Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 5, Episode 19 - Till Death Do Us - full transcript

Starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

Well, Chester, think we
ought to get somethin' to eat?

Mr. Dillon, them's the greatest
words in the English language.

Yeah, I think it's gonna
be a nice night, Mr. Dillon.

Yep.

Evenin', Marshal.

Evenin', Jezra. Mrs. Cobb.

That's the most dilapidated
old buggy I ever seen.

Yeah, well, Jezra believes in
gettin' full value out of things.

He calls it makin' do.

Well, he ain't makin' do
too good, as far as I can see.



Well, are we gonna stand here
talkin', or are we gonna go eat?

Well, I'd rather not talk.

You know, speakin' of makin' do,

Jezra starved a horse to
death a couple of years ago

just seein' how short
he could cut his rations.

Yeah.

Whoa. Whoa, boy. Whoa, boy.

Keep it tight right there!

It's spooky!

Whoa, boy. Whoa.

Mr. Dillon, are you all right?

Yeah. Yeah, I'm all right.

Did you find him?

No. He got away in the dark.



Any of you folks see
what happened, though?

Man: Never seen a thing.

Hadn't you ought to
get that fixed, Mr. Dillon?

No. No, it'll be all
right. It'll keep a while.

Marshal, you've allowed this
town to become a sink of inequity...

A city of painted Jezebels,
scoundrels, and murdering assassins.

The name of Dodge should be
changed to Sodom and Gomorrah.

You all right, Mrs. Cobb?

Somebody tried to kill us.

They were standin' in the shadows
by the corner of that building.

You'll kindly remember
your place, if you please.

- But the marshal...
- Minerva!

I'm sorry, Jezra.

You got any idea who it was?

How could I know? The
coward struck from the darkness.

Did you see anything
else, Mrs. Cobb?

I heard some shots.

If the first one hadn't scared
the horse and started him rearing,

we'd both be dead now, Marshal.

You're the law here,
such law as there is,

and I demand an
accounting for this assault.

You know of anybody that might
think he has reason to kill you?

Certainly not.

I've never had an
enemy in my life.

Well, you got one now.

All right, folks. Break it up.

Hello, Matt.

Doc.

How you feelin'?

We'll, pretty good.

What you doing there?

I'm makin' up a prescription
for old Mrs. Prudlin.

Oh, what's wrong with her?

Oh, nothin'.
Nothin' really at all.

Never has been anything.

She thinks there is.
That's the important part.

These are... These
are foolin' pills.

Foolin' pills?

Yeah. See, I have
to accommodate her.

These are just sugar and water.

Little coloring, little binder.

You mean she doesn't
know the difference?

Oh, no. Of course not.

I'll bet you charge
her plenty for 'em.

Well, certainly.

That's part of the game we play.

See, I charge her for 'em,
and she never pays me.

That's the part that
makes her feel good.

I have to let those
dry a little bit now.

Here, you sit down. I'll
have a look at that arm.

Okay.

This been painin' you much?

Didn't hurt at all 'til you
put those stitches in it.

Well, if you don't know
any more about marshalin'

than you do about doctorin',

why, it's no wonder people
get shot now in the streets.

Well, I...

Looks all right. I can
take those stitches out,

as long as they're botherin' ya.

This may hurt a little.

With you doing
it, I bet it will.

Just hold still a minute.

What's the matter?

Must've had that one
sewed to the bone.

What'd you use there,
buckskin thong or somethin'?

I'm surprised you didn't carry on
this much when I sewed you up.

Well, how could I? You
had me full of whiskey.

Well, if you're
angling for a free drink,

you might as well save your
breath 'til you get shot again.

Looks fine, Matt. I'm not even
gonna bandage you anymore.

Good.

Hey, Matt, you ever find out
who shot at ol' Jezra Cobb?

Nope.

Funny thing about
that. I've been thinkin'.

Not too many people like
him, but there aren't many

who hate him that
much, either. Do they?

No. Most people just try to
stay away from him, that's all.

Well, that's what I mean.

He's not the kind
that would rouse up

strong feelings in anybody
one way or another.

Hmm. He must have aroused feelings
in whoever it was that tried to kill him.

Trouble is I don't
know which one it was.

Whoever it was might
have been after his wife.

My gosh, I never
even thought of that.

What's the matter?
Is that botherin' ya?

No. It's goin' to be all right,
I guess. Just a little stiff.

Well, it will be for a while.
You're pretty lucky, you know.

Yeah?

Whoever tried that
might try it again.

I've been thinkin' about that.

But you know, it's
been three days now,

and nothing's happened.
I can't figure it out.

Come in.

Oh, Kitty, hi.

Mornin'.

- Hello, Kitty.
- Matt.

Well, what are
you doin' up here?

Well, he's hidin' from old Jezra
Cobb, that's what he's doing.

Don't let him kid ya.
I just came out here

to have a couple
of stitches taken out.

Oh.

Should've gone to
the butcher shop.

Hmm.

What did you do, come up here
and invite me to breakfast, maybe?

You already had breakfast.

I did not!

You ate with me.

Oh, I forgot. Well, it didn't
impress me very much.

What can I do for you?

Well, I came up to see if you
could give me something for ol' Clem.

The bartender?

Mm-hmm.

What's the matter with him?

Oh, he got to arguin' with
Mr. Hightower last night

about rye whiskey and
how it wouldn't hurt you.

He tried so hard
to prove his point

that they finally had to take him
out and float him in the horse trough.

He don't feel too good today.

Well, we can fix
that up easy enough.

Doc here will just give him
one of Mrs. Prudlin's pills.

Oh, shut up.

Mrs. Prudlin's pills?

Don't pay any attention to
him. He's just actin' smart.

Well, they worked
wonders for her, didn't they?

I'll prescribe for my
patients, if you don't mind.

Got him going pretty
good this morning.

Here, Kitty, you can give
him a couple of those.

I don't guarantee 'em,
exactly, but they might help him.

Now wait a minute. I
wouldn't give him any of those.

Why not?

Well, I think he'd be better
if you took him back out

and threw him in the
horse trough again.

How's your arm?

Well, it's going to
be all right, I guess.

You take too many
chances, you know it?

Kitty, I take a chance every
time I come up to this office.

Aw.

Looks like you got some
trouble down there, Kitty.

What do you mean?

Well, I expected it.
Always ends up like this.

Oh, he sneaks in three
or four times a year.

Jezra Cobb?

Yeah. Old self-righteous Jezra.

You'll pay for this!
You wait and see!

I'll teach the lot of you!

The day will pass,
you wait and see!

The day will come!

Brings trouble every
time he comes in.

He drinks too much and
just bothers everybody.

Bothers them how?

By tryin' to reform
'em, as he calls it.

Of course the girls
get the worst of it.

Dealers and the bartenders
won't put up with him.

Well, I declare.

You know what he calls
'em? Painted Jezebels.

Says he's goin' to cure
them of their transgressions.

But the only cure he
knows is to grab his cane

and try to beat
the living daylights

out of anyone he
can get his hands on.

Well, he sure keeps it quiet.
I've never heard about that before.

You ask any of the
girls. They'll tell ya.

Matt, you suppose one of the
girls might've tried to shoot him?

Well, I don't know. I'd better
go over there and talk to 'em.

Oh, Doc, I forgot to
pay for the powders.

Oh, there's no charge for that.

Oh, well, thank you.

You come over to the
Long Branch tonight,

and we'll have a drink together.

Well, I'll do that. That's
better than breakfast any time.

See you later.

So long, Doctor.

Matt.

Hello, Jezra.

I've been waitin' here
for two hours, Marshal.

You have, huh?

It's been three days now.
What have you accomplished?

Not much, I'm afraid.

There's an end to
patience, Marshal.

I intend to start legal action.

Now, could I have the simple
courtesy of your attention?

Anytime you decide
to stop lying, yeah.

- Lying?
- That's right.

What do you mean?

You told me the other night

that you couldn't think of anybody
that might have a reason to kill you.

That is absolutely true.

Mm-hmm.

Well, I'm afraid there are a couple of
young ladies over at the Long Branch

that might have
different idea about that.

Ladies?

Dance hall girls.

I'd hate to have one of 'em
lookin' down a gun barrel at me.

It wasn't a woman
who fired those shots.

I could tell that much at least.

It didn't have to be a woman.

She could've
hired a man to do it.

How dare they even
think of attacking me!

Abandoned women,
painting their faces,

cavorting in public
to the devil's music.

Well, if you don't like it, I'd say
you'd better stay away from them

before one of 'em sticks
a knife in your back.

You really think one of 'em might've
got somebody to try to kill me?

There's a couple of 'em down
there that hated you enough to.

Very well, then. Why
don't you jail them

if they're plotting to kill me?

I don't have any proof
that they're plotting to kill ya.

It's one of those
girls. I know it is!

Maybe.

Now let me tell you somethin'.

If one of those girls had
come in here to this office

with the story they
told me about you,

you'd be the
one I threw in jail.

- I don't know what you mean.
- You know what I mean.

You're in league
with the adversary.

You're aiding and
abetting the forces of evil!

All I'm aiding and abetting

is a person's right to
live the way they want to,

as long as it's within the law.

While I'm marshal, that's the
way it's going to be around here.

Now, if you don't like the
way those girls behave,

I'd suggest you just
stay clear of 'em.

It's too late! One of
them is tryin' to kill me!

That may be. I don't know. I
haven't got any proof of it yet.

I might be that there's
100 people trying to kill you.

I'll have you know, Marshal,
that I'm admired and respected

by every decent
citizen in this town.

Not by me, you're not.

I don't admire a man that
goes around beating up woman.

I didn't come
here to be insulted.

I don't know what you came
here for, and I don't much care.

Why don't you go on
back out to your ranch?

You'd be safer out there anyway.

And while you're at it,

if you can think of anything else
that might help save your skin,

you'd better let me know.

Um, Mr. Dillon, could
I see ya a minute?

Yeah.

It's Miss Kitty over at the Long
Branch. She wants to see you right away.

What for?

Well, it seems
like there's a feller

over there that's been
drinkin' awful heavy

and he's been
talkin' an awful lot.

So?

Well, he claims that somebody
offered him $300 to kill ol' Jezra there.

Jezra, you stay right
there 'til I get back.

- $50, Clem.
- Sure.

Oh, Matt, I'm glad you're here.

I was afraid you might
be out somewhere.

Which one is he?

Well, don't turn
around. It'll let on.

He might be suspicious.

I think he realizes he
said too much already.

He's the one down at the
end of the bar all by himself.

He's been here all
day playing poker

with the house dealer
and a couple of cowboys.

Drinkin' heavy, too.

Has he been in here before?

No, just during this past week.

He's a drifter, I guess,
just ridin' through.

His name's Puggy Rado.

Puggy Rado?

I've never heard
that one before.

Well, I ain't, either, but I
seen him around Dodge,

though, a time or two. I
seen him on the street.

What'd he say?

Well, he just got talkin' braggy
like... You know, fastest gun in Texas,

that sort of thing.

Boys kept egging him on.

He finally claimed he'd been
offered $300 to kill Jezra Cobb.

Well, did he say who it
was that made the offer?

No. Just shut up real quick
and pulled out of the game.

Well, maybe he'd just heard
that Jezra had been shot at

and he's just kind of
braggin' around a little.

Well, maybe, except
that he wouldn't

have had any reason
to shut up so quick.

Miss Kitty, can I see
you a minute, please?

- Yeah, Clem. Excuse me, Matt.
- Sure.

Miss Kitty, I...

Hold it right there, Marshal!

Barkeep, get around
here. Hurry it up!

Move away.

Come on, move over.

Marshal, you try to
haul down on that gun,

I'm gonna put a
bullet right in her back.

Just take it easy, Kitty.

That's right. Easy, girlie.
You just take it real easy.

And that goes
for all of ya, too.

I reckon somebody must
have told her what I said.

And then she sent for you, huh?

Who hired you, Rado?

Ah, you'd like to know
that, wouldn't you, Marshal?

You just hold still!

What do you aim to do?

Me and her's getting
out of here now, Marshal.

Move.

And if anybody...
Now, you listen to me!

If anybody lays a hand
on his gun... Get up there.

If anybody lays a
hand on his gun,

you're goin' have a mighty pretty
corpse right here on the floor.

How are you, Kitty?

I'm okay. Thanks, Matt.

Doc, you sure picked a
good time to get thirsty.

You all right?

Well, it scared the daylights
out of me. Who is that?

Ah, some gunman
named Puggy Rado.

Well, Jezra, there's your man.

You mean that's him,
the man who shot at us?

He was braggin' all over that
somebody had offered him $300 to kill you.

Well, that's the fella who...

The fella who what?

Did you say $300?

That's right.

I've got to get on home now.

I've got stock to tend to.

Well, I guess ol' Jezra don't have
nothin' to worry about now anyway.

I'm not so sure, Chester.

I think we'd better ride out
to his place this afternoon.

Jezra, I'm bakin' a pie for ya.

A plum pie. See?

No! Oh, Jezra, no! Don't!

Oh!

Now get the egg money.

What?

I said get the egg money!

There was over $300
in that jar, Minerva.

I... I know.

I took it into Doc.

We've been owin' him a long time
for that sickness I had, remember?

Mm-hmm.

I reckon it'll be a bad
one this time, Minerva.

About as bad as I can
make it without killin' you.

No, Jezra.

Where... Where you goin'?

Why, to the barn, Minerva,
to fetch me a piece of hickory.

Oh, no, Jezra.

Please don't.

It's gonna be a bad
one this time, Minerva.

A real bad one.

Oh, no.

No! No!

Maybe he ain't
home yet, Mr. Dillon.

We'll soon find out.

Why hello, Marshal. Chester.

I wasn't expectin' nobody.

Hello, Mrs. Cobb. Is
your husband home?

Yes. He come back from
town about a half hour ago.

He's out in the barn.

Won't you come
in and sit a spell?

- Well...
- Oh, please.

All right. Thank you.

Real kind of you to
come out and visit.

Well, sit down, be comfortable.

All right, thanks.

I just this minute took a brand-new
wild plum pie out of the oven.

Second one I baked today.

I don't often get to
feed callers, though.

You ain't goin' to
deprive me of the chance.

Well, I didn't think you cared
much for callers, Mrs. Cobb.

Oh, I love to have folks in.

But Jezra ain't never
been one to encourage it.

The righteous must turn
their faces from the world,

for the world is
the cradle of sin.

That's what Jezra always said.

There you are, Chester.

Thank you.

That smells real good.

Eat hearty. I
baked that pie fresh.

First one got kind of wasted.

How many years you
and Jezra been married?

17.

And in all those
years, Mrs. Cobb,

How many times did
you husband beat you?

How's that, Marshal?

I said how many times
has your husband beat you?

I'd hate to count the times.

It was for my
transgressions, he told me.

He used to read the Good Book to
me, that a husband's got a right to that.

Well, I ain't never
learned to read.

So I didn't know.

But last month I asked
Reverend Blouze,

and he told me there weren't
nothin' like that in the Good Book.

I guess Jezra's
got his own version.

He'd been lying
to me all that time,

making me think it was written that
a man had a right to beat his wife.

And I didn't know no different
'til the reverend told me.

Well... last week...

a drifter come by, and I...

You offered him $300 to
kill your husband, didn't you?

That's right.

Jezra found out and come back,

wearing that glory smile.

That's what I hated worse than
the beatings was that glory smile.

Well,

guess we'd better go have
a talk with your husband.

It won't do no good, Marshal.

Sit down and finish your pie.

It won't do no good.

Why not?

Well, I'm tryin' to tell you...

You'll be wantin' this, Marshal.

What are you talkin' about?

I followed him out to the barn

when he went to get a
hickory stick to beat me with.

And, Marshal, I...

I come as close to him as I
could so that I wouldn't miss him.

Jezra ain't never
gonna beat me no more.

So you see there's...

no hurry goin' to the barn.

Won't you sit down
and finish your pie?

I'll put some coffee on.

We'll have that
much time, won't we?