Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 15, Episode 6 - A Man Called 'Smith' - full transcript

Gunsmoke, starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.

- He don't want to leave.
- Push harder.

Come on. On your feet. Get up.

Come on. We'll be all morning.

Somebody's coming, Ma.

That goat, she looks like she's
all dressed up to go someplace.

- She's going to be in the fair.
- And win a blue ribbon.

I wouldn't be surprised.

Bee, aren't you going to
introduce me to the children?

I'm a longtime friend
of your pa's. Will Smith.

You wouldn't happen to have
something cold inside to drink, would you?



We got some lemonade left.

I wouldn't want to be
putting anybody out.

Inside.

Listen, good luck
with that animal.

Thank you, Mr. Smith.

You been raised all right.

You told me that you would
never bother me and the kids.

That's exactly what you said.

So how about that lemonade, huh?

Why'd you come back?

What's more natural than
a loving husband and father

wanting to know how
his family's doing?

I don't want my kids knowing
any different than what I told them.

They think their pa is dead.



You staying a widow. You
got no worries on that part.

Bee, I just want you
to do me a little favor.

What kind of a favor?

Nothing that won't
keep until you get back.

I promised them we'd
stay overnight in Dodge.

Fine, let 'em stay over. But I
want you back to do some talking.

Will, you're not
gonna ruin my life.

Bee, I... I don't want
any part of your life.

Now...

Look, why don't you
just go to town, get back.

We'll get our business
done with, and then...

I swear, you'll never
be seeing me again.

I promise.

Go on.

Get! Hey! Ha!

- Well, Burke, is that yours?
- No.

I kind of thought I detected
a family resemblance there.

- Doc.
- What?

- What am I gonna do with him?
- Who?

This here tom cat.
There ain't no more pens.

Well, what have I got to do with
the pens? Can't you read that?

I am the judge in this contest.

And as such, I just may have
to pin the blue ribbon on you

- when this is all over for stupidity.
- Oh!

Unless, of course, your
mule should decide to enter,

in which case, it'd
make an awful tight race

because I can't tell you apart,

except that his ears
are a little bit longer.

Everything else, as I can
see, is just about equal.

All right. From now on,

I'm a-fixing to order all my
pills from the mail order house,

you old quack-quack!

Burke.

Festus...

Well, it's nice to see
you again, Abelia.

Why, you two young 'uns, you
growed like a couple of sunflowers.

- We brought in our billy goat, Festus.
- Think he'll win a prize?

Oh, he's got to win a prize.

Well, I'll tell you, I'll
bet you this here goat

is going to win the gold ribbon.

- The ribbon's blue, Festus.
- Well, but... but this here goat,

he's way too fancy just to
settle for a old blue ribbon.

He... he deserves something
that's kind of shimmer-ty

and shiny like a gold ribbon.

First prize is ten dollars.

Well, that's just as good
as in your pocket right now.

You shouldn't build their
hopes up too high, Festus.

Oh, I ain't a-joshing you a bit.

That there is a pearl
button bangled billy.

Bring him on back here,
Jonathan. Let's get him off there.

Get him bedded down here.

We got to get him ready
for this here show, you know,

when old Doc starts to judging.

Uh, you don't get to town
too often, do you, Abelia?

Well, raising young 'uns
is kind of time-consuming.

Oh, ain't that
the truth, though.

Of course, I ain't
never had the pleasure

of raising no young 'uns, but...

School going good
for you two, is it?

- I don't like school.
- Don't like school?

Why, golly bill! When
I was going to school...

Well, that's kind of a long,
drawed out story there.

You all fixing to be in
town all day, are you?

Ma Smalley invited
us to stay the night.

Except I have to go back
to the farm for something.

Oh, well, that's a shame.

I was hoping that you all could
have some vittles with me directly.

Not tonight, Festus.
Maybe tomorrow.

You put that down
in your little book now.

We'll all have vittles
together tomorrow.

By golly, you know what I think?

I think that Festus has got an
interest in knowing that Johnson widow

a little better, don't you?

I'll tell you one thing, those kids of
her's sure admire him, don't they?

Well, he'd better
kind of watch his step.

There's nothing
like single bliss I say.

But, of course, I guess
you know all about that.

Well, no, not necessarily, but
I'd be willing to hear all about it

from you over that
beer you promised me.

Did I promise you that?

Why? You losing your
memory now too, Judge?

Come on.

Whoa!

That's a fast trip.

Now...

What is this favor you
want me to do for you?

That's real nice, Bee.

You always had a way of
making a place seem real warm.

- I want you gone, Will.
- That's funny.

I remember a time when you just
couldn't wait for me to get home.

Oh, you don't have to remind
me about waiting up nights for you.

Yeah. Well...

There's a lot of things
about me I never understood.

I think it's maybe the liquor,
not being able to handle it.

Although, I gotta say Missouri prison
kind of took away my taste for liquor.

- Prison?
- Five years.

Bee, I was on a stagecoach
coming out of St. Louis.

I knew that the strong box
had gold in it, so I took a chance.

I come away with pretty
near 10,000 in gold coins.

They caught up with me,
but they never got the gold.

Robbing's something
you never did.

Well, there's a first time
for just about everything.

You just tell me what it is
you want and get out of here!

What I want?

You've sure held
on to your looks, Bee.

You look good.

Real good.

I got nothing
left for you, Will.

I lost all that a long time ago.

Nothing left, huh?

You sure about that?

I know you better
than you know yourself.

Be a real easy
answer for me, Will.

So much for my spur
of the moment thoughts.

All right, Bee.

Listen, I can't leave a trail of gold
all the way to the Mexican border.

Just be an open invitation
for the law to follow me.

What do you know about the
Bull's Head Saloon in Dodge?

I don't know nothing
about no saloons.

Yeah. Well, a man named
Bull Anders runs the place.

I heard up there in
that Missouri prison

he's always on the
lookout for a loose dollar.

Now, I want you
to take this to him.

There's 500 here.

You get back 300 in paper.

- Do you think that I...?
- I think we're agreeing on one thing.

I mean, you want me
on my way south, right?

Unless you don't care if I just
hang around for another week or two.

Listen, you come back with
some traveling money I can use,

and you won't be
seeing me again.

But you give me any problems,
Bee, and you're gonna...

You're gonna have a lot of
explaining to do to those kids.

People gonna think it's
funny that I leave my kids,

and come driving
back out here tonight.

So come back tomorrow.
I don't care what you do.

I could do with a
good night's sleep.

I don't want you in my house.

All right. Look for
me up along the ridge.

You remember the
ridge, don't you, Bee?

Evening.

Glass of wine, please.

Place ain't often so beautified.

Figured on buying you that wine.

Would you just go away, please?

Just thinking maybe
you was lonely as me.

Goodbye.

What's on your mind?

I have something to sell.

I'm listening.

It's gold.

It's $500 worth.

What's wrong with it?

Oh, uh...

I've had it a long time and I
didn't want any questions asked.

Never been in circulation.

No, I guess not.

What are you asking for it?

I have to have $300.

Say 200, and I think
we're in business.

Well, maybe that'd be all right.

Come back tomorrow.
Use the back door here.

- Tomorrow?
- After the bank opens.

I don't keep any cash on hand.

See you tomorrow.

Abelia?

- Evening, Abelia.
- Festus.

It's, uh, kind of a
nice evening, ain't it?

Yes, it's warming up a bit.

I was just a-fixing to go get
myself a swallow of coffee.

Reckon you'd want
to join up with me?

No, thank you.

I gotta get back to my kids.

Evening, Deputy.

This here just don't
make a lick of sense.

All right. Thank you.

And furthermore, I
want you all to know

that every animal in this
contest has got an equal chance,

no matter how big or how small.

I just hope that skunk don't
get too unhappy with us.

All right, I am the sole judge
in this contest, as you can see,

and I've made my decision.

Shut up, you sound like Festus!

Now, the town council may not be
too happy with what I'm about to do,

because they're putting
up all the money, you see.

But here's my decision.

I'm going to award every
animal here a semi-final ribbon,

and the dollar bill
that goes along with it.

I'll be right back in a minute.

I can see right now I'm probably
gonna be up half the night

figuring out a
grand prize winner.

- Now much more gold you got?
- None.

Now, you came in here last night
testing whether you could sell gold or not.

You tested. Now,
I'm buying all you got.

I haven't got anymore.

You know, I think I'll tell the
marshal about our little transaction.

That way, it keeps
me in the clear.

I wish you wouldn't.

Please?

- I haven't got very much.
- How much?

- A thousand dollars.
- Mm-hm.

Now, don't bring it into town.

No sense letting people
see us together, huh?

You know that Sloan
shack outside of town?

- Sort of.
- Well, be there at midnight.

You get 300 in spending cash.

No questions.

I'm sorry, Abelia. I
didn't aim to scare you.

- Thank you, Festus.
- Abelia...

I don't want to appear
meddlesome or nothing like that,

but if you got some kind
of worries and problem

that maybe I could
help you with...

No. No problem. Thank you.

Denver mint.
Dated ten years ago.

Did Bull Anders give you
any idea where he got these?

Well, he made a point, I thought,
of mentioning that he won them

from a drifter
about a month ago.

Yeah, meaning that I'd
have no way of tracing it.

Do you have any record of his deposits
or withdrawals the past month or so?

Oh, I can tell you right
off, there's been no activity

in Bull Anders' account
for the past three months.

Then you think this
might be stolen gold?

Well, I don't know. I
sure don't buy that story

about his getting
them off a drifter.

But it's the same story
I'll get if I try to talk to him.

Look, just hold on
to these, will you?

I'm going to do a
little checking around.

Matthew, you just can't be
a-pointing your finger at Abelia.

Well, here's about as close
as I can come right here.

Six years back. Deadwood
stage. Robbed. Newly minted gold.

Well, it'll be all over town if
you was to bring her in here

and start asking her questions about
passing stole gold, don't you see?

Festus, I'm as aware
of that as you are.

But when Bull Anders takes gold coins
to the bank and exchanges it for paper,

and then Abelia Johnson
is seen leaving his place

with what has to be that same paper
money, what am I supposed to think?

Well...

Matthew, I'm going to ask you a favor.
And you know I don't do this too often.

- What's that?
- Well, now... now you know

that Abelia ain't fixing to
run off or nothing like that.

And I'll just bet you, me knowing
her and them young 'uns like I do,

that I could come
up with an answer.

All right, I'll tell
you what I'll do.

I'm going to wire Deadwood anyway
and get some more information

on this robbery, who was
involved in it, and so forth.

Now, that'll probably
take about 24 hours.

Anything you can come
up with in that time, fine.

Well, that billy goat of yours,

a prize goat like that, I reckon
you got a prize special stall

built for him in
the barn, ain't you?

Nothing special.

Why, a prize winning goat like
that ought to have a prize stall.

What's a prize stall?

Why, it ain't nothing to build.
Why, I... I could go out yonder

and have that thing built
before sundown tonight.

We wouldn't want you to
go to all that trouble, Festus.

Would a special prize
stall be good for a pig?

- A pig?
- We were gonna enter her too

in the fair, except she
never grew up right.

- She's too small.
- Oh, fiddle.

That don't make no never mind.

You mean you've raised
yourself a special porky

and you never even brung
her in to the fair to win the...

maybe the top blue ribbon prize?

- Told you we should have entered her.
- Well, it ain't too late.

- Two chances to win?
- You bet you.

You know what I'm fixing to do?

I'm fixing to follow you all
right on back to the farm.

I'll take me a look at little Miss Porky
and if she looks like a prize winner,

I'll tote her right
back in here to town

and I'll tell old Doc that he's got
hisself some more judging to do.

Festus...

Of course, I don't want to make it
appear like that I'm inviting myself.

Does she, Mr. Festus,
look like a prize?

Well, I can see why she ain't
growed like she'd ought to.

See, she just don't stuff her gullet
with anything you give her to eat.

She's too intelligent for that.

See, she'll just kind of pick and choose
whatever happens to suit her fancy,

- don't you see?
- Can a pig be intelligent?

Well, of course they can. Just...
just look... look at their eyeballs.

You can tell she's
just a-thinking away.

Look at her.

Pie and milk's on the table!

She ain't going to have to
call us twice for that, is she?

- What's the first thing we do, Festus?
- Well...

A bath?

I reckon that could
be the first thing, yeah.

We can all help
you after supper.

After supper?

You're more than
welcome, Festus.

Have you ever washed
a pig before, Festus?

Well, I reckon I did pretty near
everything there is to be did, yeah.

You all come on and
finish off this pie now,

before it gets too
near supper to eat.

You young 'uns run on in and
wash your hands. I'll be right there.

- How's she looking to you?
- She's beginning to look pretty.

I told you she was a
special kind of a pig, didn't I?

Festus, I'm gonna go out and
check on some kindling wood.

I'll be back in just a minute.

Well, Abelia, I can go
fetch that wood for you.

No, you got your hands full.
There's nothing for me to do.

You starting to court
our Ma now, Festus?

We like you a whole lot.

Well, I like both of you
young 'uns real well too.

I'll tell you, I think our little old
porky's about ready to dry off.

Now, get your rag ready
there. I'm gonna hand her to you.

Get your rag, darling. Go
ahead and dry her off real good.

I'm gonna go see if my mule
needs tending to. Hold her tight, now.

You sure took your time.

Festus! She's getting away!

She's slipping!

Hold on to her! She's
trying to get away!

She'll get all dirty again!

If she runs around in the
house, she might hurt herself!

- Let me see.
- I'll feed and water your mule, Festus.

Jonathan, I'll... I'll do...

Real easy. Real
easy. It's all right.

- I think Thomas likes you!
- Thomas?

We didn't know when
we named her Thomas.

- All right, who is he?
- I couldn't get here.

- I said who is he?
- He's the deputy from Dodge.

- Deputy?
- He doesn't know you're here.

He's just a friend.

- Where's the money, did you get it?
- Yeah.

But he'd only give me $200.

- He squeezes a fat profit, don't he?
- He gave me a lot of trouble.

What kind of trouble?

Well, he thinks I got more
gold and he wants to buy it.

See, I told him I had a thousand
dollars. I don't know why.

- I was scared.
- Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

He wants to buy a
thousand in gold?

Yeah. But I got to thinking if
you wanted more paper money,

well, maybe you could
dicker with him yourself.

Then you get down to
Mexico without any problem.

- Dicker with him where? His saloon?
- No. He don't want me there no more.

You know that Sloan
shack west of here?

He wants me to meet
him there at midnight.

The Sloan shack, huh?

Him and me might be able
to do some business at that.

Well, Bee, I guess we won't
be seeing each other again.

I guess that don't make
you feel too bad, huh?

Be lying if I said it did.

Yeah.

Well, we got her dolled up pretty
as a Christmas tree, ain't we?

Now, you just take her real gentle,
honey. Don't... don't squeeze her.

Just pet her and she'll be fine.

And I'll be back directly.
You take care of her now.

I never seen such a pretty pig.

I thought you was fixing to
bring in an armload of kindling.

- Oh, I'll get it.
- Just hold up.

I think maybe it's time you
and me had this little talk

about that fella up
yonder on the ridge.

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

Well, I'll tell you
what I'm talking about.

And I'm gonna tell you flat out.

Marshal Dillon's gonna be asking
you a whole heap of questions

about where you're
getting all that gold to sell.

There's no law
against selling gold.

That there just depend
upon where you get it at.

It was given to
me. Long time ago.

I admit I wasn't sure it was come by
honest because of who give it to me.

And... and this here fella up there,
he had nothing to do with it at all?

He's just a man friend
that I've been seeing.

You want to know something,
Abelia? You ain't even a passable liar.

Festus, I swear
to you, it is all true!

Now, ever since Uncle Phildrin give
me that new gold for a wedding present,

I was suspicious.

I got to figuring maybe
he might have stole it.

But Uncle Phildrin died and...

that secret is buried
with him, as they say.

And you've been
a-keeping it all this time

and you never once
tried to use it, did you?

No. Not until I
really needed it.

Now, I admit, I might have been
wrong to sell it to that saloon fella.

Well, I've gotta go
put my kids to bed.

I thought there was a
man behind her someplace.

Just take a seat there.

I didn't come prepared
for any gunplay.

There's not gonna
be any, friend.

I'm here to transact
peaceful business.

I'll tell you one thing, we're
gonna make a better deal

- than you gave that woman.
- All right, I'm willing to talk price.

Maybe you can save
me a trip to the border.

They're paying 60 cents on the dollar
down there. Can you do that good?

- How much gold you talking about?
- Ten thousand, just about.

- Got it with you?
- Yeah, I got it with me.

Only thing is, if we make a...

If we make a deal, how
would you peddle it?

That's easy. I run a
poker game in the saloon.

I just push it through the bank.

You're not telling me you put that 500
you got from Abelia through the bank?

I had to. It's the only
way I could pay her off.

- I got no cash of my own.
- That was new gold.

Anybody could look at
that and know that's never...

- that's never been handled.
- Well, I said I won it

from a drifter sometime back.
Nobody can prove different.

You're stupid if you think that
Dodge marshal ain't gonna be

- on top of you from now on.
- Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Look, there are other men
who are willing to buy that gold.

We can still make a profit.

How could you be so
stupid and live so long?

No sense in letting 10,000
in gold walk out the door.

Stupid...

- Real mess, ain't it, Marshal?
- Sure is that, all right.

Well, thank you
for letting me know.

Oh, it was nothing
like a favor I was doing.

I was afraid if I just rode on, maybe
somebody'd be coming after me,

seeing my tracks by here.

Marshal, there's a
plain blood trail out there.

- Whoever it is, he's hurt bad.
- Well, good.

I'll see if I can pick
up a trail on it then.

Get his body into town, will
you? Thanks again, old timer.

I got the scare of
my life, Marshal.

Come by, see myself
having a shelter for the night,

come in here to find this.

- I'll get the mare.
- All right.

Here, John. Hold her now. Real
easy. Don't squeeze her hard now.

Come on, darling. Jump
right up in the wagon there.

And scoot over so's
old Johnny can get in.

Now, chinny up there,
Jonathan. Hold her, quiet.

Easy, Thomas.

Here, sweetheart. Now,
hold him. Real easy.

Don't want to get him all
jumpity and fussed up, do we?

He has to be happy.

Shh! Easy.

We weren't supposed
to see you again.

I run into something
I didn't expect.

Where have you been?

Meeting with Bull Anders.

Get him going into town with the
kids. You stay behind. I need your help.

Will, why didn't you
just keep riding south?

I keep bleeding, you're gonna
have a body on your hands to explain.

Now, get that mare out to him.

Oh, Will.

You've made so many mistakes.

Just get them away.

There.

Here, I'll take her, Abelia.

Come on.

There we are. All set.
Scooch over, Johnny.

- Let your mama get up now.
- Listen, Festus.

I'm going to set some
stew fixings to simmering,

then I'll come on in town later.
I'll... I'll come in on the plow horse.

Well, Abelia, there ain't
no call for you to do that.

We ain't in all that
big a hurry to get there.

Well, I've got one or two other
things to do, so I'll just meet you later.

Now, you two kids behave
yourself and mind Mr. Haggen, hear.

- We will.
- We will.

- All right, Johnny, go ahead on.
- Yah!

Hold up, Jonathan.

Johnny, do you reckon you could
drive him on into town by yourself?

- I done it plenty of times, Festus.
- Good.

Well, I was just thinking I ought
to do some jawing with your ma,

and that way, see, I can
ride on into town with her.

- You won't be long, will you, Festus?
- Oh, no, darling.

Fact is, we'll probably catch up
with you before you get to town.

Now, Jonathan, you be
real careful, do you hear me?

- I'll be careful, Festus.
- All right, now. Go ahead.

Talk about dumbness.

Putting that gold through the
bank, if that don't take the cake.

I'm wondering about that
deputy being around here now.

He's in town.

Only thing you got to worry about
is finding someplace to hide out,

maybe up...

in the mountains until
you're able to ride out of here.

- That still don't answer my...
- Abelia? You around?

Abelia?

Figured I might ride into town
with you, if'n you don't mind!

No, don't! No, I
won't let you kill him!

- Get rid of him.
- Will!

Get rid of him!

I didn't expect
you back, Festus.

Why don't you quit
playing these silly games?

- You have to go.
- Who you got hid in that barn?

It doesn't matter.
He will kill you.

I ain't gonna give him
no cause but to talk.

Well, you're a man
in pretty poor shape.

Festus?

- Who was that?
- There's a United States Marshal.

- You tell him to ride out of here.
- He ain't that kind of a marshal.

- Festus?
- In here, Matthew.

Things ain't looking too good.

You come on, Marshal, if you
want... if you want to bury some people!

By the blood trail
I've been following,

we'd better talk about
getting you to a doctor.

You knew all the time
they were closing in.

She never knowed
no such a thing.

You better get out yonder and
have some talk with that marshal.

Talk would just be about a rope.

Five years I thought about it,

just coming back, getting
the gold and riding south.

Unless you get yourself some doctoring,
you ain't fixing to ride no place.

I'm the only one
who's helping me.

Bee, come with me, Bee.

- We'll make the border.
- It's too late, Will.

I'm saying you're coming.

And you're knowing I'm not.

You're putting your
life on the line, Marshal!

I'm ready.

Marshal?

Marshal?

I'm... I'm leaving.

I'm head... I'm heading south.

Nobody... nobody
get in my... Nobody...

Nobody...

Nobody... Nobody...

My name... Will Smith.

Will...

Them kids of yours, they...

sure... sure
look... They're fine.

Good manners.

Will Smith.

You remember that.

Will Smith...

Will Smith.

I guess a man's entitled to be
buried under the name he chooses.

Well, I'll tell you there's just...
just no doubt about it here.

This blue ribbon and first prize
has got to go to this beautiful

St. Bernard here and his
owner, young Tom Brennon.

We lost.

All right. Now, hold
on here just a minute.

We have another award.

And this is a special
award for intelligence.

Now, this is going to be given to a
very unusual specimen whose name is...

Well, I think his
name is Thomas.

It ain't a he, Doc.
It's a she porky.

Well, all right.

Anyway, this award, along
with these ten silver dollars,

which was collected
or it was gathered or...

Well, maybe we hadn't
ought to go into that.

Anyway, this is gonna be given

by one of Dodge City's
outstanding citizens,

who wishes to remain anonymous.

Undoubtedly, because
he probably can't spell it.

There you are, son. Congratulations
on your very intelligent pig.

Well, didn't I tell you?

Did I tell you us Haggens
had a good eye for good hogs?

- Ten dollar prize!
- Thank you, Festus.

Oh, that wasn't nothing at all. I'll
tell you what we're gonna do now.

We're gonna go down and
celebrate by eating ice cream

until our eyeballs just poof
plumb out of our heads,

like I told you before.
Come on. Bring the goat too.

I've never felt
sillier in my life.

Awarding a ribbon
for intelligence to a pig.

Well, Doc, I think you
carried it off real well.

Oh, I don't think there's any
doubt as to who they'll pick

to do the judging
next year either.

Well, I'll tell you
one thing about that.

He ought to be in the
fair. He'd win hands down.

There's nobody like him.

And if he did, I know exactly
where I'd like to pin a ribbon on him.

Stay tuned for scenes
from next week's Gunsmoke.