Original subtitles

THE OLD RANGER: And now,Death Valley Days.

♪♪ [ trumpet ]

Hyah! Yah!

Yah! Yah!

Howdy, folks. I'’m the Old Ranger,

and I have another interesting true story for you

about the historic Death Valley country.

Northeast of San Francisco lies Napa County,

one of the original counties of California.

You'’ve heard of Napa Valley, I'’m sure.

Famous for its century-old vineyards and wineries.

In the heart of the valley

is the county seat of Napa.

Here, the first courthouse was built in 1850,

of lumber brought around the Horn.

And it'’s at the sheriff's office of this courthouse,

in the year 1864, that we meet Wall Kennedy,

the man with...

He'’s applying for a job at the county jail.

I only got one eye,

but it'’s good as half a dozen other eyes.

It'’s a telescope eye.

You looking for a sleuth maybe?

No.

Well, a cook?

I can dish up mighty tasty bread and water.

[ chuckles ]

Well, there should be some opening around the jail.

Opening a fellow could get in, if not out.

There is one job.

But you don'’t strike me as the type of man for it.

What is it, Sheriff?

Charge of the chain gang.

You don'’t figure I'’d fill the bill?

Those chain gang prisoners are mighty tough hombres.

Well, I wouldn'’t expect them to be choir singers.

They'’ll use every excuse they can to keep out of work.

And they'’ll turn on you like that.

You give them half a chance, they'’ll cut your throat.

I don'’t scare easy, Sheriff.

I crossed the Great Plains alone in '’49.

Mined some of the wildest diggings in the Sierras.

And for the past two years, served under General Grant in the California Volunteers.

Were you at Vicksburg?

Was I at Vicksburg?

Why, you just ask General Grant if I was at Vicksburg.

For months, the Union armies had been maneuvering

to capture that strategic point.

On the 16th of May, we struck.

Advanced upon the enemy.

We attacked again and again,

and each time we were repulsed with heavy losses.

There was nothing else to do but retreat.

General Grant prepared to give the order,

when suddenly he had a ray of hope.

Is Wall Kennedy still with the army?

Yes, General, I'’m still here.

Let the battle go on.

♪♪ [ bugle fanfare ]

[ continuous gunfire ]

Vicksburg, a great Union victory.

You really had me believing you.

Well, doggone it, Sheriff, if the biggest part of it ain'’t the truth.

Kennedy, I'’m giving you a job.

We need someone around the Napa jail to cheer things up.

Well, thank you, Sheriff. When do I start?

I'’ll swear you in right now. Stand up.

Father? Oh, I'’m sorry. I didn'’t know you had company.

It'’s all right. Come in.

My daughter Holly. My neighbor John Owens.

This is Wall Kennedy. He'’s gonna take Jim Pearson'’s place.

Howdy, ma'’am.Hi.

Owens. Now, that name'’s familiar.

Well, my father owns one of the wineries here in the valley.

That'’s it. And mighty tasty wine he makes, too.

Father, what are you hunting for?

Jim Pearson'’s badge.

I believe they buried it with him, sir.

That'’s right, they did.

Buried?

Well, after all, he died in the line of duty.

Knife between the ribs.

Want to change your mind?

Swear me in.

Well, I'’ll get your badge later. Raise your right hand.

You promise to faithfully perform the duty of deputy sheriff

of this county? I do.

You'’re now a deputy sheriff.

Come on, get moving.

Halt.

Spread out. Get to work.

I said get to work.

Break rock.

Doggone it, boys, I said get to work.

I'’ll tell you when it'’s time to quit.

[ thunder rumbles ]

Storm coming. Can'’t work.

Won'’t work in a storm.

Storm? You call that a storm?

Why, that ain'’t nothing.

You ought to'’ve been with me back in the middle west

when that cyclone hit me.

I was riding through a cane field.

Picked me up, horse, cane field, and all,

and carried us 84 miles.

Horse kind of got used to it.

Went to nibbling on them cane stalks.

But me, I couldn'’t relax.

Why, I don'’t especially care for riding in a cyclone.

Ain'’t the speed that I mind,

but you just can'’t steer the durn thing.

[ laughing ]

Hello, Wall.Hi, Wall.

Well, looks like you'’re heading to the Vintage Festival.

Where else?

Everybody in the valley will be there, celebrating the harvest.

Well, not quite everybody, unless they'’re handing out pardons.

Wall, can'’t you get up there?

I'’m afraid not, Holly.

Oh, but I was counting on you dancing with me.

I'’ll deputize John here.

Well, if you see Father, would you tell him we'’ve left?

He'’s riding up on horseback.

I sure will. You kids have a good time, now.

MAN: Hey, John, wait for me.

It'’s Fred Becker.[ groans ]

Can you give me a lift?

Well, I don'’t know. It's pretty crowded, three in a--

I don'’t mind, if you don'’t.

Well, all right.

That purple dress, you look like a luscious bunch of grapes yourself.

Ready to be squeezed.

Oh. [ whistles ] Come on.

♪♪ [ accordion ]

They make a handsome couple, your daughter and my son.

Yes, they do.

How do you feel about a match like that, Sheriff?

The main thing, I want Holly happy.

Well, John'’s a good boy.

I'’m sure he is.

And someday, this winery will be his.

Seeking consolation, John?

Oh, if there'’s any left.

[ men chuckle ]

[ laughing ]

Hey, come on.

[ clattering ]

[ screams ]

What'’s going on in here?

Otto Stewburn.

Carry him in my office and put him on the couch.

Not you men. You stay here.

Couple of you men.

Take Otto into the office in there.

Whose knife is this?

Yours?

Your knife?

This yours?

Not mine.

You recognize it?

I wouldn'’t want to say.

This yours, John?

Yeah, I guess so.

You guess?

I didn'’t stab him.

There'’s blood on the blade.

I didn'’t do it.

How did your knife get on the floor?

I don'’t know. There--

There was a fight, and it

ended up in a brawl, and somebody smashed the candle.

The light went out.

I don'’t know.

Otto'’s dead.

I want all of your names for further questioning.

And you'’ll come to Napa with me.

But, Sheriff--I'’m sorry, Mr. Owens.

But your son admits the knife is his.

I have no other choice but to hold him in jail

till he can be tried. John.

I didn'’t kill him, Dad.Let'’s go, John.

Wall.

Open up. Sheriff. [ knocking ]

Put him in a cell. Alone.

John. What'’s the charge, Sheriff?

Murder.

Murder?

Come on, John.

I'’ll stick you in this cell over here.

It'’s the nicest one, and got southern exposure.

Murder.

I don'’t care if it was his knife.

John couldn'’t have done such a thing.

Well, not in his right mind, anyhow.

What do you mean by that?

Well, John had had his share of wine, Holly.

No more than anybody.

Wall, you don'’t think he'’s guilty?

Well, what I think don'’t count.

I'’m just a jailer.

Now, now. John'’ll get a fair trial.

You can be sure of that.

Meanwhile, you just got to keep your courage up.

Live one day at a time.

That'’s how I done it back in '’49,

when I was crossing the Plains.

Some folks drove cattle.

Me, I drove bees.

Bees?

A swarm of bees. I used them to fight off the Indians.

Yes, sir. Had them trained.

The old queen bee, she was my favorite.

She used to keep her pickets out.

Whenever there was any Indians around, why,

them pickets would come a-swarming and a-humming back in

and give me warning. [ buzzing ]

[ gunfire ]

Here'’d come them Indians.

Thousands and thousands of them,

a-whooping and a-yelling like sin.

I'’d unlimber my old Bowie knife,

the one with the buckhorn handle, and I'’d get ready

to do me some scalping.

Presently, that old queen bee would sound a double-quick,

and suddenly the attack would begin to falter,

while Indian after Indian would slap his jaw.

[ buzzing continues ]

In 20 minutes, there wouldn'’t be an Indian within 4 miles.

Yessiree, ma'’am, without that queen bee and her pickets,

I never would have reached California.

What are you laughing at, anyhow?

You and your yarns.

Why, you don'’t believe me. [ buzzing ]

[ buzzing continues ]

Well, I'’ll be doggoned.

That'’s her. That old queen bee I was telling you about.

She'’s been looking for me for 17 years, and now she'’s found me.

Oh, Wall.

Well, I'’d know that old bee anywhere.

[ buzzing ]

Oh, Wall, you'’re wonderful.

You don'’t know how you've cheered me up.

Any time, Holly.

All right, boys.

Hey-oh, Johnny boy.

You'’ll soon be ironed,

busting rock with the rest of us.

If you don'’t get the noose.

Come on. Come on, get moving.

Coonskins? No, sir.

These here are scalps. Indian scalps.

Every last one of them took off of some Indian'’s head

by none other than yours truly.

Why, this one here is a Blackfoot,

and this is off a Sioux.

That one, I got that off of a Cheyenne chief.

Scalped him with my teeth.

What'’d you do? Unbutton that one?

[ men laugh ]

Lend me your knife, I'’ll show you how I done it.

There'’s a trick to this here scalping. It'’s all in the wrist.

Let me have your knife, Fred.

I don'’t have it with me.

What'’s the matter? You lost it?

No. I left it home.

No use in taking offense, boy.

If John'’s convicted,

what kind of a sentence do you think he'’ll get?

Well, that'’d be up to the judge.

'’Course, John's young, got a fine reputation.

Yes. But what would the sentence be?

Well, I'’d say the best he could hope for

would be three to five year term for manslaughter.

Three to five years?

That stuff down yonder in the ravine.

Is that all waste from the winemaking?

Yes.

That'’s the handiest place to dump it.

Like nectar, that Riesling.

Thanks for inviting me to sample it.

Gotta be going now.

The trial is set for tomorrow morning, honey.

Ten o'’clock.They moved it up.

Yes. Nothing to be gained by waiting.

Father, could I see him for just a few minutes?

I'’d like to let him know how I feel.

I reckon he knows, honey.

Please?

All right, honey.

Wall?

Wall, let Holly talk to John.

I'’m going up the street and get something to eat.

I'’ll wait outside.

Once, up in Hangtown, we had a mud hole so doggone deep

that couldn'’t nobody or nothing fill it up.

Why, we poured in tons of rock.

Tore down a whole mountain full of rock and dumped it in there

and still couldn'’t fill it up.

So we finally decided to leave her just the way she was

and take a chance on crossing it.

And it was chancy.

Why, if you even thought hard while you was crossing it,

you'’d sink.

On a sunshiny day, your shadow'’d sink.

Yeah, that was a mud hole what was a mud hole.

[ sighs ]

And all this is leading up to what?

Come on.

You didn'’t tell that tall tale just for nothing.

I'’d like a little time off, Sheriff.

When?

Right now. Today.

What for?

I'’d like to investigate

another place they'’ve been piling a lot of stuff.

That, uh, pulp pile or whatever they call it

up behind the Owens'’ winery.

What do you expect to find there? Gold?

Maybe something more important.

Can I go, Sheriff?

Yeah, your presence won'’t be needed at the trial.

Go ahead.

Thanks, Sheriff.

You admit this is your knife.Yes, sir.

And that you dropped it on the floor beside the body of the victim.

No. I don'’t know how it got there.

LAWYER: Oh, yes, you do. You dropped it.

Or it was knocked from your hand. I--

After you stabbed him.I didn'’t stab him.

Then why'’d you draw the knife?I don'’t know.

You did draw it.I don'’t remember.

You don'’t remember.

No, sir. I--

It'’s all a blank.

A blank? How convenient.

Otto was my friend.

You were drunk.No. No, he wasn'’t.

[ murmuring ] [ gavel pounds ]

JUDGE: Silence. [ gavel pounds ]

Gentlemen of the jury,

the prosecution submits this Bowie knife as Exhibit A.

Identified by the prisoner as the one he was carrying on the night of the crime.

It'’s been definitely established that the fatal wound was inflicted

with a Bowie knife.

It has been further established that nobody else

had a Bowie knife in his possession.

All were searched before leaving the room

and found to be carrying clasped knives

or no knives at all.

There'’s but one conclusion to be drawn, gentlemen.

This was the murder weapon.

And there is your murderer!

Hold everything. Not so fast.[ murmuring ]

[ gavel bangs ]Silence.

Your Honor--This court is in session.

That'’s why I'm here.

Order.Exhibit B.

JUDGE: Hmm?

Whose knife is this?

There'’s some initials on the handle.

Hmm?

Oh, yes. "F.B."

F.B.--

Fred Becker, come forward, please.

Is this your knife?

It-It looks like it.

I lost one last summer.

Where did you find it?

In the waste pile at the Owens'’ winery.

Just behind the taproom.

Were you working at the winery?

No. Never at any time.

Then how could you have lost it there?

I don'’t know.

Could be he throwed it out the window.

Yes. I threw it.

I did it without thinking.

In the fight, I bumped against John and grabbed his knife.

And then-then I got scared and threw mine away.

I have nothing against John. I just--

I just... [ crying ]

Sheriff?

Take this man into custody.

He can have the cell occupied by our former prisoner, John Owens,

now declared free by order of this court.

[ murmuring ]

This court is dismissed.

Wall.

How in the world did you ever suspect

that knife was in the waste pile?

Yeah.

I could see it.

See it?

I only got one eye,

but it'’s as good as a half a dozen other eyes.

It'’s a telescope eye.

[ laughing ]

Well, in the words of Wall Kennedy himself,

"Doggone if the biggest part of it ain'’t true."

♪♪ [ trumpet ]