Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 2, Episode 37 - The Man Who Would Be Marshal - full transcript

ANNOUNCER:

Starring James Arness
as Matt Dillon.

Whoa.

Kick me down,
I'll rip the hide off him.

Heh, heh, heh.
Whoa, boy.

I don't care if you are
the marshal's horse.

Yeah, he does seem
some jumpy today.

He ain't by half as jumpy
as I am.

God, I swear,
I must have taken on

a gallon of spirits last night.

That'll make shoein'
somewhat of a-



A task, won't it, Mr. Odell.

Chester,

Me and whiskey's
had a personal understanding

more years
than you've seen grass grow.

Hey, you vicious-

I'll teach you!

Stop that!

You hit that horse again,
you'll regret it.

Will I, now?

I mean what I say, mister.

Mr. Odell,
maybe you better ease off.

You might get yourself shot.

Well, maybe I wouldn't mind.

He'd hang for shooting
an unarmed man, wouldn't he?



I'll take the gun off.

You...

You'll take the gun off?

That's right.

Well, now.
Wait a minute, fella.

There's no cause for fightin'.

I'll say you're a man
of heart, though.

You'll leave that horse
alone?

I've got to tack another shoe
on him, but I'll do it gentle.

I didn't aim
to hurt him none, anyway.

I just lost my temper,
that's all.

Feelin' a might rocky
today.

I've got a horse outside
needs a shoe,

but I won't
have him mistreated.

Well, 'course you won't.

I'll be like a lamb
with him,

like his own mother.

Mr. Odell gets a little ornery
once in a while.

Flares up,
but he don't mean no harm by it.

I take it
you're a citizen here too.

Well, uh, I never thought of it
like that, but...

Maybe you can help me.

Which bank
would you say

is used to handling
the most cash?

Bank?

I want the biggest.

Oh, well, uh,
there's only one.

A fellow named Botkin
runs it.

Thanks!

My horse is just outside,
you saw him.

I'll be back for him.

Oh. One other thing.

The marshal here,
I know his name's Dillon.

He's got something
of a reputation.

Does he live up to it,
would you say?

We... Yeah.

I'd- I'd say.

Just curious,

seeing as how we're bound
to meet up.

Oh, well y- Uh...

Thanks for the information.

Uh, hey, uh-

I'm just tellin' you what I seen
and heard, Mr. Dillon.

Yeah.

He's the cold-eyedest man
I ever seen.

Is that right?

Fancy him asking about
the biggest bank in town,

and then-
And then saying straight out

he was bound to be facing
up to you.

Yes, sir.
Whatever you say.

Everything all right here,
Mr. Botkin?

All right? Everything's fine.
Just fine, marshal.

Uh, Mr. Egan here

has just deposited
$50,000 into our bank.

Deposited?

And a wise choice,
if I may say so myself.

So you're Marshal Dillon.

I wanna have a talk
with you.

I wanted to interest you

in some investment
possibilities in Dodge.

Make you a hat full of money
overnight.

Yeah, money isn't everything.

Shall we go?

Well, uh...
Uh, all right.

Hello, young man.

I've been in Chicago

handling some cattle auctions
for a man named Swift.

That's how I managed
to hold away that 50,000.

Now I want to try
something new.

Well, that sounds good
so far.

Dodge is a pretty lively
little town.

Lot of business opportunities
here.

Oh, no, no.
You don't understand.

I'm not after that at all.
I've got plenty of money.

Well, wish I could
say the same, Mr. Egan.

Well, uh,

I don't want this to sound like
an insult, marshal,

but if you need money,
name your price.

I don't follow you.

It's very simple.
I want your job.

What?

I want to be marshal here.

Well, you better
spell that out, Egan.

I'm serious.

I've been to Washington,

and the war department
has endorsed my application.

Yeah?

But they tell me
there's no opening.

So I've come to Dodge.

I figure if I could get you
to quit somehow,

maybe they'd put me on here.

I'm beginning to believe
you are serious.

I am. I want to try it.

I want some excitement
for a change.

Well, that's fine and all,
Mr. Egan, but uh...

I'm afraid I'm not for sale.

Oh, I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have said that.

I apologize.
It's all right.

Well...

What would you advise me
to do?

I advise you to go on back
to Chicago.

You'd be a whole lot safer.

Oh, you think I'm not qualified
to be a lawman.

Well, you're wearing a gun.

Does a man's strength
rest only in his gun?

Sometimes it does.

I'm accustomed to authority,
marshal.

I've commanded men.

Oh, yes, yes.
The army.

I see what you're getting at.

I was a major
for General McClellan.

Got my first bullet
on the Chickahominy in '62.

Hmm. Well, Mr. Egan.

I'm still advising you
to go on back to Chicago.

No, marshal.

You're a pretty stubborn man,
aren't you?

I know what I want.
I need your help to get it.

You can give it or not.

All right, Mr. Egan.

You want that job of mine
so bad,

maybe I'll give you a chance
at it.

Whoa, Mr. Dillon,
what are you saying?

Not much pay, and no thanks.

Maybe I've been a live target
for every drunken bum

and glory hunter in Kansas
long enough.

You mean it?

I might,

on one condition.

What's that?

You follow me around for a week,
see how you like it.

You still want the job?

I'll want it, all right.

This'll be the first real livi''
I've done in years.

All right.

Let's get started.

I'm ready!
What do we do first?

You ready?

Uh, wha- Well, yeah, I guess.

Follow me.

You better sit down, Egan.

You're wearing yourself out.

Pretty hot day.

You oughta get yourself a rope,
Mr. Egan.

You know, it'll sure help
to pass the time of day.

Shouldn't you
be making your rounds?

Or something?

Well, now, Egan, there's no use
looking for trouble.

It catches up with you
anyway.

Well, I'll tell you.
You oughta find yourself a rope.

Yippee! Yahoo!

Hyah! Hyah!
Hyah! Hi-ho!

Ha!

Hold it.

Can't say I ain't puttin' you
on fair notice, marshal.

I'm bucking town again.

And so I noticed.

How's your wife there,
Mr. Pibbs?

Some half alligator
and a touch of earthquake.

And I'm gonna get my throat
clean to the gills.

They're gonna be eye-gougin'
and nose-bitin' tonight.

All right,
before you get started,

you better take that horse
over to Moss Grimmick's

Last time I had to go out
and find him for you.

I'm warning you,
marshal!

I'm gonna have my fun tonight,

and no lank, drawn out,
milk-livered lawman's

gonna keep me from it.

Yee-hoo! Giddy up!
Yee-hoo!

Yea-hoo!

And you just sit there
and let a man like that

insult the dignity
of your office?

Egan, he's been doing that
for years.

What?

Even before my time.

Why don't you teach him
a lesson?

Throw him in jail.

'Cause he's just a poor,
old sodbuster

lettin' off steam.

That's his way of reminding
himself he's a man.

Yes, but-

Mr. Egan, he-he has a hard time
makin' a living

off that 10 yard patch of meaty
potatoes out on the prairie.

Yeah, he's gonna go out,
find himself a corner somewhere,

and forget his troubles
for a couple of days

in a bottle of Missouri Mule.

You know, every time
he comes to Dodge,

he gets so drunk
he just can't climb back up

on that old mare of his.

If he does, he usually falls off
on his way home,

and lays out there
on the prairie all night

somewhere, like a dead man.

Find himself in jail
if I were marshal.

Yeah, I guess he would.

Yeah, well...

Uh.

You wanna try that,
Mr. Egan?

Here. Here,
I'll be back in a minute.

Well, cheer up, major.

Maybe things'll pick up
after dark. Ahh.

Well, how do you like makin'
the rounds, Mr. Egan?

Seems to me all we've been doi''
is making social calls.

Well, I guess that's about it.

Gotta let folks know
the marshal's earning his keep.

Mmm. What's the name
of this next place?

Long Branch.

Oh, get him!

You hear me, Kitty?
I'll kill him!

Oh, get him! You hear me, Kitty?
I'll kill him!

I heard you, Clarise,

and so did everybody
north of the Arkansas River.

That big whiskey-guzzlin',
no-good nothin'!

I hope I die just so he'll hang
for what he doNE!

What's she talkin' about?

Oh, Jeff Willoughby.

You know, he runs that line camp
up the river with his brother.

He ducked out the back way.

Just like him
to curl up his tail and run!

I tell you-
I know, I know, Clarise.

You'll kill him.

Now, why don't you just tell
the marshal what happened.

What difference does it make?

He was a nasty drunk
and he pulled a gun.

I wanna see him rot in jail
for it, you hear?

Don't worry, miss.

He'll get what's coming
to him.

Who's he?

Uh, his name's Egan.

He's a student of law.
All right, better get her up.

Come on, Stella.
Help me get her up.

Oh... Oh.

I don't know which is worse,

that drunken old fool
this morning,

or a man who feels free
to shoot a woman.

Well, you can't ride herd
on everybody in town, Egan.

Chester, you better get Doc.

Yes, sir.

Matt, be sure and tell him

to bring something
to quiet her down.

Nobody's gonna quiet me down!

No, not until that pothole rider
gets locked up tight!

You hear?

We going after this Willoughby?

Yeah, yeah,
that's a good idea.

Well?

We'll do it
first thing in the morning.

Morning?
He'll be gone for good by then.

Oh, I don't think so, Egan.

Come on, let's finish
making the rounds.

Good morning, Wilson.

Wouldn't hurt ya
to knock, marshal.

This ain't a corral.

Sure.

Where's your brother?

Jeff?

Yeah, Jeff.

Came all the way out here
to see him, huh?

That's right.

It's a long ride, marshal.

I didn't mind.

Where is he?

Well, I'll tell ya.

That boy gets up mighty early
in the morning.

He could be most anywhere
by now.

What did you say you're wantin'
Jeff for, marshal?

You're not fool enough
to interfere in this, Wilson.

Maybe.

Maybe I am.

It's all right, Wilson.

I thought you'd be coming out,
marshal.

Sorry about that business
in town last night.

Clarise hurt bad?

No, but I gotta take you in
anyway, Jeff.

Sure.

But I can't make it today,
marshal.

Oh?

I gave my word to my boss
I'd finish branding some calves.

Well, uh, what are we gonna do
about that, Jeff?

I'll be coming in sometime
tomorrow.

All right.
I'll be waiting.

Come on, Wilson.

We got a long day.

You weren't afraid
to take him in, were you?

He'll be in tomorrow.

I don't understand you.

You saw his brother,
didn't you?

I'd a had to kill him
to take Jeff in.

Then you were afraid.

Now, these men
are cowboys, Egan.

Not gunmen.

With any luck at all,
I coulda killed both of 'em.

If I'd a had to.

They were resisting the law,
weren't they?

Yeah, today.

It's a pretty poor reason
to kill two men, isn't it?

Then you're gonna let 'em go?

No, you heard him.
He'll be in tomorrow.

What makes you so sure?

I know him.

And he knows me.

Well, it's past noon,
marshal.

Your man hasn't shown up yet.

No.

Well?

Egan,

I believe a man who thinks
of a job he owes his boss

even when he's in bad trouble
is a man that can be trusted.

Mr. Dillon!

Yeah?

Well, I don't know for sure,

but I think there's some trouble

down at Moss Grimmick's stable.

I don't know for sure.

What's the trouble, Moss?

Back there
in the last stall.

I left him right where
he done it.

I didn't touch a thing.

What are you talking about,
Moss?

Pibbs, the old sodbuster,
he went and shot himself.

Shot himself?

Well, he's got
a hole in his head

and his six guns
laying right by his side.

I heard it happen.

Was he alone in there?

Yeah, he came in here drunk,

waving his gun around
crazy as always.

I reckon his gun
must've gone off

when he wasn't looking.

Kinda caught up with him,
you might say.

Well, he's been drunk
for 20 years,

I guess he finally decided
to break the habit.

All right, boys.
Move along, will ya?

Well, you wanted
some excitement, Mr. Egan.

Of course, I guess you ain't
found what you had in mind.

Well, there's one thing
about what happened

to that poor, old fella.

What's that?

Least he didn't die in jail.

That's one way
of lookin' at it.

Yes, and you know,

there's something else too,
Egan.

Maybe it helped him some
in the past.

Paradin' through town,
shootin' his gun off.

Cussin' me out that way.

You still think
you want the job?

Maybe I wouldn't handle things
the same way,

but that doesn't mean
you're always right.

The deal still holds.

Matt!

Hello, Kitty.

I just thought
you'd like to know

that Jeff Willaby came into town
to give himself up.

Oh?

But you won't be
arrestin' him.

Why not?

He and Clarise
are real cozy again,

and she swears that shooting
was an accident.

I see.

Well, she's right, Matt.

She was just jealous of Jeff,

and she thought she could
scare him with the gun,

and, well, it went off

when he tried
to take it from her.

Hmm.

Now, that doesn't leave me
much of a case, does it?

Oh, you're not through yet.

Why not?

Jeff wants to buy you
a drink.

Come on, they're waiting.

Excuse me, gentlemen.

How do you figure
a man like that?

Well, uh,
if he was easy to figure,

he wouldn't make
such a good marshal.

'Course you still got
a couple of days

to convince yourself
that you can be just as good.

Wager. Week's up tomorrow.

Why don't we call off
this fool bargain, huh?

I'm sorry I ever got into it.

I still think
I can run things my own way

and get just as good results.

Well, look at Doc,
would you?

Wonder what on Earth's
eating him?

Matt! Emmett!

Matt, you get over there
to Texas Trails

just about as fast
as you can get there.

What's the trouble?

You know that Gere and Bozeman,
those fellas?

Yeah?

Well, they- They-
They cornered

a scrawny little whiskey drummer
there at the bar

and ordered him
to buy drinks for 'em,

and he was fool enough
to stand up to 'em.

and now they're just beatin' up
on him something fierce.

It's a sickening thing
to watch.

Wait a minute, marshal.

Let me handle this,
my way.

Now, look, Egan,
just because Gere and Bozeman

are a couple of bullies,

doesn't mean they're not
dangerous.

They are.

What's the matter?

You afraid I'll be able
to handle 'em?

Well?

All right, Egan.

You gotta learn sometime.

Tell 'em
you're my deputy.

I didn't think you'd lead
Mr. Egan out on a limb.

Nobody'll look for us
coming in the back. Come on.

What makes you think
you can do this to a man?

Is there no law
where you come from?

We come from Dodge,
Mr. Deputy.

Where do you
come from?

Are you Bozeman or Gere?

I'm Bozeman.

I do the talkin'.

But we both do the fightin'.

You're out of order.

How's that?

I said you're out of order.

I won't tolerate
your insolence.

I'm not sure, mister,

but are you saying
you don't like us?

That's enough.

You and Gere turn around
and face the bar

while I take your guns.

Well, you're the most doggone
foolish man

I ever saw!

Do as I say!

Why? 'Cause you're weari''
a badge?

That's reason enough.

Now, lookie here,
Mr. Deputy,

that may be reason enough
for you, but to us,

that badge is nothin'
but a good target.

There'll be no shooting here.

I order you to face the bar.

Guess there's no talki''
to you at all.

I'll take him alone.

You wanna try that again?

Oh, wait a minute, marshal.

You knew that he wouldn't
kill you, Bozeman.

But you know that I will.

Is that what you want?

Don't try it, Gere!

All right.

Drop your gun.

Now, do what my deputy
told ya.

Turn around and face the bar.

Chester.

Take these two over
and lock 'em up.

I'll be at Doc's.

Maybe I can save Bozeman
from hanging.

Yes, sir.

All right.

Well, I think he's gonna
make it all right, now, Matt.

Good.

You feel a little guilty
about this, maybe?

Wouldn't you?

Yes, I think I would.

'Cause I'm as stubborn as Egan,
when the chips are done.

Well, comes a time

when everybody thinks
they're right, I guess.

Doc.

Yeah, yes, how do you feel?

Pretty fair.

That's good.

I was lyin' here
listenin' to you talk.

You were? By golly, I didn't
even know you were conscious.

Ah, I was trying to get
my head clear first.

Marshal here can tell you
it's been pretty muddled lately.

I been pretty lucky.

Well, I'll tell you,

if that bullet had been about
an inch to the left,

you'd a died right there
on the spot.

I'd say you're pretty lucky.

Marshal.

You're-

You mustn't feel guilty.

It wasn't your fault.

Well, I shoulda known
what'd happen, Egan.

You faced 'em
the same way I did.

You didn't shoot.

It's different with me.

Why?

Well, it's my own profession.

Heh.

I've handled men long enough
to be professional.

Well, now,
in the army, Egan,

when a soldier
disobeyed orders,

what did you do?

I put him under arrest

and sent him to the rear
for court martial.

And you didn't shoot 'em?

No, of course not.

Well, that's-
That's the difference.

Why do you think it was

that Bozeman obeyed
what I told him to?

I guess he knew you'd shoot him
if he didn't.

He not only knew
I'd shoot him,

he knew I'd kill him.

That's part
of this profession

they don't teach
in the army.

Takes a few years
to learn.

Matt.

Think you better let him
get a little rest, now.

All right, Doc.

Well, Egan.

You still think
you want that job?

You ever been to California,
marshal?

Not for some time.

They say that there's a lot
of excitement out there.

Maybe it's my brand.

I'll write
and tell you about it.

All right, major.

You do it.