The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955–1961): Season 3, Episode 17 - One-Man Army - full transcript

The hurt feelings from the Civil War continue with the Texan cattlemen taking out their hatred against the northern Marshals including Earp. Texan Drum Denman never fought in the Civil War but he decides to continue the fight by backing a newspaper in Dodge City which he forces to print slanderous stories about Earp trying to draw him out of town where he can be killed. His second story that Earp is having an affair with Sally Davis the teenage daughter of the local minister brings her in tears to Earp. Earp decides to temporarily leave his job and go after Denman and his gang alone. Two old adversaries of Earp are in the gang: Curly and John Ringgold. Although it is one against many, Earp uses some creative fighting techniques to corral the gang.

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Earp?

Wyatt Earp!

Come out of that cave with your hands up!

All right, we're coming in after you!

Go get him, boys.

♪ Wyatt Earp, Wyatt Earp ♪

♪ Brave, courageous and bold ♪

♪ Long live his fame and long live his glory ♪

♪ And long may his story be told


The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp...



The bitterness between Texas cattlemen

and the cow town Marshals of Kansas

was an aftermath of the Civil War.

There were those in the South who never fired a shot to help the Confederacy,

but who were now determined to aggravate the Yank Johnny laws

who tried to keep order in Kansas.

Marshal Wyatt Earp of Dodge City was a shining target

for all manner of schemes to assassinate him

or run him out of Dodge.

Perhaps the shrewdest of Wyatt's enemies was Big Drum Denman,

owner of the R.E.B. Cattle spread.

Big Drum had, at least, an original idea.

Well, ain't you coming into town, Mr. Denman?

- Naturally, I thought...
- No, siree!



Big Drum ain't taking his boys into Dodge.

Earp has too many deputies,

and he can call on Bat Masterson and his Sheriff's Posse.

Every may who's tried to get Wyatt Earp in Dodge City

has come a cropper.

Know what I mean, Zinn?

Smart analysis, Mr. Denman.

But what's this all leading up to, Drum?

I run a print shop in Dodge. I can't afford...

Now hold on, Inky, wait a minute.

The answer is simple.

We prod Earp into coming out here.

Get him so red-headed hostile,

all he can think about is settling with me.

Well, now, uh...

I never knew Earp to lose his temper that bad.

Always a first time, Zinn.

Hey, Curley, Ringgold, come here.

Extra! Read all about Wyatt Earp in "The Rebel"!

Extra! Extra!

Read all about Wyatt Earp in "The Rebel"!

Come along, Sammy.

We got a new paper in town?

Yes, sir. It's "The Rebel," and it's free!

Extra! Extra!

"The truth about Wyatt Earp.

"Dodge City Marshal consorts with coarse women."

Bah.

Why don't you keep the front blinds down?

No need trying to hide.

Earp will know I'm doing the job.

He doesn't have to know that I'm mixed up with it.

Quit acting stupid, Zinner.

Everybody in town knows you do legal work for Denman.

You're his attorney.

Not in this case.

Here, this is for tomorrow's sheet.

All right.

You're to keep me out.

If Earp corners you, you blame it on Denman.

Uh-oh. Jim Kelly.

I'm leaving.

Ain't you open for business?

Sure. Sure, Mr. Kelly, but...

I had some work to do on the press, and I...

And on this, huh?

You miserable scamp.

Well, I had to do it.

A certain fella has a mortgage on my shop, and he...

Who wrote this filth?

Uh, Drum Denman, Mr. Kelly.

He... he said if I didn't print it,

he'd... he'd call my loan and put me out of business.

Indeed now! And where is Denman?

He's at Buffalo Walla, south of town.

And when's he coming into Dodge?

Oh, he ain't coming into Dodge, Mr. Kelly.

He's scared of Marshal Earp.

Drum better be scared.

And you print one more, and you'll be scared!

Understand?

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir, and I...

I hope you'll explain to Marshal Earp

I had to do it.

It was the only way I could get my shop free and clear.

Well... you've been warned,

you... you inkpot!

Oh, no.

I don't print this.

You tear that up and you'll...

You expect me to print this, you're wrong.

Earp will gun us, both of us.

No.

Earp will try to get Denman,

and that's just what Drum wants him to do.

But Sally Davis?

She's never had anything to do with Earp.

She's the new preacher's daughter.

Just a kid in her teens.

Never mind. Print it.

Don't be a fool.

I'm leaving us both a way out.

Read the masthead.

It says "Drum Denman, editor."

Earp will go after Denman, not us.

But it ain't right to do that to a...

All right, no more gab. We'll see Drum about this.

You tell him you won't print it.

No.

But Drum could get more than he's asking for.

Uh-uh.

Drum's got some fast guns out there

just waiting for Earp.

Wyatt?

Callum says it was Denman of the R.E.B. Brand outfit.

- Big Drum?
- Yeah.

I told him not to come back to Dodge City.

He didn't. He's camped out in the old Buffalo Walla.

I warned Callum not to print anything more.

But maybe we better close his shop.

Big Drum could just get another place

in another town to do his printing.

This is a new angle, Mr. Kelly.

A man hides out in the brush

and blisters me with a scandal sheet.

Don't talk about it out here.

Let's go inside.

Well, you got the whole town talking, Drum.

That's a good starter.

Did it rile the great Marshal Earp?

Not enough.

But Jim Kelly traced the sheet to Callum

and warned him not to print another edition.

You see, Ringgold? Just the same as calling Earp a Yankee.

You boys ain't seen nothing yet.

Just wait till you read what I say about him tomorrow.

That ought to bring him out on the run, huh, Zinner?

It certainly should.

Curley, you and Ringgold and the boys better oil up your guns.

We got 'em shining like a morse sickle.

We can't hardly wait.

I can wait.

Where do you want Earp buried, Mr. Denman?

You deliver the body, Ringgold.

I'll find him a grave.

Extra! Extra! Read the latest "Rebel."

Read all about Marshal Earp in "The Rebel"!

Extra! Extra!

Read the latest "Rebel!"

Who is it?

Mr. Earp? It's... it's Sally Davis.

Just a minute.

Sally, what's the matter?

Come here, sit down.

"Wyatt Earp and preacher's daughter.

"Courtship of Sally Davis."

Daddy's riding the church circuit.

I took this off the porch so momma wouldn't see it.

But they'll both see it! Everybody will! It's all over town!

I didn't think Denman would go this far.

It's my fault, Sally.

I should have arrested Callum

and closed up his print shop yesterday.

It's awful.

I'm afraid to go home!

I can't even walk on the streets!

How could anybody tell such a horrible lie?

Well, Mr. Denman will admit that he lied

and apologize to you in public.

I can promise you that.

Sally, your folks and the people here in Dodge, they'll...

Well, they'll know this is just rotten slander.

But I want to do something about that horrible man!

I know. I know how you feel.

But don't you worry about it.

It'll be done for you.

Now come on.

You keep your chin up, huh?

Yes, sir.

All right.

I want you to take this straight home to your mother

and show it to her and tell her what I said, huh?

Thank you, Mr. Earp.

I've been thinking only of myself.

I guess it's just as bad for you.

Well, it's going to be worse for Mr. Denman.

Now you run along.

Here's the dynamite, Wyatt.

Why don't you wait for Sheriff Masterson and the rest of them

to get back from Abilene?

Because this is my party, all my own.

Go get the handcuffs, will you?

Right?

I know, I know. I read it.

Mr. Kelly, I want you to relieve me from duty for a couple of days.

What I'm about to do can't be done by a Marshal.

I want a posse, and I'm riding with it!

Look, that camp has to be spooked,

and that's a one-man job.

Now, Wyatt...

No posse. You'll only get in the way.

You bring 'em out tomorrow if you want to.

Ask Doc McCarty to come along, too.

Somebody will be needing him.

- The handcuffs.
- Thank you.

My spookin' boots, Mr. Kelly.

Any sign of Zinner?

Met him on the trail.

Him and inky got spooked.

They were running out of Dodge.

Where's Wyatt Earp?

They didn't know.

We sent 'em back to find out.

If Earp's coming,

this ain't the right place to take him.

What's wrong with it?

Earp and his posse could bushwhack us in here.

Yeah. We should make the fight on open prairie, out there.

What's the matter? You and Ringgold feeling spooked?

If they come in here, we'll close the gaps on 'em.

I'm paying you boys to fight.

Besides, Earp's no bushwhacker.

He'll come busting in here with a posse and try to blast us.

Hyah! Hyah!

Hey! Hold it! Stop those horses!

Hold it! Stop!

You're just wasting bullets.

Where's Curley and Ringgold?

They went to the spring for fresh water.

The spring for fresh water?!

At a time like this?

He's got that posse scattered all around.

And Drum will want us to go in the brush after 'em.

Let's get the canteens back to camp.

He didn't bring no posse, I tell you.

It's just Earp, all in his lonesome.

Yeah, you tell us.

He used to be a buffalo hunter.

That's the way they used to frighten in all the cow camps

that interfered with their hunting.

Earp could have killed you and Ringgold.

Masterson or Tillman would have killed you.

The posse you're talking about doesn't exist.

It's just Earp.

Now come on. Let's get him before it's dark.

You're our brave leader, Drum. What are the orders?

Well, we'll fan out and comb both sides of that ravine.

If we can't find Earp, at least we can find his camp.

Come on, move out.

He's fired the camp.

Fire in camp! All hands! All hands!

All hands! All hands!

Grab a blanket!

Beat it out!

Throw some water on it!

Get it out! Come on!

Get it out!

Beat it!

Beat it out!

Beat it!

Grab a blanket! Beat it out!

Throw some water on it!

One peep out of you, and you're a dead man.

Come on!

All right, let's go.

Get on the horse.

Get on.

Now you get down from there.

I always said you wouldn't fight fair.

Look who's talking.

All right, Mr. Denman,

you're gonna get your fair fight.

How do you want it?

With guns...

Knives...

Or with fists?

Just bare hands, you Yankee scum.

Come at me.

I want you to come into Dodge City

and apologize to a certain young lady.

No.

All right.

Are you gonna come in and apologize?

No.

My boys will come here.

They're on foot, but they'll find us.

That's what I'm hoping for.

I don't like this.

We're walking right into Earp's trap.

You quit liking money, Ringgold?

If Earp hauls Drum to jail, we won't never get paid.

I'll go anywhere the rest of you will.

Uhh!

All right, into the cave. Come on.

Back in.

Go on.

Sit down.

Lean forward.

Put your knees up.

Now I don't think your men are gonna...

Come after you.

So I'm going on back to Dodge City.

Maybe you'll change your mind about that apology in a couple of days.

This was his camp, all right.

The dirt's all kicked up.

That looks like a cave over there.

My arm's hurting. This is silly.

Earp's dragged Drum back to Dodge.

Well, we better take a look, just to make sure.

I don't know.

Yeah. Earp may be laying for us in there.

What? In that cave with no way out?

Earp's smarter than that.

All right, you look!

We'll all look!

Drum didn't hire just me.

There's a light in there, but I can't make out nothing.

Well, I can. It's Denman, all tied up.

You've talked a brave battle.

Hey, Drum! Is Earp down there?

All right, boss, your troubles are over.

Turn the lantern!

- What lantern?
- Here it is!

Untie the boss.

Of all the dirty-egg tricks!

Trying to smother us in a cave!

Easy, Ringgold.

You all right?

No, I ain't all right!

I want that guy killed!

Now get out there and get him!

The entrance is blocked!

There might be some other way out.

Well, then find it!

You can come out this way.

There's a ladder at the far end of the cave.

Come up one at a time.

Take your gun belts off before you start.

Why, you...

One more shot, and I'm gonna start.

Drop your guns.

We're coming out!

Get the ladder. Come on. Bring it in here.

All right, come on.

You come up with your hands empty.

Both arms!

Hello, Mr. Denman. Come on.

Come on.

Get over there and kneel down.

Kneel down!

Well, Mr. Ringgold.

Get over there!

Kneel down over there!

Kneel down!

Come on.

Both hands.

I can't lift the other one. You busted my arm.

Let's see, Curley.

I haven't seen you since the fight at the Little Alamo.

Let's not get social.

No sass, either! Come on! Get over there!

Come on! Hands first!

You gonna make us walk all the way to Dodge?

I ought to make you crawl.

You hired out to Drum Denman.

He was old enough to fight in the war, but he didn't.

His idea of being brave is to slander a young girl.

Her name was Sally Davis.

Just happens to be a niece of the Confederate President.

Is that right, Drum?

I offered him a chance to ride into Dodge City and apologize,

but he wouldn't.

That's a lie about that girl

being related to Jeff Davis.

No. It just happens to be the truth.

But I'd make you apologize if you lied about

any other innocent girl.

It's 35 miles, gentlemen.

We can make it easy by tomorrow morning.

Let's go!

Come on.

Hey!

Hit him!

If he don't apologize,

he better not show his face down Texas way.

I... I'm sorry.

I guess I've been wrong.

You tell that to Sally Davis.

Well, what is this now?

Well...

Curley. Ringgold. Denman.

I'm walking 'em into Dodge City, Mr. Mayor.

Into Dodge?

Oh, now Wyatt, that's more than 20 miles from here.

Well, Curley and Ringgold are hurt,

but if they drop, I'll cut 'em off the line.

The rest of 'em can make it all right.

Oh, I spooked 'em real gentle-like, Mr. Kelly.

I must be getting old and soft.

Well, gentlemen, shall we travel?

Ho! Come on!

♪ 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 ♪

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