Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958–1961): Season 1, Episode 4 - Dead End - full transcript

Josh finds a poster announcing a reward of 500 dollars, but without more information besides a reference to the Parker Ranch. At the ranch the manager Noonan tells Josh that a week ago they found the safe opened by force and 10.000 dollars stolen. At the same time the worker Juan Portilla disappeared. Noonan asks Josh to capture Juan and bring him back alive. Juan's fiancée, Conchita Morales, refuses to cooperate, but relents when Josh tells her that if he doesn't capture Juan alive, someone else will kill him. She tells Josh that Juan probably is at a place up in the mountains called Gorge Del Diablo. When Josh rides away, Luis Portillo, Juan's father, trails him, but is soon detected. Josh forces Luis to accompany him as a hostage. On the path upwards they find some of Juan's personal belongings dropped on purpose, which makes them suspicious.

Howdy. I'd like to
see Mr. Noonan.

- Your name, please?
- Tell him Josh Randall's here.

If you will wait...

- You're the bounty hunter?
- That's right.

I'm Luis Portilla,
Juan Portilla's father.

I know why you're here.

And I want to tell you this.

My son is not an animal
to be hunted down.

He's not a killer.

He would have little
chance against that.

Look, Mr. Portilla, I don't
know anything about your son.



If you speak the truth you
have nothing to worry about.

But if you lie...

you go after my
son at your own risk.

Mr. Noonan will see you now.

DEAD END

- Señor, this is...
- Hey, you're Josh Randall all right.

I can tell from your trademark.
I've heard people talk about it.

It does the job. What
about the poster?

Yeah, you wanna
know the details.

What do I have
to do to get $500?

Find Juan Portilla.

What's he wanted for?

Grand theft. About
$10,000 worth.

He used to ride fence for
me. One morning last week



he showed up missing.

The safe here was busted open,
the cattle sale money was gone.

- What about the local law?
- Local law!

Local society more like!

Last 2 posses gone out after
rustlers buried the men they were after.

I thought you wanted
this man Portilla.

I do want him! But
I want him alive.

I have more than 20
Mexicans on this spread,

including Juan's father.

If Juan doesn't get a fair hearing,
they're apt to get pretty mean.

Mean enough to start busting up
things and maybe come looking for me.

And you figured I could
bring him back in one piece.

That's part of your reputation.
That's why I waited for you.

There were 3 other men wanted
the job. I turned them down.

Much obliged.

There's more to it than just bringing
him back. There's a time element.

Old man Parker's
coming out from the east.

If he finds out about this,
I'm gonna lose my job.

Doesn't say anything
here about a theft.

Of course not!

I haven't been able
to do anything myself.

For the past 2 months it's
been one doctor after another.

I got to go to Tucson
tomorrow to see a specialist.

I want this whole
mess cleaned up

before I get back.

I can't guarantee that.

All I ask is that you try!

You can take the rest
of the posters down.

Good.

You say this man
Portilla was a fence rider.

One of the best.

Did he bunk here?

He stays out at the range cabin
so he can cover the whole spread.

How do I find him?

Follow the north
fence, you can't miss it.

See you before a
week from Friday.

You get around pretty good.

I thought you
worked at the ranch.

Are you looking for
Juan or waiting for him?

That is no business of
yours, señor bounty hunter!

Looking for him is my business.

- Your business is to kill him.
- To find him.

Look at it this way. If I don't go
after Juan, somebody else will.

Maybe the sheriff,
maybe a full posse.

Think it out, miss. Does he stand a
better chance with them or with me?

I don't know.

- Who are you?
- Conchita Morales.

You're very fond of Juan?

We plan to marry.

That is why I know he would
not steal the money and go away.

He would not do that, he
is not that kind of a man.

I think it's up to him to
answer that question.

All I know is, he's gone.

Something must have
happened. An accident.

It was an accident he was ready
for. He took his clothes with him.

You knew that, didn't you?

His winter clothes, they're
gone too. Everything!

Where'd he keep his traps?

I don't understand.

Animal traps. Fence
riders usually have them.

In there.

Where'd he go?

The sooner you tell me, the
sooner you'll see him again.

I can track him if I have to.

Once a year he
goes to the pasture.

The shack is there.

If that's where he
went, he's out of season.

If a man wanted to go to a cabin
and hide out in the mountains,

stay awhile, he'd
take traps for meat.

Juan has nothing to hide from.

If Juan's innocent, he's
got nothing to fear from me.

If there was no reward,
you would not be here.

Looking for people's my
job, finding them guilty isn't.

To the mountains in the north

there is a place they
call "Gorge Del Diablo".

The shack is there.

If time wasn't important I'd
just keep my eyes on you.

He'd show up sooner or
later. You'd best ride back now.

Let me come with you.

If he shows up, he'll come to
you. You'd be better off at the ranch.

Tell him I'll be waiting.

That's enough!

You warned me but I didn't
figure you'd go through with it.

- About what, señor?
- Bushwhacking me!

If I'd wanted to do that,
you would be dead now.

You didn't come
up here for the ride.

Señor, put yourself in my place.

The place of a father who loves
his son, who wants to see him live.

I don't know you well
enough to figure what you do.

I wish to see my son live.

I only desire to ride with you,
to keep you from harming him.

I am an old man, I
cannot do you any harm.

You just said you could have
killed me if you'd wanted to.

A sleeping man would have
been easy, even for a child.

I told you, your son's got
nothing to fear from me.

Then señor, you have
nothing to fear from me.

The way you handle that
knife takes years off your age.

If your son's up ahead,

you better hope he sees
you before he starts shooting.

Because after the first shot, you
ain't gonna be around no more.

Now you get on your horse.

I must have some water.

This may be all for nothing.

Who can say my boy
has gone to the shack?

You wanted along, you're
going the rest of the way.

Just because a silly girl who thinks
my boy's in love with her said so?

I saw you leave the cabin.

She didn't tell me anything I
couldn't figure out for myself.

She's just trying to do
what's best for Juan.

She's jealous, she
hates him for leaving.

That's the way she tries
to pay him back: by lying.

Well, if she's lying, we
got nothing to lose but time.

She will be sorry.

If I judged Juan by your actions,
I think I would think the worst.

Any man who hunts another for money
is no better than the man he's after.

Get on your feet.

We're moving out.

You deny an old
man a moment's rest?

You're not as old and as
tired as you want me to think.

Hold it.

Looks like your
son dropped a trap.

My son is not careless
with such things.

You get careless
when you're in a hurry.

I tell you, this is no accident.

Accident or not, we
know he's been this way.

Señor, you are a fool. You
know nothing about my son.

That's right. But
I plan to, señor.

The pain, it is here.

Can you move your leg?

Maybe something's broken.

- Maybe not.
- I think yes.

Can you travel?

Señor, you joke?

I have to leave you here.

I'll leave food and
water for 2 days.

You leave an old
man to die alone?

Well, what do you suggest?

For a man such as you claim
to be, there's only one answer:

stay here till Luis can travel.

How long might that be?

A few days, maybe a week.

Ever since you've joined me
you've kept me from going after Juan.

Señor, you have no faith.

There was nothing
wrong with that cinch strap.

You wanted to keep me here
a while to let your boy get away.

You think this of me?

Get up.

Señor, please.

I mean it.

There will be no
forgiveness if you do this.

On your feet!

Your head is next.

You mend real fast.

For a son, a man
does many things.

Even murder?

You misunderstand, señor.

If I do these things, it
is for him, not for myself.

We better get going.

Señor Randall!

Does this belong to Juan too?

You're thinking the same:
no man is this careless.

I agree with you. He's
leaving a trail for us.

I tried to tell you from the
beginning: something is wrong.

Or he wants to ambush me.

He would have done it
and you would be dead.

- How much further?
- 2 hours.

Something is wrong. Let's hurry.

Now you're more anxious
to get there than I am.

Is that his horse?

Wait, let me go
first. I can talk to him.

All right, but don't
keep me waiting long.

Juan, it's your father!

Señor Randall.

It is empty.

You see, there's no one here.

He can't be far. Let's wait.

I do not like this.

He'll be back.

If he stayed here,
why is there no sign?

His clothes, his traps...
They've not been used!

Let's take a look around.

Juan!

Juan, where are you?

Save your breath.

Blood.

It goes to the lake.

Luis!

Juan...

Drop it.

Pretty good for a
cripple, don't you think?

Or for something
that crawls on its belly.

You can't rile me. When
I'm ready to kill you I will.

Like you killed Juan?

- No. I shot him in the back.
- Why?

For the same reason
I got you up here.

You're going to be
Juan's partner in this theft.

Luis, I didn't figure on.
He can be the 3rd member.

They'll find 3
bodies up here now.

You had a falling out with
the old man and his son.

They'll think one of you
hid the money someplace.

Juan didn't steal the
money. How did you do it?

Two months ago I was
trampled by a brock.

I let people think I was
hurt worse than I was.

I sent Juan here to repair the
cabin. I followed him and shot him.

I rode back to the ranch

and emptied the safe.

The blanket, the
trap that was you?

I was freshening the
trail, putting bait in the trap.

You forgot one thing:
those ranch hands

know you were gone when
Juan was shot and now too.

They'll figure it out.

I've forgotten nothing.

As far as they
know, I'm in Tucson.

Who'd suspect a cripple in
a wheelchair to ride up here,

shoot three men
and ride back again?

I can't feel a thing,
my legs are numb.

You'll be fine.

I don't want to be like this.
I don't want to be a cripple.

It's too late now.

Finish me!

Leave him alone.

Give me a gun please,
give me a chance.

Like the one you gave Juan?

Sorry, M. Noonan,
fresh out of favors.

The trap is ready?

I'll get the horses.

And Luis, you leave him alone.

My son is dead.

His death will not change that.

No matter how I feel
today, tomorrow will come.

And I will have to look at it.

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