Original subtitles

- You know what we are?

Carriers.

Just like Typhus Annie.

This Jim Bludge.

He's gotta be a nut.

- So what do you got against horses?

- Not horses, this horse.

Blue Murder.

What's in a name, huh?

- I couldn't let them shoot him, it wasn't his fault.

- You know what I feel like?

One of the four horsemen,

and I don't mean the four horsemen of Notre Dame.

You know, the--

- Four horsemen of the apocalypse?

- That's it.

Killers, just like this one.

- Death rides a pale horse, not a blue-black.

Want me to quote you from Revelations?

- Can I stop you?

- Saint John had a vision.

"I looked, and behold, a pale horse,

and his name that sat on him was Death,

and hell followed with him."

See?

A pale horse.

- Thanks a bunch.

- Anyway, Jim Bludge knows what he bought,

and he's not worried, so what's the big deal?

He got himself a $25,000 stud horse for five grand,

now that sounds pretty smart to me.

- He bought himself a $5000 funeral.

That's what he bought.

(neighs)

(serene music)

(indistinct chattering)

(metal clanking)

- Cam.

Cam.

All right, don't look at me.

There now, was that so hard?

Or would you rather go on pounding?

(metal clanking)

(sighs)

You like parties?

- Hell is other people.

That's what hell is.

(scoffs)

- What kind of attitude is that?

How do you expect people to warm to you

if you don't warm back?

Oh, times there I wonder about you, Cam.

Whether you're just too stupid for any use,

or so smart you don't want anybody in the world

to have any suspicion how smart.

My husband.

Your brother Jim.

There's not many things he loves.

He's a taker, you know Cam?

You know the difference?

But he loves you.

He's always at me, "be nice to Cam."

Would you like that, Cam?

He'd listen to you,

if you'd ever get up the gumption to talk.

- About what?

- All this foolishness about the horse.

You think I don't know?

I've been asking around.

I know he threw away $5000 on that animal.

You know how much $5000 is, Cam?

You know what you could do with that much?

Why, a person could go to New York

and buy all kinds of things.

Soft things, pretty things.

The latest fashions from France,

and a person could see all the Broadway shows.

I guess that would make her the most desirable woman

in the valley.

And you could do all that, Cam.

He'd listen to you if you told him

that Blue Murder was a killer and dangerous like I hear.

Then maybe he'd turn around and sell him

to somebody who maybe didn't know,

and he'd take me to New York for a week

just so we could shop and say we've been

to see all the shows.

Be nice to you, why?

You're stupid.

- Blossie?

Hey, Blossie!

The party's no fun without you, come on.

- I'll get Frank to do it.

Hey, Frank, how'd you like to do Blossie a favor?

- Name it.

- You stay out of this, Frank.

You want your husband to send that horse back,

you go ask him yourself.

- You think I'm scared to?

- Come on Blossie, I'll buy you a drink.

- Frank!

Stay out of it.

- Stick to your forge, brother.

Just stick to your forge, okay?

- What do you think?

Mexican silver, Spanish leather, all hand-tooled.

Hand beaten.

That's the way, isn't it Blossie?

The best.

Everything the best.

Boots.

Butter.

Women.

- I was just out back talking to Cam.

- Why don't you stop needling him?

You act like he was some kind of a bug

on a pin or something.

So okay, maybe he doesn't talk much.

But he knows who's laughing at him.

He knows a lot more than you give him credit for.

- Maybe you'd be happier if I'd have married Cam.

- Oh, you ought to take your own advice.

About laughing at people.

Just then after you kissed me, you were laughing at me.

You know how serious I take kissing.

- We'll see.

- Oh, no.

You can't make up just like that.

Besides, I'm mad at you.

- About what?

- Is it true he killed a man?

- Who killed a man?

- That silly wasteful horse you're buying, Blue Murder.

- I guessed what it is, Blossie,

what's got you all mixed up.

Is his having that name, Blue Murder.

- Just the same, I want you to send him back.

- Send him back?

Look honey, a horseman like me

and a fella talks to horses like Cam,

we'll handle the situation.

Anyway, you worrying about me.

I like that, Blossie.

I like that a whole lot.

- No.

I can't kiss you.

I'm too full of worry about that terrible horse.

(horn honking)

(laughing)

- Mr. Bludge?

Do you want us to put him somewhere else,

somewhere where there aren't so many people?

(chuckles)

- Got you scared, huh kid?

- I've seen him in action.

- Jim, sell him back.

You'll take him back, won't you?

- You got something for me to sign?

All right folks, now spread out.

He's just liable to try and sunfish all over the place.

- Frank, stop him.

- When I was 10 and he was 15, he taught me not to try.

- [Blossom] Jim?

- Inside a week, honey,

you'll be riding this stud all over the place.

Hills and everywhere.

(neighing)

- Back, back.

Skin to skin, that's how you do a stallion.

Let him feel ya.

Let him get the heat of a man.

Easy, pal.

Hold her down.

(neighing)

- Send that black devil out of here, Jim Bludge,

right this second, before he makes a dark spot in the dust

out of you.

- Did you see him go?

Like a thunderbolt in the britches.

- Whoa now, whoa whoa whoa boy, easy.

Easy, boy.

Whoa, whoa, whoa boy.

- Oh, I love him.

Tomorrow, we go again.

- If you say so.

- Now how about a little serious drinking, folks,

while Cam and I bed him down?

A drink for every bruise, huh?

How's that sound?

Frank, you take over til I get back.

Blossie, you see those two young fellas get some steaks.

- Rare.

- Raw.

- I'd never have guessed.

It's not like you can reason with him.

Like you can say to him, now listen, Jim.

There's only one way.

His way.

I'm Blossom.

- I could've guessed.

There's a fragrance.

- I knew a boy once named Larry.

He talked like you do.

- Is that good?

- Larry should've been a minstrel

in the days when there were kings and courts of fair ladies.

What's your name?

- Tod Stiles.

- Isn't there anybody interested in mine?

- Not especially.

(chuckles)

(banging)

What was that?

Frank!

Frank, go see what's keeping them,

I thought I heard--

(banging)

(neighing)

(dramatic music)

- Cam.

Cam, are you all right?

What happened?

Cam?

(neighing)

- The steel toe of the shoe is up,

the caulk end's down.

No outlash of heels here,

it was a forefoot crushed Jim's chest.

A deliberate attack aimed head on

while he reared up high like he did out in the yard.

His red devil eyes full of bloodlust.

Blue Murder.

That's what you brought in here, all right.

The pair of you.

- [Man] Hey!

- No, don't touch him.

Wait'll Doc Martin gets here.

He may be all broke up inside like poor Jim was.

Wait'll Doc Martin gets here.

Blossie, no, no, get back, you mustn't see.

- Jim!

- No, that's Cam.

He's hurt bad, but still alive.

Jim's dead.

- Take it easy, Cam.

- Cam, you all right?

You ought'nt go moving around like that, Cam,

you maybe got a concussion.

No, Cam, you can't find him now, it'll be dark soon.

We'll hunt him down first thing in the morning.

- Cam, wait for me!

- Blossie, no Blossie, come on back.

You don't want that gun.

- No!

No!

You don't see Cam standing around wondering what to do.

He knows.

An eye for an eye.

- All in good time, Blossie, that's the way it is.

We'll get him.

We can't afford to have a wild animal

running loose like that.

The first thing tomorrow morning.

- No!

No!

He killed my husband, he killed Jim!

- Blossie--

- I won't have that animal left alive another second,

you hear me Frank?

I won't.

I won'!

- Blossie, come on.

I'll take you up to the house.

Come on.

Oh, Blossie.

- You knew what he was, and you brought him here anyhow!

- Blossie.

Come on, come on.

Bring Jim up to the house.

- You were right.

Jim Bludge bought himself a $5000 funeral.

- Oh, come on, Tod, I was just kidding.

You can't blame yourself for that.

- You weren't the one that saved Blue Murder.

You weren't the wise guy that stepped in front

of all the rifles and said "now wait a minute you hot heads,

you can't shoot that horse, it wasn't his fault.

It was animal instinct, self-preservation.

That cowboy there, that Pete Johnson

with his head bashed in, he was chain whipping him."

- He was, he was, you saw that.

- Yeah.

Yeah, but if I'd just walked away

and let them do what they wanted to do,

this wouldn't have happened.

That big guy, that Cam,

he went after him with a hammer.

Boy, a lot of good that's gonna do.

Look, I don't want him on my conscience too.

That horse has gotta be killed.

I guess I'm the one that should do it.

(dramatic music)

(solemn music)

- That's right, Blossie, cry.

- I can't.

- I know I can't believe it either.

Well, no rush.

There's tomorrow to grieve,

just let it come when it will.

- Frank, I can't be alone.

You remember when you were courting me, how it was?

The nights, the nights we went dancing at Mill Crossing,

how I never wanted you to take me home?

- I know.

That's what fooled me, Blossie.

I thought I'd won you.

Even with Jim having more money and property than I had.

But then you let him do the same thing,

you never wanted him to take you home either.

It's always been like that with me.

As long as I can remember.

Even when I was little, I had to have somebody

to hold my hand.

- You've got me, Blossie.

You know how I've always felt about you.

- I won't lie to you, Frank.

It doesn't much matter where I find him,

so long as he's mine.

- You're not that kind of woman, Blossie.

- You're nothing like Jim, are you?

Same blood, but not like Jim.

You don't know me like you say you do.

You only see what you want to see.

Jim knew me.

Like the sight of his own face.

Every flaw, every wrinkle.

He knew too much, Jim did.

You know too little.

You know the worst part about dying.

The ones left behind who have to pack up the hairbrushes

and the suits and the old pills in the medicine cabinet.

Don't listen to me.

Don't ever listen to me.

Just hold me.

Hold me.

(knocking)

- [Man] Frank.

- Don't worry, Blossie.

I won't ever leave you.

Not now or ever.

(knocking)

- Oh Frank.

- Frank, these fellas don't want to wait til morning.

They're asking about horses.

- Look fellas, I'm sorry I said what I did

down at the stable.

Nobody was doing much clear thinking then.

I know it's not your fault, any of it.

So you don't have to go after him.

- We think we do, Mr. Bludge.

- Okay then.

We'll catch up with you sometime in the morning.

It's not gonna be all that easy, you know,

running it down, there's a world of country out there.

It gets pretty hot.

But if you want to take out after him now,

I'd be obliged.

Let them pick their own horses, Johnny,

and give them some gear.

- Right, Frank, I'll take of it.

- Thank you.

- Good luck.

- I don't see anything.

No tracks.

- Well, you know what the Indians do

when they have to decide which fork in the road to take?

They flip a coin.

Look, there's a lot of places I'd rather be

than in this saddle,

so if I kid it, don't let it bother you.

It eases the pain.

- So go ahead, flip the coin.

Heads we go straight, tails right.

- We go right.

(dramatic music)

(neighing)

- Easy boy.

Hold.

Easy, easy.

- Frank!

Frank?

(neighing)

Morning.

I was just going for a swim,

but now that you two rode in,

I'll have to change into a suit.

Everybody rode off without a word, left me alone.

Wanna go for a swim?

We have a nice pool.

- Some other time, maybe.

When did they ride out?

- I wouldn't know, nobody consulted me.

Did you get that horse?

Don't worry, Cam will.

You might as well enjoy yourself.

I'll be right out.

- Did the cook ride with the rest of them?

- What makes you think we have a cook?

- Your hands and the length of your nails.

- Just like Jim.

You know everything.

- There's a widow who's really mourning.

- Look, there's no sense, your coming along.

You're gonna be sore enough from the ride last night.

Why don't you stay here and get some breakfast and relax?

I'll come back when it's done.

(hooves clopping)

- I thought you'd left.

- Oh, I have a few hobbies.

Like breakfast.

You mind if I take over?

- You didn't strike me as the kind who'd ask.

- Like Jim?

- Like Jim.

Looking for something special?

- Nothing I can't find.

- What other hobbies do you have besides breakfast?

- I collect things.

Important things like sundials and totem poles and bagpipes

and dental deals, you know?

(boiling)

(door closes)

You know, there's a well-worn starter to most conversations

that goes, "this is none of my business, but."

- Why aren't I lying in a pool of tears,

crying over Jim the day after he was killed,

instead of sitting out here sunning myself

and talking to a boy, is that it?

- Yeah, that's part of it.

- Yeah, what I felt for Jim

and the way I choose to grieve him,

that's none of your business.

- I think I'll go in the kitchen

and clean up the mess I made.

- No.

Don't go, please.

- That's more reason than ever.

You're shaking, is everything all right?

- Tell me something, you with all the answers.

Will I ever find someone I can love,

who'll love me as much as I love him?

- Sure.

Any man.

- It happened before I got back to him.

He met him coming down.

- We heard Blue Murder back in the brush up by the lake.

We dismounted, spread out, went in after him on foot.

We heard one shot, a lot of crashing through the trees,

then nothing.

We found Frank in a thicket.

It was so dark in there,

I don't guess he could get a clean shot,

and he never had time for a second.

Spine is crushed.

Same kind of attack.

Rearing up and driving home with those fore feet.

Even a mark of a shoe, just like the other.

- What we better do now is get every last man in this valley

and go about this thing right.

We'll get Scotty's plane and spot him from the air.

If we're lucky, maybe we can shoot him from there.

- Anybody but me gets to that stallion, I'll kill him.

So help me, I'll wring his neck with my bare hands.

Any man but me touches that animal,

he's as dead as my brother Jim,

and my brother Frank.

(dramatic music)

(thunder crashing)

(suspenseful music)

- Cam.

Cam!

Hold my hand tight, please.

- How long have I been sleeping?

- Oh, I thought you'd never wake up.

I came in at least a dozen times

to see if you were still breathing.

- I gotta go out.

- No Cam, please.

- I gotta go get that stallion.

- Not now.

Tomorrow, when it's daylight.

I get crazy when there's a storm, I can't stand it.

- You can stand it.

And a lot more.

- Cam.

Jim's gone and now Frank.

One disaster on top of another.

My whole life emptied out since yesterday,

all I got left is you.

- Just poor dumb me.

- You're not, you're strong.

Stay with me.

(thunder crashing)

- Box of apples.

You remember?

- That was a long time ago.

- Not so long ago that I forgot.

- I was younger, foolish.

Anyway, when you came courting,

I thought it was because Jim and Frank were,

and you felt you had to.

- I didn't have no fine ranks like Jim.

Didn't have no business in Mill Crossing like Frank.

Is that why you laughed at me, Blossom?

- I laughed at you because you brought me a box of apples.

And my Pa, the biggest apple grower in the county.

- That's all I had.

And you laughed.

I remember you run away and you laughed all the time.

- Cam.

I got the ranch now, and the buildings too.

We can share it all, it'll be ours.

Only stay with me, please.

- Blossie, listen to me.

Being alone, I know how terrible it can be,

but there's something I gotta do before I can come back.

(thunder crashes)

Just one night.

That ain't too much to be alone.

(thunder crashes)

All my life I've been by myself.

Til now.

(thunder crashing)

(indistinct chattering)

(jazz music playing)

- That fall I was a second semester sophomore.

Now that was the year I had a chance

to be remembered forever at Yale and blew it.

Maybe if I'd been a senior, I would've listened to McGraw,

but I told you about McGraw didn't I?

Captain of the Yale fencing team,

second place senior in the Olympics?

Well, that was McGraw.

Anyway, I was on the foil team,

and this traveling opera company came to the college

to ask if any of the guys on the fencing team

would like to be dress extras

in a performance of Tristan and Isolde

that night at the civic auditorium.

The only pay you were gonna get

was that you could be backstage

and see the opera for nothing, so we said sure.

And we went down and they gave us

one of these viking outfits,

you know, with the helmets with the horns

and the bearskin suit and the sandals,

and we carried spears around stage in the first act.

Well, I was watching McGraw,

he had kind of a funny look in his eye.

You know, he was kind of a star already,

you know, with the Olympics and all.

And he said he was humiliated, debased he said,

because he wound up as a plain, ordinary spear carrier.

So anyway, we were picked, the two of us,

to appear later in the show a second time,

it was in the last act when all the stars were spread out

all over the stage in various positions and dying,

but they were still singing loud enough

so they shook the rafters.

Anyway, McGraw and I are supposed to come on

from backstage left, and engage one of the stars,

I think it was the basso,

it might've been the tenor, I don't remember.

Well, anyway, we were supposed to engage him in a duel now

with these prop swords, and the director says

"now give me a lot of clackity-clack,"

and while he's cutting us up,

he's supposed to drive us offstage.

So our big moment comes and we come on the stage

and we start with the clackity-clack

and we're dueling and he's driving us offstage,

and McGraw says to me, "Tod, this guy's a bum,

he doesn't even know how to hold a sword,

let's give him a lesson."

So we do, we drive him right back onstage.

Well he gets so excited he drops a whole sequence.

The conductor has the orchestra repeat the passage,

but he misses the cue again because he's whispering to us,

"get off, get off the stage!"

So McGraw says to me,

"we'll drive him right across the stage

and right up the center aisle, right through the audience."

He says, "Tod, people will talk about it for years.

They'll never forget the two guys from Yale

on the fencing team that broke up Wagner."

Well, right then I got chicken.

I mean, I knew we'd be expelled for sure.

I had to do something, so I turned on McGraw,

and I started dueling with him.

Well he got so mad, I thought he was gonna run me through.

We forgot all about the basso,

and he chased me offstage and they went on with the show.

Yeah.

That was the night I had a chance to be famous, blew it.

- You want a fresh drink?

- No, this one's fine, thanks.

- Wanna try another place?

- No, this is okay.

- You run out of stories?

- Yeah.

Yeah, I guess so.

- But you want to hang around, huh?

- How can I go?

- Well, you can get in the car and turn the key.

It's pretty tricky, but might surprise you.

- Two men, Buz.

Jim and Frank, on my shoulders.

Inside my head, every time I think or move or see.

Two guys dead because of me.

- Well that's one way to look at it.

There's a couple of dozen others.

There's Cam, the brother.

Lays it on the line, hands off.

And there's those other ranchers that say,

"get back to Idaho, fast."

You want to stay here, right?

- Yeah.

Yeah, I want to stay.

Til Blue Murder's dead.

- Okay, buddy.

Shoe.

- The morning we left the Owens ranch,

did the blacksmith come?

- I don't remember.

We went to town first, maybe he came when we were gone.

- I think I'll call Mr. Owens and ask him.

(thunder crashing)

(suspenseful music)

- Easy boy, steady.

Easy boy.

Whoa whoa, boy, easy.

Come on, down boy.

(neighing)

Whoa there.

Easy boy, come on.

Steady boy, steady.

Steady.

Whoa whoa, boy, easy.

Come on.

Down.

Easy now.

Whoa now.

Easy boy.

Git, git.

Get up.

Easy boy, come on.

Come on.

Easy boy.

Come on.

(clanking)

(neighing)

Shy, you devil.

Wicker, you stud horse.

Tomorrow they're gonna get you.

They're gonna shoot you from the sky.

But they can have you tomorrow, the dumb fools.

I got you tonight.

Apples, huh?

A box of apples to snigger at.

Whose girl are you now?

(clanking)

- Too late, Cam.

(neighing)

(yells)

Look Buz, I was right.

Look at his feet.

Fresh as a yearling.

One shoed, the others freshly cleared for shoeing.

Who knows, the one shoe Cam managed to get on

before we got here may have been the same one he used

to kill his brothers.

He must've hated them both pretty bad.

- Or loved her far too much.

(thunder crashes)

- I don't know if Mr. Owens'll buy him back at any price.

He's a pretty sharp horse trader,

but I'll see what I can do.

- I don't need the money.

I'm just about the richest girl in the county now.

I can fly to New York anytime,

buy whole closets full of clothes, see all the shows.

- Well if he does make an offer,

It'll probably be around $2500.

I'll see if I can get him to come up some.

- I'll give him to you.

- No, Blossom, I couldn't take him.

- That way you wouldn't have to go, now would you?

- I'll call you from Idaho as soon as I get there,

let you know what Mr. Owens said.

- You'll never come back, I know.

- Blossom, even if I wanted to,

this isn't the time talk about it and plan it.

So soon after what's happened.

- It's the only time.

I can't be alone.

Once you go, I'll have to find somebody else,

and I know he won't be half as nice as you.

Goodbye, Blossom.

(engine starts)

(jazz music)

- [Narrator] This has been a Screen Jams film presentation

from Columbia Pictures,

Herbert B. Leonard, executive producer.