Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 2, Episode 4 - The Round Up - full transcript

Matt goes on a rampage to close down Front Street after he accidentally shoots and kills his old friend (and temporary deputy) while trying to defend himself from a sneak attack by a murderous saloonkeeper.

ANNOUNCER:

Starring James Arness
as Matt Dillon.

Lift. Lift, Doc, lift.

Oh, "Lift, Doc."
You're heavy, you big dummy.

Where are you gonna
put me, Mr. Dillon?

Right over here.

I oughta put you
into jail where you belong.

That's what
we oughta do with ya.

All right.
Easy up.

Oh, thank you,
Mr. Dillon.

I'm sorry that I've been
so much trouble.



I still say we oughta
take him in there,

put him in jail
and lock him up.

Otherwise he's gonna get out
tomcattin' around again,

even on those
two sprained ankles.

Well, I don't know, Doc.

I think this'll slow him
down to a crawl.

You're in pretty
bad shape, Chester.

Oh, I know, I know.

I've been sayin' over
and over to myself.

I said, "Chester, you're a fool.
You're just a fool."

It's the wages of sin,
that's what it is.

You're lucky you got off
as easy as you did.

What do you mean,
"the wages of sin"?

Well-
I-I told you what happened.



I was sittin' up there
in that two-story window,

admiring the view,
so to speak, and I fell.

Mm-hm. I just fell right
there on the street.

Yes, but you never did
say why you fell.

Well, where I come from,
a gentleman wouldn't ask why.

Oh, well, you're not
where you came from.

Well, sometimes
I wish I was.

Like now?
Yeah. Like now.

Well, maybe this time
you'll learn something.

Hey, Chester, don't pay
too much attention to Doc.

He never was
much of a gambler.

A gambler?

Well, I never was fool
enough to get trapped

into a private game
with a couple of sharpers.

You didn't tell him that,
did ya, Mr. Dillon?

Half the population saw me
run him out of town, Chester.

It's not much
of a secret.

You are just
all country, Chester.

Just all cou-

Imagine a grown man gettin'
talked into a game like that.

And then yellin' so loud
when he got took.

It's no wonder they dropped you
out of the window.

Oh, well, they just nothin'
but a bunch of crooks.

Good morning,
marshal.

Hello, boys.
What can I do for ya?

How's Chester,
marshal?

I heard all about him
and them two card sharks.

Something
you want, Torp?

City boys too smart
for him, huh?

All right, what is it
you want, boys?

Summers,
tell him.

Well, it's about
tomorrow night, marshal:

the roundup.

Now, they say
your season's over

and Dodge'll be spilling
full of cowboys celebratin',

they'll all be drunk.

That always happens
end of the season.

Yeah, but there'll be
more of 'em this year.

A lot more of 'em.

There'll be some
homesteaders in town too.

A lot more homesteaders.

Now, that means
trouble, marshal.

I expect that.
What's the matter?

You afraid somebody's gonna
wreck your store, Summers?

Well, sure I am.

Now, we've all talked
this thing over

and we want you to get together
some good, tough men.

At least 20 of 'em.

And deputize 'em. That way
there won't be any trouble.

Now, that's
what we want.

Now, let me tell you
something, Summers,

it's my job to keep
the peace here in town

and I'll do it.

But I'll do it my own way.

I know, marshal-

Look, you turn
20 deputies loose

in this town tomorrow night
looking for trouble

and they'll find it.

Those cowboys'll bunch you up

and shoot it out with every man
wearing a badge.

It'd be the worst slaughter
Dodge has ever seen.

It's about as fool
an idea as I've ever heard.

I think it's a good idea.

I don't want my saloon wrecked
just because you're mule-headed.

You're a gambler, Torp.

You can take your chances
with everybody else.

If you don't like it, close up
your place tomorrow night.

And lose that Texas money?

Not very likely.

We're not all gamblers,
marshal.

Now, they can wreck my store
just as fast as a gamblin' house

once they get started.

Now, it's up to you
to make certain.

That's right, it's up to me.

Suppose we leave it
that way, huh?

And you won't
do anything?

I'll be doing
everything I can, Summers.

Well, I don't know,
marshal.

Summers, some people think
I'm too soft with Front Street

and some people think
I'm too tough.

But that's the way it is
in every town.

If a peace officer
does his job right,

he pleases nobody.

We didn't come here
for no lecture, marshal.

Then what did you
come here for, Torp?

You gonna help me pick
those deputies? Is that it?

As a matter of fact,
I could.

Mm-hm.

And two hours after you did,

those deputies of yours
would have it fixed

so you'd have the only tables
open for play.

Is that true, Torp?

You think I'm crazy?

Do a thing like that
and have the whole street on me?

I wanna protect my place,
not ruin it.

Well, that makes sense to me.

I just hope you know
what you're doing, marshal,

because it's
your responsibility.

I hope you can
handle it.

Come on.

He won't listen
to nobody.

Goodbye, gentlemen.

You think Torp
would try that, Matt?

Front Street would never
stand for it, would they?

Well, if he had 20 deputies
backing him up, they would, Doc.

And I'd get the blame
for what happened too.

That Torp, he's just no good,
that's all.

He's just plain no good.

Oh, I don't know
about that, now.

I know of a fella who
got skinned in his place once

and Torp gave him $20 so as
he wouldn't leave town broke.

And the fellow was
so doggone ungrateful,

he never did
thank Torp for it.

Never did.

Yeah, how much
did the $20 cost him?

Heh. Seven hundred,
that's all.

You know, Mr. Dillon,

I ain't gonna be too much help
to you tomorrow night.

It's all right,
Chester.

You can watch the jail.

Yeah, but you gotta
have somebody

to help you out on the street.

One man, anyways.

You can't be everyplace
at once.

I wouldn't ask any man to face
that street tomorrow night.

Well, I know a few that'd do it,

and so do you.

Yeah, but I wouldn't ask 'em.

Well, I didn't expect
to find you back there.

Well, while Sam's at lunch,
I'm in charge.

What'll it be, mister?

One beer, bartender.

Where's the crowd, Matt?

We're countin' on the roundup
to be a big one this year.

They'll be here.
Don't you worry about that.

This town'll be
packed by dark.

More business
than you can handle.

That's what I hear about you,

trouble.

Yeah, I always look
for trouble, Kitty.

It's lookin' for you tonight.

Torp and some of his boys
cut cards last night.

The low man's
in for a big job.

Me?

You. Dead.

Tonight?

That's what I hear.

Matt, why is Torp after you?

Well, he's wanted an open town
for a long time, Kitty.

With me out of the way,
he'd have one.

I'm lookin' for the peace
officer of this here town.

I aim to get drunk tonight

so I figure to shoot
this Dodge City marshal now,

while I'm sober.

You think you're
man enough to do it?

Yep.

Except for one thing.

He's gettin' faster and I've
just been gettin' older.

Hiya, Matt.

Zel, you old badger,
how are ya?

Ah, it's been
a long time, Matt.

Kitty, I want you to meet
an old pal of mine.

This is Zel Blatnik.

Mighty proud
to know ya, ma'am.

How do you you do?

Zel, this is your first time
in Dodge, isn't it?

First time, Matt.

Heard about you,
though.

U.S. marshal.

Guess I've seen
everything now.

Disappointed?

Well, I'll tell ya,
Miss Kitty,

I knew Matt Dillon
before he got civilized.

Why, there was a time
I had to tie his leg up

to give him a haircut
when he come to town.

Oh?

Well, the wilder the colt
the better the horse.

That's right.

The only trouble
with Matt

was that fool honest streak
he always had.

Ah, how about you, Zel?
Are you rich?

Nobody's rich
on the Mexican border.

Hot sun and pinto beans,
little else.

What do you do
down there, Zel?

Fight and fry bacon.

And we're mighty
short bacon.

Hired out to a general
over in Chihuahua a while back.

Lost 20 pounds,
$200 and a good horse.

Lucky to save
my hide though.

You see, I got drunk
with the men

the general
hired me to shoot.

He turned out to be
a better man than the general.

So I told him the general
hired me to shoot him

and then I headed for Texas.

General lost three soldiers
trying to keep me

from swimming
the Bravo.

You must be pretty handy
with a gun, Zel.

Just fair, ma'am.
Just fair.

But when I take my gun
out of the holster,

I go right ahead
and use it

while some I knew took a half
a second to mull it over.

You know, there's a roundup
in Dodge tonight,

did you know that Matt
was handling it alone?

All right, Kitty, now.

You shut up.

I heard all about it.

That's why I'm here:

To say hello and sign on
for a night's pleasure.

Gimme a star, Matt.

It won't be my first.

You?

I was sheriff of Tascosa
for six months.

Nah, go on.

It's in the record, Matt.

It's in the record.

They caught up
with me there,

but by that time I'd done such
a good job taming the town

that the governor
pardoned me.

All right, Zel,
I believe ya.

But, listen,
this is my job tonight.

There's no reason
for you to mix in it.

I heard they're plannin'
a party for ya tonight.

Word gets
around fast.

I've owed you something
for a long time.

Now, that's got nothin'
to do with it.

It has and you got no right not
to let me pay it back a little.

Now there's a chance.

Zel, you're as crazy
as you ever were.

That's better.

Now let's go find me
a badge, Matt.

Mighty nice to have met you,
Miss Kitty.

Oh, no.

It's on the house.

So long, Kitty.

See you later, Matt.

And good luck to both of ya.

Oh.

There, there.
That oughta do it.

Yeah, thank you.

You sure been a long time
comin' to Dodge, Mr. Blatnik.

How you mean,
Chester?

Well, I heard Mr. Dillon
mention you a lot,

and the way he talk, he never
seemed sure that you was alive.

Well, I never
was sure, Chester.

Zel, here, isn't the most
cautious man, you know.

You think being
a U.S. marshal

ain't askin' for
an early grave, Matt?

Yeah, that may be, Zel.

I guess there's plenty
out there

who'd be glad
to help dig it too.

Men like Torp is all.

You know, that's the funny
part of it, Chester.

Even good men
have a strange streak in 'em.

Makes 'em suspect anybody who's
paid the handle of bad element.

I guess they figure some
of the dirt's rubbed off on him.

That's the way it was
in Tascosa.

They wanted me around,
all right,

but they wanted me
to keep my distance.

Treated me like one
of them hired killers

with a string of notches
in his gun.

All right,
plenty of them around.

One's too many for me.

Them notches usually mean

some poor devils
got shot in the back.

To my thinking,
it's a poor kind of brain.

Yeah.

Ain't much of a man

has to notch his gun
to keep his courage up.

The town's fillin' up.

Chester, keep this with you
just in case, huh?

Oh, yes, sir.
On watch from here.

All right.
Come on, Zel.

Marshal, you gonna let
these bandits rob me?

Try and stop us
and you'll go out too, marshal.

Shall we stop it?

No, no, they're just taking him
down to Long Branch

to stand him for a few
drinks, that's all.

That's Hightower, the town
printer, they like him.

This sort of officially opens
this year's roundup, doesn't it?

Yeah.

How will we work it, Matt?

Well, I tell ya, you better take
this side of the streets, Zel,

and I'll take the other side,
be over there somewhere.

All right. Right.

Say, by the way, Matt,
can I get your Spencer Carbine?

Come in awful handy as a club if
I don't use it for nothin' else.

Sure, Zel, it's yours.

And listen, I oughta thank you
for what you're doin' tonight.

Ain't done nothin' yet.

But if somebody
shoots you in the back,

I'll do plenty.

See ya later, Zel.

Sure, Matt.

No shootin', huh?

Well, I ain't never
learned to read yet.

You can pick this up
in my office in the morning.

Break it up.
Move along.

Somebody should take
care of that man.

All right,
who fired the shot?

Sorry, marshal,
there is no fight.

Got the drop on you,
ain't I, marshal?

All right, get out.

You better take a look
at this man, marshal.

He's dying.

Why should I look at him?

He's wearin' a badge.

Matt. Matt, I-

I think that did it.

No, Zel.

This is my fault.

I crossed the street.

I left the Carbine with Chester.

Oh, Zel, I...

Matt...

listen to me.

You did right.

The only thing you could do.

It was my fault.

Anyway, I've been livin'
on my own time

since the day you pulled me
out of the mob in Alamacoto.

I never did thank you for that.

Zel.

Here, Matt.
You've been hit here.

Never mind.

I'm sorry, Matt.

Here, I'll get somebody
to carry him up the altar.

No!

I'll carry him.

What happened,
Mr. Dillon?

What happened?

He's dead.

Well, who shot him?

I shot him.

I didn't even
know who he was.

Now, Matt!
Matt.

Why don't you just
let 'em fight each other.

What are you gonna do,
Mr. Dillon?

I'm closing Front Street. What?

You can't.
They'll kill ya.

I'll go with ya.

No, ya won't.

This is my job.

Front Street's
closed.

Get outta here
and go home.

Are you crazy,
marshal?

My home is in Texas,
mister.

And I ain't makin'
the trip tonight.

You close the street, marshal,
and we'll open up the whole-

Now, get outta here!

Close it up.

Hey, Dad,
where are you?

Ah, hiya, Charlie.

Where you goin'?

The marshal
closed the street.

I'm leavin'.

He can't do that.

Well, I ain't waiting
to find out.

Matt, I know how you feel,
we all do.

But closing the town's
not right, it's not fair.

Why take it out on us?

Front Street's closed.

Lock up and get out.

Like Miss Kitty said,
marshal, it ain't fair.

We're not
closing up.

I said close up.

Close up,
Sam.

Good luck, Matt.

We've been waitin'
for you, marshal.

I'm here.

Go ahead.

No. Not with that shotgun.

You will have to pay
for that, marshal.

I've already paid for it.

Now, you got a gun.
Go ahead and use it.

I ain't no gunfighter, marshal.

You're through
in Dodge, Rydell.

Get outta here,
all of ya.

Ain't you gonna put
a marker up, Mr. Dillon?

Remember how Zel said
he never thought much

of a man who notched
his gun, Chester?

Yes, sir.
I remember.

Well, I never notched mine.

But I'm notchin' it now.

For him.

It's gonna be his marker.

Every time I look at that...

it will have to remind me
of what happened last night.

So long, Zel.