Original subtitles

Hold it quiet, please.

Someone's there.

Carl, I've got to prove that Jim Hedges is alive.

From the entertainment capital of the world...

produced for television by Warner Bros.

Sweet and low

Sweet and low

Wind of the western sea

Low, low, breathe and blow

Wind of the western sea

Over the rolling waters go

Come from the dying moon and blow

Blow him again

To me

While my little one

While my pretty one

Sleeps

Later, gentleman, later. Later she sings for you again.

But now she must rest. Please, go. Please, please.

Well, Jenny, your voice, it rings tonight.

He was there again, professor.

Who was where again?

Oh, yeah, Mr. Maverick.

I see him.

Hey, hold it.

Well, hello again.

I hope you haven't been waiting for me. - Hup!

We were commencing to think that you maybe had overslept.

I didn't go to bed at all.

As a matter of fact, I had trouble scraping up the fare.

Good morning, ma'am.

Well, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll say good night.

That was a short day.

Some Sunday morning

We'll walk down the aisle

He'll be so nervous

And I'll try to smile

Things sure look rosy

For someone and me

Some Sunday morning

You'll see

There'll be an organ playing

Friends and relations will stare

Say, can't you hear them saying

"Gee, what a peach of a pair"?

Some Sunday morning

We'll walk down the aisle

He'll be so nervous

And I'll try to smile

Things sure look rosy

For someone and me

Some Sunday morning

You'll see

Carl, it just doesn't make sense. No man travels 400 miles out on his way...

just because he likes the sound of my voice.

Oh, I wouldn't say that.

But if you mean me, I'm not going out of my way at all.

Then it's just a coincidence that you're always out front whenever I sing.

Well, not quite. You see, in my business, which is poker...

I have to keep moving anyway.

And I've noticed that wherever you sing...

there's always a good crowd in a good mood.

I see.

You spend so much time in the audience, how can you do any business?

Well, ma'am, when you sing, there just isn't much poker being played.

Maybe it goes better, Mr. Maverick...

if where the game is good, we all should stay a little while.

- All of us? VEGELIUS: Yeah. I keep telling my Jenny...

she should not all the time be moving around. Always moving.

One night, she wins the whole town and then she throws it away.

Where one is winning, one should stay a while, not so?

Well, sometimes it's better to quit before you win too much.

That way you don't wear out your welcome.

So I spend what's left of my life inside the coach and horses.

Too much love

Can make you unhappy

Too much love

Can leave you alone

Too many times

I've had it happen

Love caught me nappin'

Now I'm alone

Too much love

Is wasted in waiting

For the one

Who'll call you his own

That's why my heart is yours forever

Complaining never again

Of too much love

Too much love

Is wasted in waiting

For the one

Who'll call you his own

That's why my heart

Is yours forever

Complaining never again

Of too much love

Thank you.

Thank you.

- Has Professor Vegelius come in yet? - No, sir.

Night.

Six-oh-four, please.

This came for you by telegraph, Mr. Maverick.

Mr. Maverick, Miss Hill has asked me to express her thanks to you for the roses.

Tell Miss Hill I broke even last night in Crystal City...

and I just had to share my good fortune with someone.

Of course. Good night.

Come in.

Hello, professor. We missed you tonight.

How was it? Good, eh? Always good, even brilliant.

Tomorrow night, by lottery we sell the tickets.

- Not tomorrow night, professor. - Listen to me, Jenny.

They will make a contract for two weeks.

One-third of the total receipts and guaranteed $200 a night.

- I can't do it, professor. - Jenny.

I'm sorry, but this is the way it has to be. Now, you knew it from the start.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I knew.

I can build a pinnacle of fame for you and you have no desire for that?

Professor, I'm Jenny Hill. I'm a saloon singer, I'm not Jenny Lind.

Even so, must you always be moving? Why always moving?

Well, it's no mystery. Maybe I'm just restless.

But it's what I want.

Well, then, Jenny...

tonight I took supper with Lotta Franklin.

She is pretty and she sings. A manager she wants.

Yeah, it's me she wants.

Well, then, if Miss Franklin has made you an offer you like...

please, professor, take it.

Jenny. She sings, it is no more than that.

She is half what you are. Oh, less than half.

Tomorrow afternoon, I'm taking the riverboat to Kansas City.

If you wanna be with me, then I want you.

I will not do it. No, I will not.

Lotta Franklin, I will accept her.

She will obey the old professor and I will make her great, so great.

Maybe I'm wrong.

Maybe you are a sweet, shy, simple-hearted boy with stars in your eyes.

But I've run across a few of those and you're hardly the type.

Do you really think I'd have to be simple to be honest with you?

The reason you gave, the crowds, the poker games...

that wasn't honest, was it?

The crowds don't follow me when I leave, but you do.

I wanna know why.

And I wanna know why you're afraid of me.

I'm not afraid of you.

Then let me put it this way.

No, please.

Good night.

Good night, Jenny.

Please, Bret, no.

Is there something I don't know, Jenny?

Is there somebody else? A husband, maybe?

No, there isn't. But I'm a widow.

No obstacle there.

My husband's only been dead for six months. And I have a son, his son.

I'm afraid it isn't so easy for me to forget.

I wondered what you were running from.

You think if you keep moving that you won't have time to remember?

I don't know. Maybe that's it.

You'll have to stop somewhere and face it, Jenny.

He's dead and you're alive.

I suppose so. But I'm not sure I'm ready to face it yet.

Good night, Bret.

Wait, Jenny.

Are you ready to go to your cabin, Jenny? I'll walk you to the door.

I hope we haven't been keeping you up, Carl.

Not at all. Good night, Mr. Maverick.

Carl.

Carl?

Have you seen Mr. Maverick?

Not since we docked here in Marthasville. He got off.

What? And he didn't get on again?

No. I've been on deck all the time.

Why, I thought you'd be happy to get rid of him.

- Isn't that what you wanted? - Oh, I suppose so.

But somehow I didn't think it would happen, not now anyway.

Gentlemen of the jury...

Mike McComb here stands accused of the murder of three men.

Now, the prosecution wants to make sure...

that we all understand the defendant's version of what happened.

Mr. McComb...

you testified that the driver stopped the stagecoach to pick up a man on foot.

And you say that both he and the shotgun guard recognized this man...

and called him by name, Jim Hedges.

That's what I said.

But why did you get out of the coach?

Because I wanted to say hello to him. I hadn't seen Jim in more than a year.

When I climbed down, he pulled his gun.

That's when the two masked men showed up.

Have I got that right?

Yes, sir. The other passenger tried to go for his gun and one of the men killed him.

Jim yelled for me to stand still and I stood still.

And then what happened?

Well, the masked men shot and killed the driver and the shotgun guard.

But they left you alive...

the only witness to three cold-blooded murders.

But I told you, Jim and me used to be friends.

Besides, I wasn't trying to be no hero.

How fortunate for you, Mr. McComb.

He's acting really bizarre.

And then what happened?

Well, Jim shot the lock off the strongbox and all three of them fell to cussing.

Seems there wasn't any cash, only a lot of papers and such.

As far as I know, they didn't get a thing.

And after they were gone, you put the three bodies in the stagecoach...

and drove it 15 miles into town.

Why, Mr. McComb?

I paid me full fare. You wouldn't want me to walk, would you?

Gentlemen...

in simple words...

Mike McComb's whole defense rests on his claim...

that Jim Hedges engineered that robbery three weeks ago.

Mr. McComb, I'd like you to look at the man

in this picture and tell me whether or not...

you'd like to change your story.

Yeah, sure I'd like to change it.

But I wouldn't know what to change it too.

Who is the man in this picture?

Jim Hedges.

Gentlemen, according to the records of the stagecoach company here in question...

Jim Hedges was employed as a guard in their depot in Winesberg...

when that depot was robbed and burned to the ground six months ago.

You see by this death certificate that Jim Hedges was killed at that time...

and has been resting in his grave in Winesberg ever since.

Prosecution rests, Your Honor.

Guilty. Can you imagine? Me, guilty.

It's not hard to imagine, believe me.

You're about the guiltiest-looking innocent person I've ever seen.

I'd like to know who the fellow was who says honesty's the best policy.

I don't know but I think it depends on how long the policy's been in effect.

You don't look like the world's worst liar till you try telling the truth.

Then why didn't you tell me that before I tried it?

How was I to know? Never heard you try it before.

How long do you think I've got, Bret?

I mean, after that lawyer of mine, if you'll pardon the expression...

files his appeal.

As long as it takes to review your case.

And you're still no closer to finding Jim Hedges than you were before, huh?

No. But I'm not the only one that's looking for him.

You mean his widow knows he's alive too?

Well, I'm not sure she knows.

I think it's more hope than anything else.

The way she keeps going from town to town, if he is alive...

she's making it awful easy for him to find her.

Ah, she must know.

That's what we need, somebody to prove that he's alive and that I'm not a liar.

I think proving he's alive will be sufficient.

But, you know, Mike...

I don't think she's seen him since he took that job in Winesberg.

I think she believed he was dead...

till she started this singing tour about a month ago.

Then he must have gotten in touch with her.

Or something happened to give her hope.

Is there's something you're not telling me, Bret?

- Like what? - When you talk about her...

I can see you don't like what you're doing.

Oh, it's not that, Mike.

If her husband weren't alive...

I think I'd have to consider falling in love with her.

But she's hoping he is alive, so that's your only hope too.

Whatever I feel about her doesn't matter.

Oh, fine. Well, if he ain't alive, do come to me hanging.

I'll give you me gold watch for a wedding present.

Well, that's a real nice thought, Mike, because way down deep, I'm sentimental.

If a body meet a body

Comin' through the rye

If a body kiss a body

Need a body cry?

Every lassie has her laddie

Nane, they say, have I

Yet all the lads, they smile at me

When comin' through the rye

Jenny.

Bret?

My name's Maverick. I was looking for a kind of shy young widow.

Well, it was a surprise to find you here. And surprises fluster me.

If you're trying to explain why you kissed me, you don't have to.

Unless you're explaining it to yourself.

I suppose that's what I've been doing. How silly of me.

But why did you get off the boat without a word?

I had something to do in Marthasville.

But what? You've hardly been out of my sight for...

Jenny...

I haven't asked you any questions.

All right.

Maybe you'd like to try again, over dinner?

All right. It'll only take me a minute to change.

You might tell Carl if you see him.

I see him.

Carl, I'll be having dinner with Mr. Maverick.

All right, Jenny.

- Jenny missed you, Mr. Maverick. - Well, I can't imagine why.

Oh, I think I can. I think you remind her of her husband.

- Her late husband. - Why, yes, of course.

But it's hard for me to think of him that way.

- It's been hard for Jenny too. - Well, he was a very vital person.

He gambled too. He had a charming way of shunning responsibility.

You've been with Jenny a long time, haven't you?

Yes, I was her accompanist before she was married.

She gave up her singing to settle down with him...

only he never settled down.

You didn't like him much, did you?

Well, it's difficult not to like the man.

The point is that Jenny loved him. She accepted him.

She...

She accepts a great many things.

There, I wasn't much more than a minute, was I?

Jenny, your timing was perfect.

You still planning to leave in the morning?

Oh, yes.

Well, I'll have your trunk taken to the dock. Good night.

I'm beginning to wonder if he'll ever come.

Carl. I hope you don't think I've been waiting for him.

Well, I'm sorry. I only meant...

It's just that moonlight on the water tonight

is so lovely that I'm not a bit sleepy.

Well, I'm afraid it has just the opposite effect on me.

Jenny, I wonder if you'd mind very much being left alone.

Oh, not at all, Carl. Don't worry about me. Good night.

Good night, Jenny.

I was beginning to wonder if he'd ever leave.

Hello.

Are you winning tonight?

No. Which forces me to bring up a very unpleasant subject.

- What's that? - Work.

Work?

I need a job and you haven't replaced the professor yet.

You mean that you wanna take his place?

Well, I've got to if I'm gonna stay with you.

Following you around is costing me a fortune.

- But why, Bret? - Why what?

- Why have you been following me? - Jenny, we've covered that, remember?

What do you know about managing a singer?

Not a thing.

So I'm exactly what you need. You don't really want a manager...

but you do need somebody if you plan to go any farther.

Well, Carl is with me.

- Carl plays the piano. - And you play poker.

I knew you'd see the point.

I'm used to handling other people's money, I can handle yours.

You do need somebody to talk for you.

Well, I also talk.

Oh, yes, you do, and very well.

And you're right, I do need someone.

- How about $30 a week? - Fifty.

Up till now you've been traveling with me for nothing.

Honey, that was for love. This is business.

- All right. Forty. - Forty-five.

Fifty.

I'm so tired.

Why does that riverboat have to leave so early?

And why do we have to leave at all?

Maybe all managers start sounding like this after the first week...

but is there any reason why we can't stay here a few more days?

- Is that what you want, professor? - I want what you want.

And what you need is a rest.

What are you looking for, Jenny?

I think I've stopped looking, Bret.

Do you mean that?

I've just about decided that what I've been looking for doesn't exist.

- And what was that? - Never mind.

But if you want me to stay, I'll stay.

Are you sure about this?

As sure as I'll ever be, I guess.

Good night.

Don't light that lamp.

Close the door and sit down. We got some waiting to do.

Am I permitted the usual questions? Who are you? What do you want?

Well, I come here to give you a message from Jim.

Jim? Where is he?

- Ma'am, I can't tell you that. - What's he done?

Why has he let me think he's dead?

- You mean you really don't know? - Oh, tell me.

Well, the law don't look for no man who's dead and buried.

Why should the law wanna look for him at all?

Well, ma'am...

when we hit that stagecoach depot in Winesberg, Jim was working there.

He was our inside man.

Well, one of our boys was killed, so Jim put his watch and his ring...

on the dead man's body so they'd think it was him after the fire.

You still haven't told me why.

I guess he figured it'd be easier if he didn't have to answer questions.

I see.

What does he want from me now?

Well, Jim needs some money. He needs it real bad.

Now, he figures you're doing so good you'd have some cash to spare.

Now, like I said, he needs it.

Why doesn't he come to me himself?

I spent most of what I earned on travel and publicity so he'd know where to find me.

Jim's got to stay where he's at.

Everybody knows you and him was man and wife.

- How's it gonna look if he comes calling? - Then I'll go to him.

I'm sorry, that's out of the question. He can't take that risk.

He's got to stay dead for a spell.

How do I know he isn't dead?

If you robbed that place, if you saw him killed...

well, this could be a scheme to get money out of me.

Yeah, could be that way.

But it ain't.

Well, then take me to him.

Ma'am, Jim laid it out awful flat. He just can't take the chance.

I can't just give money to you or anyone who comes here and tells me Jim sent him.

All right, ma'am, I'll tell him.

My next stop is St. Joseph.

I'm leaving tomorrow, I'll be easy to find.

I tell you, I don't think he'll come.

As much as he wants to see you, I don't think he'll come.

Please. If Jim is alive, he has a son he hasn't seen for a year.

I've got to talk to him.

If he'll come to me himself, I'll give him the money.

Will you tell him that?

All right, ma'am.

Would you see if there's anybody out in that hall?

Anybody else coming?

No, it's just between the three of us.

We brought you a message, Mr. Maverick.

You see, we had a real good friend, Jim Hedges.

He died about six months ago.

Now, the message we got for you is, you stay away from his widow.

Yeah, we're kind of old-fashioned.

See, we sort of figure that a widowed woman

ought to have at least a year of mourning.

Why, you boys got the wrong idea.

I happen to work for Ms. Hill, I'm her manager.

- Oh, we know all about that. - You was her manager.

You just quit. That's the rest of the message.

- You won't forget it, will you? - Not if I can help it.

Well, if you need any help, we'll be back.

Mr. Maverick?

Can you hear me?

Yeah. Yeah, I hear you.

What happened here?

I cut myself shaving.

- Now help me up. - Is it all right?

Yeah, sure, it's just great. Help me up.

Ooh.

You know, some days it just doesn't pay to get up at all.

Who did it?

Some friends of a friend.

What a cheap hotel. This mirror makes me look all lumpy.

Jenny's gone for bandages.

You told her?

Of course, when I came in and found you like that.

Wouldn't it have been neater just to keep it between the two of us?

Neater? I don't understand.

You don't, huh?

No, I guess you don't.

Say, you don't think I had anything to do with this?

Bret?

Uh, Carl...

shouldn't you be taking Jenny's trunk to the depot or the dock or somewhere?

Oh. Yes, the trunk.

Well, Jenny, I got a message from your husband.

What?

Two of his friends were kind enough to deliver it for him.

Seems they wanna protect his interest in you.

What did they say?

Well, it's not what they said, it's the way they said it.

They sort of felt that Jim, rest his soul, wouldn't approve of me.

Or is there some other explanation?

Jenny, are you sure your husband's dead?

No, Bret, I'm not.

It's Jim I've been looking for all along.

But you said you were ready to stop looking.

I was, till this happened.

I was ready to tell myself he was really dead...

I was ready to give up.

Maybe that's what I wanted to believe.

Well, why didn't you believe it in the first place?

Everyone else did.

Jim and I were married with only a wedding band.

But he always said that someday he'd buy me an engagement ring.

And then five weeks ago this came in the mail.

Just this, no letter?

No, just the ring.

But then I had to find out.

I had to know if I still had a husband, if my son still had a father.

Why didn't you tell me before?

If he were alive, I knew he must be in some terrible kind of trouble.

Afraid to come to me.

And I was afraid too.

Afraid someone might try to get to him through me.

Someone like me?

Well, that's what I thought at first, but I don't now.

But this is the end of it, Bret.

What do you mean?

I don't know how you felt but I was falling in love with you.

I can't let that happen now.

I'm sorry.

Well, I'm sorry too, because I can't let you do this.

Bret, if anything ever happened to you I'd never forgive myself.

Jenny, since I'm breaking a very important rule of mine...

which is to be cowardly at all costs, please remember...

if anything happens to me, it's my own stupid fault.

Some Sunday morning

Is going to be

Some Sunday morning

For someone and me

Bells will be chiming

An old melody

Specially for someone and me

You looking for the exit?

No, I'm looking for the door I came in by.

Well, that's it. You see, it works two ways.

From the outside, it's an entrance and from the inside, it's an exit.

Well, what do you know, they got everything up-to-date around here.

Jenny?

Oh, Bret, come in.

Something's wrong. What is it?

I don't know, I...

Bret, he's alive. I'm sure of it this time.

What's happened?

I've had word from him and this time I know he said it.

- Where is it? - It wasn't written down.

- What did he say? - I can't tell you that.

You have to.

There's only one thing I have to do, now that I'm sure.

Don't make me say it.

You don't love him, Jenny.

I did. And I'm married to him.

Jenny, you have to tell me what that message was.

What do you mean?

I wish you hadn't been so honest with me, it'd make it easier.

Easier?

To tell you why I've come this far and why I can't stop here.

What are you saying?

Your first guess was right, Jenny.

I was using you to get to him.

That's how it began.

And I believed what you told me.

I had to make you believe me.

But why? What does Jim mean to you?

More and more every day.

You see, he and two other men robbed a stagecoach about a month ago.

There were three people killed.

There was one passenger left alive, he was friend of mine.

He knew Jim.

Now, they're gonna hang him because he said Jim was there...

and Jim's dead.

I've got to prove he's alive.

That's all I ever meant to you.

You know better than that.

And now you're asking me to help you?

I guess I am.

He's a thief, Jenny. Maybe a killer.

Well, whatever he is, it's my fault.

When Jim and I were married...

I expected to go on living as well as I had on my own.

When he couldn't provide the money we needed, I used my own...

without ever thinking what that would do to him.

And he was too much in love with me to take that.

So if he's a thief I made him one.

- Did you make him a killer too? - I don't believe that.

If he was a killer your friend wouldn't be alive.

He won't be for long.

Then let me do what I have to. After that, I'll testify for your friend.

I'll tell them Jim's alive, that's all you need.

I could've bought a dozen witnesses who would tell them that.

Well, you won't get him. Not with my help.

I think you'd better leave.

I have a performance to give, it's time I got ready.

- Over here. - Hey.

You're not the fella I thought you was going to be.

No, but I'm the one who told the bartender to send you out here.

Don't I know you from someplace?

Oh, yes. You're the fella over there in that place.

That's right. We have a mutual friend.

Uh, the lady you went calling on tonight.

Oh. Her. You mean the fella that sings.

That's right. Jenny Hill.

- You took a message to her. - Message?

Yeah, Ms. Hill forgot part of the message and wanted to hear it again.

So if you'll tell me, I'll tell her.

Oh, well, a fella just wanted her to sing a special song tonight.

What song?

"Sweet Betsy from Pike."

What's wrong with that?

He gave you money to go backstage and ask for "Sweet Betsy from Pike"?

Well, he... Money?

You see, I've been dogging your trail all over town tonight through every saloon.

And the bartenders tell me you must have come into some money.

Well, it looks like you've come into some more.

- I have? - As soon as you tell me the message.

Oh, I couldn't do that. You see, it was wrote down...

and put in an envelope and I don't know what it said.

You lie to me once more and I get mean.

Well, that fella said he'd kill me if I told anyone but her.

Yes, but he isn't here and I am, and I'll kill you if you don't.

I liked it better when you talked about the money.

Well, take it.

At least you won't die broke.

He said to tell her:

"No one else but me could have sent you that ring."

Not me, him.

What else?

"After the show walk north on Main Street and you will be met."

Or was it south?

Never mind, you did just fine.

That's far enough.

I didn't believe it when she told me you might try to follow her.

Well, you should have.

And I'm still going to, so don't try to stop me.

Why are you doing it?

A lot of reasons. For one, a man's life depends on it.

Well, I'm sorry to hear that.

Carl, you're just not the type to shoot a man in the back.

I'm so sure of that I think I'll just be running along.

Don't move.

You'd be right if this was for myself, but it's for Jenny.

And that makes you wrong.

She's on her way to meet her husband.

If that's what she wants, that's what I want.

All right, there's no point in standing around here in the dark. Let's go.

I haven't had my supper.

The gun will be under my coat, aimed at your back.

It's all right, ma'am. Just follow us.

Jim.

Jenny, Jenny. Can you forgive me?

Jim, how could you do it? How could you let me think you were dead?

I don't know.

At first I thought I was doing it for you.

For me?

I brought you nothing but grief, Jenny.

That holdup in Winesberg, I was in on that.

The agent killed one of my friends and somebody else killed the agent.

I stood there looking at my friend thinking that could've been me...

and you'd be better off if it was.

Oh, Jim.

I knew you'd never divorce me...

so I thought this is my chance to do something for Jenny.

So I planted my stuff on the body and we set fire to the place.

I thought that would be the end of it, only...

I wasn't strong enough to go on without you.

I had to see you again...

just once anyway.

Hold it quiet, please.

Carl, I've got to prove that Jim Hedges is alive.

I'll never forgive you for this.

- Carl's hurt, see what you can do for him. - Carl?

No, wait, Jenny.

Carl came here with him.

He didn't come here with me. He was trying to stop me.

Please, give Jim a few days to get out of the country.

Just a few days, please. I'll go back with you.

See what you can do for Carl.

I wanna take you in alive, if you let me do it.

If you ever thought anything of Jenny, give me a break.

I never killed a man in my life.

Jim.

Jim?

He tried to use a gun, Jenny.

Jenny.

It all worked out rather well for you. Didn't it, Bret?

My friend's been released, if that's what you mean. I just got the telegram.

Congratulations.

Your husband did try to use that gun.

I wanted him alive. You've gotta believe that.

It wouldn't change anything.

You used me to get to Jim. Do you think I could ever forgive myself or you for that?

Yes, you can.

You killed him. We'd never be able to forget it.

We can try.

Would you change your name?

It's been in the papers here. It'll be in the ones back home.

My son will know it and hate it.

But that isn't real yet.

Together we'd never be able to forget him. And I've got to forget him.

So I'll have to forget you too, Bret.

Goodbye.

Stay with her, Carl.

Ah. I always have.