Gunsmoke (1955) s02e28 Episode Script

ANNOUNCER: Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
I heard tell of a man once who made his living by selling holy stones for good luck.
He did fine for a while.
But then he made one mistake.
Like a fool, he sold 'em all.
Now, I wouldn't know for sure if that story's true or not, but I do know I've met men like that.
Even had to kill one once.
Matt Dillon, U.
S.
Marshal.
And that thing takes the pictures? I've heard of it, I just never seen one.
You see something? Well, I'll be.
She's upside down.
Upside down? She is not.
Well, you just take a look in here if you don't think- Excuse me, young lady.
Excuse me, young man.
Oh, heh, excuse me.
Now, young lady Thank you.
Now, that's fine.
Now, just keep it like that.
Don't move a muscle.
Ready? One, and two, and three.
Oh, ho, ho.
I-I never.
Here, young man, hold this.
Oh.
Oh, my eyes.
I'm blind.
Perfect, my sweet.
A masterpiece.
Professor? Professor, what-? What's the little tent for? Well, this is where I do my developing, young man.
Developing? Why, of course.
Pyro and soda, you understand.
Oh, yeah.
Plate must be developed immediately.
Before it dries.
Oh, sure, yeah, naturally.
Before it dries.
You understand what he's talking about, Chester? Oh, yeah, it's simple enough.
Hey, what's going on in here? Hey, marshal, you come to get your picture took too? Yeah, the marshal ought to look real smart in a tin-pipe hat.
Wow.
So that's what it is, huh? Yeah, it's one of them magic picture boxes like we been hearing about.
It's the first one ever seen in Dodge.
Chester was just about to explain how the whole thing works, Matt.
So you might as well get in on it too.
Go ahead, Chester.
Yeah, well, uh- Well, uh- Well, this, uh, is the box, uh, here.
And when you look in it- Keep your hands off that, my good man.
That's a very expensive instrument.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I just telling the marshal about it.
Marshal? So you're Marshal Dillon I take it, sir? Yes, sir.
That's right.
Well, I'm pleased to meet you, marshal.
I was coming to look you up directly.
Naturally, you're one of the subjects I most wish to immortalize.
Immortalize? Professor Jacoby calls himself the, uh, artist of the camera, Matt.
Well, the folks back east well regard you people like you were heroes.
Perhaps you'd oblige me, sir.
Now, if you care to take that seat over there Well, no, thanks, professor.
Not right now.
Maybe a little bit later.
At your service anytime, marshal.
Say, professor, isn't there a fire hazard with that stuff? Well, sir, yeah, there have been instances.
Well, why don't you make your pictures outside then? Oh, I usually do, sir, but there are some which require the proper setting, the authentic atmosphere.
And it's authenticity I'm after, sir.
Well, I'll tell you, professor, with these old wooden buildings we got here and, uh, very little water in Dodge, we got a fire problem.
Well, I assure you, sir, that I'll be most careful.
You needn't worry.
You're not telling me I can't take my pictures, are you, marshal? No, no, professor.
There's no law against it, but, uh, you just be careful with that stuff, huh.
Naturally.
And now, let me see.
Well, how about you, young lady? Who, me? Yeah, Miss Kitty.
Go on, do it.
Well, it's not gonna be like that last one, is it? Oh, no, no, I had something else in mind for this one.
What's the matter, Kitty? Don't you want to be immortalized? Come on, Kitty.
It won't hurt you.
Now I need another subject.
Uh, let me see.
Why, you, sir.
You'd do fine.
Who, me? How do you like that? Now he's gonna immortalize old Grubby.
It'll make you famous, Grubby.
You'll like it.
Come on.
Sit you down, sir.
That's it, I- Now, now, now, come closer, will you? Oh, come on.
Much, much closer here.
What is this? Why, anything for art's sake.
Well, we want this to look absolutely authentic, huh? I think I'm gonna like this, Miss Kitty.
Ah, excellent, excellent.
Now, my sweet, if you'll just bend over and gaze at him fondly with, uh- Well, you know what I mean, hm? No, I don't.
Now, wait a minute, professor.
Why don't you just take your pictures of people the way you find 'em, huh? That'll be authentic enough.
Why, of course, marshal.
I meant no offense.
Just take your picture, professor.
I'll, um, pose like this.
Very well.
If he's trying to climb into that little box, he ain't gonna make it.
Ah, now Now, if you'll just gaze at the camera, and don't move a muscle.
Thank you, young man.
Well, are you ready? Now, one, and two, and three.
Ain't that something, Mr.
Dillon? Yeah, you know, that's one picture I want to see.
You looked at that camera like it was a rattlesnake.
Might as well have been.
And now I need a genuine gunfighter.
Which one of you gentlemen will oblige, eh? Why, how about you, sir? You mean Gart? Gart, a gunfighter? He may look the part.
He sure ain't very desperate.
Well, perhaps you have somebody in your jail, marshal.
Now, professor, what do you want a gunfighter for, huh? Well, I know what the eastern public wants, marshal.
They want to see the violence of the west.
That's what will sell my pictures to Harper's Weekly.
So it's violence you want, huh? Well, let me tell you, professor, all you're gonna have to do is wait a couple of weeks till these trail herds come in from Texas.
You'll get plenty of violence.
I haven't got a couple of weeks, marshal.
I'll manage.
You know, I'm a man of ideas.
I get what I go after.
An artist is outside the law, marshal.
Didn't you know that? No, as a matter of fact, I didn't.
Well, I'll tell you one thing.
If there's a picture I want, I'll get it.
And you won't stop me.
He coming here? Yeah, I'm afraid he is.
Ah, I noticed you were just sitting there, marshal, taking your ease.
I guess you can have no objection now.
Well, all right, professor.
I guess you could take a picture of the office if you want to.
Oh, no, no, marshal, no.
Uh, let me see now.
Well, you can be standing over there in the doorway.
And, uh, let me see now.
Yes, you can be looking fierce and drawing your guns.
Hey, what's the idea? You're supposed to have two guns.
One on each hip.
Why haven't you? Well, I'll tell you, Jacoby.
It only takes one bullet to kill a man, you know, and it only takes one gun to fire it.
Nonsense.
I've seen pictures.
All right, then I keep the other hand free so I can blow my nose when I'm working.
Now, look, take that contraption and get it out of here, will you? Mr.
Dillon.
Look.
I thought Indians were not allowed in town.
No, they're usually not.
Them's Cheyenne, Mr.
Dillon.
I wonder what they're up to.
Well, we'll find out.
Hey, marshal, what are you gonna do? Now, never mind.
You just stay here.
All of you.
How.
How.
You must have good reason to cross river and come into town.
Take many buffalo hides.
Trader in Darlington not give good price.
Come here.
I see.
You want to trade your skins, huh? Come here, tell marshal.
All right, you can do your trading.
Uh, camp outside town.
Leave tomorrow.
And no firewater, huh.
Marshal, are you crazy? No telling what they'll do.
Wait a minute, marshal.
Oh, they're all right.
Tell them to wait, will you? I want to get a picture of this.
Well, now, wait a minute.
I don't know about that.
You know, they might not understand that flash powder.
Look, I don't need flash powder out in the sunlight like this.
Oh, look, there's no harm in it, marshal.
I'll even pay 'em something.
All right.
Uh, this man wants to take your picture.
You stand there and he- He looks through the box.
That's all there is to it.
Longarm? No, no.
No, it's not a gun.
Uh, you- You won't get hurt.
You just stay there and- And he'll take your picture.
He'll even pay you some money.
All right, go ahead.
Give him the money.
There.
You divide.
Friends.
N-n-now, just stay still.
Now, don't move until I stop counting, hm? Hm? Now, one, and two, and three, and four, and five, and six.
Good.
Well, uh, that's all.
Well, things are looking better, marshal.
I told you, I get what I go after.
And with these savages in town Professor, You stay away from those Indians, huh? They're not as harmless as they look, and they don't understand people like you.
You needn't worry about me, marshal.
Like I told you, I'll manage.
Good morning, Matt.
Well, and what are you grinning about? Come on.
I got something to show you.
Professor Jacoby's picture.
Take a look.
What was that you said about rattlesnakes? I guess it takes practice to have your picture taken, huh? Sure takes something.
Something I haven't got.
Well, anyway.
You'll be immortalized now.
The professor will have that picture all over Harper's Weekly back east.
Tsk.
Won't matter.
Nobody'd recognize me from this.
Well, then you got nothing to worry about.
No.
You know, Matt, I don't like that man.
Oh, you're just not used to photographers, Kitty.
No, it's something more than that.
One, and two, and three, and four, and five, and six.
Ah, too much movement, I'm afraid.
We'll have to try another one.
I don't think so, professor.
Jacoby.
Ah, good morning, marshal.
All right, boys, put the guns away.
You know it's against the law to use firearms in town.
But it's only for a picture, marshal.
I don't care what it's for.
Are you prepared to pay the fines for these men? Why, of course.
If this picture turns out, it'll be well worth the price.
All right, but I'm gonna make your fine worse for puttin' 'em up to it.
I don't mind, marshal.
Mr.
Dillon! Mr.
Dillon! What's the matter? Mr.
Dillon, you'd better come quick.
What's wrong? Out at the end of Bridge Street they just found old Grubby.
He's dead.
Dead? Murdered.
And that ain't all, either.
He's been scalped.
What do you make of this, Matt? I don't know, Doc.
And golly, neither do I.
You don't? Well, it's plain enough to me, Doc, what with them Indians in town last night.
This didn't even happen last night, Chester.
Well, this morning, then.
Whenever it was.
Mr.
Dillon, them Indians is just camped a short piece from here.
Yeah, but no Indians would take a chance on doing a thing like that right in town, Chester.
Well, but if it wasn't- It wasn't Indians anyway.
They don't use a knife that way.
Well, if it wasn't them, who was it? I mean, uh, old Grubby ain't much good, but he sure ain't got no enemies.
Matt.
Matt, look at this.
You know, I don't think this happened right here at all.
It happened back there behind the building.
You can see where they dragged him out here in the open.
Looky there.
Yeah.
Out into the open.
In the sunlight.
And wait a minute.
What is it, Mr.
Dillon? Look at this.
What are them marks, Mr.
Dillon? The tripod of a camera.
Well, Matt, no man would do this just for a picture.
Wouldn't he? There's something I gotta do before the word get's all over town.
What's the powwow for? Death song.
Whose death? Ours.
Yours? We see spirit captured in picture.
Little box bad like longarm.
But it was just a-a picture.
It wasn't your spirit.
We see.
But I- I tell you, you will not die.
It was just a picture.
Look.
See? No more than that.
Now, that's all it was.
Just a- A picture.
You can believe me.
I am your friend.
We see.
All right.
But somebody did die.
A white man.
And, uh, coup was taken.
Do you know anything about this? No.
Yeah, I didn't think so.
But whoever did it wanted to make it look like you killed the man.
And many white men will believe this.
They'll come here, and soon.
So you'd better go across the river, and go far.
And, uh, don't worry about the picture.
I've heard about the lawlessness of the west, but this is more than I expected.
If I were a citizen here, I'd do something about it.
What's happened to those necktie parties I heard so much about? Are you scared of a few mangy Indians? Well, yeah, but they already flew the coop.
So I heard.
Well, then go after them.
Yeah, but that's Indian country.
Well, if you're scared to go after them, why don't you call out the cavalry.
Well, now, we could do that, I guess.
You've got a lot of big ideas, haven't you, Jacoby? Well, after all, marshal, that poor man's been scalped.
Mm-hm.
And you're still looking for pictures, aren't you? Violent pictures.
All right, let's break it up here, boys.
Come on.
Yeah, but what about old Grubby? I'll take care of old Grubby.
Now, let's move along.
Come on, let's go.
Jacoby.
You've had more than your share of luck lately, haven't you? I told you I'd manage.
Mm-hm.
They tell me you're all set and ready to leave over at the Dodge House.
That's right.
I've covered Dodge pretty thoroughly.
Now I'm on my way to Indian territory to get me some real pictures of Indians and buffalo.
Picking kind of a bad time, aren't you? Oh, I'm not scared.
Couldn't be because you know that old Grubby wasn't killed by Indians, was it? Just, uh, what do you mean, marshal? I want to know why it is that you were able to get out there and take a picture of him before anybody even knew he was murdered.
Are you accusing me of killing that man? I think you hired it done, yes.
Can you prove that, marshal.
When I find the man you hired, I can.
Well, this is ridiculous.
Besides, he was only a scavenger, a derelict.
He was a man, Jacoby.
And it was murder.
And whoever did it is gonna hang.
Then maybe I can get a picture of that hanging, marshal.
You'd do anything for a picture, wouldn't you? I gave that scum immortality.
Who else could have done that for him? Besides, what's the life of a worthless, old derelict compared to a priceless picture? Get out.
Get outta Dodge.
I intend to.
Mr.
Dillon! Mr.
Dillon! He's gone.
He left Moss Grimmick's a few minutes ago.
Is he alone? No, Gart was with him.
Gart.
Sure.
That two-bit, would-be gunmen.
Well, Mr.
Dillon, I don't like it.
All them Indian signs.
That's hunting parties, Chester.
There must be a good run of buffalo.
Hell, hunting or not, they still don't take too kindly to white men in their territory.
Want to turn back? I sure do.
Now, Jacoby must be getting some good pictures anyway.
I've been thinking, Mr.
Dillon.
How could Jacoby had anything to do with old Grubby getting killed when he was up on Front Street taking pictures of the hurrahing so soon after? That's exactly what he wanted us to think, Chester.
That's why he staged the hurrahing when he did.
Well, I hope I never see another photographer.
Well, they might not all be that bad.
All right, Gart, stay right there.
Marshal, what are you doing out here? Where's Jacoby? Right here, marshal.
Don't turn around! Or I'll cut you in half.
I got a shotgun.
Throw down your guns.
He ain't fooling, marshal.
He's got you covered.
Get 'em, Gart.
Now you can turn around.
Well, that's a Cheyenne burial tree.
Yeah.
You hadn't ought to been up there, Jacoby.
They don't like that at all, disturbing their dead.
I told you I don't worry about objections from anybody.
We've noticed that.
I guess you're pretty proud of yourself, killing a poor, harmless old man like Grubby, huh? Now, marshal, you can't prove nothing about that.
I- Shut up, Gart.
Take that rope and tie 'em to that tree over there.
I don't want 'em in my picture.
Now, wait a minute, Mr.
Jacoby.
I don't like fighting the law.
You ain't paying me for that.
You a fool? Do you want 'em to take you back and hang you? Do you think they'd be out here if they didn't know? Now, get busy.
All right, move.
Hanging's not enough for a man like you, Jacoby.
What do you know about men like me, marshal? Laws are for little men.
Like you.
But for us, the great ones, we take what we want, do what we want, even kill if we want! Come on, Gart.
Mr.
Jacoby, you ain't gonna leave 'em here like this, are you? They'll starve.
Do you want 'em chasing you all over the west to hang you? Now I'm gonna take my picture.
Jacoby.
Mr.
Dillon, here they come.
Oh, well, that's just what he did to old Grubby.
I guess he had it coming.
Well, Mr.
Dillon, you- You're not thinking about chasing after them Cheyenne now, are you? In this case no, Chester.
We'll- We'll bury these two and- And then maybe we'll gather up these pictures here.
Gather 'em up? Why? We'll send 'em back east, Chester.
Who knows? They may turn out to be, uh, immortal, like he hoped.
He'll probably even turn out to be a big hero.
A-? Oh, Mr.
Dillon.
Chester, there've been heroes like that before.
Come on, let's get busy.