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01x01 - Wyatt Earp Becomes a Marshal

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.

01x01 - Wyatt Earp Becomes a Marshal

Post by bunniefuu »

♪♪ I'll tell you a story,

a real, true life story ♪

♪ A tale of

the Western frontier ♪

♪ The West, it was lawless

but one man was flawless ♪

♪ And his is the

story you'll hear ♪

♪ 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 ♪

♪ When he came to Kansas,

to settle in Kansas ♪

♪ He planned on

a peaceable life ♪

♪ Some goods and some chattel,

a few head of cattle ♪

♪ A home and

a sweet, loving wife ♪

♪ 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 ♪

♪ Hmm... ♪♪

- This is the beginning

of the story of Wyatt Earp,

the greatest of the old

fighting peace officers,

a real Western hero.

So great was

his character

and so complete his skill

at living with danger

that he became a legend

in his own lifetime.

In the hard world of

the Western frontier,

with all its bad men

and outlaws,

Wyatt Earp became

the peacemaker.

As a marshal, he went up

against the worst of them.

And the stories they tell

about him are doubly fabulous

because they're true.

This is Ellsworth, Kansas, .

Don't let the

peacefulness deceive you.

It was about as ornery

a little town as you'd find

outside of Dodge City.

It was run by

the Thompsons,

a notorious g*ng of

frontier gamblers and K*llers.

Most of the decent people

had pulled stake,

and the ones who

remained were afraid.

When Wyatt Earp first

rode into Ellsworth,

he was fresh from hunting

buffalo on the Great Plains.

He was just a peaceful young man

looking for a place to wash up.

- No too much, now.

It's good, huh?

[ Men shouting ]

You got enough?

[ Shouting ]

- And remember,

stranger,

anybody that deals

a game in Ellsworth

cuts with

the Thompsons.

[ g*nshots ]

- Whoa, boy!

[ Whooping and cheering ]

- Why don't you do

something, mister?

You've got g*ns.

Stop them! Do something!

- It's not my fight.

But you're welcome

to use my g*ns.

- Don't say it. I know

what you're thinking.

- I will say it. What are you

gonna do about this, Whitney?

- Nothing. Real cowboys I can

handle, but not this kind.

I'm too old. That's why

I sent for young Earp.

- Young, you say?

- Well, he oughta be

, by this time.

- A real trigger-happy

gunfighter, huh?

- No, he's not

a gunfighter.

I've known him most of

his life, and his folks too.

I'm not even sure

he'll take the job,

but if he would, it'll make

this a better town to live in.

- Are you sure he

can handle this crowd?

- He rode shotgun for Wells

Fargo out in California.

Never lost a dime

or a passenger.

When it comes to pulling

down a buffalo--

- I think we oughta

leave things alone.

I do business with

these men, good business.

So do you!

- If I have to run a newspaper

with their patronage,

I'll close up!

Well, I hope this Earp

comes soon, Whitney.

- My name's Wyatt Earp.

I'm lookin' for Sheriff Whitney.

- Ain't here.

- Hey, Mr. Earp!

- Well, if it

isn't Mr. Masterson.

What's the matter, don't you

like the beds in the hotel?

- You joshin'? The judge

gave me days or $ .

And I didn't even

have cents after...

- After what?

- After I lost my money

in a poker game.

You just can't beat

a crooked game, Mr. Earp.

- You got any objection to my

paying Mr. Masterson's fine?

- Mr. Masterson! Why, that

young rascal, he isn't worth--

- I said I'd like

to pay his fine.

- It's your money, mister.

- Much obliged,

Mr. Earp!

- Don't mention it,

Mr. Masterson.

- Well, what're you doin'

in Ellsworth, Mr. Earp?

- Well, I'm

not right sure.

Mr. Whitney sent word

he wanted to see me.

- It's Sheriff

Whitney now.

- That's what I hear.

Who talked him into that?

- Mayor Miller and the church

people across the tracks.

Somebody had

to take it.

- Mr. Whitney's a mite

elderly for the job.

From what I hear, this

is a right bad town.

- Bad? You stay around here,

you'll see the primest

gunfights outside of Abilene.

Four men got

k*lled last week,

three the week before

in a poker game.

- Speaking of poker, uh,

how much money did you lose?

- $ , or

thereabouts.

- Professionals?

- Sure! But I'm no

cry baby, Mr. Earp.

A man's gotta

learn sometime.

- That's right.

You, uh, you think that game

might still be running?

- Guess so.

- Where?

- Uh, Shannon's Bar!

- Come on.

- I thought you had to

see Sheriff Whitney!

- Oh, that can wait.

You know, I got a

great respect for poker...

honest poker, that is.

You might say I'm

real fond of it.

- No, Mr. Earp!

Cad Pierce and George

Peshaw run that game.

They ride with

the Thompsons.

They're both mean and

awful fast with their g*ns.

- You want your money

back, don't you?

- How many?

- Give me two.

- Three.

- Two.

- The two on the right.

- Three queens.

- Well, that's

enough for me.

- What's the matter? Don't

you wanna stay to get even?

- Some other time.

[ Laughing ]

- You stay outta this.

Mind if I sit in?

- Table stakes, mister.

It'll cost you $ .

- Ante up, gentlemen.

- Hold it.

You didn't deal me

the top card.

- You sure you wanna

say that, sonny?

- I'll put it

a little plainer.

I think you deal

a crooked game.

Same goes for you.

Don't try it.

Now, get out,

both of you.

Go on,

both of you.

- Boy! You sure drew a royal

flush, Mr. Earp. It's all yours.

- All I want's my $ and

the $ they took from you.

Losers in the game

divide the rest.

Help yourself, gents.

- Why'd you let 'em off?

Why didn't ya k*ll 'em?

- No point in that.

- Huh?

- They stole your money

and I got it back.

You lost $ ?

- No, not quite

that much.

- How much?

- $ , all I had.

The rest was bragging!

- Well, now, that

took real courage

to tell me that,

Mr. Masterson.

I'm proud you're

my friend.

- Yeah, but you

should've k*lled 'em.

They'll tell Ben Thompson

and his brother Bill

that you draw fast

but you don't sh**t.

- Well, when a man keeps on

pulling his g*n, you sh**t.

But if you get the drop

on him and he quits, no.

- Did you get that from the

Bible or McGuffey's Reader?

- I believe it's

mentioned in both.

Oh, you better check these

at the hotel for me.

- You better keep

'em on, Mr. Earp.

- I'm not lookin'

for trouble.

- Yes, sir.

- Wyatt, my boy!

- Mr. Whitney!

I started right off

to find you,

but I kind of

got sidetracked.

- Yes, I know.

Say, sit down and rest

yourself a mite, will you?

I got a lot to

talk to you about.

- It won't take

too much persuading

to sell me some cattle.

- Cattle? No, that isn't

what I had on my mind.

Wyatt, I sent for you

to take my job.

- What?

You sure do make it

awful tough, Mr. Whitney.

I owe you for

a lot of favors.

I just don't see me

wearing a star.

- Well, is that

so outlandish?

I knew your folks

back in Illinois.

A lot of lawyers

in the Earp family.

Your father was a judge.

- That's right.

But the Earps have done

their share for the law.

Anyway, the law out here

means trouble.

You get enough of that

without going looking for it.

- Well, if that's the way

you really feel about it.

- Yes, sir, it is.

I sure don't like

to turn you down,

but all I want to do now is buy

myself a little cattle spread,

and sit back and watch

the steers grow fat.

- Sounds good.

But let me ask

you something.

Why did you go

up against

of the best gunslingers

in the Thompson outfit?

- 'Cause they cheated Bat.

- I don't think that

was the real reason.

- No? What then?

- A sense of rightness.

It was born in ya.

Some men have it,

some don't.

- Well, look,

Mr. Whitney, I'm sorry.

But I just don't

want the job.

- I can't say as

I really blame you.

One man hasn't much chance to

civilize a hoodlum cowtown.

But if you won't

do me the big favor,

will you do me

a little one?

- Yes, sir.

- Get out of

Ellsworth real fast.

After that gunplay

you made--

[ g*nshots ]

Uh-oh! Ben and

Bill Thompson.

- Is that the great

Wyatt Earp, Whitney?

- Now, don't get nervous, Ben.

He isn't wearing his g*ns.

Better check yours

at the hotel too.

- Is this the fool kid you're

tryin' to make sheriff?

What are you tryin' to do,

pull a joke on us, Whitney?

- The joke's on me, Bill.

He won't take my job.

- Go ahead and

take it, sonny.

Run us out of town

with your bare hands.

- I'm not lookin' to cause

any trouble for Mr. Whitney.

I'll let him

run me out of town.

That satisfy you?

- Yeah.

- It don't satisfy me.

You don't make small of

us with your jokes.

- You better cool off,

Bill. You're drunk.

Give me the g*n.

- Sure, I'll

give it to ya.

I've been wantin' to give

it to ya for a long time,

you meddlin' old fool!

- You drunken fool!

- At least I got

me a sheriff.

- Come on, get out of town!

I'll cover for you!

- Let's get him

in the store.

♪♪ Now, he wasn't partial

to bein' a marshal ♪

♪ But fate went and

dealt him his hand ♪

♪ While outlaws were lootin'

and killin' and shootin' ♪

♪ He knew that he must

take a stand ♪

♪ Oh, Wyatt Earp,

Wyatt Earp ♪

♪ Long may his story be told ♪♪

- Stay outta sight, Miller!

We got this town treed.

- He says he's goin' out there

and arrest Ben Thompson,

if he can find g*ns

that suit him.

[ g*nsh*t ]

- Are you

Wyatt Earp?

- Yes, sir.

- I'm Jim Miller, Mayor.

Sheriff Whitney

was my best friend.

- He was mine too.

- Did you come here

without g*ns?

- No, sir. I checked

them at the hotel.

The sears are rusted

on most of these.

- I just heard

about it.

- Why the back door,

Mr. Crawford?

- Look, I need help,

Mr. Mayor.

- You could've shot Bill

Thompson from behind the fence.

You let him

get away!

- The thing to do

is form a posse.

Ben Thompson's the fastest

hand with a Colt.

- Ah, let's see your g*n.

Give it to Mr. Earp.

- The dog's

filed off.

When I know I can

just let the hammer go,

I tend to sh**t

too quick.

- Maybe you ain't

aimin' to sh**t at all.

- Guess I'll have

to use these.

[ g*nshots ]

- I brought your

g*ns, Mr. Earp.

- You hurt?

- Felt like I stopped a couple,

but I guess I didn't. I'm OK.

- Needlessly reckless,

Mr. Masterson.

You could've come in by the

alley like Marshal Crawford.

- "One minute," Ben said,

and he'll sh**t up my store.

If Earp fires just one shot,

they'll burn the town!

- That might be

a good thing!

Here, you better

wear this.

- I won't need it.

- I think Mr. Whitney

would've liked you to.

- Hey, Miller!

The great Wyatt Earp's got his

g*ns now, so send him out here!

- Don't walk into that

shotgun, Mr. Earp. sh**t quick!

- If he ain't out here

in a minute,

I'm comin' in to get him!

Do ya hear that, Earp?

[ Men laughing ]

- He didn't run.

- He's fast, Ben.

Get him now!

- Ain't you kind of

foolhardy, son?

Letting Miller pin a star

on ya, and sendin' ya out here?

You guys stay out

of this, all of you.

You've come far

enough, Earp.

What do you

expect me to do?

- Throw your shotgun on the

road, put up your hands,

and tell your friends

to stay out of this play.

- Stop, and let

me talk to ya!

What are you

gonna do with me?

- k*ll ya or

take ya to jail.

- The minute I give this g*n up,

someone'll cut loose at me.

- If they do, I'll

give you back your g*n,

and we'll sh**t

it out with 'em.

As long as

you're my prisoner,

the man who gets you

has gotta get me.

- You're going after my brother?

- I don't waste my time.

Now, throw down your g*n

or make your fight.

All right, the rest

of you men move back!

Go on, move!

Come on, Ben. We'll go

over to the calaboose.

- I think I could've

gotten ya.

- That isn't what

you were thinking.

- No?

- No, you figured

I might get you.

- If you had, my men

would've shot you down.

- Yeah, but

you'd be dead,

and who'd look after

your brother, Bill?

- What are you,

a mind reader?

- Nope. But I got brothers

too, and I can understand

how you'd try and save him

from the rope, if you could.

- Well, I'll be!

- I agree with

the Judge!

- Well, I don't agree with

you, Judge, and I want--

- Quiet, both of you! I'll

handle this in my own way!

Well, Ben, what's

the charge this time?

- I guess we better let

the new man speak his piece.

He's the one

that arrested me.

- All right, son.

- His brother, Bill,

k*lled Sheriff Whitney.

Ben helped him get away.

That makes him accessory

to the m*rder.

- Bill did this, not Ben.

Why didn't you organize

a posse and go after Bill?

- That'd be kind of stupid, sir.

- Oh, it would.

- Yes, sir.

You just put Ben in jail

where he belongs,

and Bill's bound to come back

and try to spring him.

When he does, I'll arrest him,

and you can hang him.

- Oh, now I ask you Judge...

is that legal?

- No, it'll lower the

dignity of this court.

- Your dignity?

Mr. Earp arrested Thompson

at the risk of his life!

- Order!

I know how you feel, Mr. Mayor.

Mr. Beebe, what do

you say about this?

- Well, I think Ben oughta be

fined for disturbing the peace,

and that's all.

- Well, Ben, you agree

to take your crowd

out of town

right away?

- Sure do.

- All right.

$ fine, $ costs.

- Do I get my g*ns

back, Judge?

- Yep. Uh, Sheriff, uh,

what's-your-name,

return Mr. Thompson's

g*ns to him.

Court's adjourned!

- Well, I didn't know you were

in cahoots with the Judge!

- Don't put 'em on till

you get out of town.

- Of course not. I promised

the Judge, didn't I?

Come on,

we're riding.

[ Men laughing ]

- Just a cheap

hunk of tin.

Mr. Whitney didn't die

for much, did he?

- I know how you feel,

but I sure wish you'd

give us another chance.

- No, thanks.

- Mr. Earp, we're gonna get a

new judge at the next election,

and some good officers

to help keep order.

- My job's

huntin' buffalo.

I don't get quite

$ a head for 'em,

but then again,

I don't have to bury 'em.

Good day, gentlemen.

[ Fighting ]

- I'll learn you not to

call Ben Thompson yellow!

- I can handle him,

Mr. Earp!

- Get up again,

and I'll hurt you.

- You're under arrest.

- Who is it?

- Marshal

Crawford.

- I thought you

were still hiding.

- You won't be so brave

when Judge Osborne

gets through with you.

- Then this fellow Earp

knocked Pete Logan unconscious

with the barrel

of a . .

- That's a lie!

He did it with his fists!

- Order! That means you

keep your mouth shut!

Well, Mr. Earp,

who's stupid now?

- You are, sir.

- That's just what

I wanted to hear.

I fine you $

for felonious as*ault

and I sentence you to days in

jail for contempt of this court!

- That's the

law for ya!

Mr. Earp ran your friends out of

town single-handed, and so you--

- Shut up! You get

days in jail.

- For what?

- Vagrancy.

Lock 'em up.

- So they call

this justice!

He started bragging

that Ben Thompson had

several gunslingers in town

to take care of you.

So I ask him why Ben

didn't stay himself.

Now, is that

vagrancy, Mr. Earp?

- Nope.

- Well, just

what is vagrancy?

- Well, if you're playin'

poker and you win,

you're a sportin' man.

But if you lose,

you're a vagrant.

- So you're in jail

for bein' honest,

and I'm here

for bein' poor.

Now, what kind

of law is that?

- Just the Ellsworth brand.

It could've been a lot worse.

- How?

- Well, they, uh...

they could've caught you

drawin' to an inside straight.

[ Both chuckling ]

- What is it now, Miller?

I'm in a hurry.

- Just a little story I'm

telegraphing to the capital.

The Governor might

like it for his paper.

I thought you might

like to look it over.

- "No law west of Newton.

"No God west of Dodge."

Well, that means Ellsworth!

Are you aiming to get me in

trouble with the Governor?

I don't think you've

got the nerve.

- Until today, I don't

think I did have.

- "Shyster judge. The law in

Ellsworth is a farce--"

Why, that's libelous!

- No, that's blackmail.

- Well, what is

it you want?

- Wyatt Earp and

young Masterson.

What's wrong,

Mr. Earp?

- Marshal Crawford

and the Judge

sure left in an awful hurry

by the back door.

- They were

scared of ya.

- Nah, the Judge and

the Thompson brothers

can't afford to have us

run it over 'em.

Logan told Bat here that there

was somebody gunnin' for me.

And here it comes.

Get away from me,

both of ya. Go on!

- You in a hurry to

leave town, Mr. Earp?

- Nope.

- Ben says we've had

enough of ya.

So does Judge Osborne.

- What do you think?

- Get out!

Why you dirty-- AH!

- Get Ben to teach you

to sh**t with both hands.

Come on, Bat, help me

pick them up.

- Yes, sir!

- I guess I better

wear that star

before the Judge can

throw me in jail

for disturbin' the peace.

- Primest gunfight

I ever saw!

Thompson caught his

gunsight in the holster,

Pierce hurried his aim

and got off a wild shot.

But what happened

to Peshaw?

- He was left-handed.

Come on, men,

take 'em to jail.

- Much as I hate losin'

good customers, Mr. Earp,

it'll be a pleasure

havin' you around.

- Can you imagine that?

The odds were to

against you, Mr. Earp.

- Well, let's forget about

gunfightin' odds, Mr. Masterson.

But I've--I've noticed that

you give very little thought

to the odds in poker.

Do you realize that

the odds against

your drawing a straight

flush is , to ?

And in drawin'

to one pair,

the odds against you improvin'

that hand are to .

It's a--it's a risky

business, poker.

♪♪ Hmm ♪

♪ 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 ♪

♪ Long may his story ♪

♪ Be ♪

♪ Told ♪

♪ Hmm ♪♪