Original subtitles

[Pl play playin playing]

♪ Hello, world, hear the song that we're singing ♪

♪ come on, get happy ♪

♪ a whole lot of lovin' is what we'll be bringing ♪

♪ we'll make you happy ♪

♪ we had a dream we'd go traveling together ♪

♪ we'd spread a little love ♪

♪ and then we'll keep movin' on ♪

♪ something always happens whenever we're together ♪

♪ we get a happy feeling when we're singing a song ♪

♪ traveling along there's a song that we're singing ♪

♪ come on, get happy ♪

♪ a whole lot of lovin' is what we'll be bringing ♪

♪ we'll make you happy ♪

♪ we'll make you happy ♪

♪ we'll make you happy ♪

[F [fam [famil [family [family pl [family play [family playin [family playing [family playing "w [family playing "win [family playing "winte [family playing "winter [family playing "winter wo [family playing "winter wond [family playing "winter wonder [family playing "winter wonderla [family playing "winter wonderland [family playing "winter wonderland"]

[Singing "winter wonderland"]

I hope we make it home before dark.

I wanna rattle presents.

Yeah, well, we can thank reuben for that.

Booking us in las vegas right before christmas.

What's wrong with vegas?

Well, i like to spend christmas eve at home.

Can't we go any faster, mom? Yeah, why are we slowing down?

Something must be wrong. I have the gas pedal

all the way down to the floor.

Will we make it home?

[Engine backfires and sputters]

Sorry i asked.

[♪♪♪]

Well, oil is leaking out all over.

I'm not sure, but i think the engine block is cracked.

For those of us who don't read

clutch and brake, what does that mean?

It means we're stuck here until we find a garage.

Well, there must be one in town somewhere.

Really? where?

[♪♪♪]

We are in big trouble.

Does this mean we're gonna be stuck here for christmas?

I think we can cancel any plans for new year's too.

[♪♪♪]

What rotten luck.

There's a whole world of girls out there

holding mistletoe over their heads,

and i'm stranded in the desert getting chapped lips.

Man: Howdy, folks.

Come on, ella. My goodness.

Looks like you're having a lot of trouble.

We certainly are. Is there a garage around here?

This is a ghost town, ma'am. Nothing around here but just me.

Are you a ghost? No, no. i'm not a ghost. no.

How far is it to the next town?

Well, it's about 12 miles.

But their garage won't be open.

This is christmas eve. We know.

Well, i'm charlie. And this here is ella.

How do you do, charlie? How do you do?

I'm shirley partridge. This is my family.

How do you do, family? Glad to meet you.

Reuben kincaid. I hate to greet and run,

but could you drive us to the next town?

Why, i don't have a car.

I just got ella, that's all.

Well, guess there's only one thing left to do.

Tear apart the engine and hope it's not a cracked block.

Reuben, give me a hand, will you?

Mom, does this mean

we won't be home for christmas?

It's beginning to look that way, chris.

Cheer up, kids.

Maybe we'll write a song about this some day.

♪ Stuck in this lonely town for Christmas ♪♪

That's not funny.

My goodness, it's getting cold out here.

Why don't you all... all you folks just come into my cabin,

and i'll fix you up some good hot chocolate.

Thaw you out. all right? Very nice of you, Charlie. thank you.

Let me help you off. Thank you, charlie.

Come right on in.

[♪♪♪]

Well...

Boy, i've been waiting for christmas all year.

Oh, come on, tracy, it's not that bad.

I know, we'll celebrate christmas a day later.

Or in the middle of january.

Depending on when the bus gets fixed.

I wish we could tell santa where we are.

He'll never find us here.

Strange you should say that, Chris. very strange.

Because a little boy just about your age

said those very words in this very place 100 years ago.

Why did the boy say that?

Well, see, when the first settlers built this town

all the kids were afraid, just like you are now, chris.

They were afraid santa would never find them way out here.

So the parents, they figured out a plan.

What was that?

Well, they... they made a bell.

[♪♪♪]

And they made a bell out of the purest silver.

And that bell was so shiny it gleamed

like a beacon even at night.

And the tone, the tone of that bell

was so crisp and beautiful you could hear it

for miles and miles and miles.

So every christmas eve, exactly at midnight,

they rang the bell.

They rang the bell to guide santa into the town.

Did it work?

It sure did.

It sure did. they never missed a christmas.

And people came... people came from miles and miles and miles

just to see that beautiful bell.

And some of them stayed. They stayed right here.

[Wind whistling]

This wasn't always a quiet, shabby,

lonely little ghost town. no, sirree.

Once this was a hustling, bustling place.

[♪♪♪]

Everyone was happy and doing real well.

It was a good town too.

So good that the sheriff didn't even carry a gun.

No, sirree. he carried a guitar instead.

He was a handsome devil, that sheriff.

His name was sheriff swell.

Not only was he sheriff, he was the only source of news.

And as town historian,

he sang about all the important events going on in town.

♪ He swept the streets from dawn till daybreak ♪♪

[♪♪♪]

Charlie: And there was a beautiful lady

named miss belle who ran the saloon.

It was a real nice place

that served lemonade and lollipops.

♪ I guess I'll lick my lolly later ♪♪

Charlie: The kids. well, the kids were all sharp as a whip

because they had a pretty young schoolmarm to teach them.

Well, things went real smooth in town until that day.

The day before christmas, a stranger rode into town.

The meanest man in the west. Mean sidney.

Whoa.

Charlie: no one saw mean sidney for a while,

so things got back to normal.

The rink-a-tink piano player began rink-a-tinking,

and belle bought a round of drinks.

[Slurping]

Everything all right, boys? Need more lemonade?

Someone stole the bell, belle.

What's a bell-bell, belle?

Only in america.

The christmas bell is gone.

How will santa find us this year?

Don't worry, kids. We'll find it.

Well, who could have done such a mean thing?

[Crowd gasping and murmuring]

Somebody call me?

[♪♪♪]

What have you got there?

Why, it's my shaving kit.

Anybody here doubt my word?

Sometimes i wish the customer wasn't always right.

He's got our bell. We gotta get it back.

Let's get the sheriff.

He's busy.

I should have known.

He's trying to solve a stickup.

What can we do? I have an idea.

Although i know that the very sight

of mean sidney repulses you,

you might try charming him out of the bell.

It's your choice, dear.

If that's what i must do, then do it i must.

Children, don't look.

He's mean. I know.

He was thrown out of the cavalry for being rude to apaches.

Now what?

I think it's about time i bought him a few drinks.

[♪♪♪]

Enough of this drop-at-a-time stuff. heat up the cow.

Amazing.

I never saw a man hold his milk so well.

Belle, we've used up our bag of tricks. i'm worried.

I think it's time we let the sheriff try.

Now i'm really worried.

If sheriff swell talks to mean, he might just bore him to sleep.

It could work. he sure has that effect on me.

[♪♪♪]

I'll see that and raise.

♪ He's bluffing with a pair of sevens ♪♪

Sheriff. Sheriff?

Could you come here for a minute?

Oh, of course.

You wanted to see me?

Mean sidney has the christmas bell.

What should we do? Forget christmas?

Sheriff, you have to get it back.

Me? i can't do that. a man can't take the law into his own hands.

You are the law.

Oh, yeah, right.

Well, he may be mean,

but i have a weapon he's never dealt with before.

Oh? what's that?

A cunning mind and a glib tongue.

I'll talk him into giving me the bell back.

Well, it's a long shot.

[♪♪♪]

Well, so much for long shots.

There's only one man who can help us.

♪ There's only one man who can help us ♪♪

Who is that one man who can help us?

The bravest of the brave.

The bravest of the brave? Who's that?

Here he comes now.

[Crowd cheering]

Of course. why didn't i think of him? little the kid.

My hero.

[Crowd applauding and cheering]

This little the kid, what was he like?

I hear he had red hair and freckles.

Why, just like you.

Doesn't surprise me any.

Lots of heroic figures throughout history

had red hair and freckles.

Like who? Ann-Margret.

Van johnson. Howdy doody.

I wanna hear more of the story.

Me too. Charlie: well,

the kid was a reformed riverboat gambler

who hung up his cards and went straight.

Kid, we're so glad to see you.

All things come to those who wait.

Including disaster. And one just showed up.

You have to take the good with the bad.

♪ He takes the good with the bad ♪♪

But no one should have to take something that bad.

Mean sidney stole the silver christmas bell.

The mean sidney?

The meanest man in the west? That's him.

You have to get the bell back, kid,

or santa won't find us tonight and we won't have christmas.

I'll do anything i can.

Would you...?

Would you play cards for the bell?

When i hung up my cards,

i swore i'd never touch a deck again.

But if you don't, kid, we'll miss christmas.

Do it for me, kid. For me too.

And for me.

Okay, i'll do it for you two.

[♪♪♪]

It's the kid.

[Spurs jingling]

Howdy, little. Howdy, sid.

Folks call me mean, little.

Folks call me kid, sid.

Kid, you know mean sidney?

It's been a long time.

I knew him when he was just "nasty."

And i've known little since he was...

Haven't changed much, kid.

Afraid i have, mean. now i'm on the side of law and order.

This is a showdown.

Cards?

Belle, the silver box.

Belle: I have it right here, kid.

Clear a table.

[♪♪♪]

How's that? Glad i didn't ask you

to shoot the breeze.

Hey, a real box.

Mighty fancy deck, kid.

♪ That is a mighty fancy deck, kid ♪♪

That is the worst thing

i've heard in my entire rotten life.

So i don't wanna hear any more of it, you understand?

[Crowd claps]

This is a showdown, kid. I got luck and $1300.

I've got guts

and 43 cents.

[♪♪♪]

It's 11:58.

Only two minutes till christmas.

Oh, come on, kid. You can do it.

I'll raise your bet $400.

Here's 43 cents. I'll owe you the rest.

No deal. Oh, you know i'm good for it.

I'll rob a bank tomorrow.

Cash. unless you'd care to put up your, uh...

E-flat shaving kit.

You are shrewd, kid. But i see right through you.

You just wanna win this bell so the town can have christmas.

Well, i ain't falling for the old

bet-the-bell-to-win- Christmas-back trick.

What do you care? the bell isn't worth all that money.

Only one minute left, kid.

Mean: no way you're gonna get this from me.

It just so happens i got a hand that can't lose.

Put your bell where your mouth is.

[Bell rings]

Full house.

Four aces.

Loaded gun.

You win.

♪ Nothing beats a loaded pistol ♪♪

You know, you are really beginning to irritate me.

I won't let you steal christmas.

[Clock chiming]

It's midnight.

I won. i won.

There ain't gonna be any christmas.

Oh, no. What a mean person.

[Laughing]

[Voices singing "we wish you a merry christmas]

What was that? It sounded like

eight tiny reindeer.

[♪♪♪]

Santa was here.

It can't be.

It's christmas and the bell didn't ring.

Somehow he found us without the bell.

You know, kid,

maybe the bell didn't bring

santa to town all these years after all.

Maybe he came because

he sensed the spirit of christmas.

Lies. all lies.

For years, i've been sitting out there in that desert alone

just waiting for santa to bring me something.

What did i get? nothing.

But i always heard your rotten

silver bell over here,

and you got all the presents.

Well, that's why i stole the bell.

I'm full of the christmas spirit.

I'm willing to take anything santa would give me.

What does he give me? zero.

Mean, the spirit of christmas is really the spirit of love.

Why should you expect to receive something

when you're not willing to give?

Well, if you have to give to receive,

then forget it. I mean, where's the profit?

Mr. sidney, since that silver bell

seems to mean so much to you,

why don't you keep it as a present from us.

Well, you mean,

you'd give me your silver bell?

Why not? Merry christmas.

Well, it don't belong to me.

It belongs to the town.

Here, i want you to have it.

See there, mean? you're getting the spirit already.

You got your first present and you gave your first present.

Mean, why don't you stay and have christmas with us.

Me? why me?

Because i think you're tired of being mean.

Well, i ain't tired of being mean, exactly.

But i am getting tired of wearing basic black.

You see? that's a step in the right direction.

Come on, folks. The drinks are on me.

♪ Merry Christmas ♪♪

Can i be mean for just five more seconds?

[All laughing]

I love that story. Oh, it was charming.

You kids come around any time,

because i got a lot of stories to tell.

Even better than that one.

Well, we got the bus running. Great.

It wasn't a cracked block, it was just a blown gasket.

I made a new one out of an old inner tube

so i think it'll get us home.

[Kids cheering]

Danny: We're going home.

[♪♪♪]

Tracy: Hey, there's the bell.

And it's not silver and shiny.

Well, what do you know?

Somebody must have switched bells on me.

It was there just yesterday.

Better check mr. kincaid's shaving kit.

What?

Charlie, thank you so much for everything.

I hope we see you again soon.

Well, you folks are sure always welcome.

We got plenty of hot chocolate but not so many visitors.

Thank you, charlie. goodbye. Goodbye, folks.

Bye, charlie. You stop by any time.

Bye, charlie.

Tracy: Thank you, charlie.

Keith: Bye.

Chris: goodbye, charlie. Goodbye.

Goodbye, family. Goodbye.

[♪♪♪]

Merry christmas, charlie.

Merry christmas.

[Bell running]

[Family singing "have yourself a merry little christmas"]

[♪ ♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪]

You know, i'm glad we spent last night with charlie.

It's almost like having two christmases.

It's all right, if you care for that kind of thing.

Mom, can we open our presents now?

Not until tracy does her thing.

[♪♪♪]

Mistletoe. You have to kiss me.

It's a good thing i only have to do this once a year.

Now can we open our presents?

Wait a minute. Come here. come here.

[Whispering indistinctly]

All: ♪ merry Christmas ♪♪

Merry christmas. Merry christmas.

[♪ ♪]