Original subtitles

(light orchestral music)

- [Narrator] San Francisco, 1854.

Autumn was cleanup time at the gold diggings.

Banks bulged with the stuff and a small police force

was strained to provide protection

against the possibility of robbery.

At the same time, an army of fakes, quacks, and cranks

flowed into San Francisco to share the flow of wealth.

(man chanting crazily)

(drum beat music)

- You have my sympathy, Marshall.

(man chanting) (drum beats)

- Well, Marshall Wayne, good morning.

I intended to pay you a visit, sir.

Permit me to introduce myself, Pepper's the name.

Peter Pepper, painless Peter Pepper.

- How do you do?

What can I do for you?

- Well, I'm presenting a street show, an advertisement

for the painless extraction of aching teeth.

Nothing but high toned entertainment, sir.

A little Sheba, Oriental dancing girl

with an interesting rhythm, not seen this side of Arabia.

Agamuk, genuine Eskimo mystic, all that sort of thing.

How about it?

- How about what?

- How much do you want to let us show?

- Mr. Pepper, our streets are public places.

There's no charge.

- Great balls of fire, don't tell me you're honest.

- Surprised?

- I can hardly believe it, an honest policeman

and I'm shaken, sir.

Considerably shaken, it shakes my faith in human nature.

Good day, sir.

- Mr. Pepper.

I see you're advertising the painless extraction of teeth.

I feel it's only fair to warn you that I'll be watching you

and the first yelp of pain that I hear,

I'm going to run you right out of town.

Good day to you, sir.

(whimsical music)

* California California

- [Narrator] The Californians.

* California, I've come to live where life is best *

* In the golden west

* I'm going to strike it rich in California *

* California

(drum beats)

- There's no need to fear, my friends.

I personally guarantee there will positively be no pain.

(crowd laughs)

And why will there be no pain?

My friends, from the frozen wastelands of the Arctic

from the silent shores of the great Northern sea comes

a new mystery, a new power in the hands

of an Eskimo sage, the power

(drum beats)

of painless healing.

- Who would fall for that?

- Take a look at this crowd.

- My friends, Agamuk, great healer,

Agamuk, great student of mysteries,

(drum beats)

Agamuk Stanfall.

(drum beat intensifies)

(Agamuk chanting)

Agamuk says him know great mystery.

Him say he bring he big gift to all people.

Him say be not afraid.

Him say there be no pain.

Is that right, Agamuk?

(Agamuk grunts)

That's what he says.

- Now what happens?

- There's a shill in the crowd,

the man will go up there and pretend to have a tooth pulled

and that'll bring the rest of the easy marks.

- Oh, he's so wonderful.

- That's no shill.

- How do you know?

- That's my cleaning woman.

She's had a toothache for the past week.

- Does it hurt, mother?

Here, let me have a look.

Don't be afraid, it won't hurt, I promise you.

(drum beats)

(Agamuk chants)

- What's he got in the handkerchief?

- Nothing I can see.

Looks wet, though doesn't it?

(crowd applauds)

- It's all right, sir.

Go ahead. I ain't afraid.

- It's all over.

- It's gone.

I didn't feel a thing. Not a thing.

(crowd applauds)

(soft orchestral music)

- I beg your pardon, sir.

But I should like to speak with the owner of the bank

or the manager.

My name is Peter Pepper.

- Mine is Ordway.

I am senior partner and manager at the bank.

- Mr. Ordway, delighted.

I should like to open a rather large account.

- Of course.

Now if you'll just step this way. Sit down.

- Thank you.

- Now then, just how would you like to open this account?

- We'll start with 5,000.

- Would this deposit be in specie or in drafts, sir?

(taps counter)

- Hard cash.

Oh, Mr. Ordway, one other thing.

I have here a small casket of jewels,

nothing great in intrinsic value, sir, but in sentiment.

Oh yes, in sentiment.

A few poor things belonging to my late sainted mother.

- I feel for you, sir.

I too had a mother.

- Then you will understand, Mr. Ordway,

why I would like to place this treasured casket

of memories in your vault for safekeeping.

- If you'd be kind enough to follow me.

Solid masonry, Mr. Pepper, two feet thick.

Double thickness steel in this door.

It would take a field gun to break you in.

- And this, sir?

- That is an air vent.

When we're storing gold on the vault,

we have two policemen constantly on guard.

I'm afraid they'd suffocate without air.

- Well, it would take an army, sir,

to storm this place.

Now, the vault is here just at the left front of the bank.

It's about nine feet deep.

And just over here, just across the street

is an empty store.

Now you rent that store tomorrow morning

and you start digging immediately.

How long will it take?

- Two weeks.

It'll take us that long to shore up the tunnel

as we go.

- You're not digging a mine shaft.

How long without shoring?

- A week, but it won't be safe.

- In our game, we have to take some risks.

You all know what to do.

Good night, all.

- Do we have to go through with this?

- Of course we do.

You're not frightened, are you?

Well, don't be.

When this is over, we'll been rich

and I'll take you to Europe.

You'd like that, wouldn't you?

(cymbals clang)

(laughing)

- Hey Matt, this is better than Ada Minkum and Mazeppa.

- Who gave them permission to perform outside of the bank?

- I did. - Why?

- Pepper is one of our depositors.

I thought it wise to oblige him.

- I don't think it's wise, a crowd like that

outside of a building holding as much gold as this one.

(cymbals clanging)

- Still trying to figure out how the Pepper does it?

Franz Anton Mesmer, 1735, 1815.

Who's he?

- French physician, or a charlatan.

Opinions vary.

Claimed to have magnetic power to eliminate pain

in operations, called it mesmerism after himself.

- Did it work?

- Sometimes, apparently.

- Well, do you figure that's maybe what

Pepper's Eskimo was doing?

- Possible.

- But you don't believe it.

- I don't believe it, no.

- Well, Pepper has been pulling a lot

of teeth this past week and nobody's complained of pain.

- Do you believe in that Eskimo?

- No, but I do believe in something else.

Pepper has found a way to kill pain.

- A Boston dentist named Morton developed Letheon

a few years ago.

It's been used in hospitals back east.

Blocks pain completely.

- Maybe that's what Pepper has been using.

- No, Letheon requires apparatus to administer it.

Besides why would he go through

all that huggamuggery with the Eskimo?

- Well, maybe Pepper has found something new

that he wants to keep secret.

So he makes the people think it's the Eskimo

that kills pain.

You know, keep the audience watching one hand

while you pull the bunny out of the sleeve with the other.

Now what's the matter?

- Jeremy, this whole thing, a show he puts on.

The painless extractions, but whatever it is

he uses in that handkerchief could be

to keep the audience looking at one hand

while he pulls something out of the other sleeve.

I've got the find out what Mr. Pepper has

up his other sleeve.

(drum beats)

I've got men stationed all around the building

but let out a yell if the least thing makes you suspicious.

- Yes, sir.

- What are we going to do about it?

- Exactly as we planned.

- There's police.

- Never mind the police.

Make your bow and move.

(crowd applauds)

- Stuffy, ain't it?

- Your move.

(dramatic music)

- Agamuk, mystic healer of the Arctic.

Agamuk, who brings his priceless gift to suffering mankind.

Great Agamuk, mystic healer, Standfall.

(drum beats)

(Agamuk chants)

- All quiet, sir.

- Good, let's hope it stays that way.

(rock clatters)

- Hurry, hurry.

Bring the other box.

(Agamuk chants)

(rocks clatter)

(sinister music)

(glass shatters)

(knocks at door)

- Who's there?

- [Marshall] Marshall Wayne, open up.

- Is something wrong, sir?

- Are you men all right?

- Well, yes sir.

- The gold!

(rocks clatter)

- Help me!

Don't leave me.

- Well?

- The gold is gone, Mr. Ordway.

- I swear we wasn't sleeping, sir.

We was playing checkers.

It was Steadman's move.

And just as he was making the move,

we heard the marshal at the door.

- I demanded that you arrest these men and make them talk.

- Pepper's gone, sir.

We've got an alarm off for him.

- Do you suspect Mr. Pepper of robbing this bank?

- We do want to question him.

- This, sir. It was stuffed in the air vent.

- Did you ever smell anything like that?

- [Officer] No, sir.

- What about you, Conway?

- Well, yes sir.

Seems like it was just before you came in.

- Steadman?

- It's kind of yes and no, sir.

I mean, it seems like I remembered it

and then again, I don't. (woman screams)

- I think I hear a woman yelling.

- [Woman] Help!

(dramatic music)

Help, help.

(knocks at door)

- What the devil happened down there?

- The tunnel caved in.

I told you I needed another week to shore it up properly.

- You made a mess of things.

We could have been away before they even discovered

that tunnel.

- Leave him alone, it's not his fault.

- As it is, we're going to have to move fast.

- We've got a coach that'll pick us up before dawn.

We'll get away all, all right.

- We'd better.

They raised a hue and cry after me.

- You worry too much, Peter.

They haven't a scrap to connect either you or me

to the robbery.

We were on full public view when it happened.

- Well, if they pick any of us up, we just deny everything.

Get Sheba to come out here and give us a hand, will you?

(ominous music)

What's wrong with you two? Sheba!

Where's Sheba?

Where is she?

- She's in the tunnel.

- The tunnel?

- She got caught when the roof caved in,

I tried to get her out but I couldn't.

- I'll kill you. (man shouts)

- Leave him alone, I told you.

She took a chance as the same as the rest of us.

Is she dead?

Will she talk, Peter?

- Of course she won't talk.

- Good. - Just a minute.

We're not going to abandon her.

- And why not?

She's a pretty girl.

These frontier juries are notoriously lenient

towards pretty women.

She'll do a bit, I dare say, a small one.

She'll be back with you in no time.

Just remember you're not alone in this, Peter.

We all have as much at stake as you.

If you make one false move, we'll stop you.

She's going to be all right.

She'll be all right, Peter. Don't worry.

- Who was in that tunnel with you?

- You wouldn't know him, mister.

- You're not going to tell me anything?

- Read about it in my memoirs.

- Doctor, do you recognize that odor?

- Chloroform.

- A new drug?

- One of the new painkillers.

Scott's physician discovered its use a couple of years ago.

It's much easier to use that Morton's Letheon,

just sprinkle a bit on a pad and let the patient inhale.

- It's the first I'd heard of it.

- It's not in use out here.

New thing, you know.

Profession has to be careful about accepting new drugs.

I wish I had some of it now though.

That girl's leg is a frightful mess.

I could save it with an operation

but she wouldn't be able to stand the pain.

It'll have to come off.

- What about Letheon?

- William Martin has a patent on Letheon

and its apparatus and no one in San Francisco

has his license to use it.

- I'll show you how it was done.

Come here.

They tunneled under the street from that empty store.

- Hmm, pretty clever engineering to lay a straight course,

underground of the bank vault.

- That's where the drums came in.

It helped to disguise the sound

of the digging and it acted as a directional guide.

- And in the meantime, your two guard sat

in the vault, heard nothing.

Watched the thieves come into the vault and take the gold.

- That's why they used the chloroform.

They saturated a cloth with it,

stuffed it into the air vent of the wall.

Of course the vault was small and tight enough

to permit the fumes to concentrate.

Those guards were knocked out without even knowing it.

- Good evening, gentlemen.

I couldn't help overhearing, Marshall.

That's an interesting theory you have there.

It's too bad you can't prove it.

- Mr. Pepper, you're under arrest.

- Well, I expected that.

Mr. Pitt, I believe you are a capable lawyer.

Will you arrange for my release in due time?

- Are you retaining me?

- As of now.

- You may hold him for 24 hours, Matt.

- Then what?

- Bring a charge and arraign him on very good evidence

or I'll get a court order for his release.

- What more evidence do you want?

I've got his accomplice.

- Accomplice. Oh, you're referring

to that unfortunate member of my troop.

She's the victim of evil companions, Mr. Wayne.

But I doubt that she can implicate me in the crime.

- You see, Matt, you have no evidence.

- What about the chloroform?

You don't deny that you use chloroform in your dentistry.

- My dear Marshall Wayne, literally hundreds

of persons have watched me extract teeth

while my patients were under the magnetic influence

of that great healer, Agamuk.

But I feel sure that no such drug

will be found in my possession.

It's a pity too, because that might be the one link

of evidence you need.

- Where is it, Pepper?

Where is my gold?

Are you going to let him walk out of here, scot free?

- I may have to.

Why did you come here, Mr. Pepper?

- I heard about little Sheba.

I came to inquire about her.

- Maybe you better come with me and see for yourself.

(sad orchestral music)

- I'm sorry, baby. Awfully sorry.

- It's all right. I took my chances.

- The other were afraid you might talk.

- I won't.

- I know. - Please go now.

- She tells me it's her leg, a bad bruise.

How lucky she was.

- Doctor, why don't you explain?

- Mr. Pepper, I'm afraid of her leg will have to come off.

- No.

- She couldn't stand the pain of a long drawn out operation.

She'd be lucky if she lives through the amputation.

(ominous music)

- Could you save the leg?

If there was no pain, could you save it?

- Chances are good.

- Don't do anything until I get back.

- Pepper, you're under arrest.

- Come with me please.

- Where the devil have you been?

- To see Sheba.

She's in a bad way. Needs an operation.

- You wouldn't like to try a little Eskimo magnetism,

would you? No, I thought not.

So we'll have to use the old reliable chloroform.

- Sorry, old boy.

- Drop it!

(gun fires)

Take them away.

You realize you've convicted yourself?

- I know.

- You must be awfully fond of little Sheba.

- I am. She's my daughter.

Shall we go?

- Bite down on this when the pain becomes unbearable.

I'll be as quick as I can.

- Doctor, give me a pad please.

You didn't think I'd forget you, did you?

My dear, breathe deeply. Deep.

All right doctor, your patient is ready.

Marshall, your prisoner is, too.

* 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 being broke and being poor *

* So I come west to take the cure *

* And here is where I'll stay

* I come to California, California *

* The gold in them there hills in California *

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

* In the golden west

* I'm going to strike it rich in California *

* California, California

* There's gold in them there hills *

* In California

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