Original subtitles

THE OLD RANGER: And now,

Death Valley Days.

♪♪ [trumpet]

Howdy, folks.

I'’m the Old Ranger,

and I have another interesting,

true story for you

about the historic Death Valley country.

Tonight I'’m going to take you inside the walled garden

of one of the famous old haciendas of New Mexico.

And there, let you hear from the lips of a distinguished lady

who'’s far more qualified to tell it than I.

The story of...

It looks like any simple cake.

Not even iced.

Yet, I suppose this is the most priceless cake in history.

Worth half a million dollars, at least--

American dollars.

At the time this story begins, however,

none of us had ever seen an American dollar.

It is the year 1818, a night in spring.

Here, in this very place, a great tithing is being held,

to welcome home Don Antonio Fernández,

and his bride,

Isabella de Castillo.

You may find it difficult to recognize me,

the old lady of today,

as that bride.

♪♪

My beloved,

I am the happiest man in all New Spain.

And I am the most fortunate girl.

When I think that my father could have married me

to anyone he chose,

and he chose a man I love.

A man?

The man.

The only man in the world.

Querida mía.

How wonderful, at long last,

to be rid of that dueñaof yours.

Isn'’t it?

Whenever we tried to steal a moment together,

bursting in on us with that booming voice.

WOMAN: Isabella!

Isabella!I'’m here Doña Elena,

With her husband.

The air was close inside.

The governor arriving, and neither one of you on hand.

Don Facundo!

Your Excellency.My compliments, Doña Isabel.

A thousand pardons for not being present to welcome you.

It is I who should apologize for arriving so late.

But perhaps, when you see what I have brought for you,

I will be forgiven.

A wedding present.

From His Majesty Ferdinand VII.

The king!

It was delivered today, in Santa Fé,

by fast courier from México City.

My request has been granted?

DON FACUNDO: Even greater than we had hoped.

As governor of the royal province of New México,

it gives me a great happiness to present this to you.

What is it, Antonio?

An appointment?

WOMAN: A title!

A grant of land.

One of the greatest grant ever bestowed

by the crown upon a single individual.

A million acres,

in reward for his services as a soldier and a statesmen.

And in recognition of his distinguished family name.

This land, Antonio--

Lies all around us.

There was the reason for building the house

where I did.

And you never told me?

Well, the royal seal is on it, now.

So, guard that paper well, Don Antonio.

Never fear.

There is no need to keep the news a secret?

No, none forever.

Your Excellency.

Were there any other grants

among the dispatchers, your Excellency?

No.

This was the only one.

My request went to Spain nearly a year ago.

Well, in due course. Perhaps.

With acres being given away by the millions, I wonder.

The Valencia Grant.

The finest tract of land

in the province of New México.

It has everything.

Wooded hills, fine springs,

rich valleys for pasturage.

It sounds like a kingdom.

A kingdom for us.

And our children.

And our children'’s children.

And you, you beloved...

shall be its first queen.

Of all those million acres

that we now own,

I myself, saw a near small portion

during the years that immediately followed.

But I had my own responsibilities

as mistress at the household.

And as mother of a young son.

And when one day in the autumn of 1821,

my husband took me with him

on a ride of inspection...

I can'’t believe my eyes.

The improvements you'’ve made.

This is only the beginning.

I have plans for vineyards and orchards.

An irrigation system.

And they say that the great land owners

are a lazy, selfish lot.

I don'’t think any of your peons

work as hard as you do, darling.

That is another thing I want to do.

Make life better for our workers.

[horse neighing]

Don José.

DON JOSEÉ: Don Antonio.

My compliments, Doña Isabella.

Enjoying a look

at your royal grant, I see.

I'’m glad you have ridden this way, Don José.

We are giving a small dinner party

this Saturday evening.

And I hope you will honor us with your presence.

I'’m afraid not, Doña Isabella.

Governor Melgares is riding up

from Santa Fé for the occasion.

Don Facundo?

Of course.

Only he happens no longer to be governor.

You have not heard?

The viceroy has appointed another man in his place?

There is no longer a viceroy.

New Spain has thrown off the yoke.

Declared its independence.

It is now México.

And the king?

Your royal benefactor, Doña,

has been repudiated.

He refused to meet the demands

of the Revolutionaries.

When did this happen?

The news just reached Santa Fé.

Then it was a month ago, at least.

But already, I understand,

the new government is turning things inside out.

Making appointments,

restoring titles, redistributing land.

[sighs] My sincere regrets, Doña Isabella,

about the dinner.

But I should be well on my way to México City by Saturday night.

God-willing.

Adiós.

What do this mean, Antonio?

[horses galloping]

A better government, let'’s hope.

Shall we leave the gentlemen

to their brandy and cigars?

Our host has been very silent this evening.

I have been listening, and thinking.

Don'’t be too long about it, amigo.

There'’s no time to be lost.

The warning I just gave,

it applies to you more than anyone else

as owner of the greatest land grant in New México.

You have the paper with the key seal on it?

Where you can lay your hand on it?

Of course.

In my strongbox with my other papers.

Then take it to México City at once

and have it ratified

before somebody seizes your land

and parcels it out.

Don'’t they realize that it is men like myself

who are developing this country?

Point it out to them,

and the chances are you might persuade them.

And they will confirm the grant.

There are a few matters to attend to here.

Wait for nothing.

It will be a month

before you reach the capital, at best.

And in that time, anything can happen.

I leave tomorrow.

Excellent.

Ah, yes. The Valencia Grant.

A remarkable instrument, the pen.

Is it not?

A few strokes with it

can mean life to a man...

or death.

Or riches, or ruin.

That is true.

It sounds like a pleasant life.

Over more than a million acres

with slaves to do one'’s bidding.

[dry chuckle]

I envy you, señor.

My peons are not slaves, señor.

No?

The Valencia Grant, Don Antonio.

Confirmed by the government of México.

Thank you, Señor Chávez.

And so our great domain

continued under the flag of México.

The land flourished. Our son grew to manhood.

Then came war. Brief but bitter.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

And in 1848, a new flag

flew over the hacienda.

A flag for which our son had chosen to fight.

There was another choice he had also made.

Without telling.

Oh, Tony.

Tony, let me look at you.

If you knew how I prayed you would come back safely.

And here I am.

So, now, darling, you have only to pray

that my father will give us his blessing.

You have not told him yet?

I'’m just on my way home.

But I had to stop here first

and make sure you still loved me.

Oh, more than ever, querido.

A thousand times more.

It is good to have you home, Antonio.

[chuckling] Antonio.

It sounds so formal.

I'’m used to being called Tony, now.

By your Army friends?

And others.

And you prefer it?Sure.

Mm. And more American.

It makes for less confusion in the family.

Where we both have the same name.

And better than being known

as Young Antonio and Old Antonio.

I didn'’t mean that, sir.

It is quite true.

I am beginning to feel the years a bit.

I'’m proud to have a son

on whom I can shift some of the responsibility.

I'’ll be glad to take over as much as you want.

I have all kinds of ideas.

I am sure, I'’m sure.

More modern methods of agriculture,

stock breeding, that is, with your approval, sir.

Why not?

I was no older than you

when I received the Valencia Grant.

[sighs]

I had just brought your mother home here...

as my bride.

Speaking of marriage, sir.

I was just in the point of it.

So was I.

It is time you will marry, my son.

I agree with you.

Good.

For I have a wife all picked out for you.

No.Yes.

In fact, I have sent for her

to come here today.

Father, I'’m sorry, but--

She'’s suitable in every way.

Young, of a good family, convent-bred.

With a large dowry, I suppose.

Well, that is generally taken into consideration.

Well, I think it'’s barbaric.

This whole business of arranging a marriage.

I'’m going to marry whom I please.

You have a duty, Antonio.

But I'’ve already found the girl

I want to marry.

An American?

We'’re all Americans now.

Perhaps I'’m an old-fashioned--

You married the girl you loved.

This girl?

You will soon grow to love.

WOMAN #2: Don Antonio'’s

in the garden, Señorita Charlita.

There she is now.

TONY: Charlita?

Yes.

It is she that you--

Arranged for.

But of course.

Father.

Charlita.

Soon, there were three generations

of the Fernández family

under the roof of the old hacienda.

The years flowed along

so happily and prosperously

that I never thought about growing old.

But Antonio realized

that time for him was running out.

And made his preparations.

On the day of my funeral,

see to it

that 50 measures of corn

and 12 head of cattle

are distributed to all the poor

upon my land.

You sent for us, Father?

Yes, yes.

I have been dictating my will to Father Olivares, here,

disposing of all my possessions.

Including my soul,[gasps]

[chuckles] which I commended to God.

Oh.

But there remains one matter.

And for this, I wished you both present.

Yes, Father.

Yes, Grandfather.

[sighs] Uh, bring me my strongbox, Tony.

The one with the, uh, mortgages in it.

What are mortgages?

Just pieces of paper.

Goodness. There'’s hundreds of them.

From people all over New México to whom

your grandfather has loaned money.

I had forgotten, myself, how many.

It'’s been so long since I looked at them.

Much less collected interest on them.

Why should I?

When I don'’t need it?

A mortgage is a business arrangement, sir.Mm.

Sometimes. Sometimes.

And, again, it is simply a means of helping someone

without letting his pride suffer.

[sighs] Put them in the fire.

You want me to burn them?

To ashes.

These papers represent

only a tiny fraction of my property.

But, to the men against whom they'’re drawn,

they represent possibly the difference between

human comfort and actual want.

Wealth is a great privilege and an obligation.

Remember that, both of you.

And try, always, to live up to it.

And to the name of Fernández.

Yes, Father.

♪♪ [Spanish guitar]

♪♪ [guitar intensifies]

Grandfather, you'’re not even watching them burn.

I'’m watching the reflection on the wall.

The reflection from hundreds of hearts

all over New México.

While fires burn a little more brightly tonight.

ISABELLA: With the death of my dear husband,

an era came to an end.

And trouble began for the Fernández family.

I'’m sorry, Mr. Fernández, but you have no leg to stand on.

My family has lived on the Valencia Estate since 1818.

Oh, you'’re entitled to squatter'’s rights, of course.

Squatters? The Fernández?

Doesn'’t make any difference who you are.

St. Peter himself would have to prove title

to a million acres.

I already told you. The land was given to us

by the King of Spain.

I have here an affidavit signed by my mother.

That means nothing.

I have here, also, a map.

Hand-drawn.

Land was never surveyed?No, sir.

Then it'’s all just guesswork.

No. The boundaries were clearly stated in the original grant.

"On the south, from Crow Springs,

"so many cigarettes westward along the Cordillera."

So many cigarettes?

The length of time that it takes to smoke

a certain number of cigarettes

while riding slowly on horseback.

[laughs]

You really measured distance that way?

We did.[sighs]

You Mexicans. No wonder you couldn'’t hang on

to what you had.

You are talking, sir, to a man who fought

in the United States Army.

You'’re talking to a man who'’s very busy.

There'’s only one thing that'’ll convince Uncle Sam

that you own that land.

That'’s the original grant.

But I'’ve explained. The paper'’s been misplaced.

[scoffs] I have other folks waiting to see me, Mr. Fernández.

We'’ll make another search.

But if we don'’t find it?

Then the Fernández Estate will be put up for public sale.

I see.

Thank you.

It'’s no use, Mother. I'’ve ransacked the whole house.

The paper is lost.

How could it have happened? Anything so valuable.

I have a horrible feeling that it was burned up.

Along with the mortgages.

Tony.

I probably threw it into the fire with my own hands.

Surely you would have noticed.

Among all those papers? There were hundreds in that box.

I could kick myself.

You looked in the box, of course.

The box was thrown out right afterwards.

No place to keep valuable papers in, anyway.

I'’d been telling Father for years he should use a safe.

A lot of good the safe is doing me now.

What is done, is done, Tony.

It'’s for you, Mother, that I feel the worst.

The rest of us, we can adjust. Find a new way of life.

If only Governor Melgares was still living.

Thank you, my darlings.

Fetch us some wine, Maria.

Yes, Señora.

The Amontillado!

Yes, Señor.

And some cake. Some nice, fresh cake.

What made you think that, every day,

old Maria can find time to bake cake?

Because I smelled it as I came in.

Hmm.And hurry up with it.

I'’m starving.

Young beggar.

You have been riding?Yes, Grandmother.

And what do you think happened, Father?

A man came up to me and said I was

trespassing on his property. His!

Perhaps you were.

He ordered me off with a shotgun.

It wasn'’t his property. I was only over at the Arroyo.

Antonio, you are the youngest person present

and you are doing all the talking.

I'’m sorry. Excuse me, Grandmother.

Thank you, Maria.

Just what will the Land Office

allow us to hold

as squatters?

The house. A few acres surrounding it.

Where once we had a million.

Tempora mutantum.

What does that mean?

Times change.

And we must change with them.

It'’s not fair, Mother.

I will not pretend to be happy about it.

I loved the old order.

But, I suppose, no man really needs a million acres.

You'’re not turning democratic, are you, Grandmother?

Your grandfather felt the same.

Look how much he gave away during his lifetime.

That proves this land belonged to him.

You cannot give away what is not yours.

I'’ve told all that to the land officials,

but they always come back with the same thing.

The grant. The original grant is the only proof.

You will be served last, young boy.

No cake for me. I must watch my figure.Nor for me.

I'’ll take their share.

Young pig.

Eating too fast.

You deserve to be choked.

[chokes]

You see?

What'’s the idea of leaving paper on the bottom of the cake?

Cakes always are baked on paper.

But does it have to be such filthy paper?

"Filthy?" He calls my cooking "filthy?"

Well, look at it.

It'’s got writing on it. And it'’s--

That'’s funny. It'’s Grandfather's signature.

Father, look.

See? "Don Antonio Fernández."

You are right. It is.

Nobody else ever made his F'’s like that.

But the rest of the writing is not his.

No. This is something he has signed.

My cake! My wonderful cake!

Devil take your cake!

This is the thanks that poor old Maria gets for hours of baking.

Maria, where did you find this paper?

I didn'’t steal it, Señor.

It was in an old box that you threw out

that I saved.

The paper we have been searching for all this time.

Tony--You mean--

The Valencia grant!

The paper is badly spotted

and the ink is faded, but you can still read the writing.

But it is only part of it.Maria!

The rest is in the kitchen.

Thank heaven you didn'’t destroy it.

Would I, then, be so shiftless as to destroy good paper?

Bring it here, Maria, at once!

At once!At once, Maria!

At once!

Antonio, beloved.

Yes, Grandmother?

She'’s not speaking to you, my son.

"A kingdom for our children.

And our children'’s children."

May they prove as worthy of their trust as you were.

One corner of the famous paper never could be found.

That corner, it so happened, which contained part

of the signature of Governor Melgares

approving the original Spanish grant.

The Court of Land Claims did allow us, though,

the maximum amount of land under a grant Méxicano.

Which was considerable.

After all, who needs a million acres?

Isn'’t that a wonderful story?

Just going to prove that some folks

can have their cake and eat it, too.

♪♪ [trumpet]