Original subtitles

What kind of a freak is that?

You mean the horse or the man?

I wonder where he's headed for.

Get back on the job.

[Bell dings]

♪♪ [Organ]

Hey!

Hello.

Who are you?

I'm Ben Darnell.

Mighty nice to meet you, Mr., uh...

Smith. Joker Smith.

You, uh-- you the preacher?

Well, I'm supposed to be.

Supposed to be?

Look, either you is, or you ain't.

Well, then, I guess I is.

What day is this, Monday or Tuesday?

It's Wednesday.

Looks like I lost a day on the trail.

Doesn't give me much time to get this place cleaned up

for next Sunday, does it?

[Laughs] You couldn't clean up this place in four weeks,

let alone four days.

I can try.

Maybe the good lord will send a little help.

[Chuckles]

Now, watch out there. I'll help you.

You'll hurt yourself.

Well, come on. Help me.

Come on.

Over here.

It's beautiful.

Yep, and I'm an angel with pure white wings.

My first church.

Well, I guess that does make a difference then, reverend.

Makes all the difference in the world, joker.

But we ain't through, yet. Look at this floor.

Oh, and there's a back room, too.

The last sky pilot used to live in it.

Had no place else to live, not in this town,

not for preachers.

Why, are preachers really that unpopular here in Carson City?

Well, they ain't really loved.

Whoo, look at the mess.

[Laughs]

Well, now all you need is a mop and a lot of soap and water.

Oh, the general store is right down the road

next to honegger's sin trap.

Next to whose what?

Marty Honegger's saloon.

You know, they got the worst whiskey

and the crookedest poker game in all of Nevada.

Oh, Reverend...

Don't you ever go near there.

I've never been in a saloon.

You ain't been around much, have you?

[Crash]

Hey, what do you think you're doing?

Well, we're helping ourselves.

As the good book says, "the lord helps him

that helps himself."

Yeah, we need one over at the shack.

Well, this is the Reverend Ben Darnell.

He's the new sky pilot and this is his church.

Church? This place hasn't been used for a church

since we ran the last preacher out of town.

Now, put that pipe back where you found it.

This ain't none of your put-in.

I said, put it back.

Yeah. [Groans]

Let me go. Let me go.

You all right?

[Door closes] Yeah.

Yeah, Reverend.

I'm all right.

But you ain't.

Why? Because I didn't get in a fight?

The Bible says, "turn the other cheek."

Is that the religion you brought to Carson city?

One that won't let you help a friend,

who's got two against one and who's fighting your fight?

If that's the way it is, you ain't gonna be here very long, Reverend.

You just ain't gonna be here very long.

Joker.

Mr. Smith.

[Bell dings]

Good morning, Ma'am.

I'm Ben Darnell.

Are you a certified, ordained minister?

Oh, yes, ma'am.

Well, how soon does the preaching start?

Just as soon as the congregation gathers.

It's gathered.

That's all you're gonna get

till folks find out if it's worth their time

dressing up on a Sunday.

But, Mrs...

Hopkins. Martha Hopkins.

Widow. Husband drank himself to death in honegger's saloon.

Anything else you'd like to know?

No, ma'am. Come in, please

[Congregation singing] ♪ ...Jesus

♪ going on before

♪ Christ, the royal master,

♪ leads against the foe

♪ forward into battles

♪ see his banners go

♪ onward, Christian soldiers

♪ marching as to war

♪ with the cross of Jesus

♪ going on before

I want to thank you all for coming to hear

my first sermon in Carson City,

and I particularly want to thank Ms. Martha Hopkins,

for volunteering to pass out the hymnals,

and for taking up the collection,

and also to my first friend in Carson City,

Mr. Joker Smith, for joining.

I have chosen a text

which I hope may explain a recent act of mine,

which I fear may have been misunderstood.

It's from the book of prayers, praises, and psalms.

Verse 145.

"I am small and despised,

yet I do not forget thy precepts."

[Inaudible]

[Inaudible]

What the devil are you doing here?

Well, I guess you might say I'm looking for him.

Looking for who?

Devil.

He's the only one I'm allowed to fight.

Get him out of here.

He's not harming anybody.

I said, get him out of here.

Hello.

Why, hello.

I didn't know sky pilots drank.

He don't drink, and he don't gamble,

so, you're wasting your time

I don't think so.

I'd like to talk to you, reverend.

You got nothing to talk to him about.

Can we go outside where it's quiet...

And private?

Why, yes, of course, ma'am.

My name's Claire Vernon.

My friends just call me "Claire."

She got lots of friends. [Chuckles]

Lots of them.

[Men laugh]

Now, we can talk.

Yes, ma'am.

You start.

Well--

I suppose you're wondering

why a nice girl like me is working in a den of inequity.

Well, it does seem sort of wrong.

Well, I could give you a lot of answers,

but the truth is it's the only job I can get.

You want a laugh, Reverend?

Well, I'll give you one.

I'm a grown woman, and I can't read or write.

Well, it's not too late to learn.

It's much too late for me.

Why did you come to Carson City?

Couldn't you find a job anywhere else?

Yes, I was offered a church back east in Baltimore,

but I sorta thought I could do some good out here.

Nobody can do Carson City any good.

Why do you say that?

Because the mines are all worked out,

the money's gone,

Nevada's dead.

They just forgot to Bury it.

Claire!

Get in here.

The lady and I were talking.

What lady?

He knows what I am.

Then what are you hanging around for, Reverend?

Well, I'd like to help if I can.

Oh, go peddle your prayers.

Go on, before you get hurt.

[Man] All right, get in line.

Keep moving.

All right, then double time.

One-two, one-two, one--

get back on your feet, you!

Get back on your feet. Keep moving.

Hey, Reverend, don't!

Take it easy.

Who are you?

I'm Benjamin Darnell,

the new minister in town.

Well, you're kind of off your reservation,

ain't you there, Reverend?

What right have you got to drive these men like slaves,

to whip them?

Come on Reverend, let's go, huh.

[Darnell] Please, stay out of it.

I'm not aware of any Nevada law

that allows you to abuse men like this,

no matter what crimes they committed.

I take my orders from the warden, Reverend.

He takes his from the Governor.

Well, then the warden's wrong, and so is the Governor.

Well, you go tell him so, huh?

All right, march.

Move!

Get out of my way!

One-two, one-two. Move!

Help me.

Come on, Reverend. Let's go. Here we go.

Well, you could have gotten yourself killed.

Yeah, but I didn't.

Claire!

Get in there.

Joker, take care of him.

Yeah.

[Claire gasps]

I'm not asking for myself.

I've done so many things wrong

and had so many failures since I came to Carson City,

that I don't expect anything from anybody.

But she's entitled to a chance that she's never had.

I'm not so sure about that.

Well, why not?

Considering what she's been...

Mrs. Hopkins, are you without sin?

Am I without--?

You mean, am I qualified to cast the first stone?

No, I'm not.

Who is?

All right, reverend.

It's against my better judgment,

but I'll do my part if she does hers.

Now, that is a mighty big "if."

Would you care for some more tea?

Oh, no, thank you.

I think I better go tell her.

Now, you take care you don't run into Marty Honegger.

He's not gonna like this one little bit, you know.

Just not one little bit.

♪♪ [Organ]

Deuteronomy 21:13,

"and she shall put the raiment

of her captivity from her,

and shall remain in thine house."

Believe me, Mrs. Hopkins, I appreciate what you're doing,

and I know that Claire does, too.

Claire, I hope that your life will be a decent and useful one

from now on.

Oh, let me, Mrs. Hopkins. I know how.

You do know, don't you?

Now, what else can you do? Can you keep a clean house?

Oh, yes, ma'am. Real clean.

And I can cook, too.

Now, I don't want to hear anything about that saloon ever again.

I'm gonna forget that part about you,

and I want you to forget it, too, do you understand?

All right.

Let's go home.

Well, it looks like you're fixing to feed a regiment.

Oh, just my brother and his family

coming down from Reno.

But, you know, I could never handle a crowd like that

without Claire.

It's a funny thing how you learn

to depend on a body in no time at all.

Well, now, I gather that that big "if"

is getting a little bit smaller.

Why don't you come to lunch,

right now?

Thanks. I could use a good home-cooked meal.

Claire?

Claire, guess who's come to see you?

Claire?

It's from her. She's left.

She says she's going back to Honegger's saloon.

I don't believe it. She'd never go back there

of her own free will.

How can you be so sure after what's she's been?

It's what she is that matters.

Can I borrow your buggy?

You're not going after her, are you?

Yes.

Then I'm going with you.

Where's Claire Vernon?

I asked you, where's Claire Vernon?

Forget it, you hear me?

Just forget it! Where is she?

Look, Honegger's got her locked in his office.

Easy, he'll kill you!

Claire?

Why did you come? Why?

I don't need you.

Yes, you do. You didn't want to come back here.

Sure, I did.

I like it, here.

That's not true, Claire.

I'm so sick of your psalm singing prayers.

You're so holy, holy, holy.

Now, you look at me, and you tell me the truth.

Do you want to work in this place?

Do you?

[Honegger] Well, go on and answer the Reverend, Claire.

Mrs. Hopkins found a note signed, "Claire."

Well I happen to know that Claire can't read or write.

You wrote the note!

All right, so, I wrote the note,

but she's here and she's staying here.

Come on, Claire.

[Men shouting]

Get her home.

I've got to send a telegram.

Come on, honegger, you gonna buy drinks, huh?

Nice going, Reverend.

My text is from Matthew.

"But I say unto you,

"that you resist not evil,

"but whoever smite thee on the right cheek,

turn to him the other also."

I have no sermon,

only a confession of failure.

For, who am I to teach others

what I, myself, forgot?

I've telegraphed my resignation to Bishop Keaner.

I'm leaving this church

and the ministry.

God bless you all.

[Congregation murmuring]

You can't do this, Reverend.

We ain't gonna let you do it.

Please don't leave.

I have no right to stay.

Who says you haven't?

Bishop Keaner!

I could have written or replied by wire,

but I wanted to get a look at you,

and also to tell you personally, Reverend Darnell,

that we need clergymen like you,

who are not afraid to fight when the cause is just,

to defend the weak

who cannot defend themselves.

You're going to stay in this church

in this town in Nevada

for a long time, Reverend Darnell.

The faith will be strengthened

because of you.