Original subtitles

♪ [ trumpet ]

In the 1870s, San Francisco believed

anything was possible.

The city thrived on bonanzas,

and 1871 produced the most exciting of all.

It began when two miners triggered the rush to...

I'm sorry, gentlemen.

We can't accept this for safekeeping,

unless you reveal the contents.

Well, we can't do that, mister.

That's up to you and Mr. Slack.

Uh, this here is a bank, ain't it?

This here is the inside of a bank, Mr. Arnold.

And we have rules regarding deposits in our safe.

Can we see the man who makes them rules?

You may not.

They are the policies of Mr. William C. Ralston,

president of this bank.

Let's go somewhere else, Phil. Come on.

No, Johnny. No, I want to see that there Mr. Ralston.

You're looking at him.

Problem, Cunningham?Well, sir,

these men want to put that bag in our vault,

but they refuse to show me what's in it.

Why?

Uh...

Because.

Because what we got in that there bag...

is our business...

sir.

[ chuckles ] That's true,

but if you want to put that bag in our vault,

it becomes our business.

You see, gentlemen, that bag might contain gold or silver.

It could be a bomb

to blow out our vault.

[ chuckles ] Oh, no, sir.

No, it don't contain none of them things.

Then what's in it?

[ whispers ] It's full of diamonds.

Did he say...

"diamonds"?

Perhaps, we'd better talk in my office.

Cunningham, you'd better come along.

The, uh, gentleman doesn't trust me.

Right this way, gentlemen.

Right in there.

Help yourself.

Bicarb. I got stomach trouble

ever since me and Phil come back from Europe.

All that rich food done me in.

Europe, huh?

Is, uh...that where you got the diamonds?

Oh, no, sir.

We found the mine out in the desert,

when we come back.

Are you telling me you found a diamond mine here?

Yes, sir, we did.

That's impossible.

There isn't a diamond field in the entire United States.

Yes, sir,

but there weren't no gold mines neither

till the rush of '48.

Show me.

We only brung a few.

Where'd you men get these?

We ain't telling.

I told you we should've gone somewheres else.

And you was right, Johnny.

Now wait a minute.

You men wanted to put this bag in our vault.

Not now, we don't.

Yeah, but Mr. Ralston only wants to help.

Who needs help?

Gentlemen, you do.

What you've got here is a drop in the bucket.

It'll take real money to develop this project.

You'll need at least a quarter of million dollars,

and that's just to get started.

We do?

Mister...

we ain't got that kind of money.

No, but...

I do.

However, in fairness, to both of us,

I want my colleague to look at these stones.

Cunningham, go upstairs

and have a receipt made out for this bag.

Yes, Mr. Ralston.

I'll get my friend from his office across the street.

Mr. Ralston...

Hmm?

Oh. Of course.

Make yourself comfortable.

Gentlemen.

Excuse me.

Hey, Phil?Yeah, Johnny?

Who's that other fella he's getting?

I don't know. I don't like him already.

Me neither.

Let's get out of here while we still can.

Yeah.

Well, Phil, we still got all the diamonds.

Yeah, and that Mr. Ralston ain't the only one

that's got a bank in San Francisco.

[ knock on door ]

MAN: Phil Arnold, you in there?

Asbury Harpending.

What's an "asbury harpending"?

He's a friend of mine from Kentucky.

Johnny!

[ knocking continues ]

Just a minute.

Why, Phil Arnold!

I swear you act as if you didn't want to be found.

I found him. They're in here.

Now, Phil--

Oh, and you must be Mr. Slack.

I'm Asbury Harpending, a business associate

of Mr. Ralston's here.

I'm the one you two didn't wait to meet.

Shame on you, Phil.

Who's he?

That's Henry Janin,

one of the finest mining engineers

in the country.

Gentlemen.

We brought him to look at the diamonds, Mr. Arnold.

You ain't getting them.

Oh, now, Phil, what are you afraid of?

Nothing.Well, certainly.

Now, you'll let our Mr. Janin

just see them.

All right.

Here.

HARPENDING: Uh, Phil, tell me,

where did you find the diamonds?

Out there,

about a thousand miles from San Francisco.

Could you be more explicit?

Well, uh...

maybe it was Arizona.

Colorado. Maybe Wyoming.

Or, uh, even Nevada, Phil.

Do you think you could find the place again?

Sure.

Mr. Ralston, they're real.

Absolutely genuine diamonds!

As I told you, Asbury.

Uh...

Phil, do you think you could possibly

take Mr. Janin and me

to the place where the diamond mines are?

Why? We ain't asking for no help.

Oh, but you're going to need it, Phil.

You're going to need it.

Well...

I don't know.

Would, uh...

a thousand a piece cover expenses?

Sure.

Sure, but that don't mean

we're making a deal for the mine.

Oh, certainly not.

Now, we'll talk about that after our Mr. Janin here

has examined the claims and given us his opinion.

Uh, agreeable?

It's all right, Johnny?Uh-huh.

Fine.

Come in tomorrow morning.

Cunningham will give you the money

and a receipt for the bag.

Good night.

Mr. Ralston.

Janin: Gentlemen.

Sir.

Nice seeing you again, Phil.

Mr. Harpending.

Hold it!

Arnold, why are we stopping here?

You're going the rest of the way, blindfolded.

Here, put these on.

I declare you still don't trust us, do you, Phil?

Better safe than sorry, Mr. Harpending.

Why--

Are all those diamonds?

Sure. There are even bigger ones over there.

Well, th-- They can't be!

Go see for yourself.

I must be dreaming.

Am I?

You're not dreaming. I wouldn't believe this

if I didn't see it with my own eyes.

You see them rocks down there?

We call it "Sapphire Hollow."

Over there is "Ruby Gulch."

You okay, Johnny?

Yeah, I'm okay.

And, uh, right down here is "Diamond Flat."

I reckon that's the best part.

What the--

That's covered with diamonds!

Some of it's diamond dust.

Dang stuff springs up wherever there's an anthill.

You look ill, Mr. Slack.

I'd better lie down.

Come on in the shade, Johnny. I'll get you some water.

It's a quarter of a mile of diamonds.

What do you think they're worth, Janin?

That's hard to say.

Now, just a minute. That's what you're here for.

Well...

judging from what's on top,

I'd say at least $65 million.

Sixty--

Look, Janin, let's just keep this to ourselves, huh?

At least for the time being.

I tell you, Bill, these are small

compared to some of those we saw at the mines.

Why, it is the greatest bonanza in history.

Great enough for people to want to buy in?

If you're selling, put me down for a thousand shares.

I'm selling to everybody.

You know, we still have to raise $8 million.

Now, hold it, Bill. Take it easy.

First, you got to find a way to buy out

those two trusting friends of ours,

Arnold and Slack.

How much do you think that mine's worth?

In the neighborhood of $65 million.

But they'll settle for a fraction.

You see, it's all very relative, Bill.

You speak in millions, but they think in thousands.

I'm sure he's right.

I don't want to risk a scandal, Asbury.

I'll offer them...

$300,000 a piece to get out fast.

Bring them in.

Oh, I can't. They didn't come back with us.

They didn't come back?

No.

Well, where are they?

I guess at the mines.

Oh.

Well, send someone to get them.

I-I can't, Bill.

You see, they blindfolded us.

I-I don't know where the mines are.

You let those boobs outsmart you?

Well, now...

They'll be coming along, Bill.

Sure, sure.

So you two just rode off

and left those two men sitting on the first diamond discovery

in America.

[ sighs ] In the meantime,

all we have to show our investors, are these,

and, uh...

they don't belong to us.

[ diamonds clank ]

If those mines are lost,

we're ruined.

Now, I don't follow that.

I leaked the news to the press

in order to raise the rest of the money.

You what?

Asbury...

the whole world knows about those diamond mines.

[ people clamoring ]No!

Please!

Please!

Mr. Ralston will see all you people tomorrow!

Look at these telegrams, will you?

Just look at these telegrams.

Here's one from the United States government

asking if their geologist can survey the mines.

Let me know if they find them.

Harpending? There's another

from the House of Rothschild in London.

The Baron himself wants to be your European representative.

That's great. Great. Great.

Harpending, where--

Oh, there you are.

You hear that? Rothschild.

Well, I'm not surprised.

Oh, this, um--

this just arrived from New York.

"Tiffany & Co. certifies diamonds genuine. Stop.

"We offer $250,000

"for shares of your stock. Stop."

Signed "Charles Lewis Tiffany."

[ chuckles ][ sighs ]

Bill, my boy, we are off and rolling!

Rolling?

Where are we rolling?

You know, those two idiot friends of yours

haven't turned up yet,

and until they do, let me remind you,

we have nothing to sell!

Except maybe some stock...

in a phony corporation.

Mr. Ralston, sir...

the geologist from the government is here.

Dr. Clarence King.

Well, uh... get rid of him.

Tell him I'm busy.

Any ideas?

We can't go on stalling

the Federal Government indefinitely.

CUNNINGHAM: Mr. Ralston!

Mr. Ralston--

I told you to get rid of them!

Yes, sir, but Mr. Slack and Mr. Arnold

just came in.

Well, Cunningham...

show them in.

And, uh...

tell Mr. King to wait.

Asbury...

this time, I'll do the talking.

Well, Mr. Arnold, Mr. Slack, welc--Asbury.

RALSTON: Asbury-- HARPENDING: Welcome back--

I've been meaning to tell you, Mr. Ralston,

that me and Johnny are sure upset

about what we've been reading in the newspaper.

Perhaps, my statement was a little premature, Mr. Arnold.

I was feeling all right until I read that.

Heck, Mr. Ralston, we didn't have no deal.

You know, those mines are worth maybe...

a million dollars.

Maybe...

but isn't your health...

worth more than that, Mr. Slack?

I hope to tell you it is.

Well, then why don't you let me buy you out?

Let me spare you any more...

suffering?

What do you think, Mr. Arnold?

I don't know.

I sure want to do what's best for you, Johnny.

You offering a fair price?

Well, I'm willing to, um...

give each of, uh...

$300,000 for your claim.

Yes, Mr. Cunningham, what is it now?

It's that government man, sir.

He says if Mr. Ralston can't see him,

he wants to go to the mine by himself.

Wait a minute.

Well, gentlemen...

do we have a deal?

Yes, sir, it is!

And, uh, here's a map, so it'll show you the way.

Asbury, take care of the details.

Do what you have to do.

We've inconvenienced these gentlemen long enough.

Yes, right away.Good day.

Good day.This way, gentlemen.

Well, Mr. Arnold--

Oh, Mr. Arnold? Mr. Slack?

A little bonus from me and my associates.

Why, thank you, Mr. Ralston.Thank you.

You sure are a fair-dealing man.

Thank you, sir.Yes, sir.

Right this way, gentlemen. The papers are right over here.

Shall I bring in Mr. King?

Uh, yes, do that.

Mr. Ralston?

Mr. King.

May I tell you, sir,

how much I welcome the opportunity...

for this survey.

[ pickaxe striking rock ]

[ clicks tongue ]

I'm really amazed at you.

An amateur geologist knows

that diamonds and emeralds and rubies

aren't found together in the same mine.

I knew, Mr. King.

I knew. It happened so fast,

I just didn't think, that's all.

Greed.

Greed, greed, greed, Mr. Janin.

They fooled a lot of people, even Tiffany's.

Tiffany's only certified that they were genuine.

Why, this is a cut diamond!

Precisely, Mr. Janin.

Would you have questioned that a few days ago?

[ sighs ]

What will Mr. Ralston say?

Ruined.

Asbury...

we're ruined.

So we are, Bill.

So we are, without a doubt.

We'll have to return the two millions,

and the 600,000, we'll...

we'll just have to write off to experience, I guess.

Where did we go wrong?

BOTH: 68, 69, 70,

71, 72.

How come you're so stupid?

Diamonds ain't mined already cut.

Did any of them know, huh?

[ chuckles ]

[ both laugh ]

Besides, had to stop you from salting the mine with pearls,

you dumb fella.

Well, we got most of the diamonds between us,

thanks to Mr. Ralston's bonus.

[ laughs ]

[ laughs ]

So we still got the $50,000 we spent.

I told you it was worthwhile to go to Europe

to buy these jewels, didn't I, Johnny, huh?

Mm-hmm.

They had to be real, right?

Right.

And for $50,000,

who cares if they're full of flaws?

[ chuckles ]

People is funny.

They want to believe something bad enough,

ain't nobody going to stop them.

Yup.

$300,000 a piece

is a lot of believing, Johnny.

Good-bye, Johnny. Take care, hear?

I will, Phil. I will.

Right now, I'd give it all back

for a bicarbonate soda.

[ both laugh ]

Mr. Arnold...

and Mr. Slack...

I don't know how you did it...

but here's to you wherever you are.

[ horse whinnies ]

Slack disappeared and was never heard from again.

Arnold returned to Kentucky where he became,

of all things, a banker.

He eventually gave back $150,000 of the stolen money.

A short time later, he was killed in a gun duel,

bringing to an end one of the greatest hoaxes

in history.

Be with us next week for another true drama

from our American past.