk or sober,
you'd remember something like that.

I don't remember nothin',

except her chasin' me out of
that room, slammin' the door.

I kinda woke up
later in the alley,

people grabbin' me,

my head feelin' like it
had been pounded in.

Whiskey drinkin' ain't
somethin' Titus handles.

Been your whole trouble,

drinkin' and makin' no sense
outta nothin' you're doin'.

My hangin' will fix that. Make
them heel squatters real happy.

Don't keep sayin'... Don't
keep talkin' about hangin'

like it's already
happened or somethin'.

It's plain.

Folks around here simply
don't take no shine to me.

That badge wearer in town just
makes it one more at the party is all.

Just like all badge wearers
everywhere I ever seen,

all lookin' out after themselfs.

If you quit feelin' sorry for yourself,
it might make matters a little easier.

Are you sure you're tellin' me
everything you can remember?

One thing you can bet on,

me killin' somebody,
I'd remember it.

All right. How about this woman that
discovered the body, this Flo Watson?

Owns the saloon.

Tries to make on, the
way she paints herself up

and sashays around,

more like she was a filly than a brood
mare what ought to be put to grass.

Ellie, you better get this
plate back downstairs.

Ellie, wait a minute.

All right. Let's have it.

Titus!

Just, uh, tryin' to have something
goin' for me if I got loose.

You better get
something straight, Titus.

You try to leave this hotel without
me, they'll shoot you down like a dog,

and they got every right to.

That'd be an
easier way of dyin'.

Why don't you quit
thinkin' about dyin' for once

and think of your
chances of livin'?

Here. Don't let anybody in.

You're gonna trust
me with this key?

I'm trustin' all those guns
that are waitin' for you

outside the door of this hotel.

Well, Marshal.

Don't tell me you're a
whiskey-drinkin' man.

Or did you just come in
here for some branch water?

Miss Watson, could I
talk to you for a minute?

- Sit down.
- Thank you.

I understand you were the first
person who entered the room

- the night that girl was murdered.
- That's right.

Was this fella Wylie
with her that night?

He was here earlier, drunk.

I had to have him thrown out
because he grabbed Mary Elizabeth.

Was there anybody else
with her during the night?

No, she was just stayin' friendly
with the drinking customers.

What she was paid to do.

She keep regular
company with anybody?

She was my hostess
here, Marshal.

Well, that's... that's not
exactly what I meant.

Oh, you mean did she
have a steady fella? No.

- I'd like to see her room if I could.
- Sure.

Right this way.

Outside entrance.

Just a room.

Miss Watson, you
came around the corner

and up the stairway as soon
as you heard the shot fired?

- Well, sort of.
- What do you mean, sort of?

Well, it means I didn't
see the rawhider leaving.

And the girl was dead
when you got in here?

Mm-hmm. Lyin' on
the floor like a rag doll.

Not even breathing.

You figure that was
the bullet she fired?

It sure looks that way.

- Well, then that settles it.
- Settles what?

She shot to save her life,
but didn't do a very good job.

Well, thanks for
showing me around.

Marshal.

You just go away and
you leave us alone.

Leave who alone, son?

Just go away, that's all.

Why don't you put the gun
down, son, we'll talk about it.

Don't...

Don't come near me,
or I'll have to shoot you.

What's your name, son?

- Billy Joe Corey.
- Oh, I see.

Then the woman they call
Miss Agatha, that's your mother?

I'm not supposed to talk to you.

- Why not?
- You just go away.

Why don't you put
the gun down, son?

If you go away right
now, I won't shoot you.

Well, I'm sorry, but I've got some
work to do here, if you don't mind.

I'll...

Hey, look! Something's
happened to the kid.

- Yeah.
- He's bleedin'.

- Say, what'd he do to Billy Joe?
- Don't know, but we better find out.

- What'd you do to that kid?
- Get out of my way.

Who gave you the right to
pick on a kid like Billy Joe?

- I said get out of my way.
- Mister, you owe us an explanation!

- How bad is he?
- Well, he had a gun on me.

- I had to take it away from him.
- Is he hurt?

Well, he hit his head. I
think we better go up to bed.

Oh. First door on the left.

Why would Billy Joe
pull a gun on the marshal?

That marshal sure keeps
walkin' all over this town.

I think he'll be comin'
around in a minute or two.

He just stunned himself.

Now, Marshal, I want a clear
explanation of what's happened here.

Just like I told you, ma'am. I had
to take this gun away from him,

and he just fell back and
knocked his head against a post.

I had that gun fixed
so that it wouldn't fire.

It's nothing more than a toy.

Well, if I were you, I'd get
him a little different type of toy.

Next man that comes along
might not realize that's what it is.

Everybody in this town knows
Billy Joe's more child than man.

It's all right. It's all right.

Ma, you... you get
him away from me.

It would be better if you left.

I'll wait for you outside. I'd
like to have a word with you.

You just lie back
there and rest, Billy Joe.

Lie back.

I'm sorry.

Not only have you hurt that boy,
but you've scared him half to death.

Why should he
be so afraid of me?

He resents your presence here

as much as everyone else.

Frankly speaking, that
resentment's another thing

that puzzles me just a little bit, if
you're only looking for justice here.

We're perfectly capable of
taking care of our own problems.

All right, getting
back to Billy Joe,

he said something about leaving
"us" alone. What'd he mean by that?

I've told you, he's
simply frightened of you.

I don't think that's
the whole answer.

It's your interference that's
causing all this trouble.

We have a good town here,
a town my husband built.

Well, that trial tonight
wasn't exactly an example

of how a good
town should be run.

That rawhider's caused
trouble ever since he came here.

Well, that could be, but it
doesn't mean that he should hang

for the murder of that girl.

There's too many
unanswered questions here.

What questions?

Well, for one, the shot that was
fired in that room wasn't a miss.

How do you know that?

Because I dug the
bullet out of the wall

and there was traces
of blood around it.

That bullet passed through
somebody before it hit that wall.

Now, Titus Wiley wasn't injured.

It means that somebody
else was either killed

or is nursing a wound
around here somewhere.

You're simply
complicating the situation.

A few questions are gonna
have to be answered at that trial.

Billy Joe, what did you
say to that marshal?

Nothing, Ma.

I... just told him
to leave us alone.

Billy Joe.

You did a foolish thing
threatening that marshal.

I... I was only tryin'...

I know what you were
trying to do, but it was wrong.

Do you understand?

Seems like the marshal ain't gonna
get a chance to watch my hangin'.

You lock this door again, Titus.
Don't give them no excuse to get you.

Be a skinned frog if
they need any excuse.

The people of this town
figure it's time for you leavin'.

- They're sayin' it plain enough.
- Move aside.

You've been giving orders long
enough. Get his horse saddled.

Stop! Leave him!
You're gonna kill him!

Leave him alone! Leave
him alone! Get away from him!

You're killing him!
Leave him alone!

Leave him alone!

Marshal.

Marshal?

People got out of hand after they
saw what happened to Billy Joe.

- Can't blame 'em.
- What are you gonna do with him?

Well, I think that the people have
every right to run him out of town.

Stop it! Leave him alone!

Now, you brought him in
here. Now, you can take him out.

Yah!

I want that trial
held immediately.

And make sure everybody's sober,
and that rawhider is represented.

Clel Wilson won't be fit for
another hour to do any judging.

I want my carriage in ten
minutes in front of the house.

Yes, ma'am.

Figure in an hour you're
getting invited to a dance.

So you figure out a few
fancy steps while you're, uh,

kickin' up your heels.

You better be still a minute,
Marshal. You had a bad beatin'.

They ran us outta
town in a wagon.

- How'd I get in here?
- Half-walked and I half-toted you.

Guess I ain't as
scrawny as I look.

I'll be darned.
What place is this?

Well, it's kinda mine. I
sort of raise chickens.

Oh, I sell eggs and
chickens in town, I mean.

How far out of town are we?

About a mile, I guess.

Marshal, you reckon they
gonna be lynchin' Titus after all?

I don't know. I'm
sure gonna find out.

You goin' back there?

Ellie, how much you
know about this town?

Oh, been here in abouts
two, three years now.

What about this Billy Joe?
You know anything about him?

Nothing, just he ain't
a bright boy, is all.

Well, he sure got
somethin' against me.

Drew a gun on me today,
tried to run me out of town.

Billy Joe drew a gun?

Yeah, he's scared
to death of me.

You know any reason
why he should be?

No. Why, Billy Joe's
such a gentle boy.

He smiles all the
time at people.

Him and Frank sure ain't
cut out of the same cloth.

Shame. Frank's
got all the smartness

and Billy Joe just sort of got
short-changed, like they say.

Frank? Frank who?

Billy Joe's brother.
He's growed up.

- Fella I don't much care for.
- Brother?

Frank Corey. Miss
Agatha's other boy.

Well, just where
is this Frank now?

- Woman in this here picture you?
- Yes.

You changed. A lot.

We all grow older.

- I brought you some supper.
- I'm not hungry.

Well, you've lost a lot of
blood. You need food in you.

I said I'm not hungry.

All right.

You're not hungry.

- How are you feeling?
- Oh, don't bother me too much.

You did a real good job.

You know, I heard it
said that, uh, my old man,

- he used to visit here at this saloon.
- Yes.

He, uh, he liked his
whiskey, just like all the others.

- Heard tell he also liked pretty women.
- Yes.

Yes, in a way he
was a lot like you.

- Except for one thing.
- What?

- Ed Corey was a man.
- Meanin'?

Meaning that outside
of a clean shirt,

there's very little difference
between you and that, uh, rawhider.

So why are you hidin' me,
huh? Takin' care of me?

Why don't you just turn
me over to the marshal?

Well, maybe because I think
maybe there's still a chance for you.

Hm. Yeah.

I reckon with the marshal run outta
town, they'll be hangin' that rawhider.

How do you think you'll be
feeling about it when it's all over?

Oh, he don't mean nothin' to me.

I expect he's bushwhacked
more than one man in these parts

to get his whiskey money.

Let's hope that's been the case.

Make it a lot easier sleepin'.

Don't you think?

- Well, this is quite an honor.
- Where's my son?

He's in my room.
Second door on the left.

Strange you don't ask how he is.

How is he?

He died.

Two hours ago.

Oh...

Uh... No, he's all right.

But he could be
dead for all you care.

My carriage is ready.
I'll bring it round back.

- You're leaving town.
- Why can't I stay here?

- Because I say you're leaving.
- You say.

You say. You do
an awful lot of it, Ma.

But not enough, it seems to keep
you from going around with saloon trash.

Make any difference
if I told you I loved her?

Frank, I can't and
I won't believe that.

Why? Because it wouldn't look
right for the great Edward Corey's son

to fall in love with a saloon girl?
You couldn't stand that, could you?

Frank, you couldn't love
her. I know you couldn't.

I'm not sure
whether I did or not.

How did this thing happen?

Oh, I saw that rawhider
leave her room, I got mad.

I went up there. We
had an argument.

I slapped her.

She took a gun from her bureau.

I tried to get it from her.

The gun went off as I
was throwin' her aside.

She fell and... she didn't move.

You're leaving town.

You'll drive over to Red Creek.
You were robbed on the way.

You were shot.

Don't it bother you
none I killed that girl?

You said it was an accident.
You'll say in Red Creek

that the man who
robbed you, he shot you.

- You'll say that you...
- Ma!

Let me say it!

For once in my life, Ma...

you let me say it.

Get dressed.

So you're takin'
him out of here.

He's capable of
being moved, yes.

- The final corruption.
- What?

Something you
wouldn't understand.

Gotta give you credit, though, the
way you keep that nose up in the air.

What do you mean by that?

That you're like
this town, half-dyin'.

People run around playin' a game like
there's anything here with any meanin'.

If it's half-dying, why
don't you sell out to me?

Why do you keep
turning down my offers?

Sticks in your craw, doesn't it?

A piece of this
town you don't own.

You haven't
answered my question.

Fifteen years, and
still stickin' in your craw,

Ed Corey givin' me this place.

I've offered you three times
what this place is worth.

Take it and get out!

You know, you're a
real charmer, Agatha.

How I despise you.

Well, that's the first truthful
statement you've said

since I've known you.

I may not give you an
opportunity about the selling.

I may just put a
padlock on that door!

You do that, Agatha,

and you leave me a soapbox
in the center of that street.

- What do you mean by that?
- You know what I mean.

You're like this town,
lyin'. Lyin' to yourself.

Why, you haven't had an honest
emotion since your husband died

and you thanked God for it.

How dare you
talk to me like that?

How dare I?

The truth is easy.

It's the lies I have trouble
with, the lies I fed the marshal.

Why did you lie for me
if you hate me so much?

Why did you protect my son?

Your son.

Now, how can you say those
words without chokin' on 'em?

Aren't you even
honest to yourself?

For 20 years,

you've been starin' out
of that window of yours

lookin' down here at my saloon,

knowing that Flo Watson
placed in your hands

the only healthy
thing in your life.

For 20 years, it's never left your
mind that I gave birth to Frank,

and that Ed concocted that
story about his first wife dying.

Don't you ever call Frank
your son, not to my face.

Agatha Corey, I think the first honest
breath you draw will be your last,

when you ask God
for his forgiveness.

Mother Flo!

Well, now, it's gonna
take some gettin' used to.

May as well have the best,
seein' as it's now in the family.

So that's why you hid me out?

I kept thinkin' about it all
the time up there in the room.

Why?

And I came up with
some answers, but...

none of 'em... none
of 'em wild as this.

The situation hasn't changed.
The carriage is still waiting.

Now, I've got to figure out
why you're so concerned.

No, but that's easy.

My name's Corey.

And long may the Coreys reign.

Over what, though,
I'm not real sure.

- Don't mock me, son.
- I'm not mocking you, Mother.

B...

You see, it's gonna
take some gettin' used to.

Well...

You ladies...

You may be a little
surprised at this. I know I am.

But suddenly...
suddenly runnin'...

just don't seem so important.

Where's your brother, son?

- Did you come back to arrest Frank?
- Well, I don't know.

That depends on what your brother
tells me happened in that room.

- You know where your mother is?
- No.

All right, now, hold it, now.

Now, anybody that takes a
drink's got me to deal with.

Rankin here will
speak for the defendant.

You're all going to pay very
close attention to what he says.

All right, Judge,
let's get started.

You know, Frank didn't
mean to do anything, Marshal.

He wouldn't hurt
anybody on purpose.

It was an accident, is all.

Did you see it, Billy Joe?

Frank was bleedin'

and Miss Watson was
helpin' him down the stairs.

And I was afraid for Frank.

And... well, it was an accident.

Frank said so. He was bleedin'.

Thank you, Billy Joe.

The marshal's coming this way.

You just arrived in town.
You were shot out on the road.

Don't be a fool, son.
You could be hanged.

You're sure one woman
who never gives up, do you?

How do you see it, Flo?

- How do I see it?
- Yeah.

Your father was a man.

You could prove you're his son.

You're doing this to spite me!

You're doing this because
you hate me, you're do...

You Frank Corey?

Yeah, I'm Frank Corey.

There's a trial down the street.

There are a few questions
you're gonna have to answer.

I'm not sure Coreyville will
survive the night, Marshal.

Not sure it...

Not sure it should.

He's Ed's son, all right.

Well, Marshal, you
did a passable job.

Proof of that, I'm stoppin'
callin' you just a badge wearer.

Well, thanks. I hope you can
keep out of trouble from here on.

Well, you sure got
my thanks, Marshal.

Sure never figured this
town'd convict a Corey,

sentence him to five years.

Well, you got a drink comin',
we ever get up Dodge way.

So long, Ellie.

Well, it took me the night, but
I finally figured something else.

You weren't lettin'
that rawhider hang.

It took you the night?

You got your father's
good looks, all right,

but it'll take a little while
till you get half his brains.

Stay tuned for scenes
from next week's Gunsmoke.