Original subtitles

The amazing drama you are about to see

is a matter of human record.

You may believe it or not,

but the real people who lived this story,

they believe it.

They know.

They took that one step beyond.

It can, of course, happen anywhere.

That brief encounter

with something never to be entirely explained.

It's happening now, here in Memorial Hospital.

It's very late, and most of the patients are asleep.

Most of the staff is off duty, and most of the lights are out.

But the lights never go out here on the fifth floor,

for here, 24 hours a day, life begins...

and ends.

I'm afraid we'll have to ask you

to leave now, Mr. Berryman.

I tho...: I... I thought...

I thought we didn't... have regular...

visiting hours on this floor.

Well, we don't, but your doctor feels

that it's best... Anyway, anyway... Mr...

Mr. Berryman is from the press.

It's a long...

It's a long time since I've talked

to a gentleman of the press.

Mr. Watson,

we don't want you to talk and thrash around

and get exhausted. All right, all right.

Now, sit down.

Look, maybe I should go.

Nonsense.

I'm a dying man.

That gives me some rights around here.

Now, sit down.

You have five minutes, Mr. Berryman.

Is she gone?

Yeah, yeah.

Good.

I wasn't kidding, you know.

I'm down pretty...

pretty close to the end of the string.

Oh, I don't know about that.

I do.

What... what paper did you say you were from?

Chronicle.

I, uh... I do feature stuff.

And... and when they told you...

Ronnie Watson...

was about to pop off in Memorial...

and why don't you drop by and do a piece on him...

what did you say?

Now, I want... I want the truth.

Well, I... Ah... You tell me the truth.

I said, "Who the blazes is Ronnie Watson?"

Thank you.

I knew that.

You don't look like a horse player.

Did-did they tell you?

About me, I mean.

All of it?

Did they tell you... one year I...

I rode 345 winners?

And that time I...

I made $400,000 in stakes in... in three weeks?

And the time I made a million in three months?

They told me.

Did they tell you about that time in Califor...

Look, Mr... Mr. Watson,

I think you better take it easy.

No... no, no.

I'm all right.

I'm all right.

I'm... I'm going to have a long rest in...

in just a little while.

And be-before that...

I... I got to find someone who will believe me.

Believe you?

Uh-huh.

About what?

No... nobody ever has.

Sam said no one ever would.

But somebody's got to believe me.

Someone's just got to believe me.

Well, I think I better get the nurse.

No, no!

I'll be good.

I'll be good.

Please sit down.

Please, please, please.

See...

Sam Barry... Sam Barry was...

was one of the greatest jockeys who ever lived.

And he was my friend.

I was, I was only 20 years old...

and I was the scaredest young jockey on that Ohio wheel.

Outside of Sam, there was only one person in the...

in the whole world I really cared about...

It was a girl named Rita.

I thought she was... quite a girl.

I thought you were my girl.

I can see you better from here.

"Barry Rides Flyboy in Cap."

My, what a famous man... In all the headlines.

Sure, the racing form.

Two old-fashioneds and a ginger ale.

One of these days...

I know, one of these days...

You're really going to win on Flyboy tomorrow, huh?

Well, it's a cinch...

unless you get too cute with that Daddy's Choice.

Are you kidding?

The way she quits in the stretch?

If I can save second money,

that trainer will be the happiest man alive.

Well, Flyboy's got to win... for a lot of reasons.

Sam, you said afterwards.

So I changed my mind.

He's got a right to know.

Well, maybe, but... A right to know what?

What is this?

Take it easy, kid, take it easy.

I'll tell you.

Tomorrow is my last race.

As of tomorrow night, I'm ex-jockey Sam Barry.

What?

You must be kidding.

You can't quit now, not when you're right on top.

I'm not on top.

I'm just a little over the hill.

I'm in the bushes

because I just couldn't get mounts in the big time.

Well, that's no reason to quit.

Well, it's just too tough, that's all...

Too tough making the weight,

too tough getting out of the sack before daylight,

too tough coming out of the gate,

and too tough going for that little opening on the rail.

Yeah.

I just can't believe it.

It's not going to be the same without you.

Well, I'll come around to see you

every once in a while, see how you ride,

see that you do everything I taught you and do it right,

or else I'll call you dirty names, like the rest of them.

Well, you taught me a lot, Sam, and I'll remember it.

Well... I just wanted to be sure that there'd be a boy

who still knew his way around the track after I quit.

Well, what are you going to do?

There's a little place in Jersey...

A bar and grill joint, little restaurant, real nice.

Figure with my name on the door, it'd draw.

Sounds like you need a lot of money.

$20,000.

Well, I got ten saved up.

I figure Flyboy will be about two to one.

Twos for my ten will give me 30.

That's enough to buy the joint

and live on while the place gets started.

Yeah, if you bet it all.

I already did.

That nag of yours is the only one

who could give me any trouble, but, like you said...

she'll quit in the stretch.

So that's the big secret, huh?

How come you knew first?

Well, there's one other thing, um...

one other reason, really, why I'm quitting.

I'm, um... getting married.

Oh, yeah?

Oh, I think that's great.

No, really... great.

I-I was worried about you being lonely away from the track,

but with two of you...

Well, who's the girl? Do I know her?

Yeah, you know her.

Well, what's the matter?

Come on. Who is she?

Me.

Sorry, kid, really sorry.

We didn't mean for it to happen.

Look, I've gone over this thing in my mind a dozen times,

how to tell you...

It just wouldn't have worked, Ronnie.

Honestly, it wouldn't have.

Shut up. Shut up! Shut up!

Well, you don't have to get so upset.

I'm not upset.

These things happen all the time.

A guy's got a girl,

and a guy's got a friend.

I am your friend, Ronnie, believe me.

Sure, you are.

Only you're my rich, successful friend

who won't have to ride horses for a living anymore

'cause you're going to own a nice, big saloon.

And that'll suit you just fine, won't it?

Ronnie...

Lying awake all night hadn't cooled me off one bit.

I kept hearing Rita saying, "It wouldn't work with us."

It would've worked fine if I had had some of Sam's money.

Sam Barry, favored to win on Flyboy.

Sam, my friend.

My good friend!

♪ ♪

At the start, I got the jump on the rest of the field,

and began to take a good lead after the first quarter.

I was out there winning, but we had a long way to go.

It was a dry, dusty day.

Behind me, there was a cloud of dust.

I knew that somewhere in it was Sam Barry waiting

to make his move.

I had a good lead with a quarter to go,

but I could feel the horse starting to shorten stride.

I went to the whip at the top

of the stretch, but he wore out.

I could hear something coming on the inside.

I didn't have to look to know it was Sam Barry on Flyboy.

And then I saw him begin to make his move on the inside.

I still had a strong lead, but Sam on Flyboy

was coming at me fast.

A hundred yards out, and I knew he had me.

He yelled something at me.

I didn't hear what he yelled.

All I heard was him telling me

how Rita and he hadn't meant to fall in love.

What I did was wrong, I know it, but it was dusty

and they didn't take movies of races in those days.

And seeing him going by me, I just had to do it somehow.

I never even thought of doing it, I just did it...

Grabbed his saddlecloth, threw his horse off-stride.

It worked perfectly, and Sam ate my dust

as we went across the finish line.

I don't know what you're talking about!

Aw, come on! You must have seen what happened.

Everybody else out there did!

Simmer down! Simmer down!

We've had fouls claimed before.

Barry, take off that hat.

Barry here says that Watson

pulled his saddlecloth in the stretch run.

He was clawing at me all the way.

You just keep quiet, boy.

Watson said he did no such thing.

Now, from the 16th pole on,

we couldn't see a thing because of the dust.

We really don't know what happened.

All we know is that one of these boys

isn't being exactly candid with us.

He's the liar, I tell you.

He'd like to pulled my tack clean off.

Saying don't make it so, Sam.

But I see it this way:

both these boys have got clean records,

but Barry's been around a lot longer.

I'd be inclined to take his word for it.

Against mine with no proof?!

This isn't exactly a court of law, boy.

And something did cause that horse to break stride.

I'd vote to take the winner down and put Flyboy first.

After all, what reason would Barry have to lie to us?

You ask him how much money he's got bet on the race.

He's got plenty of reasons.

He's got $10,000 worth of reasons.

How about that, Barry?

Well, that's my business.

That's right, you don't have to tell us

and we don't have to change those numbers around, either.

All right, I made a bet, a big one.

I made the mistake of telling this louse about it

and he figured that gave him the right to foul me,

because nobody'd believe me.

You're not going to let him get away with it?

Objection is not allowed.

Winner stands as is.

No!

No! No!

You dirty double-crosser!

You lying scum!

You... Stop it!

I hope you and Rita have a nice honeymoon, Sam.

You just wait, kid!

Just you wait.

Someday, it'll happen to you.

Someday, you'll be telling the truth,

and they won't believe you!

They won't believe you!

I went to the top, all right.

After ten years, I was right up there,

including the penthouse.

Thanks, Mr. Watson.

Ronnie, you were great.

I tell you, kid,

you were absolutely sensational.

Yeah, thanks a lot.

You fellows don't mind if I open the windows now, do you?

Look, will you be kind of careful

when you take the cameras out?

You know, this nice furniture here cost a lot of money.

Thanks a lot.

Walt, do me a favor, will you?

If you get a chance, don't get me

another one of these things, huh?

What's the matter with you, kid? Are you nuts?

You know the kind of people he usually interviews?

Movie stars, big-shot politicians, scientists...

You know what a break this is for a jockey?

Look at my hands, Walt.

They weren't this bad the first day I won the derby.

Well, I must admit,

I was a little shaky myself.

You mean what I said about retiring, huh?

Well, you might have told me first

before telling 20 million strangers.

After all, I am your agent.

Oh, I talked to you about it before.

Yeah, but this time you sounded serious.

I am serious.

Yeah, but why, kid?

You're at the top of the heap.

What? The whole thing is just...

well, it's-it's simply crazy.

Walt, you remember a fellow named Sam Barry?

Sam Barry, sure.

He was a pretty good boy.

He was the best.

You want a blast?

Yeah, I'll have a blast.

Make it bourbon.

And you stick with the ginger ale.

I know.

Anyway, Sam talked to me once

about getting out in time.

Yeah? Well, he should have taken his own advice.

I just read somewhere a short time ago

he was riding jumpers

down at some crummy track in South America.

Imagine, an old man like that

probably working for ten dollars a race

and a place to sleep.

Well, something happened to, uh,

change Sam's plans.

Nothing's going to change mine.

Ronnie, would you mind telling me why?

I'm tired.

It's that simple.

I want to take it easy.

I want to sleep late.

I'd like to drink what you drink,

only I can't do it and make weight.

Okay, kid... Anything you say.

I can't make a man keep on riding

when he wants to quit.

The only thing is, can you afford to quit?

I've just about got it made.

Not on the fees, you haven't.

Well, no, but I've been betting

a little bit now and then over the past year.

Now, listen, kid, I have told you... Relax, will you?!

What are you, my conscience or something?

Anyhow, I didn't pull any horses.

I just bet on what I thought were sure-fire winners.

Horses I was riding.

Ones like Miss Sunshine tomorrow.

Miss Sunshine?

Well, that's the little filly out in California

I told you about and you said no.

That's right.

And when I did, the odds lengthened out.

So, today, some clown out in Chicago

that makes the house line hung out four-to-one,

and another clown took the odds... me.

Suppose they've got another boy assigned to ride her?

I checked. They haven't.

Look, Ronnie, it's 11:00 now.

You mean to say that you're going to be riding

tomorrow afternoon in California?

It's only 8:00 in California, Walt.

Now, there's a sleeper plane

out of here in an hour and a half.

It can be five hours late

and I'd still make the race.

Oh, uh, by the way,

what's the name of the fella I'm riding for?

Baer. Tex Baer.

Look, Ronnie...

I wish you wouldn't do this, kid.

It's just crazy.

Well, you wire Tex Baer in care of the stables

at Capistrano Park, and you tell him I'm on my way.

And Walt, don't worry about it, will you?

Remember, we're living in an age of speed.

I was getting ready for the post parade

when I saw... Sam.

Sam Barry.

I couldn't believe it at first.

He was too old.

But why not?

I remembered hearing of jocks in Europe

who'd ridden in their 60s and won.

It was Sam, all right,

sitting straight up in the saddle

the way he always did in the post parade.

Sam Barry, riding a little black horse

with four white feet.

I wanted to talk to him,

but I figured time enough after the race.

They're off!

Then the race was on,

and there wasn't time to think of anything else.

It went just the way the trainer and I planned.

I kept my horse in contention.

Along the backstretch,

the front runner started coming back to me.

I had plenty of horse under me as we turned for home.

I knew I was going to win it.

One horse came up fast.

Somehow, it didn't come as a surprise that it was

the one with the white feet, Sam Barry's horse.

Then it happened.

He drifted out.

I had to pull him up.

By the time I got him back to running, it was too late.

I finished fourth, fifth maybe.

I don't remember.

I told them what had happened.

They just looked at me.

When I finished...

I know why he cut me off,

but that's not the important thing.

I had to pull up or we would have been killed!

Gentlemen, please.

Watson, I want to make sure we all understand each other.

In the stretch, a dark horse with white feet

drifted out, and when you tried to go inside,

his jockey turned the horse in front of you,

causing you to pull up.

I know it cost me the race, but I had to.

We both would have been killed.

Yes, I think you've made that point clear.

Just the stretch run, Charlie.

This is the race you just rode, Watson.

You see yourself there on Miss Sunshine

taking the lead at the top of the stretch.

There wasn't any other horse in front of you.

Something's wrong.

Now there, see?

You drift out a little.

I-I had to.

There must be some mistake.

That's enough.

All right, Watson, let's stop kidding ourselves.

We've all had our little joke.

There wasn't any horse with four white feet in this race.

You pulled that horse up for some reason of your own.

No, I had to! Don't you see?

Sam did it. He must have done it.

It's funny, he said no one would believe me.

Sam?

The other jockey was Sam Barry.

Sam Barry? Have you lost your mind?

I'd know him, wouldn't I?!

He used to be my best friend!

Watson, what's the matter with you?

There was an item about him in today's form.

He came a long way to cut you off in today's race.

What do you mean? Sam Barry was killed

in a steeplechase in Uruguay yesterday.

On a horse called Patas Blancas...

"White Feet."

No... no! No!

No...

You'll have to go now, Mr. Berryman.

No one... no one has ever believed me.

Now... I got to know.

Do you?

Do you?

I believe you.

♪ ♪

Ronnie Watson is dying.

Tomorrow, chemists and laboratory technicians

will explore the physical reasons for his death.

They will answer many things, but by no means all.

For who in all the world could possibly explain vengeance

that reaches beyond the grave?

In a moment, a word about next week.

Next week, we will visit India...

Still remote, mystical, mysterious...

Even in the Jet Age.

We will watch a young American couple as they are swept along

in a drama that could only happen in India,

where the soul is considered infinite.