Original subtitles

♪♪ [ trumpet ]

Howdy, I'm the Old Ranger,

and Death Valley's my stampin' ground.

Many's the tale of adventure I'm going to tell you

about the Death Valley country. True stories, mind you.

I can vouch for that.

NARRATOR: Again, yellow lightening has struck in the Nevada desert.

Gold, first in Tonopah,

then Goldfield, now Rhyolite.

The recorder's office is flooded with location notices

as prospectors scramble to file claim,

while location monuments and boundary markers sprout,

where before there was only sand and sagebrush.

And as usual, where there's lightening, there's plenty of thunder.

MAN: Hey, what are you doing out there?

Get away from those Brumbry stakes!

Get away from them stakes!

I said get away from them stakes.

Why, you dirty claim jumper, you,

I'll pound you like one of those m--

Good golly, he is a woman.

Yeah, I'm a woman.

But I ain't no claim jumper.

This here is my ground.

Your ground? You're crazy.

I got papers on it.

And here's mine, dated May the 17th.

Mine is dated May 15th.

You changed those stakes afterwards

to take in the strip where the rich vein runs.

Oh, you want to fight it out, do you?

All right, I'll fight you.

I ain't pulling no punches 'cause you're a woman neither.

A woman. [chuckles]

That's just to show you

that I ain't pullin' my punches either.

She's got a kick like a mule,

a face like a horse,

and a disposition like a bear with cubs.

[ laughing ]

Mister, that was no less than Claim Jumpin' Jennie herself.

So she makes a habit of claim jumpin', does she?

MAN: Sure does. I had a run-in with her myself

up in Tonopah.

I staked me out a nice claim,

filled out the location papers,

and was all ready to file--

JENNIE: You lie.

You never was near that reporter's office.

I didn't get a chance.

No, because you was too drunk.

You went on a spree.

I was just celebrating like any He-Man would,

and you took advantage of it to jump my claim.

That ain't claim jumpin'.

I never jumped a claim in my life.

Give me my mail and let me get out of here.

Afraid nothin' for you, Jennie.

There ain't?

Nope.

But I always get a letter the first of the month.

I know, but not this time.

That's funny.

Maybe it's in the corner of the mail sack and you missed it.

I always turn the mail bag inside out.

Can't understand it. Never failed to write before.

Must be something wrong.

Mother's going to think something terrible has happened

when she doesn't get my usual letter.

But I thought I'd be in Rhyolite long before this.

Traveling in the West is a little different

than where you come from.

This is still a new country, and a pretty rough one in spots.

That's why I didn't write I was coming.

She never would have approved.

But a girl can't stay in finishing school all her life.

I've been finished and re-finished

until I'm sick of it.

Besides, I haven't seen Mother in seven years.

Seven years?

Oh, it does sound awful, doesn't it,

but you really mustn't blame her.

The stuff that she owns from many big mines and things.

Whenever she plans on coming East to visit me,

something important always comes up.

Mining is a strange business for a lady to be in.

She must be very brilliant.

If she weren't, she wouldn't be where she is.

Poor Jennie.

Getting a headache, worrying about a letter that didn't come

while at the very moment

a bigger headache was rolling her way.

Maybe I should say poor Linda, too.

You ask me, the desert

is getting too god darn civilized.

A mining camp with an ice plant.

What are we going to have next?

Ice cream.

[ chuckles ]

Must be Charlie Schwab's field engineer.

I hear tell he's comin' here to look over some new properties

for the old man.

I'm going over to the Post Office.

I wonder, would you have my bags put in the hotel

until I can call for them?

Certainly. Thank you.

And thank you for your company.

Well, I'm the one who should be doing the thanking.

You've turned a dull trip into one I'll never forget.

Who's the little chicky with him?

His wife, I guess.

The way he's paying attention to her...

[ chuckling ] you better guess again.

Oh, I'll be out of town a few days

looking at some property, but when I come back,

may I call on you? If you don't,

I'll be disappointed.

She's comin' over here.

Anything I can do for you, miss?

Are you the Post Master?

Post Master, storekeeper,

Justice of the Peace, and sometimes undertaker.

I'm looking for Mrs. Parrish.

Parrish?

Mrs. Jane Parrish.

You don't mean Claim Jum-- There's a Jennie Parrish.

That's the one. She owns a big gold mine here.

One of the richest.

What's the matter?

[ stutters ]

I didn't realize she was a missus.

She's a missus, all right.

I'm her daughter.

Her daughter? You don't say.

It don't seem possible, Jennie's daughter.

Could it be the big house, on the hill?

Huh?

Oh, no, no, that belongs to Senator Clark of Montana.

Oh.

You might find her, now it's just possible,

if you go out that way, along the ridge road,

the last house.

How far is it?

Oh, it ain't far, just a hoop and a holler.

Well, thank you, very much.

Hey, what she want, Jim? Who is she?

Who is she?

You won't believe me when I tell you.

She's the--

Sorry, but it's against the rules

to gossip about official business.

[ rustling ]

[ rustling continues ]

Excuse me, sir, I'm afraid I'm lost.

I'm looking for Mrs.--

Linda!

Mother!

Linda, baby.

Mother, I didn't know you.

I didn't know you either, baby.

Why, you growed up to be a beautiful young lady,

just like I always prayed you would.

But what brings you here? No trouble, I hope.

No, I... I just wanted to see you.

It's been so long.

Been long to me, too.

Do you really live here? In this place?

When I ain't prospectin'.

Mrs. Jane Parrish...

the wealthy mine owner.

Why did you ever write such things?

My friends, how will I ever face them after what I told them?

Shucks, baby, they don't need to know.

Them girls back at school never have to find out.

It isn't just the girls at school, it's...

it's other people, too.

Oh, I feel like such a fool. I wish I'd never come out here.

So do I, baby, if it's gonna make you feel unhappy.

I didn't mean no harm by what I writ,

I only done it so that you'd feel as good as the rest of 'em

and hold your head high.

And one of these days, I'm gonna strike it rich,

and everything's gonna be all right.

That doesn't help any now.

No, I guess it don't.

How did you get the money to come out here?

I saved it, from what you sent me.

You got any left?

Well, be it might crowded to put you up here.

There's a nice hotel in town,

with electric lights and running water,

now you can stay there

until I can scratch up enough to send you back East.

And baby...

if it will make you feel better,

I won't... I won't tell anyone I'm your mother.

The Southeastern Foundry runs right along there.

That's this line here, following the rich vein.

Some of the markers got pulled up by mistake.

Ain't no doubt about it,

you got a good claim here. One of the best in the district.

Then suppose we get down to business.

Mr. Schwab isn't one to haggle.

There's something he wants, he'll pay what it's worth.

What in blazes are you doing on my ground?

BUCK: It ain't yours, and you know it.

His claim only goes to there, mister.

This strip belongs to me.

Don't listen to her.

She's known as Claim Jumpin' Jennie.

She's famous all over Nevada!

If there's any dispute about this ground,

Mr. Schwab wouldn't be interested.

Good day, sir. Good day, sir-- ma'am.

Well, you heard what he said.

Charlie Schwab, he was going to buy this claim

and you wouldn't buy into the deal, you-you--

If you was a man, I'd haul off and knock you flat.

You already done that.

I got a friend in Independence,

smartest mining lawyer in the country.

I'm taking me a horse.

I'm going right over there right now and see him

and settle this thing once and for all.

You try crossing

Death Valley in June,

and all you settle is yourself.

You know how hot it gets there?

Not half as hot as I'm going to make it for you,

you claim jumper.

All right, go ahead.

It'll be good riddance of you.

JOHN: Linda?

Hello, Linda.

Hello, John. I just got back to town.

Say, how did you make out with your mother?

I haven't seen her yet. She's away on business.

[ chuckling ] Oh, still got that bridge to cross, huh?

Where are you staying?

At the hotel, for the time being.

Fine.

I'll do my best to see that you don't get lonesome.

That will be very nice.

Now, if you excuse me, I have an errand to run.

Oh, oh excu--

I beg your pardon.

My fault, miss.

Hey there, Hungry Bill. Where'd you get the outfit?

Me find, yes.

You find?

Where about? Death Valley, yes.

Yeah, where was the owner?

Maybe lost, maybe dead, yes.

Hey, Jim?

Come here.

Take a look at this. You ever see it before?

I sold Buck Hanson one like this the other day.

Well, Hungry Jim found it out in Death Valley,

along with the rest of the outfit.

JIM: Must be Buck's, all right.

I hear tell he was heading for Independence

to hire hisself a lawyer.

Whereabouts in Death Valley?

Near Daylight Pass, yes.

How long ago?

Ooh, two days,

one night, yes.

And it'll take us another day to get to him.

Any chance he'd be alive?

Ain't no human can live that long without water

in Death Valley, weather like this.

Then what do you think we oughta do?

Come sundown, it's cooler, we'll ride out,

and take a shovel.

Well, that oughta make you real happy, Jennie.

You got no competition for that claim now.

We find Jim, Tex, and Billy Indian on their grim mission.

They pushed their horses steadily all at that night,

and by morning reached the country near Daylight Pass.

Well, it's about time you got here.

The last of my water.

Is he still alive?

Yeah, no thanks to none of you.

Well, don't just stand there,

help me pick him up and put him in the wagon.

And then give me your canteen, and one of you drive,

so I stay with him and keep his blanket wet.

Buck Hanson had a pretty close call.

In fact, if anybody but Jennie had taken care of him,

well, I doubt if he had pull through.

But with Jennie's determination that he was going to live,

well... [ chuckles ] death never had a chance.

Jennie?

Jennie!

What are you throwin' about now?

I've been doin' a little thinkin'.

Be careful or you'll get a relapse.

When you brung me in here,

who undressed me and put me to bed?

Dang flies are sure getting pesky this time of year.

[ growls ] You shouldn't have done it.

It wasn't decent.

Why, you cantankerous old burrow,

when we got you here, you were so near dead,

there was nothin' indecent about you.

[ groans] I suppose now that you saved my life,

you think I want to deed over that place of claim of mine to you.

T'aint yours to deed. That's my ground.

Ain't either! Is too!

Just get me my clothes. I'm gettin' out of here.

You get 'em when I think you're well enough to wear 'em.

I'm well enough now!

I think different.

Confound you, Jennie Parrish.

Shut up and lie still. Here comes Jim Del Ripple.

JIM: Howdy, Jennie.

Hi, Jim. How you feel, Buck?

Oh, he's getting to be his usual disagreeable self again.

What you got there, Jim? Beer?

Nope, ice cream.

Oh.

Made it myself.

Good. From ice from the new plant.

It's kind of melted a little, but it's still cold.

That's just what he needs. Here.

Something to cool him off.

Why did I get mixed up with her, anyways?

Well, Jennie's quite a woman.

Ain't many would have done

what she did under the circumstances.

That's agreed to,

but she's got the gall dangdest...

disposition of any woman I ever seen.

No wonder she's an old maid.

She ain't an old maid, she's a widder.

Widder? You mean she was married once?

Huh, must have drove her husband to early grave.

Nope. I hear tell he run off with another woman.

I can understand that.

Left her with a little girl to take care of.

Pretty tough on a woman, taking care of a little kid all by herself,

especially when she tries to do real well by her.

I hear tell she put her in a fine school back East,

before she came out here seven years ago.

And now, that kid is the purdiest girl you ever seen.

How do you know?

She happens to be in town at the moment.

Jennie never said nothin' about her.

She ain't been seen around here.

I know, the way I calculate,

she's ashamed of her ma.

Ashamed?

I hear tell she's goin'

out of here on that stage tomorrow.

You sure are full of information.

Where'd you learn all this stuff?

Oh, I hear tell.

Linda, I can't let you leave like this

without telling me what made you change toward me.

I wasn't aware that I had changed.

Now, you know better than that.

When we first met, I thought you liked me.

I still do.

But you certainly haven't acted like it

since we've been in town.

Every time I tried to see you, you've avoided me.

I haven't had a moment alone with you.

I've been very busy.

Now, you know better than that, too.

What is it, Linda? What's happened?

I am sorry, but I just can't talk about it.

[ whistles ] Hey!

Hey.

Son?

How about you and me having a beer together?

There's some things I hear tell I think you'll be interested in.

[spurs horse]

Ho.

It's for you to get out, miss.

Get out?

Yep, I'm going to show you around a bit.

Thank you, but I've seen all there is to see.

Oh, I don't think so, speaking as an old sourdough.

What's going on, Buck Hanson?

Why do you want and go and bring her here for?

Want her to see what hard rock mining was like, Jennie.

Some school girl from the East ain't got no idea.

I should have seen to it

you had on the proper shoes like your ma

and outfitted in the proper clothes.

When you... work like a man, you gotta dress like one.

You ever hefted one of these?

You get calluses after awhile,

and your back ain't the same

after you use one.

Ask your ma. She knows.

She swung that pick plenty of times,

chomped plenty of miles of a rough country,

sending you to school,

giving you the things that she never had.

Why did you want and go and talk like that to her for, Buck?

Now you made her cry.

Don't you pay no attention to him, baby.

Oh, Mother.

I've been so selfish and so ashamed.

Can you ever forgive me?

Now, now, baby. You just didn't understand.

You gotta understand things to accept them.

[ hooves galloping ]

Linda? John, I'd like you to meet my mother.

Mother, this is John Fleming.

Glad to know you, Mrs. Parrish.

It's a pleasure to find you're not the high hat

Linda had me expecting.

Thank you, young man.

I'm glad to see you're ain't high hat either.

Well, this ain't no place for me.

You can have the claim, Jennie, I don't want no part of it.

Buck!

Buck.

Buck.

Listen, you Popeye old coyote,

I ain't takin' no claim from you.

Then give it to them for a weddin' present.

I ain't gonna do that, either.

Why, you stubborn old sidewinder, you.

From now on, we're workin' this claim together,

as partners.

It's a deal, partner.

Well, sir, as our friend the post master would say,

from that day on, the claim jumpin' part of Jennie's name was dropped.

And a fancy finishing school back East

lost one of it's best paying customers.

♪♪ [ trumpet ]