Zorro (1957) s01e19 Episode Script

Death Stacks the Deck

Young Ramon Santil cannot make up his mind whether to be stricken with anger or with grief.
Poor boy.
Not a half hour ago, the Magistrado demanded the full tax due on the ranch of Santil.
Demanded it before his father's funeral? But he must know he cannot pay.
His Excellency must do his duty.
But at such a time! Poor Don Luis.
Is it true, Don Diego, that gambling killed him? He lost everything? Everything but his land.
Who knows what kills a man, Sergeant? And his son.
Don Diego, you knew him in the university in Spain.
-Is he also a little wild? -A little.
He was thrown out of the university for gambling.
Next to your father's, the rancho Santil is the largest in the whoIe district.
Without money, how can a boy Iike that run such a rancho? -MAN: Remove your horse, Senor! -Excuse me, Don Diego.
EagIe feather? Senor, this is a funeral procession.
You should remove your horse.
Go ahead, go ahead.
You should also remove your hat.
WiII removing my hat bring the dead to life? No.
But at least it shows a IittIe respect.
Why should I show respect for someone I do not know? It seems we have a philosopher in our midst, Sergeant.
We do? Oh.
What is a philosopher, Don Diego? Someone hardly anyone can understand.
Oh.
-What is your name, Senor? -CarIos Urista.
I am Garcia, Comandante of the pueblo garrison.
Every stranger coming into the pueblo must report to me.
-Why? -WeII, because it is customary.
Besides, if you come from Or even if Do you know why, Don Diego? Uh, Sergeant, I suggest you get on to the cemetery.
Senor Urista can make his report after the funeral.
I have a feeling he will be with us for some time.
At least, Senor, I must know where you are staying.
Is there more than one tavern in this pueblo? -No.
-Then I will be there.
Ah.
Now, this feather, I took this from Rojas' hand the day he was murdered.
This one came from the Magistrado's messenger.
Yes.
I'm sure it contains a message.
But if so, why would Senor Urista wear it in pIain sight? Perhaps he just likes feathers.
I saw you come in.
Diego, will you talk to Ramon? I tried to after the funeral.
He was very rude.
He seems to think you are offering him some kind of charity.
There is no disgrace in accepting help from friends.
And no one holds the misfortune of his father against him.
His pride proves he's made of good stuff, but he has never had to face responsibilities.
It might help you too, Diego, if you would set him an example and take a greater part in the affairs of the pueblo, to serve the community.
A famous poet once said that, ''They also serve, who only stand and wait.
'' I sent my only son away to military school expecting they would send me back a fighter.
I got a poet! Diego, my friend, for the Iast time, I want no help.
I thank you, I thank your father, but I don't need it.
I soId my cattle.
I cleaned them out.
-Who bought them? -Senor Urista.
He's a business man from Monterey, I think.
You soId him your entire herd, and yet you know nothing about him? What's the difference? His money is good.
to meet the Magistrado's tax demands.
If we loaned you money you couId've kept the herd.
Now you have to start all over again.
It wiII take time.
I have time.
I'm lucky.
Let me buy you dinner.
You have PIease, CIara, have one drink with me.
The innkeeper will not mind.
I will pay for it.
He minds that you have not paid what you aIready owe him! -Ah, Don Diego! -Sergeant.
Good to see you.
Urista.
Well, Senor Urista.
I see you've been busy today.
You've met Senor Barca.
-His Excellency introduced them.
-You're a friend of the magistrate? I'm hardly a friend.
I presented my credentials this afternoon.
My business will keep me in this pueblo for some time.
Oh.
Are you in the cattle business? My business is none of your business.
Senor, I win again.
If you will excuse me, I have an appointment.
-Of course.
-Senores.
May I offer you gentlemen some excellent brandy? No, thank you.
How can a man who has lost so much money still be so cheerfuI? What is money for, Sergeant? If you will not join me in a drink, perhaps you'll join in a game of bruja? WeII, I have a dependable life that satisfies aII my needs.
-Why shouId I risk it gambling? -I would be delighted Diego, here's my chance to make up all the losses.
It is your chance to lose everything.
I'll lose it anyway.
Without the herd, with no income, I can't hold the rancho past the next tax assessment.
I won't live off the pity of my father's friends.
Look at the way he handles cards, he's a professional.
You forget, my friend, I've had some slight acquaintance with gambIing myseIf.
-See you Iater.
-Another bottIe.
CIara, later, when you finish work, then will you sit with me for a little while? I will not sit with you now, I will not when I'm finished, not tomorrow or the day after.
For the last time, I will not sit with you at all! I will finish what I was saying later.
You are finished before you have started, Sergeant.
Well, you're making progress.
I remember when she wouId not even speak with you.
I've been following your advice.
At any rate, I've been taking exercises, but I do not seem to get any thinner.
What about those other things I told you? What other Oh, you mean about not to eat so much? -Or to drink so much.
-Oh, I do not drink so much.
Only a little now and then to aid my digestion.
What a digestion.
He's had two dinners already tonight! I am a big man! My father was a big man! My mother was a big man! We are all big I mean I get hungry.
WeII, perhaps you better stop the exercises.
They give you an appetite.
Would you excuse me one moment? I see you have considerabIe skill with cards, Senor.
-It must take practice.
-SkiII is something one is born with.
Oh, uh, I imagine you played well when you were a child.
I do not know about your skiII, Ramon, but someone once told me that brandy and cards do not mix.
Oh, would you tell me something? I do not really understand this game.
Is the object of this game to get several cards that are the same? PIease.
We must concentrate.
Oh, I imagine it takes quite a bit of concentration to play this.
Did you know something eIse? That the Arabs brought cards to us? Arabs don't have any bearing on this game.
Well, actually, I shouId not have said Arabs, I should have said Gypsies.
The Gypsies brought cards from Egypt.
They used them to tell fortunes before they were a game.
I do not care who invented the game, I only play it.
Well, I was not speaking of the game, I'm speaking of the cards themseIves.
Do you know something? Very few peopIe realize that ''Gypsies'' is a corruption of the word ''Egyptian.
'' WeII, it's obvious these cards have nothing to do with your fortune, Ramon.
Talking all the time! Who can concentrate? Perhaps Senor Urista would like to continue this game tomorrow? Your friend suggests you are no match for an expert.
Under such circumstances, of course, I wiII be gIad to caII off the game.
I am perfectIy capabIe of pIaying.
AIso, he is no Ionger my friend.
Diego, wouId you pIease go! AII right.
Senor.
PIease deaI.
I doubIe my bet.
Don Diego, take some wine with us.
-Thank you.
-You're buying wine? With Don Diego as my guest, they dare not refuse me credit.
-I shaII buy the wine.
-Ah, gracias, Don Diego.
CIara! Wine for Don Diego.
Ah What a woman.
You know, Don Diego, I am stiII a young man.
It is the time of Iife that I shouId get married and settIe down, but no woman wiII take me seriousIy.
It's not fair, Don Diego.
Maybe I am a IittIe bit overweight Ha! You know what they say, a fat man has a good sense of humor.
With a stomach Iike yours, you need a sense of humor.
You are addressing your Comandante! AII right, Sergeant.
Sergeant? Don Diego, it's no use.
To my own men I'm onIy a IittIe sergeant.
A big, fat sergeant.
WeII, Sergeant, perhaps the mistake in your thinking is you think of yourseIf as a sergeant.
You must think of yourseIf as the Comandante.
A man is what he thinks.
That is phiIosophy, Don Diego? I am what I think? I think I am the Comandante! I'm Comandante of the pueblo I am because I think so Every inch a handsome soldier Trim of hip and broad of shoulder How do you know? Because I think so Ho-ho! Because he thinks so I am the man who'll capture Zorro I am because I think so Though the Fox is very wily I'll pursue him, oh, so slyly How do you know? Because I think so Ho-ho! Because he thinks so Now, in battle I have won so many medals That my chest can't hold another single one, I fear The only kind of medal that you'll ever get will be For terrific speed in running to the rear I am the man the ladies love so I am because I think so Senoritas can't resist me They're my slaves once they have kissed me Now, is that so? Because he thinks so? No, no Not till he shrinks so ALL: No, no Not till he shrinks so! No! Wait, pIease.
Give me a chance to get even.
You have some more money? You have everything, 1 1 ,000 pesos! I wouId Iike to obIige you, but if you have nothing more to wager I have something eIse.
CIara, bring pen and paper quick.
Ramon, go home.
You Iearned a Iesson.
Accept it, go home.
I accept nothing.
QuickIy.
You have some additionaI security to offer.
I do.
The deed to the rancho SantiI.
I'II bet it against everything I have Iost.
Against 1 1 ,000 pesos? But your home aIone is worth that! One.
Four kings.
Two, three, four, six of swords.
And the five.
Good evening, Senores.
It has been most pIeasant.
May I ask, Senor, what you intend doing with the rancho SantiI? Yes, you may ask, but I am not prepared yet to answer.
Forgive me, Senor, but you do not have the Iook of a ranchero.
And you do not have the Iook of a Comandante.
Sergeant.
Poor Don Ramon.
What wiII he do now? There is not much you can do when you bury your father and your future on the same day.
MAGISTRATE: It is true, the spring on the SantiI rancho controIs the water of aII your Iands.
My cattIe have been sickened! And mine.
Urista has poisoned the water.
Senor Urista has decided to erect a tannery for Ieather on his Iand.
The mission tannery has aIways served us.
It's an excuse to poIIute the water.
My sympathy is with you, but the Iaw is the Iaw.
There is nothing I can do.
The question is, Your ExceIIency, what can we do? UnfortunateIy, nothing.
Senor Urista teIIs me he must continue to dump the residue from his tannery into his spring.
-His! The water beIongs to aII of us! -That is true.
My father never considered it to be his property.
UnfortunateIy, Senor, your father is dead, and Senor Urista, it wouId seem, is a businessman.
He teIIs me he is in the market to buy Iand.
You mean, by denying us water, he hopes to force us to seII our Iand? Ramon, you fooI, you spineIess fooI! Look what you have done to aII of us.
Ramon may have hurt us, but remember, gentIemen, he Iost everything he owns, a considerabIe punishment.
Since the king's magistrate does not intend to defend us against Urista, there is no point in this discussion.
Senores, pIease, pIease understand my position.
I represent the Iaw.
The Iaw states expIicitIy that Urista owns the Iand, the Iand controIs the water and the Iaw controIs us aII.
Diego.
Thank you.
Thank you for trying to heIp me.
Drive on.
Yes.
I'm afraid onIy Zorro can soIve this probIem.
I have another assignment for you, but we must not be seen together.
Meet me at the east corner of the cuartel in three minutes.
I wiII be there.
Zorro! Don't move, Senor.
Zorro! -What do you want? -PIease, do not Iet us disturb you.
-We are going to pIay a IittIe game.
-Game? Senor Urista's an expert at cards, he's giving us a Iesson.
-Get a chair, pIease.
-Yes, Senor Zorro.
Be seated, pIease.
-Might -Thank you, Sergeant.
-Who are you? -A feIIow gambIer.
ShuffIe the cards.
Sergeant.
There is a reward of 5,000 pesos for his capture.
-And the promotion.
-What? For me, promotion to permanent Comandante.
Do something.
That is enough.
I am not sure what impression this IittIe buIIet wiII make of that huge stomach of yours, but I'm wiIIing to find out.
And now I suggest you pIay one hand with Don Ramon.
For what stakes? The deed to the rancho SantiI and the Against what do I stake such a prize? Your Iife, Senor.
-You mean if I win, I -PreciseIy.
You die.
A vaIuabIe prize makes the game more exciting, no? Now, I wiII cut.
One moment, Senor.
Your fingers are too agiIe.
I wiII deaI.
Where are the rest of the men? BugIer, sound assembIy! You want to give him warning, idiot? Now, move out.
I want that tavern surrounded.
I warn you, if Zorro escapes, I'II have the neck of every man! Yes, Senor Magistrado.
FoIIow me! -Cards, Senores? -No.
Four.
Send haIf your men around behind the tavern.
Cover every exit.
And keep them in the shadows.
Go! Lancers, foIIow me.
AII right, Senores.
What cards have you? Pairs.
Fives and threes.
-What cards do you hoId, Senor? -You win, Senor.
As I promised, Senor Urista has given us a Iesson.
I think, perhaps, he has given himseIf one too.
You can use the money, but what can an outIaw do with the rancho SantiI? Perhaps you and I can make a deaI.
I wouId be gIad to make a deaI with you.
If, in two hours, you are within five miIes of the pueblo de Los Angeles, I wiII kiII you! Since you are Ieaving, you won't need the cattIe.
We'II buy them back.
-They're aII pIaced, ExceIIency.
-Good.
Break down that door.
You have your Iand and your cattIe back.
Now I make a deaI with you.
You wiII work the rancho SantiI for one year.
If I find that you have gambIed, it wiII be the Iast card you turn, is that cIear? It is cIear.
Thank you, Senor Zorro.
And you, Sergeant, stay away from wine.
Ha! I warned you to stay away from wine.
Lancers, up the stairs! After him! There he is! Take him aIive! I want him stopped! Forget him! Get Zorro! Get Zorro! After him! Zorro, the buiIding is surrounded.
You can save troubIe by giving yourseIf up.
After him.
Get a Iadder, quickIy.
I advise you to go back.
It's dangerous up here.
Hurry up! Don't Iet him get away.
Idiots! He's getting away! There he goes! He's trying to get out at the rear.
FoIIow me! You, up the Iadder.
Hurry, hurry.
Stop him! If he escapes, you'II pay for it.
-Every one of you wiII pay! -ExceIIency! Did you see that? I was nearIy run down.
-It's not safe in this pueblo.
-I have no time.
I do not wish to teII you your business.
But something shouId be done about it.
Something wiII be done! Sergeant, speak to me.
-Are you aII right? -See if this wiII revive him.
Water? WouId you drown me, woman? What is aII this commotion about? This used to be such a quiet town.
Don Diego, thank heavens you were not here.
Oh, it was terribIe, Don Diego.
I had Zorro trapped when my idiot soIdiers interfered.
-It is not easy being Comandante.
-I know, Sergeant.
You must have your troubIes, but What a mess.
Ah! However Excuse me.
We do have a bottIe of brandy here.
Don Ramon, join me in a drink? No, thank you.
I have a Iot to do.
Good night.
Good night.
Senor Urista, wiII you have a drink? Thank you, no.
I am just Ieaving town.
WeII, I do not think you wiII refuse me, Sergeant.
No, Don Diego.
Someone warned me to stay away from wine.
But brandy is not wine, is it?
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