Gunsmoke (1955) s02e33 Episode Script

Moon

ANNOUNCER: Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
I guess as much gambling goes on in Dodge as any place in the West.
They don't just gamble with money, either.
Often it's with human lives.
That's the kind of game going on down there right now between two men and a woman.
And what bothers me is that I happen to know that, this time, they're all gonna lose.
Matt Dillon, U.
S.
marshal.
Nan.
Hit me.
You sure got the luck, Mr.
Brewer.
I can't make a dollar out of him.
Yeah.
Better luck next time.
Well, somebody's got to pay the bills, mister.
Sure.
Why does it have to be me? I hate a bad loser.
Well? Hit me.
That's enough.
Can you beat 19? Twenty'll do it.
You sure are lucky.
Oh, I don't know, Vint.
Against a dealer like you, it ain't luck so much.
What do you mean by that? I figure maybe you've been letting me win.
And later on, things will sorta change, and you'll get all this back.
And I'll keep plunging until you get all of my stake too.
I've killed men for saying things like that.
What kind of man, Vint? You're in Dodge now.
You ain't gonna kill nobody, unless he's drunk.
And I'm sober.
I'll be back this evening.
And I'm bringing a friend of mine with me.
Game's open.
You can bring anybody you want.
Oh, he won't be gambling.
He's gonna sit right here and watch you deal.
Got any objections? Why should I? You shouldn't, if you like living.
My friend's name is Jack Salter.
I'll see you later.
Sam, get me a drink.
Oh, hi, Vint.
You know somebody called Jack Salter? Heard of him.
Why? Who is he? Well, they say he's quite a gunman.
What's the matter, Vint? Meet me at your house in about ten minutes.
Vint, I- I can't leave now.
I said, your house in about ten minutes.
Now, get going.
Sure, Vint.
Sure.
Now, you go right to sleep, and Mama will fix dinner.
Vint! Vint.
Not now, kid.
Where's your mother, huh? Nan! Vint, please, Vint.
Nan! Go play with your doll.
Vint.
He pushed me.
Look, honey, don't cry.
Vickie, I didn't mean it.
I wanted you to play with your doll 'cause I give it to you, that's all.
And I'm gonna give you another one real soon.
Honest? Honest.
Look, honey, why don't you go out in the back and play? Mommy wants to talk to Vint for a minute.
Will you do that, please? I'll go.
You promise about the doll? Yeah.
Yeah, I promise.
Don't you forget.
Oh, Nan, I didn't mean to push her.
I'm worried, that's all.
It's all right.
What did you wanna talk about, Vint? Oh, that man Brewer.
He got away with about $500 of my money.
And he's coming back tonight to gamble some more.
Then what are you worried about? Well, I was setting him up.
Let him win a little bit, and then take everything he's got.
But he figured it.
He's coming back tonight with that friend of his to watch me deal.
What friend? Jack Salter, the gunman.
Oh, no.
Nan, you got to help me.
Brewer's got 500 of my money now.
If he gets on a lucky streak tonight, it'll be more.
With both of them watching me, I don't dare deal the cards my way.
What can I do? You're the gambler, I'm not.
There are other ways of getting that money back besides gambling.
How? You just get Brewer alone somehow.
I'll take care of the rest.
No, Vint.
Nan.
Please, I- This is our money.
Yours and mine.
This is the money we were using to run away on.
If I lose this, we'll be a long time getting to Saint Louis.
I know, but I- What would you rather do, work in a saloon the rest of your life? Supporting a child that a worthless ex-husband won't give you a dime for? Or do you wanna come away with me? Go back east, be free, have a decent home? Oh, Vint, you know I do.
Well, then? If Brewer gets lucky and keeps on winning, you got to be sweet to him.
Get him outside in the alley, alone.
Oh, I won't hurt him, Nan.
Now, you can do it, easy.
This is for us, you know.
It scares me, Vint.
I- Will you? Will you do it? All right.
That's a girl.
Oh, Vint, aren't you gonna say goodbye to Vickie? Oh, you say goodbye to her, huh? I got a lot of things to do.
I'll see you tonight.
I think I'll double up this time.
I'm good.
Eighteen.
Twenty.
You got about 700 of his money now, Brewer.
Oh, that much? Well, that's enough.
Let's have another little game sometime, Vint.
What do you say? Anytime.
Just anytime at all.
And I'll spread the word that you're an honest dealer.
Real honest.
He sure is.
I'll vouch for him myself.
I'm going now, Brewer.
There's a little gal down the street I don't wanna keep waiting too long.
Yeah, I'll see you later, Salter, and thanks.
Sure.
So long, Vint.
It's been a real pleasure.
Bye.
Well, I'll buy you a drink.
Well, that's right decent of you, Vint, but, uh, heh, I'm the winner.
I'll buy you one.
All right.
Sam.
Bring us a bottle of whiskey.
Right away, sir.
I'll take it, Sam.
Yeah.
And don't worry about the game, Vint.
I'll give you a chance to win it back.
Maybe tomorrow, huh? Oh, I don't worry about the game.
Gambler like me has got to figure on losing once in a while.
Especially when he runs into my particular kind of luck, huh? Oh.
I hope your gentlemen don't mind if I brought the bottle.
The barkeep is kinda busy.
Oh, sure.
Now, here, here, here.
Sit down.
Have one with us.
Thanks.
I was hoping you'd ask me.
Ah, well, you're honest, anyhow.
I like that.
Tell me, how'd you make out? Ask him.
He won $730.
Whoo.
Well.
Let's drink up.
Mud in your eye.
Ah.
Well, thanks for the drink, Brewer.
I, uh, think I'll quit for tonight.
Let me know when you want another game.
Yeah.
Good night.
Good night, Vint.
Oh, Nan, uh Aren't you and Vint, uh-? Oh, no.
We- We just both work here.
Anything else you hear is just the usual gossip.
Good.
Hey, you're pretty.
Thanks.
Here, have another drink.
No.
I'm sorry, but I've gotta go home now.
You can't do that.
Well, you just got here.
Besides, it's early yet.
Well, I always go home early.
But you can walk with me, if you'd like.
Walk with you? Mm-hm.
W- Sure, sure, let's go.
I'll take the bottle back.
Oh, here.
Uh, this'll cover it.
Ooh, thanks.
Wait for me at the back door.
In the back door? It's quicker to where I live that way.
Oh, sure.
I'll wait.
Here, Sam.
Sam, give me my cape.
I'm ready.
Well, which way? Down here.
Oh.
Oh! My ankle.
Here.
Here, I'll hold you.
Oh, I- I think I've twisted it.
Ooh, it hurts when I step on it.
Well, here, I'll carry you.
Ungh! There, now you'll be all right.
Help! Help, somebody! Help! All right, let me through here, boys.
You all right, miss? Yeah.
Yes, sir.
It's Charlie Brewer, Mr.
Dillon.
He's dead.
Dead? No.
Aren't you Nan Miller? Yeah.
What happened? Somebody hit him.
What were you doing out here? Um, he wanted to take a walk, you know.
Then when we got out here, somebody- Somebody jumped us.
Did you see who it was? No, they were behind us.
I couldn't see anybody at all.
They hit me.
You hurt? No, I'm all right now.
If you didn't see anything, how'd you know it was them? I don't know, I tell you.
I-I couldn't see anybody at all.
All right, we better get you up to Doc's.
No, I'm all right.
I just wanna go home now.
I'll be all right.
Please, marshal.
Well, it's up to you.
I'll be fine now.
I just wanna get out of here.
I'll be all right alone.
Well, golly, Mr.
Dillon, that poor gal's really upset, ain't she? Maybe she's got a guilty conscience, Chester.
Yeah? Oh, now, Mr.
Dillon.
You don't think that she- No, no, no, no, she couldn't have done it.
But there's a murderer running loose, and she's not helping us very much to find him.
Come on, we got work to do.
Oh, howdy, Doc.
Chester.
Where's Matt? Well, he ain't here, Doc.
I ain't seen him since he left your office when he brought Brewer's body up there.
Oh.
Well, I finished the autopsy.
Yeah.
Sure not very often anybody gets killed around Dodge without being shot.
Oh.
Now, well, clubs don't make no noise, though, Doc.
That's the thing.
Oh.
Then I imagine if you ever got hit on the top of your head with one, you could probably hear it all over town.
Oh, you- You- You just think it I'm smart.
Well, I got exactly nowhere.
What'd you find out, Doc? Well, would you like to have it in medical terms? Not unless it'll help me find the killer.
Well, I don't think it would any, so I'll just give it to you plain.
Brewer got hit on top of the head.
Thanks.
You know, I almost suspected that myself.
Well, don't get sarcastic with me.
I'll tell you something that maybe you didn't know.
It might help you a little bit.
No woman coulda hit him that hard.
Oh, Mr.
Dillon knew that too.
Oh, he did, huh? Yeah.
Well, you knew that too, did you? Yeah.
Well, don't blame me for such a simple corpse.
I didn't find it.
There wasn't nothing simple about Mr.
Brewer.
He was a real nice fella, Doc.
Oh, for heaven's sakes.
What about Kitty? She help you? She wasn't even there.
What about the bartender? Well, he must have been drunk since noon.
He didn't see or hear anything.
Marshal? Yeah? I wanna talk to you.
You're Jack Salter, aren't you? I am.
And I'm a friend, or was, of Charlie Brewer.
I just heard about him.
I see.
You don't see nothing, marshal.
What do you mean? That gambler Vint.
He murdered Brewer.
Can you prove that? I don't have to prove it.
What are you talking about? Look, marshal, Charlie Brewer won over $700 off Vint tonight.
I was there.
I don't even have to ask if you found any money on him.
Well, I didn't.
Then go arrest Vint.
Now.
Wouldn't do any good.
He'd just go free unless I had more proof than that.
I told you that Charlie Brewer was a friend of mine, marshal.
So? So I'll kill him myself if I have to.
I wouldn't try that, Salter.
I'm telling you plain, marshal.
I'll give you till tomorrow night.
And I'm telling you plain, Salter, that's murder.
And if you even try it, I'll throw you in jail.
We'll see about that, marshal.
Don't do it, Salter.
Tomorrow night, marshal.
Here's some of the boys staying last night.
Oh, thanks, Sam.
Miss Kitty? Well, good morning, Matt.
Hello, Kitty.
Want a beer? No, thanks.
Well, it is a little early.
We can sit down though.
There's no charge for that.
All right.
Kitty, tell me about Nan Miller.
She and Vint.
They're in love.
What else? Well, for some men, that's enough.
Now, Kitty, I'm not interested in romance right now.
I'm after a murderer.
Well, they're serious enough to get married.
Married? I thought Nan was already married.
She's divorced, Matt, from that no-good, drunken Hank Miller.
She has to raise that little girl all by herself with no help from him.
That makes it kind of tough on a single woman, doesn't it? It sure does.
And she and Vint are really serious about each other? Like I say, I wouldn't be surprised if they got married.
Kitty.
Mmm? That gives me an idea.
Oh? Tell me something: Do you think Vint's a decent sort of man? I don't think any man's decent till you put him to a test.
That's my idea.
He stays at the Dodge House, doesn't he? Yeah, but why? That test.
I'm gonna put him to one.
A big one.
I'll see you later.
What do you want, marshal? Want to talk to you.
Well, I-I was just getting dressed, marshal.
This won't take long.
Well, what is it? You're leaving town, Vint.
What? There's a stage going east at 3:00.
Be on it.
Wait a minute.
What's this all about? I always run out the crooked gamblers.
I don't run a crooked game.
Nobody can prove that.
Nobody has to.
Suppose I refuse to go.
Vint, the only choice you got is whether you wanna get on that stage like an ordinary man or whether you wanna get thrown on in a sack.
Yeah.
Sure, uh, all right, marshal.
I'll go.
I know you will.
Dodge never done anything for me anyway.
I never had nothing here but bad luck.
Three o'clock.
Coming.
Oh, Vint, you're early.
Yeah, I thought I'd better be.
I rented a little wagon so I could take your stuff over to the stage office.
Oh, Vint, I- I'm so excited.
Yeah, it's like I told you this morning: We're lucky to be getting away so easy.
Yes, I know.
Let's not even talk about that now.
Let's just think of the future.
We'll go to Abilene first.
Yeah.
I'll make some money there.
And then on to Saint Louis.
Oh, that's a real town.
You'll like it there.
That's got real buildings in it, not a bunch of ramshackle rookeries like Dodge.
Oh, I can hardly wait.
I just can't believe it's happening to me, Vint.
Ha-ha! Well, it ain't gonna happen unless you hurry and pack.
I'm almost ready.
Come on, you can get Vickie's things.
I packed them first.
Vickie's things? Yes, she's playing out in the back.
Oh, I hope she didn't get dirty.
I dressed her up so prettily for the trip, Vint.
Vickie? Why, of course.
Why are you looking at me like that, Vint? Are you planning on taking Vickie? Vint, what do you mean? Well, you've never mentioned taking her along.
Well, you don't think I'd leave her? Well, we never talked about it.
Talked about it? She's my child.
No, no, I don't wanna take any child along- Vint.
Look, Nan.
We don't wanna be bothered with a kid.
We're gonna see things, do things, you and me.
Besides, Vickie's better off here anyway.
Better off here? With a drunkard for a father and no mother at all? Are you crazy? Well, give her to somebody, then.
Give her to somebody? She's my child, my child.
Sure.
But I don't want her along.
I can't stand kids.
No.
I mean it.
I should have known.
The only times you were nice to her was when I was around.
Did that to get to me, didn't you, Vint? We'll talk about it later, huh? Look, we haven't got all the time in the world.
You better finish packing your things.
No, Vint.
I won't leave Vickie.
Now, look.
I won't leave her.
I mean it.
Yeah, I guess you do.
All right, then, stay with her.
Oh, Vint.
Vint, you can't.
You can't go.
Yes, I can.
I can do anything I want.
Vint, please, please don't.
Goodbye, Nan.
You really are going.
'Course I am.
I said, goodbye.
I hate you! I hate you.
Well Must be getting on the 3:00, Mr.
Dillon.
Yeah.
Look, go tell the stagedriver not to leave before he sees me with him.
Yes, sir.
Oh, Mr.
Dillon? Whoa.
Johnny.
Get Nan, will you? Yes, sir.
Hello, marshal.
I'm leaving.
You satisfied? Not quite.
Oh? Here comes a man who's not satisfied at all.
I seen him riding around in that wagon with his bag all dressed up for traveling.
You're gonna let him go, ain't you, marshal? Gonna let him ride that stage right outta Dodge.
What are you talking about-? Shut up.
I'll take care of you later.
Later? I got a bright idea to go to Abilene myself.
Oh? Now, look here.
I wanna know what this is all about.
Salter here wants to kill you, Vint.
Kill me? Yeah.
He got an idea you murdered a friend of his.
Charlie Brewer.
That's a lie.
You calling me a liar? Hold on here just a minute.
I'll take care of this, not you.
Mr.
Dillon? Excuse me, gentlemen.
Oh, no, marshal.
I'm coming with you.
Then so am I.
Hello, Nan.
You wanted to see me? Yes, marshal.
I do.
There's something I've got to tell you about Vint and me.
Wait.
Nan, don't.
Why not, Vint? There's still time.
I'll drive over to the house and get Vickie right now.
We'll take her with us.
Of course we will.
I was only joking.
Were you, Vint? You know I was, Nan.
Come with me, We'll go together.
No.
I don't trust you anymore.
You're no good at all, Vint.
Nan, listen to me.
Shut up, Vint.
Let her talk.
Go ahead, Nan.
Last night Charlie Brewer.
It was Vint who killed him.
He tried to shoot me.
He tried to kill me.
It's all right now, Nan.
It's all over.
He's a murderer.
I- I didn't know he was gonna kill Charlie Brewer.
I wouldn't have helped him, marshal.
Maybe the judge will understand, Nan.
I hate him.
He lied to me.
He lied to me about everything.
You satisfied, Salter? I'm satisfied, marshal.
I sure am.
He's no good at all, Vint.
When it came to the real test, he was no good at all.
Well, let's hope they understand that, Nan.
It's the only way I had.
Come on, I'll take you back to Vickie.

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