Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 7, Episode 13 - Marry Me - full transcript

Starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

♪♪

♪ Saying, "Betsy, get
up, you'll get sand ♪

♪ In your eyes" ♪

♪ They soon reached ♪

♪ The desert where
Betsy gave out ♪

♪ And the last piece of bacon ♪

♪ That morning was fried ♪

♪ Tall yoke of oxen
and two yeller dogs ♪

♪ Tall Shanghai rooster
and one-spotted hogs. ♪

Morning, Pa.



Morning, Sweet Billy.

You aim to talk to
him this morning, Pa?

Lou Ella pressing herself
on you, Sweet Billy?

She powerful set on
getting married, Pa.

Oh, she powerful set on it.

Well... you're set on it,
too, ain't you, Sweet Billy?

Oh, yes, sir, I sure am.

I'm getting tired of courtin'.

Yeah.

Coming up two years, ain't it?

Yes, sir.

That's a long court, boy.

Yes, sir, it sure is.

Can you see your way
clear to ask him this morning?



Soon as ever he shows
his face, I'll be obliged to.

Yes, sir.

- Morning, you-in's.
- Morning, Orkey.

I'll take the mule.

Widow Aiken some better, is she?

Aw, she ain't fit a bit, Pa.

I done what I could for now.

I chored and I fed her.

But something ails her, sure.

Well, I'll ride over later.

That was some bright
moon last night, Sweet Billy.

It was bright enough, all right.

- You and Lou Ella take it in, did you?
- Now, Orkey!

- Huh? -Orkey!
- Sweet Billy...

go fetch your
brother; it's breakfast.

Yes, Pa. Proud to.

Oh, I appreciate that boy, Pa.

Hm. Are you sure?

I'm right smart sure.

You know I am.

How old are you now... Orkey?

Well, uh...

it's more 'n my fingers
and toes put together.

Maybe a-a extry finger or two.

You give any thought
to wifin', Orkey?

Now and again.

I want you to
think on it, Orkey.

Yes, sir.

Sweet Billy and Lou Ella
are just a-feverin' to marry,

and us Cathcarts marry in line.

Well, uh, I wouldn't want
to hold them up none, Pa.

Well, it ain't becoming
your baby brother

to marry afore you.

Widow Aiken is, uh, too old,

and, uh, I don't know me
another single woman, Pa.

I want you to look, Orkey, and
I want you to look a-purpose.

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir, I-I'll do that.

Uh... can I take the mule?

I want you to.

Coffee's biled, Orkey,
and the vittles is hot.

Oh, thank you, Sweet Billy.

He's gonna look
a-purpose, Sweet Billy.

I'm obliged to you, Pa.

There's a lucky woman
somewheres don't even know it yet.

Aw, sure.

A woman gets
Orkey caughts a prize.

♪♪

Ooh.

♪♪

♪♪

So, he said that these
glasses were a penny more,

but that they wouldn't break.

So, uh, I told him to bring
over any he could spare

and we'd throw a
few of them around.

Well, it might be
worth a try, Miss Kitty.

Yeah, it might at that.

Hello.

You're gonna do fine.

I am?

Yes'm, you are.

You got a purty face.

And your shape's good.

But it... it'd pleasure me
if you fleshed out some.

Oh. I don't know, I...

I always thought I
was just about right.

Oh, don't fret yourself.

I'm gonna take
you just as you are.

He's gonna take me just as I am.

Just where do you
plan to take her, mister?

Home.

Gonna marry with her.

I got my mule right
down the street.

Hey, now, wait a minute.

- Was there something?
- Well, yeah. I...

I think this joke has
gone far enough.

Why, ma'am,
wifin' ain't no joke.

Now, I-look, why don't
you just get yourself a beer

and then just go on
about your business.

- I got no thirst.
- Then you just better move on.

Now, I looked a-purpose...

I seen and I chose.

There ain't no
more jawin' to do.

We'll see about that!

Now, don't you come
botherin' again, understand?

Uh, mister... you
and me just met up.

It comes to me that we don't
got no kind of understanding here.

Now, I-I'm sorry about that.

I'm powerful sorry.

Just go on home.

Oh. Uh, Mr. Dillon,
you best come runnin'.

- It's Miss Kitty.
- What's the matter?

Well, Sam says that-that
she's in a terrible way,

and as soon as I heard
it, I come a-runnin' for you.

- Where is she?
- Well, she's down at the Long Branch,

what's left of it.

Sam said this big
mountain man come in there

and he started
tearing up the place

and he started a-throwin'
Miss Kitty around,

and-and it was all
that he could do, uh,

to fend the big brute off.

Hello, Kitty.

Hello, Matt.

- Chester.
- Well, I see you didn't...

you didn't get hurt
too much, huh?

Hurt?

All right, Chester, now,
come on, tell me the story.

What-what was this wild
tale that you brought in?

Well, it was... Sam...
Uh, Sam, come here.

Now, you-you tell Mr. Dillon
just exactly what you told me.

- Oh, about the mountaineer?
- Yeah.

Well, he talked like one.

Tennessee, sounded like.

He sure took a
shine to Miss Kitty.

Biggest, most instant shine
anybody ever took to me.

And right away he was
gonna take her home with him.

For wifin', he said.

Mm-hmm. He, uh...

he looked a-purpose...
he saw and he chose.

And when he took Miss
Kitty by the hand to take her

with him, well, I just
kind of ushered him out.

Y-You see there?
See what I was a-trying

to tell you,
Mr. Dillon, you see?

Yeah. Yeah, I see.

I think we could, uh,
all stand a beer, Sam.

Well, by golly, after
the strain this morning,

I tell you, I could
sure use one.

Well, Kitty, uh, I don't suppose
you know who he was or anything?

No, I never saw him before.

Well, listen, if it
happens again,

you better come and tell me.

Oh, no, I don't
think he'll be back.

I think between Sam and me,
we pretty well convinced him

that I'm not for wifin',
at least not for him.

I don't make her out, Orkey.

You sure that, uh,

she knew you was
talkin' marriage?

Well, I said it
plain, at least twice.

Well, I declare, I just
don't know what ails her.

I chose.

She didn't choose back.

Well...

well, I'm searchin' back to when
your ma and me was courtin'.

'Course, it ain't
the same thing.

No, ain't the same thing at all.

Well, things is something
different out here, Pa.

Yeah.

Well...

you see, my pap and her'n
shook hands on your ma and me

'most the day we was born.

And they weren't no choose
or choose back about it.

Maybe I ought to
talk to her Pa, Orkey.

'Pears to me Sweet
Billy's right, Pa.

Things is somethin'
different out here.

Well, when I asked Lou
Ella, she said 'shore, '

but hit was then that I
tooked it up with her Pa.

Well, now, them's peculiar ways.

It don't matter that, Pa.

This lady, she remarked
a lot of things to me,

but she never once said "shore."

Is she purty, Orkey?

Oh, she's right purty.

Right purty.

And she's got a good
shape, too... for a woman.

Oh, I know how you feel.

I feel the same
way about Lou Ella.

Don't you fret now, Orkey.

Pa's gonna think of somethin'.

Now, she's shy, Orkey.

Your woman is shy.

You think that, Pa?

Why, I'm shore of it.

I recollect Tal
Bishop's girl back home.

She was kinda shy and hung back,

and it took a lot of pullin' and
shovin'... sometimes both...

But once she got
the hang of things,

she was the beatenest
woman you ever saw.

Is that a fact?

Don't he get to it?

Shore, she is.

She's shy, and a
shy woman, Orkey,

needs a good man
to draw her out.

I mean learn her, understand?

Learn her what's right,

and pint-blank, cuff
her if she's wrong.

Like a hound?

A lot like it.

Well, t-there ain't
nobody around

that's better with a
hound dog than Orkey.

We'll fetch her here, Orkey.

Well, Doc, you
had a pretty big day.

Well, I really am tired,
but that's not the worst of it.

I'm worried about Rob Cotter.

Yeah, he's pretty sick, huh?

Worst of it is, uh...
It might be cholera.

Cholera?

Yeah, and if it is,

I'm gonna wish I
was ten doctors.

That-that stuff
spreads, you know.

Well, yeah, but, uh,

you know, being
that he lives out there

all by himself and everything,
maybe it won't spread.

Well, I hope not.

Now, Doc, if there's
anything I can do, I...

let me know, won't you?

Yeah, well...

From what I hear, you're
gonna be kinda busy

protecting Kitty from
young buck mountaineers.

You heard about that, huh?

Oh, yes, I heard it twice.

Chester's version and the truth.

Yeah.

Well, I can see you're
just worried sick about it.

Well, there isn't
much I can do about it.

Besides, I think
it's all over anyway.

I think Kitty and Sam were

pretty convincing
to this fellah.

Think I better turn in, too.

By golly, if I hang around a
stimulating person like you,

I'm liable to get so
excited, I won't sleep a wink.

All right, Doc.

I'll see ya.

Come on down, Orkey.

Careful now. You got her?

A little more, little
more, little more.

You grab her, now.

I got her, I got her.

She's a squirmin' thing, Orkey.

Come on, help me out here.

I want you to lookee
here, Sweet Billy.

Oh! Oh, my!

My, she is a
pretty thing, Orkey.

You're goin' to
havta set on her, boy.

She's a strong woman.

Us Cathcarts git
things done, don't we?

Yes, sir!

You get away from that
door and let me out of here

or I-I'll throw this
whole shanty at you!

Now you just mind
your tongue, little lady.

It ain't mannerly
to take on this way.

You steal me off
in the dead of night

and you want to
talk about manners?

Well, if you was mine,
I'd give you a fannin'.

Now you set, and
we'll talk peaceably.

That Pa knows how
to handle the women.

There ain't no two
ways about that, Orkey.

He's doin' a fine
thing for me, Pa is,

and I'm beholden to him.

I know you are, Orkey.

Now...

Now, ma'am, there's no
need to this kinda ruction.

Will you let me out of here?!

Now, uh, once you get the
idea and we've talked a little,

you'll be plumb glad you come.

I didn't come! I was hauled!

Now...

Now, my boy Orkey
wants you fer wifin',

and that's every
bit there is to it.

- Every bit?
- Yeah.

Now, you just tell me
where I can find your Pa,

and I'll remark to him about
it, and we'll shuck hands

and that'll be the size of it.

I don't even know
your boy Orkey.

'Course you don't.

And I don't want to marry him.

Now, now, that's 'cause
you don't know him.

Once you chore
together and court some,

you'll be mighty glad he
chose, and you'll choose back.

You're unbelievable.

Aw, everybody
believes a Cathcart.

Now, you mind
your sass, little lady.

Your woman is shy, Orkey.

I give her some
things to think on,

help draw her out, understand?

Yes, sir, I do.

But there ain't no doubt she'll
choose back, now is there, Pa?

Oh, no. No doubt at all.

Well, likely Widow
Aiken needs tendin'.

What with the doin's
and all last night,

I didn't get the chance
to look in on her.

Well, Sweet Billy'n me'll
take care of the widow.

Your place is here, right
here with the little lady.

Uh, what do you think
ails Widow Aiken?

I think she's got the cholera.

Aw, no.

Well, now, we know somethin'
'bout cholera, don't we?

If your Ma was livin',

she'd learn your shy
woman in there, Orkey.

Yes, sir. She would.

Come along, boy.

Yes, sir.

Howdy, ma'am.

Are you gonna
let me out of here?

No'm, I ain't.

Well, I-I'm going to
get out if it kills me.

My, you are shy.

Now, don't you come any nearer!

Well, I'm obliged to, ma'am.

You are not gettin'
the drifta things at all.

I understand all I need to know!

No, you don't. You
got a lot to learn.

No!

You can see I don't
mean you a licka harm.

Sitting on me...
What do you call that?

Well, you and me
gonna have a visit.

There are a lot of things we
got to know about each other

afore we marry.

We're not gonna get married!

Oh, sure we are.

Now, then, my name's
Orkey. What's yourn?

Well, it's no matter,

seeing as how it's soon
to be Mrs. Orkey Cathcart.

But whilst we court,

I-I would feel better
callin' you by name.

Now, lemme see.

Uh, that whisky-sellin' feller
called you somethin' yestidy.

Uh, it was, uh..."Miss."

I recollect that much.

Don't jostle so, ma'am.

I cain't think while
you're so playful-like.

You have... You are
the beatenest woman!

Now, you simmer down!

Now, let me see, it
was, uh... Miss, uh...

Miss, um... It was Miss Kitty!

I declare, you bear
watchin' ever' minute.

Miss Kitty.

That's a mighty purty name.

Just, let go of me.

Let go.

I'm not going anyplace.

No'm, you ain't.

You gon' go at me like that,

you're gonna have to
keep your strength up.

Now, the minute
you say the word,

I'll be proud to ride out
for the preacher, Miss Kitty.

But you can't.

You just can't.

It's dead wrong.

Oh, us Cathcarts always
marry with a preacher, Miss Kitty.

Oh, Chester... Huh?

Any word on Kitty?

No, not a word, Doc.

Me and Mr. Dillon
looked everywhere for her

and ain't nobody seen hide
nor hair of her since last night.

Well, where's Matt?

Well, he's down
at the Long Branch.

You know, the last
thing she said to me was,

"I'll see you
tomorrow, Chester."

Now, you know she
wouldn't have said that

if she was planning
on leaving town.

Mr. Dillon?

Mr. Dillon, are
you still up there?

Find out anything about her?

No. I went to the stage
office and Moss Grimmick's,

and-and ain't nobody seen her.

Well, that room was
locked from the inside.

We had to bust in.

And by the looks of it,

there was quite a scuffle
that took place in there.

You mean, you think somebody
might have kidnapped her?

Doc, do you know
of any hill people

that might have
moved in around here

- recently?
- Mr. Dillon,

you mean, you think maybe
that fellow that come for her

the other day come back again?

I don't know what else to think.

Oh. Well, what are we gonna do?

We're going out, we're
gonna search every inch

of the prairie till we find her.

We'll see you later, Doc.

We gonna stop for
the night, Mr. Dillon?

There's a moon tonight, Chester.

We can do a lot of looking.

Fine bright moon
tonight, Miss Kitty.

That there is a courting moon.

Now, you just keep your
distance, Orkey Cathcart!

Why, Miss Kitty,
that's the firstenest time

you called me by name.

Well, it doesn't mean a thing!

Now, don't you go talking
about any courting moon to me!

Oh, I-I was just thinking of
Sweet Billy and his Lou Ella.

That's just fine. You...

You just keep
thinking about them.

I bet you never heared
a name like mine afore.

- Orkey?
- No.

Never did.

They-they was gully
folks back home.

Gully folks?

Uh-huh. Us
Cathcarts is hill folks.

Shanty's right up
there along the rim,

and back down below a spell,
in the gully, was the Orkeys.

Oh.

Ma was a Orkey.

We was all kinfolk, clean
through them there hills.

You swing a cat, and
you bound to hit kinfolk.

Law, what a bunch!

Thank you.

Yes'm.

You know, Orkey, you ought to
be thinking about what you've done.

It's wrong, you know.

It's just as wrong as it can be.

Well, I-I thought
I set you good.

Now, you know
what I'm talking about.

Carrying me off
and-and holding me here.

Don't you know there's
a law against that?

Law?

Yeah. They put
you in jail for it.

You and-and your
pa and Sweet Billy,

and they'll keep you
there a long time, too.

Oh, now, just a minute.

Uh, uh, this here jail business.

Who's gonna put us
there for how long?

The marshal in Dodge City.

He's a friend of mine, Orkey.

Well, now, he-he's
got to find you first,

don't he, Miss Kitty?

He'll find me, Orkey.

Don't you worry about that.

Oh, now, I'm not
a particle worried.

No, ma'am.

If all I's got to worry me
is him coming here, well...

Orkey? Orkey boy?

What ails you, Pa?

Oh, I... I can't get
it through my head

to get off this mule.

Best you give me some help.

Why sure.

Set a spell, Pa.

Down here.

Is, uh, he all right?

Oh, Pa's weary some, that's all.

Widow Aiken sent 'em to you.

I told her Orkey's
woman was with us now.

Take some of this, Pa.

Why, thank you, son.

I declare, that's warming.

They's some, uh,
black-eyed peas in the pot, Pa.

Oh, no, no.

I been going at
them berries all day.

It kind of took eating
out of me, I reckon.

Uh, where is Sweet Billy?

Courting.

He'll be along directly.

Yeah.

Uh, best you go take
care of the widow, Orkey.

Uh, she don't bear
leaving alone no more.

Yes, sir.

You mind a smile, Pa?

Oh, no. Not now, nor never.

Well, she say

that a friend of her'n
is coming to get her.

Coming here?

That's what she said.

Yeah.

Won't that be the time?

Won't that just be the time!

♪♪

♪♪

Help!

Get me out of here!

Help!

- Pa?
- What?

Pa, did you say something?

It weren't me.

Help!

Pa, Pa, that Miss Kitty...

She done went and
stole off in the night.

Help!

Pa, you reckon she got herself
caught in one of our traps?

Oh, law me, boy. Help
me up. We'll fetch her back.

Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

Her being so shy and all, Pa...

It's just beginning
to grate on me!

Well, she's a woman,
boy. That's their way.

Which one you
think she's in, Pa?

Help!

This 'a way.

Now, watch your
step, Sweet Billy.

Yes, sir.

Are you down there, ma'am?

You know I am!

Well, are you hurt?

Just get me out of here!

Uh, reach your hand up to me,
ma'am, and I'll give you a yank.

I don't think I can
reach that high!

Now, now, you-you try
to reach up the hand now.

I can't reach that high!

Oh. And throw the rope
down to her, Sweet Billy.

Oh, yes, sir.

I'm gonna throw a rope
down to you now, ma'am.

Now you tie it in a hard
knot around your waist.

That'll leave her hands free
for clawing the sides if need be.

Uh, yeah.

Uh, you got it tied now, ma'am?

Just a minute.

There. It's tied!

Uh, is-is your hands
free for clawing?

You see that they are!

Whoa.

Get a good grip on
the side there, ma'am.

Oh! Oh! Oh!

It's easier going down,
weren't it, ma'am?

Oh! Why don't you
board that thing over?

Somebody's gonna get
killed falling down there!

Well, I wouldn't be surprised.

That's why we dug 'em.

You dug that?!

Oh, yes, ma'am, and that
ain't the only one, neither.

Why?!

Oh, uh, coyotes, prairie
wolves, skunks and whatever.

Us Cathcarts don't
like folks and things

roaming around what's our'n.

Now, what's Orkey
going to think of you

roaming around
out here in the night?

Yeah. You're getting
mighty wearisome, ma'am.

I hope so.

I hope you get so
tired of me, you drop!

Oh, now, stop!

I'm-I'm getting plumb
tired of your sass.

Go back to the
shanty. Get on! Go.

Oh! Oh!

Ooh!

Hello, Doc.

Matt, Chester.

What's going on?
How's Rob Cotter?

Well, he's dead, Matt.

He died last night.

I'm burning everything he owned.

Well, did he die of
the cholera, Doc?

- Yeah.
- Oh, golly, I'm sorry to hear that.

Yeah, that's... it's too bad.

Well, look, we'll
stop on our way back

and help you do
the burying, Doc.

No need for that.

The burying's all over.

Ride back from where?

You got, you got a
line on Miss Kitty?

Well, we were
talking to a cowboy.

He said he thought there
were some mountain folk

on east of here.

East?

Yeah.

He didn't happen to mention

a widow woman by the
name of Aiken, did he?

Well, no.

Why, is she supposed
to have something to do

with the mountain folk?

Well, I don't know.

Rob Cotter said she lives
the first place east of here,

and I just thought
maybe I'd better go over

and see her when
I'm finished here.

Well, we're, we're
kindly more interested

in finding Miss Kitty.

Well, I am, too, but
I'm also interested

in stopping a cholera
epidemic if I can.

Rob Cotter said that he'd seen
this Widow Aiken last week,

and... well, if he did,

she's probably got
the cholera by now.

All right, we'll, we'll
help you finish up here

and then we'll ride on together.

Morning, Sweet Billy.

Morning, Orkey.

Catch something
in the night, did you?

Well, uh,

it weren't nothing
that we could skin

and hang to the
shanty, well, no.

Oh, I bet you caught
some gentle little thing

that was too young to be away
from its ma and you let it go.

Well, I'd druther say

that it weren't nothing
toothsome to eat, Orkey.

How's the Widow Aiken?

Oh, more than passable.

We hit the hard time of
it somewhere in the night,

and this morning
she was just sitting up,

taking notice right and left.

Did you have to
beat her hard, Orkey?

Oh, I sure did.

Yeah, I thought my
arms would give out,

but you know there ain't
no other way of ridding 'em

of the hard cholera pain
other than beating it out of 'em.

I know she's beholden
to you, too, Orkey.

She's a grateful
woman this sunup.

Orkey, I, uh, I think you'd
better look to your pa.

He seems awful sick to me.

Oh, yes'm, I will.

Uh, Sweet Billy, I wouldn't
want Pa to know about this,

but, uh, it kind of goes
agin me somehow,

having to beat a
woman that hard.

Uh-huh.

♪♪

Well, that's a
shanty, all right.

Mr. Dillon, you ain't just going
to walk right up there, are you?

What I know about
mountain folks,

they're just liable to blow
a hole clean through you.

Well, that Mrs. Aiken said there
was a woman in there, Chester,

and I'm sure going to find out.

Well, all I meant was that
they stand to be kindly peculiar.

Well, "a little different
but neighborly as can be,"

Mrs. Aiken said.

Well, let me find
out about that.

Doc, we'll go this way.

Why don't you follow
along behind me?

But keep back undercover.

Chester, why don't
you circle down,

try to get around to the
other side of the house?

Yes, sir.

- Orkey.
- Yes'm.

Your pa's got
cholera, hasn't he?

Yes'm, he has.

I have a friend in
town who's a doctor.

He'd know what
to do for your pa.

Why don't you send
Sweet Billy in to get him?

Oh, uh, Pa don't
take to doctoring.

- What happened to him?
- Well, I don't know.

He just dropped out of sight.

All right, hold it right there.

Don't turn.

All right, now drop the gun.

Go on.

Chester, you all right?

Yeah, I guess so, only
I'm down in this hole.

Doc, why don't you go over and
see if you can give him a hand?

Yeah.

You got a woman in there?

Only woman in there
belongs to Orkey.

Miss Kitty Russell
from Dodge City?

Now, that's none
of your business.

Kitty, Kitty!

Now, you just tone
down your voice, mister.

My pa is sick
and ailing in there,

and we don't need you
yelling around out here.

- Kitty.
- Oh, Matt, I'm so glad you're here.

Does Orkey know
you're out in the air?

He sent me out, Sweet Billy.

He wants y'all to
please be quiet.

Kitty, are you sure
you're all right?

Yes, I, I'm fine, Matt.

Who are these people?

Well, I'll just have to
tell you about it later.

- Doc.
- Kitty.

Doc... their pa has
got cholera in there.

Orkey does the tending to Pa.

Sweet Billy.

Settle.

I got a sadness
for you, Sweet Billy.

Our pa.

He's gone.

Well, I'm grieved to...

hear about that, Orkey.

I'm grieved to tell you.

We got to look on it now for Pa.

He was suffering hard right
up to where he wasn't no more.

And mind now... he
started us off as boys,

and here we are, menfolks.

Hmm?

I-I know, Orkey.

I think we ought to tote Pa back
home, don't you, Sweet Billy?

Lay him down along that high
ridge above our home place.

Well... I think he'd like that.

I-I heard him...

He remarked on it, I
guess, two or three times.

You think on,

do you want to take Lou
Ella back with us, boy, hmm?

I, I'm awful sorry
about your pa, Orkey.

I know you are, Miss Kitty...

and, uh, I'm gonna
ask you to favor me.

Well, now, Orkey,
ju-just because...

I'm bound to ask you
to release me, Miss Kitty.

Release you?

Well, with Pa living, he had
that Cathcart pride, you know.

Yeah.

Meant something to him,
we should marry in line...

Me first, then Sweet Billy...

But, uh, what with you
being so shy and all,

I think you'd better forget
about marrying up with me.

One of us don't
get the hang of it.

Well, that-that's all, all
right, Orkey, I understand.

Shuck hands on it?

Shuck hands on it.

They're good people,
kind and gentle.

A woman could do a lot worse

than wife with an
Orkey Cathcart.

Well, I guess you can
take me home now.

♪♪