The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955–1961): Season 1, Episode 10 - The Bank Robbers - full transcript

♪ Wyatt Earp, Wyatt Earp ♪

♪ Brave, courageous, and bold ♪

♪ Long live his fame and long live his glory ♪

♪ And long may his story be told ♪

In the year 1875,

bank robbery was the most profitable of crimes,

and it attracted the elite among Western criminals.

They ranked themselves with Quantrill,

the James boys, and the Youngers.

A few of them were just as shrewd and deadly

as Cole Younger or Jesse James.



Bonnie says the leg don't feel so good.

Want me to ride into Wichita and get you a doctor?

No. Sit down.

All right.

I'm not trailing with you any longer.

Bonnie and I are going into Wichita alone.

Okay, Clem, if that's the way you want it.

But aren't you taking a big risk?

Is that any concern of yours?

Well, yes, it is in a way.

What way?

You're the last of of the Parkers, Clem.

I was hoping that after your leg got well

that you'd let me and the boys go in with you.



With you to do the brainwork,

we could take a bank every week,

and those banks in Kansas haven't had a real rousting since...

You're a fool!

I wouldn't have you or any one of your mob on a bank job.

Now look here, Clem...

Shut up.

Bonnie, give him a couple hundred dollars.

For services rendered.

That's too much, Clem.

Do as I tell you.

I don't want to see you

or any of your mob in Wichita.

Head south and go back to robbing stages.

I'm clean in this state. You're not.

Now ride out of here and keep riding.

All right, Clem, if you say so.

Give him the money, Bonnie.

That's the end of it. Good-bye.

Yes, sir.

Well, there you are!

Pete said you wanted to see me in a hurry.

You call a half hour in a hurry?

You coming down with cholera morbus?

You're just getting conceited and lazy.

20 minutes is not a half hour. Huh?

Anyway, what's the big rush?

You see the picture in the Kansas City Star?

Clem Parker.

That's right. He's a patient of mine.

He was brought to me by his lady friend.

Mr. and Mrs. Tom Whiting they call themselves now.

Dressed up like city folks.

Clem Parker here in town?

I never let on that I recognized him.

He had a right pretty woman with him, though.

Her flesh was warm and neatly laid on her bones, and...

All right, all right.

Now, why would Parker come here to see you?

Gunshot wound in his left leg.

Silly jackass who pulled the bullet out

missed all the bone splinters.

I wonder what he wanted in Wichita.

Huh? He's a bank robber.

And we got two banks.

I better go and draw my money out.

Will you wait a minute? Huh?

Now where did he stay he was staying?

Wichita Hotel.

And I gave him strict order to go to bed and stay there.

Thanks, Doc. You might have done me a real favor.

What? Favor?

Wyatt Earp, I want every penny of that reward.

Well, there's no reward.

Parker isn't wanted in this state.

Your reward is the tender feeling of the good doctor,

the sublime knowledge that you can heal a suffering fellow man.

No, you're not fooling anybody, Doc.

The only scalp money you ever took

was a fee for curing dandruff.

Dandruff? That's right.

Parker.

He's using the name of Whiting now, huh?

Yes. But you better be careful, son.

He might have a gang just outside of town.

Yeah, that's my hunch, too.

Thanks, Doc.

Excuse me, sir.

Are you Marshal Wyatt Earp?

That's right, ma'am.

I'm Mrs. Whiting, Mrs. Tom Whiting.

Doc Fabrique described you pretty well.

Oh? He told you about my husband's accident?

Well, it's just routine, ma'am.

He has to report on all gunshot wounds.

I see.

I, uh, hate to disturb your husband,

but I kinda got to ask him a couple questions.

Well, he's asleep right now.

Couldn't I answer the questions?

I'm afraid not, ma'am.

It's nothing that important.

I'll just drop back a little later.

Oh, no, you shouldn't have to make two trips.

I'll go up with you, if that's all right.

Certainly.

It's me, dear. Are you awake?

Tom! Yeah, I'm awake!

Marshall Earp is with me.

He just wants to ask you a few questions, Tom.

Okay.

Hiya, Marshal.

I'm just fine, Mr. Parker.

Clem!

You're mighty fast with that, mister.

Sit down, Mrs. Parker.

Now, I'd like to talk to both of you,

and I'd like to make it real friendly.

Friendly?

You're not wanted in this town, Mr. Parker.

Doc Fabrique tells me you need a rest.

You mean you won't bother us?

There's just one question.

Any of your crowd hanging around Wichita?

No.

That's the truth, Mr. Earp.

All right. You stay here as long as you need to.

I hope your leg doesn't give you too much trouble.

He's got a good doctor.

Wait a minute.

You're a new kind of John Law.

Or didn't you know I was wanted in Missouri?

Well, I'll tell you, Mr. Parker.

This is Wichita, Kansas,

and I got just about all the trouble I can handle right here.

There's reward money.

Well, just to make you rest easy,

I'm not interested in the scalp money.

If the Sheriff of Missouri

or the United States Marshal shows up with a warrant,

I have to help him make the arrest,

but otherwise, rest easy.

That's mighty decent of you, Mr. Earp.

Not at all.

If you play things square with me, well get along fine,

Mr. Earp! Mr. Earp.

Yeah? I'm from the Union Bank.

Mr. Kenton sent me over.

There's a suspicious character hanging around.

I'll be right over. Yes, Mr. Earp.

Excuse me.

Tarp Anders?

There's only one sure way to find out.

I'll go right over there.

Ooh, that slimy doormat thief!

Just when we had things fixed real decent with Mr. Earp.

Now he thinks we lied to him.

I better take a gun.

No. Just makes sure it's Tarp.

I can get him drawing from my handbag.

Now don't lose your temper!

There's easier ways to skin that cat.

Well...

you better get this bandage wet.

I'll be right back.

You a stranger in town?

Yeah.

Any crime in that?

Might be.

The bank doesn't like strangers hanging around.

Okay, Marshal, I'm moving.

Wait a minute.

What's your name?

John Smith.

You got anything on you to prove it?

Nope, don't believe I have.

You look a little bit like Tarp Anders.

You ever know him?

No. No, don't believe I have.

Do you? No.

I saw his picture once on a "Wanted" poster.

Where's your horse, mister?

Over there.

You want to meet him, too?

Yeah.

Buckshot residue.

Take off the saddle roll, Mr. Smith.

Take if off yourself.

I told you to take off the saddle roll.

Now put it on the ground and open it up.

Give me that.

A map of Wichita.

That don't prove anything.

What do you need a map like that for?

You afraid you'll get lost?

Yeah.

Well, you haven't done anything I can hold you for, Mr. Smith.

You seen Clem Parker lately?

Huh? I don't know any Clem Parker.

I know a Clint Barker.

You surprise me.

Why?

I didn't think Parker let a stupid fool like you case a bank.

Tell you what I'm gonna do, Mr. Smith.

I'm gonna give a description of you to all my deputies.

Next time you're seen around town,

you're gonna get hurt.

And by next time, I mean any time after five minutes from now.

I was hoping Earp would take him

from seeing him on the poster,

but he didn't.

The marshal just ordered him out of town.

I think we ought to turn Anders and his crowd in.

Show Earp their camp? Sure.

Well, that's going too easy on Tarp.

I ordered him to stay out of Wichita, remember?

Now I think we'll encourage Tarp to go against that bank.

And tell Earp?

He'll blast him into little pieces.

Yes, but will the marshal believe us?

He'll be a fool if he doesn't.

When Tarp hits a bank, he shoots at everybody in sight.

But what if Earp won't believe us?

He's been decent to us, Clem.

I don't want him hurt.

Who are you for, Earp or me? Oh, don't talk foolish.

Well, I ain't able to stand on two good feet

and give Tarp what's coming to him.

Earp and his deputies can do it for me.

You make Earp believe us. That's your job.

All right, Clem.

But if he doesn't and gets himself killed, who's to blame?

Either way, Tarp Anders will ride into a lot of bullets from somebody.

This is my last job, Bonnie.

What?

Yep, my last job.

When I get well, we'll get married and settle down.

But we can't have Tarp cashing in on my name,

calling himself and those cheap hoodlums the Parkers.

Now you see why Earp has to wind him up for us, don't you?

Oh, my deputy said you wanted to see me.

Out here, please, not inside.

I don't like jails.

All right.

Now, what's on your mind?

I followed you.

I saw that man in front of the Union Bank.

Oh?

I don't suppose you could recognize him.

Yes. He's Tarp Anders.

He tags along after Clem.

We thought we got rid of him, Mr. Earp.

You're not friendly with him now, huh?

Never were.

He's a cheap stagecoach bandit.

Every time Tarp's gone against a bank,

he's made a bloody mess of things.

You don't believe me, do you?

It isn't too logical, Mrs. Parker.

I told Clem you wouldn't.

But you must try to believe me.

Tarp's gonna rob one of your banks,

maybe tomorrow.

Which one, the Union or the Kansas State?

We, uh, we only got two.

I don't know, but I'll find out.

And then you'll tell me?

I'll try.

I'll let you know tonight sometime.

Mrs. Parker, why would you tell me?

Because Clem's quitting the business.

We're going to California soon as he's well enough.

Please try and think of it our way.

We'll never have a chance to make a decent like for ourselves

with Tarp Anders robbing banks

and calling his crowd the Parker gang.

Well, isn't that logical?

What would we have to gain by lying to you?

Mrs. Parker, I don't know...

I'm not Mrs. Parker.

Not yet.

My name's Bonnie Dawson.

Now isn't that proof I'm being honest with you?

Maybe you are.

But it just so happens that I'm marshal of Wichita.

Yes, and we've been bank robbers.

Well, let's leave it this way.

You find out what you can about Mr. Anders

and meet me at Doc Fabrique's office tonight.

Around 10:00?

That'll be fine.

You still don't believe me, do you?

But you better make up your mind to,

'cause not believing me could cost you a few lives...

maybe your own.

All this chin music is just a lot of gab-gab, Tarp.

You know, the truth is you're scared to take that bank.

You're afraid of Wyatt Earp.

That ain't the hitch, Dan.

Well, what is the hitch, then?

It's Clem and Bonnie Parker.

Clem's laid up with a bad leg.

And what can Bonnie do?

She can handle a gun.

And so can Clem if he takes the notion to spoil the party.

What do you boys think? You think it's...

I'm not gonna hurt you,

and Clem's back in Wichita.

We changed our minds, Tarp.

We want in on the bank job.

What bank job?

Don't play dummy with me.

You were in town this morning.

You cased the Union Bank.

Clem was real sore when he heard about it.

Then we got to thinking.

You come into town by yourselves, and you'll get hurt.

Use Clem's plan, and you'll get rich.

How about it, Tarp?

Clem knows how to really take a bank.

I say we deal.

Okay, Bonnie,

if you've got something to offer, you're in.

Clem drew a diagram.

Wrote it all down.

Oh.

There's the Kansas Bank, Union Bank.

Hmm.

And that's the setup.

Almost the same plan the Parkers used

to take the bank at Mexico, Missouri.

It's what Clem calls "the covey of quail" idea.

You drift into town one by one just before daylight.

Then you bunch up at 9:00 when the bank opens,

grab the money and then scatter in these six different directions.

Understand?

Yeah, but why do we hit the Union Bank?

Because Earp knows you cased it.

He figures you'll take the other bank, the Kansas State.

She's right, Tarp.

No John Law would expect us to go against the Union Bank.

He'll be watching the other bank.

Yeah. Outsmarting himself.

Okay, Bonnie,

we'll hit the Union bank at 5 after 9 in the morning.

I'll meet you here about noon for our share of the haul.

Now study that.

Any bank-job plan that Clem Parker draws

is worth 5,000 cash before the vault doors are open.

Yeah. So Earp will be watching the Kansas State,

clear around the corner from our mark.

Are you still as good with a rifle as you brag?

Well, Bonnie says I can outshoot any of you.

And I'll make just one change in Clem's plans.

We'll put a crack shot right on the roof of this building here.

He'll take care of Wyatt Earp before we hit the Union Bank.

You think you can do that?

I reckon so, Tarp.

Do you want me to wing him or, uh...

Aim here.

The logic is against it.

I mean, logically speaking, she and Clem

are the brains behind the whole thing,

and I... I'd just be an idiot to trust her, wouldn't I?

Wouldn't you what?

That Bonnie woman can't be telling us the truth.

She might. Then again, she mightn't.

If you want my advice,

I'd do what the cross-eyed tomcat did.

What's that?

Watch both rat holes.

Divide your men between the Kansas State and the Union.

Well...

That must be her now.

Am I very late? No.

Hello, Dr. Fabrique. Howdy.

Please sit down. No, thanks.

I went over the whole plan with Tarp Anders.

He's gonna hit the Union Bank at 5 after 9 in the morning.

The Union? Why would he do that?

He knows that I know he cased the Union Bank.

So? He figures you think it'll be the Kansas State.

Well...

I had a tough ride to get this information.

If you don't believe me, just say so.

Look, I'm sorry...

I've done all I can for you, Mr. Earp.

You're stupid.

Go ahead. Let Tarp make a fool of you.

Good night.

Hold on!

Put this on your husband's leg.

Keep the bandage moist with it.

All right, Doc. Thanks.

You ain't stupid, but you're sure stubborn.

Oh?

I think she's telling the truth.

She can't be, Doc.

I checked both banks this morning,

and the Kansas State Bank

has got twice as much cash on hand as the Union Bank.

Almost 30,000.

And Clem Parker isn't gonna go for 15 when he can try for 30.

You can watch both rat holes, can't you?

No, I can't.

I've only got six deputies, and if I divide them,

it'll give Anders too much of an edge.

You just worry about doctoring

and let me handle the bank robbers.

It's gonna be the Kansas State Bank.

Clem. Clem, are you all right?

Oh. Bonnie.

You certainly took long enough.

How does you leg feel, honey?

Hurts a little.

Doc Fabrique came by.

He scraped the bone or something,

gave me some laudanum.

How'd you make out?

Fine, with Tarp.

He's gonna take the Union.

Earp won't believe me.

He'll be watching the other bank.

That won't do any good, Bonnie.

Anders will make a clean getaway.

But what can we do about it?

I thought I liked Earp.

He thinks I'm a no-good and a liar.

I don't care what happens to him.

I do.

Why?

Doc Fabrique.

He and Earp are close pals.

I owe Doc plenty.

He says he's gonna pull me through this.

Clem, there was never any doubt.

Yeah.

I needed a surgeon to clean the bone

and get the medicine down to where it'd work.

Otherwise...

Here.

Take this paper and pencil

and draw me a layout of those two banks.

Maybe we can save that idiot in spite of himself.

Take the corner, Jack.

Mike?

Mike, there might be a little trouble here at the Kansas Sate Bank,

so stay indoors.

If you got any customers, tell them to do the same.

Pass the word, will ya?

Now remember, Mr. Gale, let them have all the money.

Don't try and stop 'em.

We'll get 'em as they come out.

The safe open?

Yes, but don't you think after I close it,

maybe they'll be satisfied with the tellers' money?

No, just make you open it.

Let's work it the way we planned it, huh?

Well, all right.

Everything's working out fine.

Earp's around the corner.

Why don't we get at it?

Not until Jonsey gets Earp.

It's almost time now.

Come on.

Look out, Earp!

Don't be a fool! Get around the corner!

They're taking the Union Bank!

It's too late to worry about him.

Return the money, Jack.

Mrs. Parker?

Don't you wanna take that gun of yours

and beat some sense into my fool head?

No, Mr. Earp.

I'm just thankful it turned out as it did.

Who's that? Tarp Anders?

Yeah.

Who got him? You?

No.

I think it was your husband.

Oh, no.

Dr. Fabrique gave strict orders he wasn't to get out of bed.

Well, now he can stay in bed and get well.

You tell him for me I'll be dropping by to speak my thanks...

to both of you.

We'd like that.

♪ Well, he cleaned up the country ♪

♪ The old Wild West country ♪

♪ He made law and order prevail ♪

♪ And none can deny it ♪

♪ The legend of Wyatt ♪

♪ Forever will live on the trail ♪

♪ Wyatt Earp, Wyatt Earp ♪

♪ Brave, courageous and bold ♪

♪ Long live his fame and long live his glory ♪

♪ And long may his story be told ♪

♪ Long may his story ♪

♪ Be told ♪