03x36 - Dig a Grave for Ben Thompson

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "The Life & Legend of Wyatt Earp". Aired: September 6, 1955 – June 27, 1961.*
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Series is loosely based on the life of frontier marshal Wyatt Earp.
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03x36 - Dig a Grave for Ben Thompson

Post by bunniefuu »

The life and legend

Of wyatt earp

- ( Men vocalizing )

- I should sh**t you,

Ben thompson.

No.

I should do it.

Doc, this is

Just plain m*rder.

Can't you calm

These two down?

You deserve k*lling,

Ben.

Rita.

No, doc.

- ( Cocks g*n )

- Jenny.

( Cocks g*n )

Now, I'll give

A count of three...

And then you fire.

One.

Two.

( 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. ♪

Narrator: next to doc holliday,

The outlaw ben thompson

Was probably the sorest

Trial to marshal wyatt earp.

Ben always insisted that

He loved wyatt like a brother,

And according

To ben's curious code,

This gave him the right

To call on wyatt for help

In any personal matter

Not concerned

With breaking the law.

One day in ,

Wyatt found himself involved

In a real mess with

Ben thompson, doc holliday,

And two angry women.

And after I put up

The $ ,

To go partners with ben

In his faro game,

He ran out on me.

There was also

The minor detail

That he

Promised marriage.

Sounds just like

Ben thompson.

You certain

He's here in dodge?

Where else?

He bragged to me that he

And wyatt earp are pals.

Say, what kind

Of a johnny law

Are you hiring

For marshal anyway?

Now, now, just hold

Your temper, miss mccabe.

I'll get this

Straightened out.

- With earp?

- Yes.

- When?

- Well, right away.

Now, I've warned him

Repeatedly

About ben thompson.

I'm the mayor

Of this town,

And I run things here.

And I am no wench

To be treated this way.

I am rita morales.

My father, my uncles,

My brothers, my cousins--

Please, senorita--

- Both: please.

- Please, stop saying that.

Prove to me that you

Do not approve of his behavior.

I am not a stupid

Defenseless yankee.

I will make

Trouble for you,

Much trouble.

Well, i--

I believe that, senorita.

Now, where is ben?

Where can I find him?

Well,

He's not in church.

Look for him in saloons,

Or dance halls,

Or big faro games.

And be quick.

I have little patience,

And my vaqueros--

They have

No patience at all.

Excuse.

Certainly.

Wyatt, your friend

Ben thompson's in town.

I know.

She told me.

She did?

What, there are two women

Mixed up in this?

I only met

Senorita morales.

Well, I met another one.

Name of jenny mccabe.

Oh, pretty howdy-do.

She must be if she's

As pretty as miss rita.

Oh, prettier.

A well constructed

Redhead with-- oh!

Now, wyatt, I've begged you

A dozen times

To have nothing to do

With ben thompson.

Now he's brought

The makings of a scandal,

Maybe even bloodshed,

Right to your very door.

Now, mr. Mayor,

I'll have a little talk

With ben and if--

Well, if I find that

The facts justify it,

I'll make him

Leave town.

Facts you're needing?!

A man who's played

Fast and loose

With every woman

This side of san--

I know, mr. Mayor,

I know.

But let's try to leave

The ladies out of this, huh?

They're no angels,

You know, and they can--

Well, they can play

Fast and loose, too.

Well, I leave it

In your hands, wyatt.

Hey, don, I got to talk to you

A minute.

Wait'll I finish here.

You here

To gamble or gossip?

He's here.

Ben thompson's in town.

Me and charlie's

Got some business with him.

He just rode into

Durgin's livery stable.

Excuse us, doc.

Give me time to get

In back of him.

All right.

You take over, mike.

I'm gonna referee a fight.

You wanting me,

Don burkett?

Take him!

- ( g*nf*re )

- Got the doc on you, ben!

Doc holliday!

Hee hee.

( Groans )

Thanks a lot, doc.

That was a close one.

And I appreciate it.

I'll take five cents

For the cartridge.

You'll--

( Chuckles )

Same old doc.

All right, there's a dime.

You keep the change.

Get out of town, ben.

Wait a minute.

How's come you're sore now?

I never did regard you

With anything but dislike.

All right. Charlie there

Had the drop on me.

Why didn't you

Let him hurt me?

You know I don't sanction

Front and back gunplay.

Two against one.

That's right.

I forgot.

Well, anyway,

Thanks a lot, I'll--

This one's dead, marshal.

Here comes the deacon.

All right,

Who did it?

I have a faro game

Running.

Talk to you later.

Well?

Well, i...

I guess I shot

That one there, pal.

But doc holliday,

He shot that one over there.

He charged me five cents

For the cartridge.

They both did, wyatt.

Both of 'em are drawn.

This one managed

To get off one shot.

All right.

Go get the coroner, huh?

Right.

Did you know him?

Yeah.

That one there

Is don burkett.

That's charlie patton

Over there.

Couple of soreheads,

Thought I was cheating them

In a poker game.

I'll be able to post bond.

But that ain't

What's got me spooked.

Pal, a couple of girlfriends

Of mine

Are chasing me with g*ns.

Mm? A miss morales

And a miss mccabe.

They're already here.

Yep.

Wyatt, i--

I shouldn't be out here

On the street.

You put me in jail, huh?

You're asking

For protective custody?

Sure, pal.

You spread the word

That I got six months.

Then they'll get tired

Of waiting around

And will leave town.

Uh-huh, well,

It isn't that simple, ben.

All right, then, pal.

You just look up

Rita and jenny

And you tell them

To get out of town.

And you tell 'em

To quit threatening me!

Wyatt...

Why can't we get in

Off the street?

( Sighs )

Come on.

Ben, both women claim that

You promised to marry them.

Miss mccabe told the mayor

That you took

$ , From her.

Now, are their

Statements true?

Are they true?

- Yeah, yeah.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I knew you lied to women.

You do that all the time.

But this is the first time

I ever heard of you

Promising to marry any.

You're already married!

Well,

That's just it, pal.

I'm not.

Oh... Your wife

Divorced you, huh?

( Chuckles )

Two months ago in san anton'.

Well, I can't do anything.

Best thing for you to do

Is to get out of dodge.

Pronto!

Fine.

Well, I guess you better

Just dig me a grave, pal.

Come on, now, you're not afraid

Of two women, are you?

Did you ever see

A woman sh**t?

- Oh...

- Now, I'm not fooling, wyatt.

They're deadly.

Now, they've never felt

The recoil of a g*n before,

So they don't flinch none.

They just point it at you like

They're pointing their finger.

And pow!

Well, what can I do?

Well, what can I

Do about it?!

You can't sh**t

Back at 'em.

I'm sorry.

I know you'd help me

If you could,

But you can't.

How long do I get to stay

In dodge?

Until sundown.

Mayor kelley's orders.

Hard but...

Fair, I guess.

( Sighs )

There's $ , .

You find jenny and give her

Her $ , back,

And the other $ ,

Ought to about cover my burial.

Ought to just about cover it.

Do I get my g*n back, pal?

Oh, sure, sure.

But you-- you wouldn't wear it

On the street, would you?

Oh, no.

No, no, wyatt.

Well... So long, pal.

So long, ben.

Wyatt...

( Door closes )

I'm jenny mccabe.

The new city clerk.

Oh! Mayor kelley

Must have just hired you.

Well, marshal earp left

His night record sheet

In his room,

And he asked me

To pick it up for the file.

I see. Well...

I guess it's all right,

Miss.

It'll only take a second.

Wait here.

( Knocking on door )

Who is it?

Rita morales.

Oh... All right.

What do you want?

Same as you.

I must find ben.

Satisfied?

No.

This is

The marshal earp's room.

You came here to get

Information from him.

My own idea.

I also need

The information.

And I claim the right

To settle with ben first.

He's got a lot of money

That belongs to me.

Ben proposed first to me.

It is my family's shame.

I do not want

My uncles and brothers

To be put in jail

For sh**ting that man.

Then clear out.

I'll do the job.

- I don't trust you.

- Are you calling me a liar?

You are worse than that.

You are a common

Dance hall gambler.

( Both exclaiming )

( Groans )

( Rita exclaims )

Mr. Earp.

Yeah, charlie?

I gave that new clerk

The key to your room.

New clerk?

Miss mccabe,

From the mayor's office.

She said you told her

To pick up some police records.

Thank you.

You let go of that g*n.

- I will not!

- Yes, you will!

( Both groaning

And exclaiming )

All right, break it up!

Break it up--

Both of you.

Break it up.

I said break it up.

( Sighing )

Now, whose g*n is this?

( Murmurs )

Where is ben?

You hide him?

- No.

- What's happening?

What's going on here?

Two of them, marshal.

That's right, two of 'em.

Get out of here!

And shut the door!

Shut the door!

Stinking up the church.

The idea of such a thing!

( Sighs )

( Gasping )

Well, miss morales

And miss mccabe,

I have good news for you.

Ben thompson

Has left dodge.

He returned your $ , .

I have it for you

In my office.

Ben ran away?

( Sighs )

Don't you believe him.

You're a john law.

What business is this

Of yours?

Mayor kelley says you

Appealed to him for help.

I did not.

I just warned him that you

And ben are dear old pals.

Now, wait a minute.

Mr. Thompson

Has never caused me

Anything but trouble,

And I ordered him

To leave town.

I'm going to request

That you leave my room.

Both of you.

I'll drop by

For the money.

Won't you let me

Talk to ben

Just for a few minutes?

Miss morales,

I don't know where he is.

May I have

My g*n back, please?

All right.

Gracias.

You are in deep trouble.

I am sorry.

( Door closes )

Marshal earp!

Marshal earp.

Doc holliday's aiming

To m*ssacre some fellas

Down at the long branch.

( Indistinct commands )

Fellas, move! Move!

Wait a minute, doc,

I didn't mean to--

Cover that spot up!

We'll k*ll us

A few skunks, ben.

I'll just take this,

Aim it right here--

Hold it!

Now what's

All this about?

They've been lying

About you, wyatt.

They say you're mixed up

With two women.

Ben knows the women.

I thought I told you

To leave town.

Well, it ain't

Sundown yet, pal.

Mr. Thompson, you go over

To my room in the dodge house.

Refresh yourself.

I'll settle this

With deacon earp.

Get out of here.

Break it up, men.

I hold no brief

With ben thompson.

He's a scamp.

But you consider

Your own idiotic behavior.

You allowed jim kelley

To bulldoze you

Into messing with ben

And his women.

Mr. Kelley is the mayor.

Yeah.

He's also the first man

Who will turn against you

When these lies

Are printed in the newspapers.

Wyatt, I have come

To the conclusion

You need a thoroughgoing

Scoundrel to befriend you

In this affair.

Ben thompson,

I reckon, huh?

No...

No, ben's a newfoundland

Puppy at heart.

I offer you my assistance.

Oh, thanks.

Then I take it

My offer is accepted?

Look, doc, I told ben

To get out of town.

Now, when he leaves,

The women are going to

Chase after him

And it's all

Going to be over.

They won't put an end

To the story

That you're a fancy dan.

Now, texas cowhands

You threw in jail

Will be only too happy

To repeat that slander.

Well, talk has never

Bothered me.

Let 'em blabber.

( Sighs )

( Slams glass )

If that's gonna be

Your attitude,

I'll just have to act

Without your consent.

Look, doc, why don't you

Be sensible?

What difference

Does it make

If they say I had women

In my hotel room?

What difference?

Wyatt, men like me

Have a curious obligation

To the truth.

It would sicken me

To be called good,

And conversely,

I don't propose

To have you called bad.

You're-- you're often

A sentimental idiot.

( Scoffs )

But you are not bad.

( Door closes )

Wyatt!

More trouble. A bunch

Of mexicans just moved in.

They're watching

The dodge house.

- How many?

- Five or six.

Well, disarm them,

Marshal.

Disarm them.

I'll give it

My attention, sir.

Good.

Look, don't you think

You ought to push

Along to the newspaper office,

Mr. Mayor?

Right.

Wyatt,

Ben thompson's

Not worth a gunfight.

He's holed up

In doc's quarters

At the hotel.

And doc'll join

Any playmate against him.

I hate to get tough

With the mexicans.

Yeah, I know-- every time

We've had to do it,

We found out

They were right.

Look, I want to talk

To the morales girl.

See if you can find her,

Will you?

- Right.

- Thanks.

Ben...

Rita's boys.

Looks like they've

Got me surrounded, doc.

You let wyatt

Take care of them.

What's the truth

Behind all this, ben?

You interested?

Any dealings

You might have with women

Would arouse a certain

Morbid curiosity, yes.

Sit down.

- Got a drink?

- Always.

Here.

Now tell me exactly how you

Got yourself into this fix.

Well...

I'll tell you.

I came for my money.

Oh? Well, there's

Been a little hitch.

Oh, no, none of that.

$ , -- You said

Ben left it for me.

Yeah, well,

Ben hasn't left town.

Well, what's that got

To do with it?

Look, miss mccabe, there are

A bunch of morales gunfighters

That have got

Ben surrounded.

Where?

The dodge hotel.

She can't pull that.

I'm settling with ben,

Not her.

You want to marry him?

I might have

My childish dreams.

Who knows?

Well, I think you

Want to sh**t ben

And I think miss rita

Might have the same idea.

She's just as sore

At ben as I am,

And meaner too.

Why, she'd sh**t him--

I told my vaqueros

To stay out of town.

How dare you blame me

For what happened!

I blame all three of you.

Now, I'm going

To give you minutes

To get your men

Out of dodge.

What?!

What if they refuse?

Then I'm going to throw them

All in jail.

But all I want

Is to see ben.

Talk to him.

Sure... And plug him

With that derringer.

You have g*n.

Big one. In there.

It's against the law,

Marshal.

Yeah, it sure is,

Carrying 'em on the street.

All right. You both

Turn over your weapons.

Come on.

Put 'em on the desk.

Enough of this nonsense.

Now you get your vaqueros

Out of dodge.

I'll go right along with her

And see that she does.

Hal...

You escort the ladies.

Right.

I'll be along

With vic and chuck later.

Minutes, senorita.

Minutes-- ha!

So you see, doc,

The whole thing's got me--

Well, kind of puzzled.

Do they both love me?

Or do neither one of 'em?

And if just one of 'em

Loves me,

How do I tell which one?

You willing to marry

One of 'em?

Well, sure, I guess,

If she loves me.

- You're going to marry, ben.

- Huh?

You got wyatt

Into this corner.

It's up to you

To get him out.

You mean, me marrying

One of 'em

Will square my old pal?

Mm.

Well, if it's gotta be,

It's gotta be.

Oh, I'd do worse

Than marrying for wyatt.

You know that.

Good.

- ( Murmuring and chatter )

- Jabber.

Come here, ben.

( Chatter continues )

- ( All chatter )

- That's why I sent for you.

Don't you understand

What I'm trying to say?

Who's that?

Oh, that's valdez,

And he's got a couple of--

No, no, I mean

The other girl.

( Sighs )

That's jenny.

Ask them to come up here.

- Both of 'em?

- Both of 'em.

- At the same time?

- Yes, ben, at the same time.

I hope you know

What you're doing.

( Speaking spanish )

Rita--

Jenny--

Come on up

To doc holliday's room.

I want to talk to you.

I go.

Stop fight.

They're-- they're--

They're--

They're both coming.

At the same time.

I... I don't know, doc.

This seems like

An awful lot to be doing,

Even for a pal

Like wyatt.

You're going to do

A lot more.

Lift 'em.

Oh, you gotta be joking.

I guess maybe you ain't.

Sit down in that chair.

What's the big idea?

Sit down!

Are you crazy?

Ben...

All your life, you've been

Making fools out of women.

Now two of those women

Are going to make a dead man

Out of you.

( Groans )

( Speaking spanish )

All right, hal, take 'em.

Lift 'em!

- Come on, come on,

Come on, come on.

- ( Speaking spanish )

Chuck, back around

The side. Vic!

( g*nf*re )

There's trouble downstairs.

Outside.

You stay here with me.

Ben?

( Shouts )

All right, ladies--

I understand you came here

To sh**t ben thompson.

We wouldn't be doing

You a favor, would we?

Not at all.

But you deserve to be k*lled

By an angry woman,

Don't you, ben?

I guess I do.

Of course, I'd respect

Your desire to k*ll ben

A great deal more

If you'd left marshal earp

Out of your problem.

Rita.

( Cocks g*n )

Doc--

Jenny.

( Cocks g*n )

Now I'll give

A count of three.

Rita, baby...

Jenny!

I ain't gonna beg

Either of you.

Ladies...

I'll commence the count.

One.

Two.

Darling!

I not sh**t you.

I'd never sh**t you.

That's all right,

Dear, now--

Just don't get yourself

All upset.

Everything's

Gonna be all right.

What did--

Doc, what's going on here?

Happiness, wyatt.

Happiness and joy.

A wedding has just

Been arranged.

A what?

A wedding.

( Laughs )

( All cheering )

( Laughs excitedly )

Just a minute, honey.

Wyatt, old pal,

No hard feelings?

No hard feelings, ben.

That one is mean man.

- Shh!

- Very!

- Angel.

- ( Laughter )

Have a good time!

Good-bye, ben!

( All chatter )

So long, ben!

♪ 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 ♪

♪ Long may his story

♪ Be told.
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