Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958–1961): Season 1, Episode 34 - Littlest Client - full transcript
Josh receives a letter from a girl at the St. Elizabeth Home for Young Ladies. Expecting a young woman, Josh finds a young orphan girl wanting him to find the parents she insists are still alive and with whom she yearns to be reunited.
- She'll be here in a moment.
- Yes, ma'am.
Mr. Randall, tell me why
you wish to see Miss Cleary?
Yeah, I got this letter yesterday.
And do you have no idea
what it is she wishes to discuss?
No, ma'am, but since it was urgent
it needed a fast answer.
Particularly when it comes
from a school for young ladies.
Mr. Randall, this is Dolly Cleary.
Dolly, this is Mr. Randall.
How do you do, sir?
I just knew you'd come.
Yeah... I got your letter.
Now then,
just what is it you want
Mr. Randall to do for you?
Find my mother and father.
LITTLEST CLIENT
Go outside for a moment.
I want to talk to Mr. Randall.
Go on now.
I'll wait for you outside.
Sit down, Mr. Randall.
Cute little girl.
They all are. She's just dressed
in a little more hope.
- Ma'am?
- I should have known about this.
I'm sorry you had a long trip.
No trouble.
- Where are her family?
- They're dead.
Why does she think
they're still alive.
Twice a year, presents come for her.
She's sure they're from her people.
Maybe they're not dead then.
When you abandon a child
even if you're still moving around,
you're dead.
Where do the packages come from?
- How do you mean?
- Do they come in the mail?
They're left at the door.
She's tried staying up to see,
but she hasn't seen anything.
Have you tried to find out?
We've made inquiries.
But quite honestly,
we don't want to press the issue.
Here she gets the care
and love that she needs.
Is she guaranteed it elsewhere?
Well, maybe her family's still alive.
If they are, they can call for her.
I won't give her to the first person
who asks for her.
- You know what you're doing.
- Not always.
We make mistakes too.
Well, I'm going now.
- You're not gonna take her job?
- No.
I learnt long ago, keep your nose
where it belongs and you'll keep it.
I hope we meet again
under other circumstances.
Yes, ma'am.
Mr. Randall!
Are you going to find them?
- Well, Dolly, the sister said...
- I know.
She told you my parents were dead.
But that's not true. I know!
How do you know?
I can feel them.
In my prayers,
I can feel them listening.
Bring them back, please.
Well... I got a job coming up.
I got a lot of things to do.
I gotta go into town...
I'll try.
That's all I wanted to know.
I'll go pack my things right away.
Tell them I'll be ready
as soon as they get here.
You tell them I'll be ready
as soon as they get here!
How did it go?
I was early.
About 10 years.
- It was a little girl.
- A little girl?
What'd she want?
How long you've been in town?
About 5 years. Why?
Ever hear of a family called Cleary?
No. Why?
A little girl,
looking for her parents.
- Do they live around here?
- They did one time.
That sister at the home
said they were dead.
Thought you might know.
Sorry, Josh.
Hardrock!
Come on over here.
Hardrock Johnson.
If anybody'd know about it, he would.
Josh Randall wants a few words.
I don't talk too good dry.
Now then, young fella,
what do you want to talk about?
Ever heard of a family called Cleary?
Used to live around here.
Come on, Hardrock!
Do you know
or don't you?
- Don't yell at me!
If you had any sense,
you'd answer him yourself.
He's asking after old Matt.
The old drunk who was
at the Jenkins' with Virgil?
- Matt Cleary.
- I never heard his last name.
He don't use it much. Been a long
time since anybody called him mister.
He got a little girl?
- You trust this fellow?
- You can talk.
Matt was a pretty good blacksmith.
That was 10 or 11 years ago.
He had a pretty wife, a baby girl.
Done real well.
- Maybe too good.
- Why's that?
The town was growing then,
a lot of business for good smiths.
I don't know,
maybe he was working too hard.
Maybe it was the times,
but he took to drinking.
Drank like payday at the mines,
every day.
One night,
it was up at the Silver Dollar,
Matt was drunk and his wife
come after him driving a buggy.
She begged him to go on home,
in front of the rest of us.
It made him real mad.
But he got in the buggy and
started whipping the horse.
The animal ran away,
the rig overturned
and the woman was killed.
Matt buried the woman,
took the baby out to the nuns.
Said he didn't even have the right
to see her after what he'd done.
For 10 years he hadn't wanted
to see that girl again?
Not a matter of wanting. He's making
himself pay for what he's done.
Where would I find this fella?
He lives at the Jenkins'.
2 miles south of town.
- Him and Virgil.
- Who's Virgil?
Virgil?
Take all the meanness in the world
and throw in half the muscle,
grind it up and pour it out,
that's Virgil.
The only man who
can get along with him is Matt.
- And that ain't all the time.
- Much obliged.
I'd be careful, son.
Either one of them alone
is bad enough, but together...
Well, just be careful.
Nice young fella.
Be kinda interesting to see
if he gets any older!
Try anything like that again...
and I'll kill you!
You just try it!
- Had enough?
- No!
- Say you had enough!
- No!
- There!
- Enough, enough!
What do you want?
Howdy... Mr. Cleary?
I asked you, mister.
What do you want?
- I wanna talk to Matt Cleary.
- What about?
I gotta tell him.
You tell me first,
and I'll let you know
if he wants to listen.
It's about your daughter.
What's wrong?
Is everything alright?
She just wants to be with her father.
She's better off with the sisters.
She doesn't even know I'm alive.
It's better that way. Go away.
Go on! Leave me alone!
You had your answer.
Now get on your way.
If it's OK with you,
I'd like to talk to him.
So far you been doing pretty good.
Now you get on your horse
point him towards town and kick him,
you understand?
You do all the talking for him.
Any particular reason?
Because I'm the only friend he's got.
Now you get outta here
and forget you ever found this place.
If you come back,
plan on being buried.
- Did you see Matt Cleary?
- Yep.
Tell him about his daughter?
Bring another cup, please.
It's my coffee.
You'll get more. Tell me
what happened when you saw Matt.
He was anxious at first.
But since she's alright,
he wants to leave her where she is.
Maybe he's right.
Virgil thinks so.
I've got nothing to do with it now.
Say, what time do you
get through working?
- 10.30.
- Good, I'll pick you up.
What do you have in mind?
Maybe we'll go for a ride.
I'll rent a buggy.
Be sure and get one that seats three.
My husband will wanna come along.
How long you gonna stay in town?
Her husband's probably Billy the Kid.
I'll leave tomorrow morning!
Hello, Matt.
What are you doing here?
I wanted to talk to you.
Sit down.
- You want something to eat?
- No.
I'll take a drink if I can.
Fred, bring over a bottle.
Put it on his bill.
Try one you can taste.
What do you wanna talk about?
I just wanted to say...
I was sorry about what happened.
After hearing about my girl,
I just didn't know what to do.
What do you wanna do?
- I want her with me.
- Not that simple.
I don't care!
It won't be that easy.
I guess nothing good is ever easy.
I'm gonna pay you back, Josh.
Every cent.
Don't worry about it.
When's the big day?
Tomorrow. Matt and I will ride out
to the school together.
If anybody'd said you could make this
change, I'd have called him a liar.
- Good to see you looking this way.
- Feels good too.
Let's order some food.
- Who is it?
- Craig!
Go away!
Come on, Josh! Open up!
- You know what time it is?
- Get your clothes on!
- What's wrong?
- Come and see for yourself.
What's the matter?
Don't you ever sleep?
Get his feet.
There was nothing I could do.
He came in poking fun at Matt.
Said one or two wouldn't hurt him.
Kept picking at him,
like a little dog.
Who got him drunk, Craig?
Virgil.
What're you doing out here?
Why did you do it, Virgil?
Don't know what you mean.
You got Matt Cleary drunk. Why?
Because he's my friend.
Your friend?
Funny way to show it.
Listen, Virgil, I came out here
to make you understand that Matt
needs help to stop drinking.
His girl's awful important to him.
You'd better stay away from him.
I mean that friendly-like.
I'll bet.
You got a lot of friends,
haven't you?
Well,
bounty hunter,
you got a lot of friends?
Me, I never had none.
Never did I ever have a talking
friend until Matt came along.
The only man in the county
that's no better than me.
He's my friend and you nor
anybody else is gonna change that.
You're wrong.
Matt's little girl's gonna change it.
Like I said:
you better stay away from him.
You asking or telling?
Any way you wanna take it.
The only friend I ever had
and you wanna take him away!
I just wanted a friend.
That's all.
Just somebody to talk to.
Well, is she ready?
Yes. I hope it's the right thing.
It's been over a month.
Matt hasn't touched a drop.
I'm glad.
He seems like a nice man.
He is.
Where is he?
Come on.
Come on.
That's your father, honey.
Dolly, my baby!
Dolly, I want you to meet
my very best friend, Virgil.
- Let's go home, Virgil.
- Bye!
Who's the other gentleman?
He's a man with a friend.
Subtitles by Teletota
- Yes, ma'am.
Mr. Randall, tell me why
you wish to see Miss Cleary?
Yeah, I got this letter yesterday.
And do you have no idea
what it is she wishes to discuss?
No, ma'am, but since it was urgent
it needed a fast answer.
Particularly when it comes
from a school for young ladies.
Mr. Randall, this is Dolly Cleary.
Dolly, this is Mr. Randall.
How do you do, sir?
I just knew you'd come.
Yeah... I got your letter.
Now then,
just what is it you want
Mr. Randall to do for you?
Find my mother and father.
LITTLEST CLIENT
Go outside for a moment.
I want to talk to Mr. Randall.
Go on now.
I'll wait for you outside.
Sit down, Mr. Randall.
Cute little girl.
They all are. She's just dressed
in a little more hope.
- Ma'am?
- I should have known about this.
I'm sorry you had a long trip.
No trouble.
- Where are her family?
- They're dead.
Why does she think
they're still alive.
Twice a year, presents come for her.
She's sure they're from her people.
Maybe they're not dead then.
When you abandon a child
even if you're still moving around,
you're dead.
Where do the packages come from?
- How do you mean?
- Do they come in the mail?
They're left at the door.
She's tried staying up to see,
but she hasn't seen anything.
Have you tried to find out?
We've made inquiries.
But quite honestly,
we don't want to press the issue.
Here she gets the care
and love that she needs.
Is she guaranteed it elsewhere?
Well, maybe her family's still alive.
If they are, they can call for her.
I won't give her to the first person
who asks for her.
- You know what you're doing.
- Not always.
We make mistakes too.
Well, I'm going now.
- You're not gonna take her job?
- No.
I learnt long ago, keep your nose
where it belongs and you'll keep it.
I hope we meet again
under other circumstances.
Yes, ma'am.
Mr. Randall!
Are you going to find them?
- Well, Dolly, the sister said...
- I know.
She told you my parents were dead.
But that's not true. I know!
How do you know?
I can feel them.
In my prayers,
I can feel them listening.
Bring them back, please.
Well... I got a job coming up.
I got a lot of things to do.
I gotta go into town...
I'll try.
That's all I wanted to know.
I'll go pack my things right away.
Tell them I'll be ready
as soon as they get here.
You tell them I'll be ready
as soon as they get here!
How did it go?
I was early.
About 10 years.
- It was a little girl.
- A little girl?
What'd she want?
How long you've been in town?
About 5 years. Why?
Ever hear of a family called Cleary?
No. Why?
A little girl,
looking for her parents.
- Do they live around here?
- They did one time.
That sister at the home
said they were dead.
Thought you might know.
Sorry, Josh.
Hardrock!
Come on over here.
Hardrock Johnson.
If anybody'd know about it, he would.
Josh Randall wants a few words.
I don't talk too good dry.
Now then, young fella,
what do you want to talk about?
Ever heard of a family called Cleary?
Used to live around here.
Come on, Hardrock!
Do you know
or don't you?
- Don't yell at me!
If you had any sense,
you'd answer him yourself.
He's asking after old Matt.
The old drunk who was
at the Jenkins' with Virgil?
- Matt Cleary.
- I never heard his last name.
He don't use it much. Been a long
time since anybody called him mister.
He got a little girl?
- You trust this fellow?
- You can talk.
Matt was a pretty good blacksmith.
That was 10 or 11 years ago.
He had a pretty wife, a baby girl.
Done real well.
- Maybe too good.
- Why's that?
The town was growing then,
a lot of business for good smiths.
I don't know,
maybe he was working too hard.
Maybe it was the times,
but he took to drinking.
Drank like payday at the mines,
every day.
One night,
it was up at the Silver Dollar,
Matt was drunk and his wife
come after him driving a buggy.
She begged him to go on home,
in front of the rest of us.
It made him real mad.
But he got in the buggy and
started whipping the horse.
The animal ran away,
the rig overturned
and the woman was killed.
Matt buried the woman,
took the baby out to the nuns.
Said he didn't even have the right
to see her after what he'd done.
For 10 years he hadn't wanted
to see that girl again?
Not a matter of wanting. He's making
himself pay for what he's done.
Where would I find this fella?
He lives at the Jenkins'.
2 miles south of town.
- Him and Virgil.
- Who's Virgil?
Virgil?
Take all the meanness in the world
and throw in half the muscle,
grind it up and pour it out,
that's Virgil.
The only man who
can get along with him is Matt.
- And that ain't all the time.
- Much obliged.
I'd be careful, son.
Either one of them alone
is bad enough, but together...
Well, just be careful.
Nice young fella.
Be kinda interesting to see
if he gets any older!
Try anything like that again...
and I'll kill you!
You just try it!
- Had enough?
- No!
- Say you had enough!
- No!
- There!
- Enough, enough!
What do you want?
Howdy... Mr. Cleary?
I asked you, mister.
What do you want?
- I wanna talk to Matt Cleary.
- What about?
I gotta tell him.
You tell me first,
and I'll let you know
if he wants to listen.
It's about your daughter.
What's wrong?
Is everything alright?
She just wants to be with her father.
She's better off with the sisters.
She doesn't even know I'm alive.
It's better that way. Go away.
Go on! Leave me alone!
You had your answer.
Now get on your way.
If it's OK with you,
I'd like to talk to him.
So far you been doing pretty good.
Now you get on your horse
point him towards town and kick him,
you understand?
You do all the talking for him.
Any particular reason?
Because I'm the only friend he's got.
Now you get outta here
and forget you ever found this place.
If you come back,
plan on being buried.
- Did you see Matt Cleary?
- Yep.
Tell him about his daughter?
Bring another cup, please.
It's my coffee.
You'll get more. Tell me
what happened when you saw Matt.
He was anxious at first.
But since she's alright,
he wants to leave her where she is.
Maybe he's right.
Virgil thinks so.
I've got nothing to do with it now.
Say, what time do you
get through working?
- 10.30.
- Good, I'll pick you up.
What do you have in mind?
Maybe we'll go for a ride.
I'll rent a buggy.
Be sure and get one that seats three.
My husband will wanna come along.
How long you gonna stay in town?
Her husband's probably Billy the Kid.
I'll leave tomorrow morning!
Hello, Matt.
What are you doing here?
I wanted to talk to you.
Sit down.
- You want something to eat?
- No.
I'll take a drink if I can.
Fred, bring over a bottle.
Put it on his bill.
Try one you can taste.
What do you wanna talk about?
I just wanted to say...
I was sorry about what happened.
After hearing about my girl,
I just didn't know what to do.
What do you wanna do?
- I want her with me.
- Not that simple.
I don't care!
It won't be that easy.
I guess nothing good is ever easy.
I'm gonna pay you back, Josh.
Every cent.
Don't worry about it.
When's the big day?
Tomorrow. Matt and I will ride out
to the school together.
If anybody'd said you could make this
change, I'd have called him a liar.
- Good to see you looking this way.
- Feels good too.
Let's order some food.
- Who is it?
- Craig!
Go away!
Come on, Josh! Open up!
- You know what time it is?
- Get your clothes on!
- What's wrong?
- Come and see for yourself.
What's the matter?
Don't you ever sleep?
Get his feet.
There was nothing I could do.
He came in poking fun at Matt.
Said one or two wouldn't hurt him.
Kept picking at him,
like a little dog.
Who got him drunk, Craig?
Virgil.
What're you doing out here?
Why did you do it, Virgil?
Don't know what you mean.
You got Matt Cleary drunk. Why?
Because he's my friend.
Your friend?
Funny way to show it.
Listen, Virgil, I came out here
to make you understand that Matt
needs help to stop drinking.
His girl's awful important to him.
You'd better stay away from him.
I mean that friendly-like.
I'll bet.
You got a lot of friends,
haven't you?
Well,
bounty hunter,
you got a lot of friends?
Me, I never had none.
Never did I ever have a talking
friend until Matt came along.
The only man in the county
that's no better than me.
He's my friend and you nor
anybody else is gonna change that.
You're wrong.
Matt's little girl's gonna change it.
Like I said:
you better stay away from him.
You asking or telling?
Any way you wanna take it.
The only friend I ever had
and you wanna take him away!
I just wanted a friend.
That's all.
Just somebody to talk to.
Well, is she ready?
Yes. I hope it's the right thing.
It's been over a month.
Matt hasn't touched a drop.
I'm glad.
He seems like a nice man.
He is.
Where is he?
Come on.
Come on.
That's your father, honey.
Dolly, my baby!
Dolly, I want you to meet
my very best friend, Virgil.
- Let's go home, Virgil.
- Bye!
Who's the other gentleman?
He's a man with a friend.
Subtitles by Teletota