Original subtitles

(mellow music)

- [Dion] San Francisco, 1851, a brawling youngster

of a city floating on a tide of gold

from the diggings on the Yuba,

Sacramento, Feather, and Tuolumne.

The city was incredibly rich and incredibly short

of hard currency.

Banks issued their own notes which were backed

by the raw gold they held in their safes.

Gold which was a standing invitation

to the thieves who swarmed into the city.

It was a Mecca for the cleverest thieves, fakers,

con men, and swindlers in the world.

(suspenseful music)

(liquid trickling)

(suspenseful music)

This is the story of an historic swindle

which nearly wrecked the whole of San Francisco's economy.

(suspenseful music)

(thudding)

(ominous music)

♪ California California ♪

♪ There's gold ♪

- [Announcer] The Californians.

♪ In California ♪

♪ I've come to live where life is best ♪

♪ In the golden West ♪

♪ I'm gonna strike it rich in California ♪

♪ California ♪

- [Dion] I don't know exactly how it came about,

but it seemed that almost overnight I,

Dion Patrick was taken up

by the best people in San Francisco.

I found it thoroughly enjoyable.

- Oh, Mr. Patrick, no you mustn't.

How you must think I'm an awful hussy.

- That's right.

- Sir?

- But an awful nice one.

- Do you really think so?

- Come here and let me show you.

- (scoffs) Now, Mr. Patrick, anyway not here.

Someone might see and tell Papa.

- Well where?

- Well, we'll find a place.

Now, help me out.

- That's all driver.

I'll walk from here

(hooves clomping)

- When?

- Call on me tomorrow.

You mustn't be so greedy (giggles)

(door closes)

(whimsical music)

Tomorrow (chuckles)

(door closes)

(whimsical music)

(whistling)

- What's a matter, dear?

Ain't you speaking to your Aunt Molly anymore?

- Hello, Molly.

- (laughs) Missed ya kid, you ain't been around lately.

- Well, I've been busy, Molly.

- Come on in and sit down.

Let's gab a little;it'll do you good.

You ain't been down this way for a long time.

So you've been busy?

- That's right.

- Yeah, that's what I heard.

The Grafton filly, huh?

- I've been seeing Miss Grafton, yes.

- Don't like that youngin's mouth.

- What?

- I always could tell character by a person's mouth.

You watch that Grafton filly.

Got a mean mouth.

Like she been chowin' on a Spanish bit.

- Now wait a minute, Molly.

- (laughs) Ya got it real bad ain't ya kid?

Ever stopped to figure out why a banker's daughter

would take up with a busted up newspaperman?

(chuckles) Knew her old man, real gay old sport.

Oh shucks, sonny.

Just 'cause a man's a banker don't mean

he can't come into a saloon once

in a while and have a drink.

Although I ain't get much use

for them paper money bankers.

And that's what I tell the girls.

I say, girls, you can always tell a gent

by the ring of his coin.

And if it don't ring he ain't no gent.

Don't take nothing but hard money, girls.

(sighs) Many a gal's just danced her feet right

down to the ankles and ruined her tubin' drinking

with gents who paid off in paper as false

as their dirty black hearts.

- Now what are you getting at?

- Just telling ya.

Don't buy a pig in a poke and don't get tangled up

with a dame until you know what she's after.

And if you get hurt you just come on around

and let your Aunt Molly make it better.

- [Nick] Hi ya, Molly.

- Hello, Nick.

Good-bye, Nick.

- Expected you to be down at Grafton's Bank, Mr. Patrick.

- Oh, yes, why?

- Why haven't you heard?

Somebody killed the watchman and blew the safe

about an hour ago.

(ominous music)

(crowd chattering)

- Gentlemen, gentlemen, please.

Just a moment, gentlemen, please.

Now the Grafton Bank will be open

for business tomorrow morning as usual.

This robbery does not affect the gold reserve.

We are prepared to redeem every one

of our notes at face value.

(crowd murmuring)

Thank you, gentlemen.

(crowd murmuring)

Mr. Patrick must your paper carry this story?

- There's no way to keep it out, Mr. Grafton.

- My watchman.

Been with me ever since the bank opened.

- Why'd they have to kill him?

- If there was just some way to keep this out

of the press.

- Well there isn't.

Why are you so anxious to keep it quiet?

- Panic, Mr. Patrick, panic.

The people will think the bank is broke.

- I just heard you say it was sound.

Is your bank sound, Mr. Grafton?

- I'm going to have to throw myself on your mercy.

Will you come to my house as soon as you can?

I'll tell you all about it.

(somber music)

I've just been drinking to the collapse

of the Grafton bank.

- Is it that bad?

- It's worse than that.

(glass clinks)

It's tragic.

Tragic, because basically the bank is sound.

We have more than enough in mortgages,

collateral loans, sound investments,

to pay off every one of our depositors.

- Well, I wouldn't say your situation sounds desperate.

- (chuckles wryly) Well, word

of this robbery'll get around.

By tomorrow everyone holding any Grafton bank notes

will be waiting in line to exchange them for gold.

Well, there is no gold.

- But I just heard you say that?

- You heard me trying to prevent an immediate panic,

trying to gain a few hours before the roof caves in.

- How much gold will you need?

- About $250,000.

(whistles slowly)

- Can you help us?

- [Mr. Grafton] Judith, I told you not to ask him?

- Well, let Dion answer.

You work for Mr. McGivern.

He has a lot of friends with money.

Well you told me that, that miners

keep their gold in his safe.

Maybe he could help.

- Judith, Mr. McGiven isn't a banker.

Most of that gold is just kept

in safe keeping for miners who trust him.

- Well, couldn't it be a loan, Papa?

At least for a little while.

- No, I'm, I'm afraid that's out of the question.

- What worries me most is that my collapse

might bring about a general panic.

- How's that?

- Well, there, there isn't a bank

or a business house in this city

that doesn't hold Grafton bank notes.

Well, after tomorrow, they'll be worthless.

- All right, I'm going to Jack McGivern.

- No, I can't let you do that.

- Mr. McGivern doesn't want a panic

in this town any more than you do or I do.

I can't promise anything Mr. Grafton, but I'll try.

- I need that gold before the bank opens in the morning.

- Oh, Dion (gasps) oh if you can do this.

- I'll be back

(somber music)

(door closes)

Don't you see, you've got to lend the gold.

It's a problem for every responsible man in San Francisco.

- Yes, I see it all right.

All right, Dion, I'll call a special meeting

of the vigilante committee here tonight.

(gavel banging)

- Order, gentlemen, order, order, thank you.

Mr. McGivern.

- Thank you.

I'm sure that by now you all know

of the Grafton Bank robbery.

This robbery, gentlemen, affects all of us.

Therefore, we must do something about it

and that is why I have called

this special meeting tonight, to make a proposal to you.

I propose, gentlemen, that we advance sufficient funds

out of our own resources to maintain the bank's paper.

- Where can we raise that much gold on such short notice?

- I have sufficient gold here to advance the amount.

I'll take notes for your shares.

- How do we know Grafton's solvent?

- [Man] Do we get any guarantee?

- I say no.

- No, no, no, count me out.

- Gentlemen, please, would you listen

to me for one minute? - Shut up!

(men chattering)

- Noisier than a cattle pen.

(door closes)

Howdy, Sam.

Ain't seen you around, Ben.

You quit drinking or something?

- What are you doing here, Molly?

- Oh, I heard about this shebang,

figured I oughta come, seeing as how

I'm an interested party.

- How did this woman learn of this meeting?

- Oh, come on down off your high horse, Jimmy.

I seen you considerable less dignified.

Besides nothing happens in this town

that don't get talked about in my saloon.

I heard what you had to say, Jack,

about supporting the bank.

Now in general I ain't got much use for banks,

but if Grafton's goes bust,

a lot of other places'll go bust.

And that means the whole town can go bust.

Now you wouldn't want to see that happen, would ya fellas?

- Madam, I insist on an explanation for your presence.

- Doggone it Jimmy, I told ya.

You ain't forgotten what happened a year ago

when the Wells Bank went bust.

Busted the town, like to busted me.

Now I own the El Dorado Saloon.

I got a lotta people working for me.

- All right, Molly, all right.

How about putting up some of your money, huh?

- Oh now Jack, you know, I ain't got that kind of money.

- Well you got $40,000 here in gold.

- You wouldn't want to see a poor old woman

risk her few pitiful savings.

- Well you're asking us to risk ours.

- Well ain't there no chivalry?

- I'll match your $40,000 if you'll put it up.

- And I'll throw in $20,000.

- Oh, I think I'm gonna faint.

- Aw, Come on, Molly, do it.

- You really want me to, sonny?

- If you do, they'll have to go along.

They can't afford to have it said

that San Francisco was saved by a,

by a woman saloon keeper.

- Yeah, yeah reckon' it would give the town

a reputation for sinfulness.

All right, goldurn ya, Jack McGivern.

Throw my stack into the pot.

(crowd chattering)

- That I am very happy to say is the last of it.

- Well, I don't know how to thank you, Mr. McGivern.

- Oh, it's quite all right, Mr. Grafton.

We will, of course, have to take your books along

for an audit.

- I have them all ready for you.

- James King of William will do a fast job

on them tonight and if everything is in order

we'll release the gold to you in the morning.

- Release it?

- Oh yes, of course.

It's going to stay in Mr. Patrick's custody

until the audit is complete.

- Oh yes, of course, I understand.

- Well come now, Mr. Grafton.

We're not worried about you, you understand.

But even as a tiz, you know,

with your vault useless,

we'll have to admit that it's just as well

to have an armed guard on the gold.

Dion, you know what to do?

Lock the door after us and keep it locked

and don't let anyone in.

- I'll be careful.

- Well, come along, sir.

I'll walk a little bit of the way with you.

- All right.

- Good night, Mr. Grafton.

- Oh, good night.

(somber music)

(knocking)

(knocking)

(somber music)

(latch clicks)

- [Dion] Judith, what are you doing here?

- Oh Dion, I've got to talk to you.

- [Dion] Well, what is it?

- Oh, Dion.

(thumping)

(ominous music)

- Takes care of him.

Get Grafton and change your clothes.

We've got a lot of work ahead of us

and it's got to be done fast.

(ominous music)

(ominous music)

I still say we ought to finish him.

- Nick, you promised there'd be no more killing.

- Let Nick handle this.

- But he said after he killed the watchman

that he would--

- I had to kill him;he recognized me.

- I won't go along with anymore murder.

- All right, but let's move.

We want at least a five-hour start

before they open up this place.

(ominous music)

- Oh, Your Aunt Molly has made a terrible mistake, girls.

(somber music)

What fools a man can make out of us women.

It's this heart of mine, girls,

this heart of hearts.

- You got man trouble, Aunt Molly?

- I let Dion Patrick talk me into putting my money

into Grafton's bank,

All that money, just 'cause I lost a kid

that looked like him.

- Was it much money?

- Oh, just the few dollars I managed

to save through hard work.

- Wouldn't worry, ma'am.

Mr. Grafton's real nice.

Give me a hundred dollars yesterday.

- What'd he give you the hundred for?

- Came in and had a drink and said goodbye.

Going away present.

- Well why are you holding out?

You know us girls put in the pot and divvy up later.

Give it up.

- Ma'am, I was just--

- Don't lie to me.

Your Aunt Molly learned all the tricks

before you was out of your didies.

Give it up.

If there's anything I can't stand

it's a girl who'll cheat in money matters.

Well, now, that was real nice of Grafton.

I always did say he was real gent.

Going away present?

Where's he going?

When?

Don't stand there like a ninny, speak up.

- I don't know.

- What do you mean you don't know?

Go back and find out.

(girl sobbing)

Girls, your Aunt Molly's bones is achin'

like all get out.

Rose.

- [Rose] Yes, ma'am.

- You know that sounded down at the stage office?

Find out if Grafton's leaving for anywhere

by stage coach and when.

Florrie, you've been friendly with Joey the Narc.

Get him to tell you if there's word

of a job passing around.

And start circulating around the saloon.

If anybody knows anything about that Grafton circus,

you'll hear about it there.

- All right.

- We'll go.

- And tell Susan to go on down

and keep an eye on Grafton's bank.

- [Girl] We will, yes.

(door closes)

- Oh, my achin' bones.

(ominous music)

- Darling, what are you doing up at this hour?

- Well I, I guess I couldn't sleep.

- Worried?

- Yes.

I took a big gamble tonight, Martha.

Not alone that but I persuaded other men

to take it with me.

If anything goes wrong it's,

it's going to be a pretty sorry mess.

- What will happen?

- We'd be broke.

- We've been broke before.

- Yes, I know.

But this time is a little bit more serious.

You see I'm, I'm gambling with miners' gold

and if I lose, well, we'd be deep in debt.

I'll have to sell everything to make it up.

- Then we'll start over again.

(romantic music)

- Oh, darling.

(romantic music)

- Florrie, did you get anything from the narc?

Rose, what about the stage line?

- Ugh, nothing but I heard something.

It's real good.

- Well, what is it?

- Grafton's daughter ain't his daughter.

Not the way the fellow that works for him tells it.

- Why the old goat.

- Mimi told me Darrell's leavin' town.

- What's that got to do with it?

- Nothing, except Mimi knows Nick real good

and she told me he and Grafton been real friendly.

- When's he leaving?

- Mimi says tonight and Jake down to the livery

told me Nick rented the team and a wagon

and wanted fast horses.

- Great Cicero's sap.

They must be planning to pull out tonight

with all that money.

All my money.

I better get down to Jack McGivern's.

(ominous music)

(knocking)

(knocking)

- All right, all right, I'm coming.

(latch clicking)

(door slams)

Where's your man?

- What are you doing in my house?

- Get off your high horse, dearie.

Where's McGivern?

McGiven shake a leg out here.

- Who's that?

What's all the shouting about?

What the devil do you want here at this time of night?

- Jack, tell this woman to get out of my house.

- Shut up before I paddle you.

- (gasps) What?

- Grafton's fixing to pull out of town tonight.

I think he's leaving with Nick Darrell.

- How do you know this?

- My girls told me and it looks like

he's leaving with our gold.

- What?

- Oh, I was daff to let you make me

put my money into your fool scheme

but I ain't now, you better get on down

to that bank. - Come on, come on,

I wish I had never listened - Come on.

to you in the first place. - Jack, jack your shirt.

I know better (indistinct)

(door slams)

(heavy pounding)

- [Jack] Dion!

(Dion grunting)

(heavy pounding)

Dion, are you in there?

(Dion grunting)

(door slams)

(Molly sighs)

What happened to you?

- It was Judith.

I let her in and either Grafton

or Nick Darrell slugged me.

Judith is in with them, Jack.

- I tried to tell you a lot of things about that filly.

This will teach you to, to run around

with fillies you can't depend on.

- All right, Molly, all right.

Where did Grafton go?

- She was in it all the time.

Killing the watchman, everything.

- Come on, man, snap out of it.

This isn't the first time that a man was taken by a woman.

- She won't get away with it.

- I asked you, do you know where they were headed?

- They dropped word they were heading for Sacramento.

May be a ruse but we can't overlook it.

We'll go with the vigilantes.

Split up in teams of two men.

We'll watch every road, Sacramento, Stockton, Monterrey.

We'll assign men to cover the docks.

- Gone, all gone, every penny.

- You'll get it back.

They've got 1600 pounds of gold,

dead weight going over rough roads.

We've got a good chance to catch 'em.

- Why don't you find out where they're headed first?

Running off in all directions,

you'll never get them that way.

- Aunt Molly.

They're going to Monterrey.

- Call off your dogs, gents, they're headed for Monterrey.

(ominous music)

- [Dion] The road to Monterey.

It was the very roughness of the road that give us hope.

A wagon under a heavy load could shake itself

to bits if driven at any speed at all.

- [Nick] Put the wheel on that axle.

- Oh, you could help a little bit, you know.

(breathing heavily)

I told you this wagon was too light for this load.

(grunting)

All right, you can let it down.

(grunting)

(tools clank)

I'll tell ya the next time anything happens you--

(ominous music)

No, no!

(gun fires twice)

(body thuds)

(ominous music)

- [Nick] Giddyup.

(hooves clattering)

- That didn't happen too long ago I'd say, hmm?

- If he was any warmer he'd be talking.

I'd say we're less than an hour behind them.

If we cut through maybe we can head them off.

(powerful music)

(hooves clattering)

(ominous music)

(somber music)

The gold came down on top of her.

They're both dead.

Well, maybe it's better this way.

- Why?

- Her neck was too pretty to be stretched by a rope.

(mellow music)

- There now, I think that does it.

- You know, Molly, a hundred years from now

no one will believe that you

and the dancing girls from the El Dorado

once prevented a panic on Montgomery Street.

How do you feel about that?

- (chuckles) Now I'll be able to sleep again.

My bones don't ache no more.

- (laughs) Molly, I'm sorry I was rude to you before.

- Forget it, dearie.

Girls on my side of the street

don't expect balance from girls on your side.

Don't grieve, sonny.

That filly wasn't worth it.

Come on down to your Aunt Molly's place

and have a drink.

You'll feel better.

- No, Molly, let's save it for a rainy day, huh?

(thunder crashing)

(all laughing)

(sweeping music)

♪ California ♪

♪ Oh I've traveled here I've traveled there ♪

♪ I guess I've been most everywhere ♪

♪ But I like where I am today ♪

♪ And here is where I'll stay ♪

♪ Now one thing I just can't endure ♪

♪ Is bein' broke and bein' poor ♪

♪ So I come west to take the cure ♪

♪ And here is where I'll stay ♪

♪ I've come to California, California ♪

♪ There's gold in them there hills ♪

♪ In California ♪

♪ I've come to live where life is best ♪

♪ In the golden West ♪

♪ I'm gonna strike it rich in California ♪

♪ California California ♪

♪ There's gold in them there hills ♪

♪ In California ♪

Repair and Synchronization by Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0