Original subtitles

OLD RANGER: And nowDeath Valley Days.

♪♪ [ trumpet ]

Ha.

Yah.

Yah.

Howdy, folks, I'’m the Old Ranger,

and I have another interesting

true story for you about the historic Death Valley country.

Mention Death Valley and the first thing

everybody wants to know is, what about Scotty?

What was he like?

Did he really have a secret gold mine?

So, tonight I'’m going to tell you the true story

of this legendary character,

who for over a half of century

kept the world gapin'’ and guessin'.

It is the year 1888,

and there'’s a new swamper around the big team

hauling borax out of Death Valley--

a husky young fellow

by the name of Walter E. Scott,

three years ago he ran away

from home in Kentucky,

been knocking around the West ever since on his own.

Now, he'’s got this job swamping.

But young Scott had ambitions

far beyond that.

Someday, he'’s going to be rich,

find a gold mine,

build himself a castle like the castles

in the storybooks, with a tower and a moat

and a dungeon.

Will his dream ever come true?

How?

[ train bell ringing ]

Something about Death Valley,

once you'’ve been there, gets in your blood.

Take me, I worked out there for just a few months,

way back in '’88.

And I joined up with Buffalo Bill'’s Wild West Show

as a trick shooter and rider.

Toured before the crowd heads of Europe.

Where do I head back to now?

Death Valley.

What are you going to do when you get there?

Prospect.

I'’m going to find me a gold mine,

the likes of which no one'’s ever located before.

It will be so rich, the whole world

will be talking about it.

You'’ve been traveling with press agents too long, son.

You don'’t believe me,

but I'’ll show you.

I reckon you think I'’m crazy, too, don't you?

Bragging like this?

Not when you got your whole life

ahead of you to make good.

Sure, I'’m only 27.

That'’s just my age

and I'’ve only got a few weeks to live.

Consumption?

No, a train wreck.

My father was killed outright.

My back was broken.

I told him that if... if I had to die,

I'’d like to die out West.

Why die at all?

Would you care anything about living

if you knew you could never walk again?

I'’d get up and walk.

I-I'’m sorry.

You'’re talking to a man

who'’s never had a sick day in his life.

No wonder you fear you can lick the world.

The carry-on from the sanitarium is here, sir.

I don'’t want to go to a sanitarium,

be surrounded by doctors and nurses.

But you need care, Mr. Johnson.

Would...would you--You mean...

will I ride herd on you?

Sure.

I'’ll take you into Death Valley with me.

Death Valley?

You can make it on a spring wagon.

A blanket on the ground under the stars,

meals cooked over a wood fire,

pinyon, mesquite, mountains all around.

Millions of years old in silence.

Thanks.

By the way, my name is Albert Johnson.

I'’m Walter Scott,

but you can just call me Scotty.

A wonderful place, Death Valley.

Just one short year of Scotty'’s way of life

in the desert brought to Albert Johnson

the miracle of complete healing.

Tired?No.

No, I just want to take one more look

back at that view

so I can visualize it when I get back home.

Home?

I'’m going back to Chicago, Scotty.

When?Now.

I got no excuse to stay out here any longer.

I'’m cured, thanks to you.

But I thought you--It'’s time I got back to work again.

After all, I got a business back there.

You got business out here.

Business?That gold mine you'’re gonna locate.

Oh, yeah, well, stay out here.

We'’ll locate it together.

No. No, you'’re the prospector, Scotty.

My field'’s in insurance.

There'’s gold in them thar hills, too, you know.

Johnson, I hope you strike it.

If I do, just remember we'’re partners.

That goes both ways, if I find my gold first.

Thank you, Scotty.

And so each one went his own way,

Scotty to prospect in the wilds

of Death Valley,

Albert Johnson to occupy an executive'’s desk

in a Chicago skyscraper.

Worlds apart, these two had every sense,

yet their trails destined to cross again someday...

when one or the other of them

had struck it rich.

I'’m Walter Scott of Death Valley.

I want to get to Chicago in record time.

There'’s a train leaving Los Angeles at 5:00.

I said record time, mister.

What'’s the fastest anybody'’s ever done it up to now?

Why, the Peacock Special back in 1900.

Fifty-eight hours.

Well, fix me up with a train

that will get me there in 46 hours.

Mr. Scott!Clip 12 hours off the running time?

It will be clearing the entire Santa Fe system.

MAN: Disrupting traffic. J.J.: It will cost a fortune.

Name your poison.

No, I ain'’t robbed a bank.

I got a gold mine.

Richest gold mine in Death Valley.

How much?

$5,500.

$1,000, $2,000,

$3,000, $4,000,

$5,000.

$500 and here'’s another $2,000

says you can make the run

in less than 46 hours.

The Santa Fe doesn'’t bet, Mr. Scott.

When do I start?

Be at the depot at 12:30 next Sunday afternoon.

Good.

[ quietly chuckling ]

And don'’t forget, I wear a second sock.

[ laughing ]

As headlines blazoned the news

throughout the country,

the Coyote Special started its 2,265-mile race

across the continent from Los Angeles to Chicago.

Scotty himself did the fire most of the way.

No formal car for him.

[ laughing ]

[ clicking ]

They'’re certainly covering ground,

just passed through Barstow.

Taking curves at 65 miles-an-hour,

hitting up to 96 on the straightaway.

[ clicking continues ]

[ train horn blowing ]

[ bell rings ]

[ clicking ]

They'’ve crossed La Junta pass and on the Great Plains.

They'’ve covered 203 miles in a 194 minutes.

That'’s an average of 63 miles-an-hour.

[ laughing ]

Did you hear that?

They hit a speed of 106 miles-an-hour.

The world'’s record.

Exactly 44 hours and 45 minutes

from the time he left Los Angeles,

Death Valley Scotty stepped from the train in Chicago,

a record which was to stand for the next 20 years.

Whoa, gentlemen, put me down.

I want to make a phone call.

[ laughs ]

Hold my dog, will you?

He'’s wearing a coat made of $1,000 bills.

Sure. Match his complexion.

Yellow pup, yellow bags.

Made the coat, myself.

I want to call my partner in Chicago here.

Mr. Albert Johnson.Why, it'’s-- it's $500.

The city phone call'’s only a nickel.

That'’s all right. Keep the change.

♪♪ [ classical ]

Yeah, I sure had that train flinging cinders.

And when I got here,

they carried me into the depot

like a conquering hero.

[ laughing ]

Sounds like you really had a time

for yourself, Scotty.

I sure did.

Put your dough away. This is my celebration.

The money-burner from Mojave--

that'’s what they call me.

Yes, sir.

A live one from Funeral Mountains.

The quartz lochinvar.

Oh, bring me a roast beef bone.

Did you say a bone, sir?

Yeah, a nice big prime roast beef bone.

And make it snappy.Yes, sir.

[ chuckles ]

I don'’t know who's getting more enjoyment

out of this, Scotty, you or I.

Oh, by the way, did I tell you?

As we raced through Barstow,

I chucked a bottle of champagne

onto the platform, right where we first met.

[ laughs ]

You said then that someday you'’d have the whole world

talking about you, remember?

Yeah.

I sure got a pretty good start, haven'’t I?

Oh, thanks.

Just right.

Here you are, Goldbug.

[ laughing ]

Keep the change.

[ chuckles ] Thank you, sir.

Thank you very much.

You certainly are free with your spending, Scotty.

Why not? Heck, I found a gold mine.

Well, sure been nice seeing you again, partner.

Well, you'’re not leaving so soon?

Yep, can'’t stand big cities.

I'’m making tracks back to Death Valley.

Sure sticking to rough country.

I'’m getting a belly full of trailing him.

My canteen'’s empty and my hide'’s cracking.

He'’s got to lead us to water sooner or later.

Well, it better be sooner.

I don'’t care if it doesn'’t mean

finding his gold mine.

I can'’t take much more of this.

MAN#2: I told you it'’d have to lead us to water

sooner or later.

Hey! Look out.

MAN#3: I don'’t believe it.

I wouldn'’t if I was you.

Is this your idea of a joke?

I don'’t joke with bloodhounds.

Nearest water hole from here

is Mesquite Springs, 30 miles south.

I'’d advise you to start backtracking, pronto.

This water ain'’t poisoned. He'’s bluffing.

Sure, I'’m only bluffing. Go ahead and drink it.

Or maybe you better let your horse try it first.

The old man might as well be dead himself

as to lose his horse out here.

The world continued to be mystified

by Scotty and his gold mine.

Wherever men gathered, it was a popular topic of conversation.

I hear Scotty'’s back in town again, Mr. Cane.

Oh?On another spending spree.

I understand that he paid $50

for a haircut today.

Where does his money come from?

His gold mine.Oh, gold mine.

Heck, he'’s got no gold mine. That'’s all a fake.

Whiskey.

So I'’m a fake, am I?That'’s my opinion, sir.

And digging up the facts on things is my business.

Oh, a newspaper reporter, huh?

Mm-hmm.

Well, just what facts have you dug up, Mr. Cane?

Number one, there'’s no record of you

ever filing on a gold claim in your district.

That whole country'’s been combed from end to end,

and nobody'’s ever found

so much as a hole in the ground

that that gold could come from.

So it'’s a hole in the ground you want to see, is it?

All right, I'’ll show it to you.

You mean you'’ll take me to your gold mine?

Why this sudden decision?

Well, if you must know,

I'’ve got to go out there anyway

with my partner, Johnson.

Got see about starting big-scale operations.

Big-scale operations?

Yes, it'’s getting to the point

where I just can'’t go on

peeling off all that gold by myself.

Oh, [ clears throat ] you married?

Why, yes.Any youngsters?

Yes, two.Plenty of insurance?

A little.

Well, I'’d advise to get a great, big policy.

What are you driving at?

Just thinking of your family.

Roaming in Death Valley is no picnic.

Hotter than a furnace this time of the year.

Why, a man in the peak of condition

will keel over [ snaps fingers ]

just like that,

and if the heat don'’t get you,

the Injuns might.

Indian?

Yeah, the Paiutes

are on the warpath against me.

Claim my gold belongs to them.

Try to drygulch me every time I go in there.

You mean kill you?Kill me dead.

Almost got me two weeks ago.

Thought I was a goner for sure.

They jumped me all of the sudden.

I didn'’t have a chance to run,

so I had to shoot it out.

I don'’t know how many there was,

but they came at me from all directions.

Mister, let me tell you

that there'’s nothing that will make your hair stand on end quicker

than a pack of wild yelping Indians

out after your scalp.

I figured ahead this time and so did they.

But I kept pouring lead into them

until my guns got so hot,

you could'’ve branded a steer with them.

But for every one I plugged, there was two more

to take his place.

I couldn'’t even make a dent.

Yes, sir, that'’s the closest I ever come

to steppin'’ into the great beyond.

How did you get away?

A 20-mule train came along.

Swamper and his help had pitched in with me.

If they haven'’t, [ scoffs ]

the barbers in this town would'’ve lost

a mighty good customer.

Well, meet me in my hotel in an hour

and we'’ll get started.

You better go ahead without me.

What about my mine? Don'’t you want to see it?

The risk of my scalp? No, thanks.

[ people chattering ]

At the north end of Death Valley

in Grapevine Canyon was an old run-down ranch

owned by a hermit known as Old Man West.

You want to buy this place? What for?

I like the location.It has a magnificent view.

What will you take for it?The view?

Oh, that won'’t cost you nothing,

but the ranch?

Well, I paid Jake Stanton $300 for it, some years back,

but I put in a lot of improvements,

like this here shack and-- and a...such.

Of course, real estate values

have gone up since then.

Oh, sure, sure.

I really wouldn'’t want to take

less than a... $1,000 for it.

Sold.

$500, $600,

$700, now, how that little measly

old ten spot get in there?

$800.

The silence of Grapevine Canyon

was soon broken by the muffled roar of blasting.

Blasting for what? Nobody knew.

Any more than they knew why Scotty

bought up 70 miles of railroad ties

from an abandoned desert line.

The two partners maintained a sphinx-like silence,

which only increased Scotty'’s importance as news.

You'’ve made a fool of me once, Scotty.

Now, I think you owe it to me to come clean.

What'’s on your mind?

Same as on everybody'’s mind.

You built a road clear down from Bonnie Claire.

Yep, quite a piece of road.

And you dug up an excavation as big as a dry dock.

Two dry docks.

Well, what in blazes are you doing out there

in Grapevine Canyon?

Doing? Why, I'’m making jelly.

Grape jelly.

[ reading ]

"...personally."

From my own wild grapes.

Best doggone jelly

you ever threw your lip over.

Sorry I can'’t ask you to sample it,

but I'’m taking it to the president of the Santa Fe Railway.

Drinks all around for everybody.

[ sighs ]

Nice seeing you again, Mr. Cane.

Don'’t you know you'll never get the truth out of Scotty?

Maybe not...

but I know someone who will.

You say that you'’ve never paid an income tax, Mr. Scott?

Of course I ain'’t.

How could I be expected to pay

on something I ain'’t got?

You claim you have no income?

That'’s right.

And yet you charter special trains.

That was way back in 1905, brother.

And you'’ve been spending money

like water ever since.

Ain'’t no tax on water, is there?

Mr. Scott, what is your occupation?

Prospecting.

What do you live on?

Hopes. Like all prospectors.

Ain'’t no tax on hopes, is there?

Then how do you explain this castle of yours?

Castle?

In Death Valley.

Oh, I got a piece of land up there

with a shack on her.

But no castle?

Every man'’s home is his castle, mister.

Mr. Scott, you may string the public along,

but you can'’t string Uncle Sam.

I'’m going to Death Valley myself

and get to the bottom of this.

Do that.

And I'’ll give you some of my wild grape jelly.

There ain'’t no tax on jelly, is there?

Whoa.

it was right here we made our deal, remember?

Almost 30 years ago.

And the world still can'’t figure it out.

Even if you told them, they wouldn'’t believe it.

It'’s too darn simple.

Just a couple of partners,

each of us sharing what the other one'’s got.

Whether it'’s nothing or everything.

If you ask me, Scotty,

I'’d say we both had everything.

Death Valley has been very generous.

It'’s given me my health

and it'’s provided me with a life-long hobby

and plenty of land.

[ chuckles ] Thanks.

I'’ve tried to put on a good show.

Greatest one-man show on earth.

I reckon Death Valley has given me

all I can ask for too.

My name in headlines, money to burn,

even the dream I used to have when I was a kid.

Riding along in the big wagons.

Even that has come true.

Death Valley Scotty'’s castle.

It was like the castles in the storybooks,

with a tower and a moat and a dungeon.

The tower has a set of solid silver chimes

and there'’s music also from a $50,000 pipe organ

in the music wing.

The gateway leading to the courtyard

swings on hinges that cost $3,500 a pair.

There are fountains of jasper...

fireplaces that burn railroad ties as logs...

rare furnishings from all over the world...

over $2.5 million went into this fabulous place

overlooking Death Valley.

Where did the money come from?

Did Scotty really have a gold mine?

The best answer I can give you

is in Scotty'’s own words.

SCOTTY: All this, you see,

is just the tale of the kind.

I'’m the kind and you really gotsome.

[ laughing ]

♪♪ [ trumpet ]