02x26 - Bat Masterson for Sheriff

[bunniefuu]

[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]

Politics on the frontier

Of was often

A brawling,

Conniving business.

Wyatt earp is marshal

Of dodge city.

He was appointed by

The mayor and council.

He didn't have to run

For election.

But when charlie bassett,

Sheriff of ford county,

Decided not to seek

Election again,

Wyatt was confronted

With a difficult choice.

He must either allow

A bad choice

Backed by some cattlemen

To take over the sheriff's

Office,

Or he must find a candidate

With whom he could work

In honest law enforcement.

So wyatt decided that young

Bat masterson should make

The race for sheriff.

The big trouble was

That neither wyatt

Nor bat

Knew how many g*ns

Were loaded and aimed

At them.

[Knock on door]

Howdy, gentlemen.

Sheriff.

Thanks, but I ain't

Sheriff yet.

Just a small matter

Of getting elected.

Maybe that'll help.

What you got in mind,

Mr. Lanphere?

Well, you know that earp's

Talked bat masterson into

Running against me.

Mm-hmm.

Just two things wrong

With bat as a candidate.

He's earp's best friend.

What's the other thing?

He's young and c*ck.

He won't walk away

From a fight.

I've gotta make the voters

Understand that a brawling

Trigger-happy kid

Ain't the sort

They want for sheriff.

Maybe you fellas can help

Spread that idea around.

I don't know.

Bat's awful good

With a g*n, mr. Lanphere.

You won't need g*ns.

Don't even wear

Those things.

Get him into arguments.

Pick fist fights with him.

Keep him in trouble.

He's bound to lose his temper

And get himself branded

Around the county

As a hoodlum brat.

See what I mean?

Hal, have you seen

Mr. Masterson?

Sure, he's in the parlor

Of the dodge hotel

With miss alma.

Oh, no.

There's not need

To fret, wyatt.

The voters approve

Of miss alma.

At least they elected

Her daddy state senator.

Yeah, she thinks she knows

Too much about politics.

Hal, you take my patrol.

I'm gonna see to it

That the future sheriff

Masterson gets home safe.

It isn't that I have

Anything personal

Against mr. Earp,

But what kind of a political

Campaign is this?

No speeches, no rallies.

Nothing but a couple

Of advertisements

In the globe.

You know I couldn't

Make a speech.

I'd be all tongue-tied.

Jerry lanphere's

Making speeches.

He goes all over the county.

Shaking hands,

Kissing babies.

[Shudders]

Those poor babies.

Well, my father says

You're going to lose if you

Keep listening to mr. Earp.

He's a political liability.

A what?

He's a controversial

Figure.

He has personal enemies

And the voters will think

That you're much too close--

[Knock on door]

You folks got a lease

On this here parlor?

Move on, sonny.

I'm expecting a gal

Of my own.

Let's you and me

Settle this outside.

No, bat, please.

He's just talking big.

[Alma]

Stop it! Stop it!

Stop it!

Hold it!

That's enough.

Hold your temper.

You get out of here.

I'll see him again.

Well, I'll be around.

Now what was all this about?

He came busting in here.

And you hit him first.

Now he'll probably

Go all over town

Talking mean

And then he'll start

Another fight.

Papa says that's

The main thing bat has

To be on his guard against.

Well, the senator's right.

Why don't you take miss alma

Down to the texas cafe

And have some lemonade

And simmer down?

How did you

Get here so quick?

I just happened

To be standing outside

And I heard the rumpus.

You take charge

Of him, miss alma.

No, I've got

A headache now,

And I'm going up

To my room.

I sure am sorry, hon.

It couldn't be helped,

I guess.

But you should have stayed

Out of it, mr. Earp.

Every time you show

The voters how close

You are to bat,

It'll cost him votes.

Papa says it could be fatal.

Yes.

I'll see you later, bat.

For dinner?

All right.

She just got upset

About the fight.

Yeah.

Ever see that cowhand before?

No.

Mr. Lanphere must be

Trying something cute.

Politics.

To make me look bad?

That's right.

I got a hunch.

Let me have your g*n.

You walk down towards

The texas cafe.

I'll follow you,

But no g*n.

All right.

Am I supposed to

Know either of you?

Now we'll have it out

Real good.

Oh, no,

You don't sucker me again.

Now you take 'em to jail.

I'll go see lanphere.

No, that's just what he wants.

These two can walk.

You herd 'em onto jail.

Come on!

You would make a fine sheriff

Beating people up in the street.

Come on.

Now what's got you

Moaning so low?

Politics.

I don't like politics.

Oh, you don't

Like politics, huh?

No, I must have been loco

When I promised you

I'd run for sheriff.

Now this is important.

We've kept a lid

On dodge.

The only reason we've been

Able to do that is

Because charlie bassett

And bill tillman have run

An honest sheriff's

Office, right?

Right.

If those hoodlums

Put lanphere across

As sheriff,

The whole town

Is gonna blow wide open.

Don't you understand that?

Why can't I withdraw

And let you run?

We've been through this

A dozen times.

They wouldn't elect me

For sheriff. I'm not

That popular.

I think you are.

Weren't you at the hotel

When miss alma told us

That my being your friend

Was a drawback?

I suppose we gotta quit

Being friends, huh?

Oh, no, if that's what

It takes to get elected.

All you gotta do

Is just take it easy

And stay out of fights.

The reason that lanphere

Sicced those three

Gunfighters on you

Was so that people

Would think that

You are raunchy and wild.

Now you just le me

Do the fighting.

And the voters

Will think I'm scared.

No, they won't.

Now look, being a sheriff

Is a dignified job.

You just can't go around

Swinging at every cowhand

That taunts you.

All right, all right,

I'm going home.

Do I get my g*n back?

No, I'm escorting

You home.

Still my bodyguard, huh?

You never let any of us

Wet nurse you.

That's because I'm not running

For sheriff of ford county.

Well, a promise

Is a promise.

I'll be a good little boy.

And now, gentlemen,

I come to the main point.

My opponent

Mr. Bat masterson

Is a common thug,

A hireling in the employ

Of wyatt earp.

I don't believe it!

I have here

Three honest cowhands.

Just now released

From mr. Earp's prison.

Last night each one

Of them was set upon

By mr. Masterson.

And when they tried

To defend themselves,

Mr. Earp joined

His friend masterson

In beating them with

Fists and g*n barrels.

[Crowd clamoring]

Masterson had no reason

To insult these men.

I'm going to introduce

Them presently

And each one of them

Will tell you that

Masterson was

In a nasty mood

And picked a fight.

You wait here.

No, bat, no!

Is this the kind of man

You want for sheriff?

A drunken, irresponsible

Gunfighter and hoodlum.

A k*ller who if elected

Will still be working

For marshal earp.

You're a liar!

[Shouting]

Listen up!

All right, mr. Masterson,

You take care of miss alma.

He was lying about me.

I don't care!

You take her back

To the hotel and then

Start your patrol.

You understand?

Yes, sir.

It was just

A political speech.

Politicians don't

Have to take an oath

When they talk.

Mr. Lanphere,

I'm sorry if mr. Masterson

Said you were lying.

You're sorry?

That's right.

You see, mr. Masterson

Just doesn't understand

That you're a natural born

Liar and can't help yourself.

[Laughing]

What are you laughing at?

I know what I'm doing.

Now we got free speech

In this town.

So, mr. Lanphere,

You just go on

With your meeting.

You try and stop me.

I just said

I wouldn't do that.

You just climb back up

On your little platform

There

And tell the biggest

Whoppers you can think of.

[Laughing]

[Clamoring]

That is just exactly

The sort of thing

That will keep

Right on happening

Here in dodge city.

You saw with your own eyes.

Well, you won't

Listen to me.

I will not.

Really?

Well, I told you last night.

You and mr. Earp

Don't know "a, b, c"

About politics.

Now my father's coming

To town this afternoon.

He can tell you how

To get elected.

All right.

You'll do what he says?

Yes.

Papa likes you.

If you go along

With his ideas,

You can win.

You being sheriff

Is just a beginning.

There's no telling how high

You can go in politics.

I like you, too.

Very much.

Well, thanks, hon.

Later.

Here comes mr. Earp.

Here, wear this.

I thought you didn't

Want me to wear a g*n.

Mr. Lanphere isn't

Gonna try fist fighting

Anymore.

He's proved his point.

Think he'll g*n me?

He's a little too slow

For that.

He might hire a drunk

Or somebody else to make

A play against you,

Hoping you'll sh**t.

Yeah, I get it.

Why are you trusting me

With a g*n?

I might lose my temper

And use it.

And lose the election?

Yeah.

No, you won't sh**t

Unless you have to.

Anyway, mr. Lanphere's

Playing a lot dirtier

Than I expected.

You can't walk

Around town unarmed.

What happened to your idea

Of wet nursing me?

I got a nice little

Telegram here from

Senator drew.

It says if we want

His support,

We gotta follow

His instruction.

I guess miss alma sent him

A telegram last night.

I guess you did.

But you're still the boss

As far as I'm concerned,

Wyatt.

Let's see what

The political expert

Has to say.

Meanwhile,

You're supposed

To be a deputy marshal,

So get on your patrol.

Right.

The globe

Just came out.

They printed every one

Of lanphere's charges

Right on page one.

Hmm.

"Masterson assaults cowhand.

Goes on rampage with fists.

The earp candidate denounced

By jerry lanphere."

Stupid. Damnably stupid.

It isn't bat's fault,

But you know how he

Hero worships mr. Earp.

I thought he'd listen

To you until I

Could get here.

Not against mr. Earp.

They're both just babes

In the woods, really.

But, papa, I still

Think bat can amount

To something.

The people like him.

Mr. Earp, I'm so glad

You could come in a hurry.

Not at all.

Howdy, senator.

Hello, wyatt.

Sit yourself down.

Thank you.

Papa has to go back

To topeka on the night train

So I'll leave

You two to talk.

Seen this?

No, sir.

You know, the globe

Is supporting mr. Lanphere.

He does a lot

Of advertising.

I don't like

The hoodlum crowd.

That's why I encouraged

You to find a man who

Could beat lanphere.

Yes.

Frankly, when you picked

Masterson, I had my doubts.

But alma's kind of

Interested in the boy.

Sir, in all due respect

To miss alma, I didn't

Consider her feelings.

I picked mr. Masterson

Because I could trust him

And work with him.

That's the trouble.

What do you mean?

Politically-wise.

You and bat are too close.

I see.

You've been

A fine marshal here,

But let's face it.

An honest peace officer

Makes enemies.

He can't be honest

And popular at

The same time.

I guess so.

I don't see why

Mr. Masterson has to

Be saddled with my enemies.

There's a way around that.

You and masterson

Could have a big row

In public.

You mean a fake quarrel?

Wyatt, this is politics.

A campaign is

Half play acting.

You want an honest

Sheriff, right?

That's right.

Then what's a little

Phineas t. Barnum stunt

Compared to getting

Bat elected?

Well, but mr. Masterson

Can't act worth shucks.

[Laughs]

Bat doesn't have to

Be an actor.

You make the quarrel.

Make him think it's

In dead earnest.

Well, all right.

You're the expert,

Senator.

I'll trail him around.

Maybe something will happen

To make it look good.

Fine, wyatt, fine.

No, put it on the eight.

The eight.

You gotta play percentage.

You never will win it--

[Mutters]

Where'd he go?

Frog face, turn around.

I wanna talk to you.

Have you thought it over?

It ain't enough money,

Mr. Lanphere.

Shh. Shh.

Shh. I can get k*lled.

Bat won't draw on you.

No? How can I be sure

Of that?

$ More says he won't.

He can't afford a gunfight.

He's in politics.

All you have to do

Is wave your g*n

Around at him.

Call him a few names.

Play acting, huh,

Mr. Lanphere?

A practical joke.

That's all.

Well, if that's all it is.

You know what I'll do?

I'll pull out my g*n.

I'll sneak up behind him.

I'll say you--

And then I might even

Fire a shot over his head

Just to give him

A little scare, see?

Then when he turns around,

I'll say,

"I got you, you bum.

You think you're gonna

Be the sheriff

Of this town?

Let's see what kind of

A brave sheriff you are."

[Mutters]

Hello, bat.

How's your campaign coming?

Pretty good, thank you.

Nice going.

Thanks.

Stay in there, boy.

I'm gonna vote for you, bat.

Thanks.

You yellow pup,

Now I got you.

Now take it easy,

Frog face.

Go for your g*n.

Let's see what kind

Of a brave sheriff you'd make.

[g*nsh*t]

Ow! You shot me!

I'm k*lled.

I'm k*lled.

Mr. Masterson,

You promised to quit fighting.

Wyatt, it wasn't a fight.

Hold still now,

Frog face.

He started to draw

On me, wyatt.

I had to defend myself.

It was an accident

With his own g*n.

You're not hurt bad.

Just pinching the leg.

You'll be all right,

Frog face. I'll get

You over to doc mccarty.

That winds it up,

Mr. Masterson.

Turn in your star.

What?

You broke your promise.

Are you loco?

I told you it

Was an accident.

We used to be friends.

I did the best I

Could for you.

Now we're finished.

Save your breath.

Wyatt, listen--

Don't take it

That way, bat.

You're lucky to find out

So quick.

Lucky?

I wasn't gonna vote

For you, but now that

You're rid of earp,

I'm with you.

Thanks. Thanks a lot.

I'm not saying I made a lot

Of trouble for wyatt.

Ever since the first days

In ellsworth,

I've been getting into

Scrapes he got me out of,

But this time

It's his fault.

He wouldn't even give me

A chance to explain.

He just gets sore

And fires me in front

Of that crowd of hoodlums.

Maybe he never really

Was your friend.

Wyatt. He's been like

My big brother.

Taught me g*n fighting.

Saved my life half

A dozen times.

But a true friend

Wouldn't pull out

On you the way he did.

Yeah, I can't understand it.

I don't know what to do, alma.

It's been wyatt and me

On the trail together

In gunfights side by side.

I'm not gonna beg him.

He says we're through,

So we're through.

And a good riddance,

Darling.

No, not losing a friend

Like wyatt.

But now you'll win

The election.

Election?

What does that amount

To compared to a man--

He'll cost you votes,

Hundreds of votes.

Why, honey, when papa

Heard about the split up,

He said you're

As good as elected.

You have his support now

All the way.

Papa knows.

We're going far in politics.

You'll be governor

Before many years.

Yeah, votes, votes,

Yeah, sure.

What's the matter?

I don't know.

I gotta think about this.

I'm gonna take a walk

And I'll think about it.

Wyatt, my boy.

I guess you heard, huh?

Wonderful.

Worked like a charm,

Or didn't it?

I don't know.

I think I hurt his feelings.

I was rough on him

And I meant to be.

Nonsense,

After the election,

You can explain to bat,

And you'll both have

A good laugh over it.

Now then the boy has

To make a few speeches

Here in dodge

And around the county.

A public row

Isn't quite enough.

He'll have to denounce you

And tell the voters that he

Doesn't want your support.

Yes, sir.

I've hired him

A campaign wagon

And all the trimmings.

And spike gillam,

My own manager,

Is going to take charge.

Bat could go places.

He's young, but women

Want to mother him.

And women swing

A lot of votes, even if

They can't vote themselves.

Bat has a good honest face,

And he likes people.

Well, there's just

One thing, though.

What if he doesn't

Make up to me?

Now don't you worry

About that.

Politics is politics.

I'm in a rush.

Have a lot of odds

And ends to pick up

And a train to catch.

Here's to the new sheriff.

Bat masterson.

Well, sir, I thank you

For your advice.

No, no,

I'm-a thank you

For taking my advice.

Don't miss bat's speech

This afternoon.

More effective if you're

In the crowd when he

Denounces you.

I'll be there, sir.

[Clamoring]

Gentlemen,

My father had to return

To topeka on business,

So he asked me

To introduce mr. Masterson,

Our next sheriff.

Now you all know

Mr. Masterson's record

As a fearless deputy marshal.

But there is one point

That I'm sure mr. Masterson

Wishes to explain

To the voters.

His opponent has charged

That he is a henchman

Of marshal wyatt earp.

This is not true.

Mr. Masterson

And mr. Earp

Are no longer friends.

[Crowd grumbling]

But I'm sure that

Mr. Masterson doesn't

Need me to speak for him.

He can speak for himself.

And so I give you

Mr. William b.

Bat masterson,

The next sheriff

Of ford county!

I'd like to talk directly

To wyatt earp.

Wyatt, alma's got things

A little mixed up.

You're still my friend

No matter what you

Think of me.

[Crowd clamoring]

You're sore at me.

And maybe as you see,

You have a right to

Be sore.

Well, that doesn't matter.

I'll go on naming you

As my friend as long

As I live.

And if claiming you

As a friend makes me unworthy

Of election as sheriff,

That doesn't matter.

[Crowd murmuring]

You know, good friends

Are scarce in this life.

A man would be a fool

To trade a friend

For a political office.

Anybody that votes for me

Votes for wyatt earp, too.

I don't exactly

Like you, earp,

But I'll vote for you.

And I'm gonna vote

For bat masterson.

Stupid.

Furthermore,

Gentlemen...

Mr. Masterson.

Here. You better

Wear that, too.

Thanks, wyatt.

You know, you sell

Yourself too short.

I'm gonna win that election

And mostly because of you.

Yeah, well, I don't know.

You lost miss alma

And her papa.

Two votes. Phooey.

Get behind me.

Keep your hand

Off that g*n.

[Shouts]

No, lick him at the polls.

Come on, help me

Pick up these men.

Take 'em over to doc.

Come on.

Lanphere-- .

Masterson-- !

I never would have

Believed it.

Hey, how about that?

Congratulations,

Sheriff masterson.

Thanks.

Come here.

Take that off.

Yes, sir.

Compliments of marshal earp.

Is this all you gotta

Do to be elected?

Just be yourself

And tell the truth?

Well, I'll tell you.

Politicians have been trying

To figure out different ways

For over , years,

But you can't lick

The truth.

And every once in a while,

A good man comes along

To prove it.

I almost forgot.

There's a pretty little

Gal waiting for you

Over in the parlor

At the dodge hotel.

Not miss alma.

No, no, this one wants you

To run for president

Next year.

A new girl. Excuse me.

♪ 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 ♪