Original subtitles

♪

Well, if it ain't Belle Starr.

Hello Toby.

Had a little brush with the law?

No.

TOBY: Just wondered.

I didn't think you'd come within a mile of a courthouse

if you didn't have to.

They're trying my husband Sam for horse stealing.

You're going to be a character witness for him?

I'm just going to make sure he gets a fair trial.

♪

♪

Howdy folks.

I'm the old ranger.

It was said of Belle Starr

that she never forgave a foe or forgot an injury.

And it was here in this courtroom

at Fort Smith, Arkansas

that the former Queen of the Outlaws

was to receive a hurt

that caused her to prepare...

You saw the sign on the gatepost, didn't you?

Yes, sir.

It said no trespassing.

Well, I didn't know what it said.

I know you're a half breed Sam,

but you can read, can't you?

No, sir.

Not at all?

No sir.

[ crowd murmurs ]

Well now what would you think

that a sign on a ranch gate might mean?

Come in? Help yourself?

[ crowd laughs ]

You can guess that it said keep out, couldn't you?

Well, I didn't know.

Sam, what's that?

It's a 10 dollar bill.

How do you know?

Well I--

Well I can just tell.

Even if you can't read?

[ laughter ]

Sam, look out that window.

What's that building opposite

the one with the lettering on the window?

Saloon.

But you can't read.

[ laughter ]

Where does that door lead to Sam?

Jail.

But you can't read.

[ laughter ]

Stop it!

Clayton, you're making fun of my husband.

[ gavel struck ]

Order! Order in the court!

Is it a crime that a man can't read or write?

Now Belle Starr, you just sit down.

Just because a man can't read or write?

And keep quiet.

[ crowd murmurs ]

This court agrees.

Illiteracy is no cause for ridicule, Mr. Clayton.

Case dismissed for lack of evidence.

Well honey, I told you I'd get off.

I could kill him.

Who?

Clayton the D.A.

Telling the whole world you couldn't read or write.

Well it's the truth, Belle.

I can't.

I could have died of shame.

I'm sorry, Belle.

I didn't know it mattered that much.

He's going to pay for this.

You wait and see.

One of these days I'm going to get you,

Mr. District Attorney.

And I mean I'm going to get you dead.

♪

SAM: Belle?

Where are you going?

It's past midnight.

What are you up to Belle?

If I thought you ought to know

I would have wakened you and told you.

I didn't know there was any secrets between us.

This isn't much of a secret.

The D.A.?

Well you ain't going down in the dead of night

to gun a man down?

Well I wasn't planning to climb in his bedroom window

and start blazing away if that's what you mean.

Never mind what I mean.

What do you mean?

Our worthy District Attorney likes a few night caps

at the Queen High Saloon.

You was going to wait for him in some dark alley, huh?

If you expect me to be fussy the way I kill a man--

Belle, this isn't you.

Ever since that trial.

Yes, ever since that trial.

There was no harm done.

People still treat me just the same.

I haven't lost any friends.

Oh, Sam.

People treat you the same and you haven't lost any friends

because everybody knows you like I know you.

You're fine and you're decent.

That's why I'll never forgive him for making a fool

of you that way.

Well honey, I appreciate the way you feel.

But you can't go fighting my battles for me.

I know I may not read or write.

Someday I'll learn,though.

I swear.

But I'm a grown man.

I do my own fighting.

This time all that ridicule and humiliation

was aimed at me.

For what I've been.

I'm going to handle it my own way.

I ain't going to let you out that door.

Try and stop me.

OK, Sam.

You win.

Are you gonna forget about the whole thing?

I'll try.

I mean it, Belle.

I said I'll try.

♪

Belle! Belle!

What is it, Sam?

I picked this up from the Express Office.

It's addressed to you.

Something from Chicago.

I know what it is.

Some pictures I sent away for.

Pictures?

To hang on the wall instead of all these horns.

Oh.

I got the newspaper for you too.

Thanks, Sam.

Dinner's ready anytime you are.

I'll go wash up.

Oh by the way honey,

I met Judge Parker on the street today

said he wants to see you.

Judge?

What for?

He didn't say.

He just said there was something

he wanted to talk to you about.

For you to drop in to his office

the first chance that you get.

If you don't, he's coming out here.

I haven't done anything.

I'm clean with the law.

Well we both are.

You can't be tried twice for the same offence.

I know that for sure.

Hitch up the buckboard, will you Sam?

Why you going to see him now?

There ain't that much hurry.

I won't be able to rest until I find out

what's on his mind.

The worst part of having a past.

You never know when it's going to rear up at you.

Belle?

Belle, if the District Attorney

is mixed up in this in any way,

I don't want you flying off the handle

and doing anything we'd both be sorry for.

If the District Attorney is mixed up in this,

we won't be as sorry as he will.

Belle, you swore you were going to get him dead.

But you promised me you were going to forget it.

Which is it going to be?

I said I'd try to forget.

What's that mean?

Sam, you say you're ignorant,

but there's a lot of things you know.

You know by telling yourself to stop worrying

doesn't mean that you can stop worrying.

And trying to make yourself happy

doesn't always mean that you're happy.

And--

And wanting to be well when you're sick

doesn't mean that you can get well.

OK, I said I'd try to forget,

but I can't forget.

I tried and all it's gotten me are sleepless nights

thinking about it.

I, huh--

I hear him and I hear them laugh

and I know that I can never forget.

Belle, you're begging for trouble.

Oh.

Alright.

I'll stop begging.

The judge wants to see me, I'll go.

No guns. No nothing.

Just a housewife going into town

on a little business.

Satisfied?

Worried.

Good.

Makes a woman feel like a man really cares for her

if he worries about her.

Go on and worry.

But please go hitch up the buckboard.

♪

[ galloping ]

♪

Oh, Mrs. Starr.

I beg your pardon.

♪

[ door opens ]

[ door opens ]

I see Sam gave you my message.

Yes.

Good.

Sit down.

What's wrong, judge?

Nothing's wrong.

I asked you here to see if you'd do me a favor.

The whole town a favor.

Clear out?

Now, Belle.

You're a citizen in good standing these days.

Folks still stare at me when I walk down the street.

That's just the point.

You draw a big crowd.

Where? When?

What are you talking about?

The Semi-Centennial is coming up next month.

What about it?

I'm on the committee for special events

and I've got a great idea.

Now as a climax to the celebration,

we'll re-enact the famous holdup

of the old Butterfield Stage.

I wasn't even alive then.

You can't pin thaton me.

Neither was I.

I'll take part if you will.

I'll ride one the stage as one of the passengers.

You'll lead the gang of bandits.

Nothing doing.

Ah, Belle.

I've gone straight.

It's a mock holdup.

Guns with blanks.

I'm trying to live down my past.

This won't do me any good.

It'll do Fort Smith a lot of good.

Why it will bring folks in from all over the county.

Make the show a success.

Get somebody else.

Get a man.

Nobody will be the box office attraction that you are.

Belle Starr, Queen of the Outlaws.

That's a left-handed compliment if I ever heard one.

The answer is no.

I'll-- I'll ride on top with the driver.

And you can steal my gold watch.

I've already got a watch and I didn't steal it either.

I'll do even better than that.

I'll be one of your victims.

You can shoot me.

Shoot you?

That were a lot of casualties in that old holdup.

We'll act it out true to life.

Guns popping all over the place,

folks whooping and hollering.

Very generous of you judge

to offer yourself as a target, but--

You can't disappoint us, Belle.

Everybody's counting on you.

Yeah?

I'm lining up local celebrities to ride in the stage

as passengers.

There's the mayor, the sheriff, the D.A.

Mr. Clayton?

Yes, it's going to be a real honor.

You can pick your own gang.

There were five in that original bunch.

Three of them were killed.

What happened to the leader?

He got away.

In that case, maybe I'll say yes.

[ chuckles ] Thank you, Belle.

I knew I could count on your public spirit.

♪

♪

Passengers will board the stage here at the depot

where everybody can see them and give them a big send off.

We'll drive out of town and then circle around

by the back road and come in again.

We'll be laying for them at the bend in the road

about a half mile out of town.

Where the old holdup actually took place.

We'll ride up, order them to stop,

throw down the box.

The driver whips out his horses.

We go racing after them, clear into town.

Wasn't much of a town in those days.

It's gonna be a running gun battle.

Six shooters popping all over the place.

Three of our men are killed.

You, you-

And me?

No.

And you, Jim.

Now let's ride out to the scene of the holdup

and sort of go through our paces, boys.

Alright?

That will go well.

Oh how come I ain't taking part?

No use you getting mixed up in this.

Well, I could ride faster and shoot straighter.

Even the bullets are all gonna be blanks.

All but one.

What'd you say?

Nothing.

There are other ways that you could be more useful

in this show, Sam.

Yeah, like what?

Acting as a scout.

I don't savvy.

You will.

♪

[ crowd chatter ]

♪

This one's for you Mr. District Attorney.

♪

♪

[ crowd chatter ]

Ladies and gentlemen,

your attention please.

The big finale of the day's events

will be a thrilling re-enactment

of the famous stage holdup

that took place here in the year 1836.

[ crowd murmurs ]

We have here the original coach in four.

[ crowd laughs ]

Well, the original coach anyway.

Bearing the scars of that battle.

At 4:00 sharp, the passengers will board the stage.

The flower of our citizenry.

[ crowd laughs ]

It's 3:30.

You get back there and watch them board the stage

so you can tell me who sits where.

You mean-

Which seat each one takes.

Judge Parker said he'll be riding on the top.

You can see that for yourself.

The ones inside we can't.

Who's on the left, who's on the right.

And who's riding frontwards.

Does it matter?

When you putting on a show Sam,

every little detailmatters.

And hurry back here as soon as the stage takes off

so you can give me the word.

[ horse galloping ]

His Honor Judge Isaac Parker.

[ applause ]

His Honor the mayor of Fort Smith.

[ applause and cheer ]

The Sheriff of St. Sebastian County.

[ applause ]

Our District Attorney, Mr. Frank F. Clayton.

[ applause ]

ANNOUNCER: Mr. Frank Clayton.

Hey, Clayton.

[ crowd murmurs ]

Never mind, we'll go without him.

Here he comes.

[ applause ]

Sam! Sam!

Just the man I've been looking for.

Hold up Frankie will you so he can see.

Well I--

His mother's around somewhere with the other boy.

How's that son?

I'm up high.

[ crowd laughs ]

Thanks, Sam.

Mr. Frank Clayton, our late District Attorney.

[ applause ]

Goodbye papa.

♪

Get your places, folks.

Line up to watch the big chase.

It won't be long now, get your places.

Hey Jerry, come here.

Yeah, what is it Sam?

Now listen--

♪

[ horse galloping ]

Ms. Starr.

Have you seen my husband?

Well, he said to give you this.

How long ago did the stage leave?

20 minutes.

It'll be here anytime now.

Well I'm gonna get me back to town

and watch that big finish.

I'll see you there, Ms. Starr.

[ horse galloping away ]

♪

Belle, get ready.

[ crowd chatter ]

♪

BELLE: Here they come.

Let's go!

Head back to town.

[ gunshots ]

[ shouting ]

[ gunshots ]

[ gunshots ]

Here they come.

[ gunshots ]

[ shouting ]

[ gunshots ]

[ gunshots ]

[ crowd chatters ]

[ gunshots ]

♪

[ crowd cheers ]

Woa!

[ crowd cheers ]

[ crowd cheers ]

Did you have a good trip?

[ crowd chatter ]

[ crowd cheers ]

Where's papa?

♪

Frank.

[ laughter ]

[ crowd cheers ]

JUDGE: Three cheers for Belle Starr.

CROWD: Hooray!

Hooray!

Hooray!

[ crowd chatters ]

[ horse galloping ]

Belle, you were terrific.

You almost made me afraid for my life.

It was a great show, Belle.

It couldn't have been more real.

Yes it could have, Mr. D.A.

And it would have, if it just wasn't something

I had to have you see.

Take a look at that.

And don't you ever make fun of my husband again.

Sam wrote that.

He has his name on it.

Sam has learned to read and write.

Mr. Clayton ought to know, honey.

It was him who taught me how.

You?

It was the least I could do after all those jibes

I took at him in court.

I told him how ashamed you was of me.

I hadn't realized how much you took it to heart.

You taught him yourself?

A man Sam's age couldn't be expected

to go to school with five year olds.

Sam, why didn't you tell me?

I was saving it for a surprise.

Then when the D.A. told me to hold his kid

just before the show,

I knew I couldn't bring the word to you myself.

So there was nothing left to do but write you a note.

Judge on top, D.A. on the side facing front.

The seating arrangement on the stage.

I don't know what difference it made,

but Belle was dead set on having it.

You know, I'm just as proud of Sam as you are.

Thanks.

You--

You better take this, Mr. D.A.

♪

I meant it for you.

Belle Starr and the District Attorney

became fast friends.

One of the pictures which Clayton cherished

for the rest of his life was this photograph

of Belle Starr holding the gun with which she planned

to kill him, but didn't.

Only because she wanted the satisfaction

of showing him her husband was no longer illiterate.

♪