The life and legend
Of wyatt earp
( Men vocalizing )
♪ Wyatt earp, wyatt earp
♪ Brave, courageous and bold
♪ Long live his fame
♪ And long live his glory
♪ And long may
His story be told. ♪
( Men vocalizing )
Narrator: general
George armstrong custer
Led the seventh cavalry
Against an overwhelming force
Of sioux and cheyenne
Indians
At the little big horn
In .
Custer and officers
And men were slaughtered.
Two years later, the american
Press and public
Were still arguing about
The custer tragedy.
The general's enemies
Called him a "glory hunter"
Who unknowingly led
The seventh cavalry
Into a m*ssacre.
The general's friends said
He was betrayed by
Subordinate officers.
Time has proved
Both theories false.
But in the bitterness
Of the dispute,
General custer had only
One ardent champion: his widow.
You'll remain standing,
Gentlemen.
Will you come in, please,
Mrs. Custer?
Thank you,
Colonel benteen.
Gentlemen,
Please do make
Yourselves comfortable.
I know all of you
By your first names,
So we needn't be
Strangers now.
General sheridan has
Just telegraphed me.
He says that colonel reno
Must be granted
An official court
Of inquiry.
The court will be held
In chicago.
I assume that all of you
Will be witnesses.
Am I correct,
Colonel benteen?
That's right, ma'am.
And I can assure you that
General custer's memory
Will be respected by
Every man in this room.
Oh, we had
Our differences,
But it was always
Give and take.
We despise reno.
None of us has spoken
To him socially
These years.
Then you've already
Discussed...
I mean, you'll say
Nothing against
Colonel reno
That might reflect
On general custer.
- Oh, no, no.
- Or the regiment.
Hear, hear.
Mrs. Custer, you will always
Have our love and loyalty.
Thank you.
Thank you.
This is most kind.
I won't detain you longer.
That will be all,
Gentlemen.
Don't worry, mrs. Custer.
You and the seventh
Have suffered long enough.
( Door closes )
Well, now,
That s settled.
They faced it
As I prayed they would.
But there's still
This fellow hendon.
Chris hendon?
What's he pestering
You about?
This came yesterday.
He wants money, I think.
I'm supposed to meet him
In dodge city.
( Scoffs )
This is nonsense.
I'll burn the thing.
No, please.
He was one of
Reno's civilian scouts.
He'll be called
To testify.
Let him testify.
But, colonel,
He could ruin us all.
He's a civilian,
And the newspapers
Would be eager to print
Any lies he told.
Oh, betty, you're carrying
This thing too far.
Oh, yes. Now I've never
Had any occasion to
Say this before,
But you can't be
Bothered by every
Blackmailing scamp
Or rascal who writes
You a letter.
I remember hendon.
I think he bolted
Before reno made
The charge that day.
I certainly don't recall
Seeing him on the hill
When we stopped reno
From running away.
Well, he could say he was
With general custer.
He could say anything.
All right.
Now wyatt earp,
The marshal at dodge,
Is a good friend
Of mine.
I'll telegraph him
To arrest hendon.
No, colonel, I beg of you.
If we anger the man,
He'll...
( Sighs )
All right, I'll...
I'll just ignore him.
Your first idea's best.
Let him testify.
Good.
( Bugle playing )
Well, I must be
Running along.
But mrs. Benteen and I will
See you at dinner, eh?
Oh. Yes.
Yes, of course.
And, uh, put a match
To this and forget it.
( Men vocalizing )
Man, voice-over:
He was a showoff,
A glory hunter.
I charge him with
Full responsibility
For our defeat.
Mrs. Custer, voice-over:
If you ask me,
He didn't die
Like a hero.
Man: I think he was just
As big a coward as reno.
Mrs. Custer:
Hmm. The army can't
Cover it up forever.
Somebody will tell
The real truth.
Mrs. Custer.
Sergeant turner.
Corporal mills.
Mrs. Custer.
Is mr. Hendon
In dodge city?
Yes, he is. He's still
Hanging around the saloons.
Bragging around town
What he could tell
If he had a mind to.
You just say the word,
Mrs. Custer,
We'll go back to dodge.
Yeah. Hendon won't bother
You no more, mrs. Custer.
We can't do
Anything like that.
How much longer
Will you men
Be on furlough?
Days.
I must talk to hendon.
It's the only way,
Sergeant.
Will you and corporal mills
Drive me to dodge city?
Well, of course,
But shouldn't you ask
Colonel benteen--
No. No.
We must start at once.
And please say nothing
To colonel benteen
Or to anyone else.
All right.
Rent a good team
And carriage from
The sutler.
I'll meet you
At the north gate
In half an hour.
We'll be there,
Mrs. Custer.
( Men vocalizing )
Wyatt?
I was looking for you.
Telegram from colonel benteen
At the fort.
A reader at the depot
Brought it over himself,
Said it was extra urgent.
The army wants
Two soldiers named mills
And turner arrested.
They're on furlough
Wearing civilian clothes.
The rest of it's
Just a description
Of the men.
Hal, you pull that
Deputy off patrol
And do just what
The colonel says.
He sure saved my neck
In that donart business,
Remember?
I sure do.
We'll ring out the town.
( Men vocalizing )
Somebody chasing you?
Yeah. A couple
Of soldiers.
They're trying
To k*ll me.
I want them
Arrested.
Mills and turner?
Yeah.
How'd you know?
The army wants them
Arrested, too.
What's your name?
Hendon.
Chris hendon.
I used to be a civilian scout
For reno.
Those troopers
Was in the same outfit,
Seventh cavalry.
Put that g*n on the desk.
g*n?
Oh, sure.
I had to carry it,
Marshal.
My life's
In danger.
Why?
Just an old grudge
Between them and me.
I thought they'd
Forget about it, but...
Sudden like, I turned
Around in the street,
And there they was,
Following me.
Mm-hmm. Well, my deputies
Are looking for them now.
This will make it easier.
Come on.
Oh, no.
Why not?
I won't go wandering
Around out there
And get plugged
From some doorway.
Mr. Hendon, you asked me
To protect you.
Now the easiest way
To do that
Is to try and arrest
Those two soldiers, quick.
I'll get my hat.
Let's move.
Not me.
Hold it!
Sit down!
Well, it looks like
You got the right men.
They were tailing
Somebody halfway
Down the block.
That's them!
That's mills,
And that's turner.
I want to charge 'em with
An attempt to commit m*rder.
- Were they packing g*ns?
- No, sir.
Colonel benteen
Wired a request
To hold you
For the army.
You got any idea why
The colonel wants you?
No, sir.
Lock 'em up.
Come on, move.
Move!
Come on.
What about my charges
Against 'em?
Tell it to the army.
Now you check this g*n
Or get out of town.
If you take my advice.
You'll get out of town.
You may run into
Some more soldiers.
Hmph. That what you
Call police protection?
Were you in cahoots
With the army?
I don't think I like you,
Mr. Hendon.
You stay in this town,
You be ready to
Protect yourself.
Now quit wasting
My time.
There's a lady
At the dodge house.
She said she's got to
See you right away.
Who's the lady?
It's a mrs. Elizabeth bacon.
She wouldn't tell me
What it was about,
But she acted
Awful worried.
All right.
You get a good look
At that fella?
Yes, sir.
His name is chris hendon.
I want you to keep
An eye on him.
Horse thief
Or cattle rustler?
Two soldiers
Were after him.
They usually got
A good nose for a skunk.
Go on.
( Men vocalizing )
( Knock on door )
Sergeant turner?
No, ma'am,
Marshal earp.
Oh.
One moment.
My deputies gave me
Your message, mrs. Bacon.
Come in.
Thank you.
I used my maiden name
To register.
My married name
Is custer.
Mrs. George
Armstrong custer.
Mrs. Custer.
That doesn't
Surprise you?
No, ma'am.
I've seen your picture.
Mr. Earp, two soldier friends
Of mine have disappeared.
I'm afraid that something
Might have happened to them.
Sergeant turner
And corporal mills?
Yes.
Have you seen them?
They're being held
For the army.
Colonel benteen's
Request.
You put them in jail?
That's nonsense.
Colonel benteen
Has no right to.
I must ask that you release
Turner and mills at once.
I'm sorry, but i...
I can't do that, ma'am.
Very well.
Then I shall have
To employ a lawyer.
Could you
Recommend one?
Mr. Earp, a lawyer's
Name, please.
Mrs. Custer, that would
Be a waste of money.
I can hold those soldiers
For hours
Even against a writ
Of habeas corpus.
Marshal, I know
A little about law.
What charge has
Colonel benteen lodged
Against them?
I have a charge
Of my own, ma'am.
Indeed.
What law did they break?
They assaulted
A mr. Chris hendon.
Hendon.
Oh, no. They promised me
They wouldn't...
Did they injure
Mr. Hendon?
Not much, no.
Is mr. Hendon
A friend of yours?
I've never met the man.
Why do you ask?
Well, you seem very concerned
About mr. Hendon's health,
And you asked the soldiers
Not to hurt him.
Marshal, is this
A police interrogation?
Mrs. Custer, mr. Hendon
Claims to have been
A civilian scout with reno.
Colonel benteen and I
Went through a rather
Bad time together
Right after their
Little big horn fight.
An indian agent tried
To bribe some runaway soldiers
Into telling lies about
Colonel benteen and
The seventh cavalry.
Are you suggesting
Mr. Hendon
Might try
To blackmail me?
He might try it, yes.
How absurd.
General custer
Needs no defense.
You're being rather
Impertinent, aren't you?
Well, I don't mean it
That way, mrs. Custer.
I'd like to help you.
All right, help me.
Turn those men loose
And forget your suspicions
Of mr. Hendon.
I can't do that, ma'am.
Good day, mr. Earp.
I know the torment that
You've been living through.
People have lied so much
About general custer,
You don't know where
The next attack is coming from.
Well, you've got me
Stubborn.
I'm gonna help you
In spite of yourself.
- Oh, hal?
- Yeah.
I told ted
To watch mr. Hendon.
Have you seen him?
Yeah, hendon's
In the long branch.
Ted's waiting
Up the street.
Yeah, well,
Go pull ted off.
I want both of you
To watch the hotel,
Front and back.
If mr. Hendon goes inside,
You send for me.
If he leaves, don't wait
For me-- arrest him.
Right.
( Men vocalizing )
I just had a talk
With mrs. Custer.
She got worried
When you didn't
Check in
And sent for me.
I had to tell her
The truth.
All right.
Now colonel benteen
Will be here for you
In a couple of hours.
Can either one of you
Persuade mrs. Custer not
To pay off hendon?
We don't know what
You're talking about, earp.
I think you know
What I'm talking about.
Maybe you'll answer me
One question, though.
Has mrs. Custer ever heard
What the indians had to say
About the fight
At the little big horn?
After the m*ssacre
At little big horn,
She can't stand
The sight of indians.
Well, I know a cheyenne chief
That was there.
Chief wolf head.
If mrs. Custer would--
Hendon just now
Went into the hotel.
Let's go.
You better leave
Town at once.
Well, I want to live
The same as anybody else.
That's why I had to come
To you for help.
I can get a fresh start
Now in mexico.
Remember your agreement
To stay there.
Oh, well, to me,
A deal is a deal.
Well, good luck,
Mrs. Custer.
Hold it!
Mr. Clark, I want you
To search this man.
Thank you.
Mr. Clark, I want you
To remember this.
I may need you
To testify.
Throw some water on him
And throw him in jail.
Right.
Get some water,
Will you?
You can't be serious.
Mr. Hendon asked
Mrs. Custer for money,
And she gave it to him.
There's the evidence.
Now, don't you want
To book hendon for extortion
Instead of blackmail?
He mustn't be booked
At all.
That would involve her,
The regiment,
Sherman, sheridan,
Even grant.
Not if mrs. Custer
Will do what I suggest.
That is the most
Complete fool nonsense
I've ever heard.
General custer's
Widow meeting with
A cheyenne renegade.
Wolf head is a brave chief,
And you know it.
- Oh, he's a--
- Now, listen to me.
This poor woman is
Gonna be hounded by liars
The rest of her life.
She needs to hear
The truth, just once.
From wolf head?
He at least saw
General custer die.
You weren't on that hill.
You were kept busy saving
Your own command and reno's
On a bluff three miles away,
Isn't that right?
Well, will you please
Go ask mrs. Custer?
All right,
I'll ask her.
I'll try.
But she's liable to come
Marching in here
And make you sorry
I did.
The perils of w*r, colonel.
( Men vocalizing )
( Knock on door )
Come in.
Mr. Earp, I will
Not be forced into
A ridiculous gesture.
Chief wolf head.
A lying, filthy savage.
One of the fiends
Who k*lled my husband
And his men.
All right.
I must also demand that
You drop your charges
Against mr. Hendon.
Mrs. Custer, I'm a civilian.
You don't give me orders.
Does this money
Belong to you?
If you took it
From mr. Hendon,
I assume that at least
Part of it is what
I gave him...
As a loan.
- A loan?
- Yes.
May I quote you?
What is that?
Part of my report.
I may turn it in
To the "dodge city globe."
You wouldn't dare.
Yes, I would.
You'd ruin us all,
Including your friend
Colonel benteen.
You oblige me to tell
You that colonel reno
Will be given
A court of inquiry.
All surviving officers,
Scouts and many
Enlisted men
Will be called
To testify.
Don't you realize
What the newspapers
Could do to us?
The fact that I loaned
Money to hendon
Would be twisted
To make it appear
As though I'm trying
To influence witnesses.
Aren't you?
That's preposterous.
The memory of my husband,
His name and reputation
Are all that matter to me.
Yes.
But do you think
You should lend money
To a man like mr. Hendon?
What right have you
To question my motives?
He's a crook.
He tried to blackmail you.
Prove it.
No. I won't even try.
Here's your evidence back.
No story in the paper.
Hal, bring mr. Hendon
In here.
Yes, sir.
Now, I told you
That I was stubborn
And that I'd try to help you
In spite of yourself.
But all this faith
And loyalty you profess
Just doesn't exist.
Why, you...
You unspeakable--
Calling names won't
Change my opinion.
I have more respect for
General custer than you have.
I'll listen to
No more of this.
No, you'd rather spend
The rest of your life
Listening to liars.
Well, I know what happened
At the little big horn.
I wasn't too proud to talk
To the indians about it.
Savages in battle, yes,
But honest men.
Your husband's name
Is safer with them
Than it will
Ever be with...
Men like this.
Mr. Hendon,
I'm releasing you.
You get out
Of town, quick.
Mills and turner
Will be back tomorrow,
And anything that they
Do to you after that
Will be an accident.
Throw him out.
Come on, move!
Where is this...
This chief wolf head?
At the fort,
The hostile stockade.
Will you come with me?
We'll leave as soon
As my soldier friends
Get back.
Good night, mr. Earp.
Good night, mrs. Custer.
( Men vocalizing )
( Men vocalizing )
Whoa!
They put a chief in here?
It's what the government
Calls a temporary stockade.
The big stockade
Is the reservation.
Two visitors,
Approved by colonel benteen.
Let me help you.
There you go.
Chief wolf head.
Wyatt earp.
My friend.
Mrs. Custer,
May I present
Chief wolf head.
Widow of longhair.
There is sadness for you
In my heart.
She was brave to come here.
Do not stay long.
Many are sick here.
Our government could do
Better for you than this.
There was fighting.
We are prisoners of w*r.
Out of respect
For general custer,
What shall I say?
I'll ask some questions.
Mrs. Custer, perhaps we can
Make this bench comfortable.
Longhair and pony soldiers
Retreat to hill here.
Chief gall attack
On front and right.
Crazy horse lead
Many warriors
To strike longhair
From left.
I am told to move
Cheyennes uphill from rear.
Soon we have
General custer surrounded.
We have ten times more men.
We have r*fles
That sh**t quick, times.
Winchesters.
Soldiers sh**t only once,
Then have to reload.
It was not a fair fight.
Did general custer
Try to run away?
Run away?
He is longhair.
Brave soldier.
He stands ground what is
No bigger than his shadow.
He fight to the last.
A lot of our people
Blame general custer
For not uniting
His command.
Some of them say
He should have waited
For the terry
And gibbon columns
To arrive.
Now, what do the indians
Think about that talk?
Stupid.
There is dust and smoke.
How could longhair and his
Scouts count our warriors?
We hide most of them
In hills until fight commence.
Chief wolf head,
A lot of our people
Who weren't there
Say that if reno
And benteen
Had charged straight
For the hill,
They could have saved
General custer.
No. Not enough soldiers.
Too many of us.
And what if general
Custer had waited
For the terry
And gibbon columns?
My friend,
They would all be dead.
I feel anger here when
White soldiers blame
Each other.
Any questions,
Ma'am?
No.
It was w*r.
My husband
Had his victories.
It was ordained that
He suffer one defeat.
I realize that now.
Mrs. Custer, I have
My defeat also.
The great spirit
Allowed your great husband
To follow the g*ns
And trumpets
And pass from
This world with honor.
I am not so honored.
I'm sad for you,
Chief wolf head.
This will be changed.
You've taken my fear
Of liars away.
I'm deeply grateful.
( Men vocalizing )
Come, mr. Earp.
We mustn't dawdle.
Yes, ma'am.
I have to see
The commandant
About those dreadful
Conditions in the stockade.
Then I'll leave for chicago
To tell general sheridan
What I've learned
From chief wolf head.
Thank you.
Let's go.
( Men vocalizing )
♪ 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. ♪
( Men vocalizing )