The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955–1961): Season 1, Episode 3 - Bill Thompson Gives In - full transcript

The people of Ellsworth are unhappy that Earp has not gone after Bill Thompson for murdering the sheriff. They want Earp to lead a posse after the brothers but Earp is against it as he believes they would kill several members of a posse which is slow and noisy. Rather than joining up with their gang, Earp believes the brothers are hiding in an area called the Bushwacker section. It is rough territory where the rebels once shot up an Union patrol. Instead he has two Indians who owe him a favor to track the men in the Bushwacker area and hang nooses around the brothers to scare them and keep them on the move. It works as the scouts report the brothers' location to Earp. He goes alone to confront Ben who loses a quick draw with Earp. Earp promises him that the law does not hang insane men which he believes Bill to be. Ben agrees to bring Bill in which he does against Bill's wishes proving Earp to right and savvy.

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♪ Wyatt Earp, Wyatt Earp ♪

♪ Brave, courageous, and bold ♪

♪ Long live his fame and long live his glory ♪

♪ And long may his story be told ♪

A major problem for Wyatt Earp,

now that he was Marshal of the cattle-owning town of Ellsworth, Kansas,

was the Thompson brothers.

They were gun-slinging terrors of the frontier,

and brother Bill was wanted for the murder of a sheriff.

Unless Wyatt Earp could rid Ellsworth of these killers,



and alone,

he faced complete loss of influence as a Marshal.

Morning, Wyatt.

Oh, good morning, Judge, Mr. Masterson.

What's the matter? You look a little worried.

He sure is, Mr. Earp.

A lot of Sheriff Whitney's friends want to organize a posse.

I don't want a posse.

They figure the Thompsons

have had time to join their gang.

They figure if you're going after them, you'll need help.

I don't like posses, Ed.

You can't go up against the Thompson outfit

all by yourself, Mr. Earp.



A posse only raises dust.

They're only as fast as their slowest horse.

I don't think Bill and Ben

will want to join up with their gang.

My hunch is that they're hiding out in Bushwhacker section.

Bushwhacker?

You mean where the Indians used to hide for ambush?

That's right.

How you ever going to find the Thompsons in there?

I think you might have something there, Wyatt.

I can explain your theory

to the men who signed up for posse work.

Ought to satisfy them for a day or so.

Thanks, Ed.

Do me another favor, will you?

Sure.

I'm expecting two Indian friends of mine.

They're about the best trackers I've ever met,

and I'd like for you as a judge and mayor to meet them.

Indians?

That's right.

Mr. Brother, the war chief Many Battles,

and his partner, Mr. Cousins of the Chief Yellahan.

Oh, and be sure to call them Mr. Brother and Mr. Cousins.

All right. What else do I do? Give them the key to the city?

No, Ed. Just decent respect will be enough.

Sure, Wyatt.

As soon as they hit town, I'll do the honors.

Thanks.

Bat will tell you there's a lot of mean talk.

It adds up to the feeling

that you'd better arrest Bill Thompson quick,

or a posse will do it for you.

I don't want a posse, Ed.

I'll arrest Thompson myself.

I hope you do.

Aren't you putting too much faith in those Indians?

No. They're good men.

So you and the judge think I ought to turn my job over to a posse

before they take it away from me, huh?

Well, what if the Indians do find Ben and Bill?

You can't go into that place all alone, Mr. Earp.

You'd better take me with you.

You still want to be a marshal someday? Yes, sir.

Well, then, you'd better start learning what the job means.

It's lonesome work, Mr. Masterson.

You can't let a bunch of hotheaded citizens tell you what to do.

Use your own head, get into your own brand of trouble,

and think your own way out of it when you can.

But always be ready to shoot your way out,

but you go it alone.

Into Bushwhacker?

Well, now, that's just a section of country

full of rocks and brush.

Good old Bushwhacker,

one of the nicest hideouts we ever found, huh, Bill?

Aww, we should've brought the boys with us.

Nah.

Why don't you drink some water for a change?

Now if Earp comes in here after us,

you're going to wish we had more guns.

Earp ain't going to come in here.

Even if he guesses which direction we headed,

he ain't gonna come in here... he's got more sense.

And what if he did?

Hey.

You hear anything?

If you'd stop drinking that whiskey,

you wouldn't hear so many things.

Clayhiya.

Clayhiya. Clayhiya.

Mr. Brother, Mr. Cousins.

Shut the door. Come in.

Mr. Brother, you sit there.

Mr. Cousins, you take that chair.

Mr. Brother crack joke?

He says Mr. Earp, first time we treated like American.

You tell him that's a good joke,

but it's a little sad, too.

As I mentioned before, it's a good bet

that the Thompsons are holed up in Bushwhacker.

You and Mr. Brother know this country.

Bushwhacker? Yes. Good ambush.

Got many good scalp there.

Bushwhacker.

He says he guide soldiers to White Cap.

Johnny Reb camp one time.

He says, "Soldier lose fight."

I heard about that.

I'll explain about these in a moment.

I want you to find Ben and Bill Thompson for me.

I want you to move like dead men's ghosts.

I don't want you to be heard or seen.

And you'll be very careful not to get hurt.

The Thompsons are killers.

They're very quick with their guns.

As to these loops of rope,

I want you to take these with you...

You men wait here.

I'll go talk to Marshal Earp.

Earp's just stalling, Ed.

We want Bill Thompson.

The posse can bring them in.

There's a delegation outside.

I know, I see them.

They don't trust those Indian friends of yours.

They want a posse,

and they're pretty bad-tempered about it.

How's your temper, Ed?

Well, I think you're being unreasonable about this.

It's no good just to say that you don't like posses

and want to handle the whole thing by yourself.

They knew Sheriff Whitney, and they were fond of him.

I was fond of him, too,

and I want Bill Thompson for his murder

just as bad as they do.

I know that, Wyatt,

but you're being high-handed and arbitrary.

This is my business, Ed, and you hired me to run it.

Well, at least go out there and explain your position.

All right.

Judge Miller tells me

you gentlemen want to go after Bill Thompson.

We can't trust a couple of Indians.

We want real action, Earp.

All right, Mr. Davitt.

Then you can lead the posse.

But before I deputize you, I think it's only fair

to tell you what you'll be up against.

Now, my Indian friends have already sent word

that Ben and Bill Thompson were spotted yesterday

going into the Bushwhacker section.

Just the two of them, Wyatt?

That's right.

But I want to remind you, men, that Ben Thompson

is one of the best hands with a gun I know of.

He's already killed 18 men in gunfights.

Now, his brother Bill is not nearly as good, but he...

They don't scare us, Earp.

Well, they're enough to scare me.

Have any of you men ever gone

in that tangle of brush and rock before?

No.

No.

Well, a whole union outfit

went in there a couple of years ago,

as Judge Miller may recall.

They were cut to pieces

by a handful of Confederate soldiers.

Now how many men does your posse

expect to lose, Mr. Davitt?

Well, I'll give you an estimate.

In my opinion, Ben and Bill Thompson shooting from ambush

could kill about ten of you.

But Wyatt, if you lead the posse...

I won't do that.

I don't believe in the idea, and I won't be responsible

for good men being killed unnecessarily.

All right, you refuse to do your duty.

It's not my duty to lead

inexperienced men like you into a massacre.

Well, we certainly got a long way with that, didn't we?

He could be right, you know.

Aww, he's lost his nerve.

He's treating us like a passel of greenhorns.

Now, whoa, here.

I'm sure that Wyatt...

You'd stand up for Earp, no matter what.

Come on, men.

We'll report back to the others at the meeting.

Ellsworth may have a new marshal,

and a new mayor, in about three days.

Hey, Ben. Ben.

Wake up, Ben.

Lookit.

It's Earp. He's found us.

Judge Miller wants you to come to the meeting right away.

They're talking him down, Mr. Earp.

Oh?

It's nip and tuck.

Sam Davitt's trying to get them to fire you

and appoint him as leader of the posse

if they're not found in three days.

The judge says if you'd explain to the whole meeting...

I've explained it once.

I'm not going to explain it again.

You don't care if they fire you?

Nothing much I can do about it, Mr. Masterson.

I've said all I'm going to say.

Well, you can't just sit there

and let things happen.

They're calling you a coward.

They say you owned up to being scared of the Thompsons.

Sit down, Mr. Masterson.

You're seeing the worst of the peace officers, Bat.

You sit still and wait.

It's going to be dark

before I hear from Mr. Brother and Mr. Cousins.

In the meantime, I'm a coward,

or I'm fired,

or that town meeting will just sit and talk.

It just isn't fair.

Well, what would you do,

lead the posse into an ambush?

Let a couple of them get their heads shot off?

Well, what else? What if the Indians do find Ben and Bill?

It'll still take a posse to get them out.

You can't go in there alone.

Yes, I can.

Well, here she is.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Is that all you got to say?

Could you give me more credit than that?

Well, you're the smart one of the family.

You'd be smart, too,

if you didn't lather your brains with that whiskey.

It took me half a day to find this place.

That means it'll take Earp six days,

even if he knew it was here.

How about a swig of whiskey to celebrate, huh, Ben?

That'll settle your nerves quicker than whiskey.

I don't know why I string along with you.

All right, then.

Go ahead and leave me.

I would.

But you're my dear, crazy little brother.

Now let's get inside.

Still got some coal in it.

Where are the matches?

In your pocket.

Find them, you're so great about finding things.

Ahh. It's the first time we've been in here

since the war, huh, Bill?

What's the matter with you?

Look, Bill, look!

It's Earp! I'm getting out of here!

Wait a minute!

Moccasin tracks.

Couple of Indians.

Earp must be hiring them.

Well, we can't stay here, Ben.

They'll tell him just where we are.

That Earp.

Of all the sneaky, under-handed tricks.

He's trying to work on me.

On you? That's for me!

And I ain't staying here and being cornered

by Earp and his posse!

Bill!

Use what few brains you got left.

Yeah, maybe I better.

And maybe you'd turn me into Earp!

Turn you in?

Look, haven't I always

kept the law off your neck?

You're my brother!

And I'm stuck with you!

Just the same, I'm getting out of here.

Bill!

Earp's not coming in here after us.

And why ain't he coming after us?

'Cause I know him.

I know how he thinks.

The rope trick is...

just to scare me into turning you in.

Scare you? It's me he aims to hang!

And that wouldn't make any difference to me?

I've had to kill a lot of men

getting you out of trouble.

Besides, what would Mom think if I...

Eh.

That's enough!

Oh, for gosh sakes, Bill.

What's the matter now?

I've been having a bad dream!

I saw Mom.

Why don't you go back to sleep?

No, no, no, Ben. Honest.

I saw her.

She came to warn me. I ain't lying.

It ain't the whiskey.

Mom don't trust Wyatt Earp.

She told me he'll make a fool out of you if you trust him,

and he'll put me on the gallows!

How did Mom look in the dream?

Just like in her coffin.

She was wearing the white silk dress

that you bought her, just after we held up

the Abilene states.

Please, Ben! I can't stand it here no more!

Let's go hide in the old stale.

All right, fine. We'll go.

Starting now?

Yeah, yeah, I'll get... Here, gimme that.

Bad news, Wyatt.

The time is up.

The posse forms in the morning, Mr. Earp.

If you won't lead 'em, I'm ordered to.

Won't you reconsider?

No.

I know what they're doing, and they don't.

Thanks for standing by me, Ed.

I'm very sorry, Wyatt.

This town's losing a good marshal.

Hey, it's Mr. Cousin!

Let him in!

Oh, Mr. Cousin, it's good to see you alive.

Where's Mr. Brother?

He... He stay near still, Mr. Earp.

Thompson's moving to still after dark.

Which still?

I make picture.

Moon, here.

River, here.

Whitecap, North.

Still, here.

Johnny Reb make whiskey in it.

Yeah, Buzzard's roast.

The old Ku Klux Klan hangout.

Good work, Mr. Cousins.

Mr. Masterson?

See that he gets a fresh horse, and a good one.

Yes, sir, but what are you gonna do?

Just get the horse.

Thank you, Mr. Cousin.

And you can tell Mr. Brother

that your debt to me is paid.

Thank you.

Those Indians must have owed you a lot.

Well, I sent a telegram

to the colonel at Fort Leavenworth

vouching for 'em so they could sell the army horses.

Cost me a dollar and a quarter.

You mean they tracked the Thompsons

just for that?

Oh, Ed, I also call 'em "mister."

You're not going out now?

It'll take over an hour to round up the posse.

Ed, I told you, no posse.

But the time is up.

I don't care whether it's up nor not.

Wyatt, it's suicide to in there alone.

Maybe.

Mr. Earp.

Mr. Earp, please, let me go with you.

Not this time.

But if something happens, and...

If you're hurt, or...

Oh, don't worry about that.

I have friends who'll bring home the remains.

Cheer up, Mr. Masterson.

I don't think Ben Thompson

will be any faster in the draw than usual.

Ben?

What you got there?

Nothing, nothing.

That's Indian for the last message.

Well, let him come.

I'll splatter him all over these hills.

Yeah, we'll both gun him.

I want him alone, in a fair fight.

Oh, Ben, what's the sense

in talking like that?

We can pick him off with rifles.

Because he's mine, that's why!

He's tormented me and hounded me

like a wild dog.

It's me he's trying to drive crazy.

Well, he ain't gonna get away with it.

I'm a better man than he ever was.

But you stay out of it, you hear?

That's fine, Ben. Fine.

I can't trust you.

Ben, I swear...

What's that?

That could be him.

So you get on your horse,

ride down to the river and wait for me there.

No, Ben, I...

I've got a good mind

to put an end to this whole thing!

Don't, Ben.

I'll go, I'll go.

Ben!

Ben Thompson!

That you, Wyatt?

That's right.

I want your brother!

Bill ain't here.

You got a posse with you?

No.

I came alone.

That's just the way I want it.

I'll be right out.

I don't want you.

I want your brother.

You ain't gonna get either one of us.

Hold it!

You're not very fast with your left, Ben.

I don't wanna have to kill you.

Bill got away.

Go sit on that rock.

You got a cut artery.

No sense in your bleeding to death.

I don't understand you, Wyatt.

Guess not.

You had a chance to kill me, and...

you didn't take it.

Won't even let me bleed to death.

Why?

I want Bill.

To hang him?

The law doesn't hang a crazy man.

The people down in Ellsworth don't know that.

They're not the law.

If you had any sense,

you'd bring Bill in yourself.

Sooner or later, he's bound to be killed.

Maybe you'll go down with him.

Maybe I won't.

Then he'll turn hopelessly insane.

A babbling lunatic on your hands.

Nah, he wouldn't do that.

Well, that's the deal I offer you, Ben.

You bring Bill into Ellsworth,

and I promise he'll be treated fairly.

I don't take your promise.

Wyatt.

All right.

All right, you've made yourself a deal.

I'll bring him in.

See you at the jail, Ben.

Wyatt.

You didn't find the Thompsons?

Yeah, I found 'em.

Well, what happened?

Did you...

No, I didn't have to.

Ben's bringing Bill in.

You took his word?

Yes, I did.

Ben's never lied to me yet.

Well, maybe the posse will get him.

Now, Mr. Masterson,

you still wanna be a peace officer?

Well, yes, sir, but...

But not a plain fool like me, huh?

I don't think you should have trusted Ben, Mr. Earp.

No?

Take a look behind you.

Well, you're right prompt, Ben.

Would've been here sooner, but...

he got a little violent about the deal.

Now, Bill, Bill!

You're sick in the head, and this is

the best thing for you.

I give the marshal my word,

and he give me his.

Put him in a clean cell, Mike.

Make him real comfortable.

So long, Wyatt.

So long, Ben.

You were right all the time, Mr. Earp.

Sure.

I could've been just as right and got killed

or just as right and got fired.

Yes, Mr. Masterson.

I'm now a great marshal again.

Well, that's the end of school for today.

♪ 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 ♪

♪ Oh, 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 ♪

Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.