Transcripts - Forever Dreaming

MAN: Come in,
Postley, and sit down.

Did I, uh... Did I do
anything wrong, Warden?

Sit down.

I've got a wire here from Placerville.
They arrested a man for robbery and m*rder.

- What’s that got to do with me, sir?
- He also admitted to holding up

the Virginia City Bank
a year and a half ago.

It'll be a few days before the
legal work is straightened out,

but that means that the sentence
against you will be reversed.

You'll be a free man.

I don't pretend to know
how you feel, Postley,

having to spend a year and a half in
a cell for something that you didn't do.

All that I can say
is that we're sorry.

The law's sorry that
we made a mistake,

but thank heavens we found
out that it was a mistake.

- Are you sure?
- I'm sure.

I think I'll go... I'll
go back to my cell.

Postley.

Yes, sir?

- Good luck.
- Th... Thank you, Warden.

[CATTLE MOOING]

[HANDS SHOUTING COMMANDS]

Mr. Cartwright,
that was a long day.

[CHUCKLES] Well, Candy,
you just wait a few years.

They get longer! Come on,
let's get something to eat.

Oh, that sounds great.

You're a pretty good cowboy. I
haven't seen a man sit a better saddle.

Thanks.

- Hi, Joe.
- Hi, Joe.

Didn't expect to see you back so
soon. Get everything finished up in town?

Hoss is finishing up, Pa. I
thought you might want to see this.

It's a wire that was
sent to Sheriff Coffee.

Oh, yeah?

John Postley.

Postley? What about him?

He's been released from prison.

A man in Placerville
confessed to the robbery.

Oh, no.

A year and a half.

You saw him come out of the alley
that night. You had to tell the jury.

It's not your fault
they found him guilty.

It's not a question of whose
fault it is, Joe. It happened.

JOE: There weren't
any other suspects.

You didn't bring in
the verdict, the jury did.

Can you imagine
how he must have felt

all that time in prison,
knowing he was innocent?

Pa, it could have been worse. It
could have been the rest of his life.

In a way, he's a lucky man. I imagine
he's feeling pretty good right now.

[g*nsh*t]

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

- Howdy, Ben.
- John.

It's been a long time.

Uh... Come in.

Uh... We, um...

heard the news
about a month ago.

- I don't know what to say.
- Don't say nothing.

What’s done is done.
It ain't nobody's fault.

- Thank you, John.
- For what?

[SIGHS] Well, for... for
making it easy for me.

I told you it wasn't
nobody's fault, didn't I?

[CHUCKLES]

Come on. Sit down. Come
on, let's have a drink, huh?

- All right, come on.
- No.

I don't want a drink,
thank you, Ben.

I'm sorry I didn't get
by earlier. I meant to.

I wanted to tell you there
was no hard feelings,

but I got busy up at the diggings this
past month and I didn't get a chance.

- You doing some mining?
- Yeah, a little bit.

I thought that farming
was your stock in trade.

Well, it was, but I lost that
little piece of land I had.

There's plenty of good farming
land right here on the Ponderosa...

No, no, no. I reckon I'll
stick to mining for a while.

- Any luck?
- Well, I’ve had some pretty good signs.

Nothing I could buy a
bowl of beans with yet.

Look, if you need a stake, or
anything like that, I'd be very happy...

Thank you, Ben. I can manage all
right. Keeping busy's the main thing.

- Are you sure, now?
- I'm sure.

Well, I just... reckon
I'll be on my way.

I wanted to tell you there
was no hard feelings.

Well, John, I'm happy you did.

And, you know, anything that
you need, you just have to holler.

- Well, you know, there is one thing.
- Well, name it.

That prison food's nothing to shout
at, but my own cooking is even worse.

I could use an invite
to supper some night.

How about tonight? The cook's away but
they say I'm a fair hand in the kitchen.

sh**t, I got some supplies
on the mule outside.

- I got to get them up to the mine.
- Well, tomorrow night then, huh?

- You got yourself a supper guest.
- Fine!

- We’ll see you here tomorrow night.
- [BOTH LAUGHING]

- John.
- Yeah?

Good to see you again.

It's good to see you, Ben.

Real good to see you.

And that was the conversation.

And I got to admit to something.

It took a load off my mind to
see how well he'd come out of it.

Same here.

BEN: I hope he has a lot
of luck with that mine of his.

He could sure use some.

You know that mining can be pretty
rough when you try to go it alone.

Huh. Yes, it can.

That man has so much pride.
He just won't let anybody help him.

- You got to give him credit.
- Yeah.

Tell you something else we got to
give him, a supper that he'll never forget.

With chicken and
dumplings, the works!

Chicken and dumplings?

Dad burn it, Pa, can't you do it another
day? I got to leave in the morning.

It'll take me two or three days
to make all those line camps.

Well, now, Hoss, that's exactly
why I sent you on that little mission,

to make sure that John
gets a chance of dumplings!

[JOE, CANDY LAUGHING]

Of course, having Joe along
will just make the time fly by.

- [LAUGHS]
- But, Pa you don't...

- That's it. Final answer. Candy.
- Goodnight, Mr. Cartwright.

Goodnight, Pa. [LAUGHS]

Chicken and dumplings.

[LAUGHING] I... I hate
to make a pig of myself,

but I haven't had anything that
tastes this good in a long time.

That's what it's here for.

You sure weren't fooling
when you said you could cook.

- How about some more potatoes?
- Well, you talked me into it.

I tell you, working in the mine
sure gives a fella an appetite.

Why did you ever decide
to give mining a try?

Well, the fella who had
the cell before me died

and left some books on
mining, so I read them.

Better than staring at the wall.

And when you're in a cell for a long
time, you get used to working inside.

Besides, a man can
hit it big, you know.

You said you had some
encouraging ore samples, huh?

Oh, I ain't sure, Ben.

I'm working an old abandoned
mine looking for a new vein.

I'm really just going on what I read
in the books. I sure hope I'm right.

Well, you know you could get
an outside expert to take a look.

Yeah, I know I could, but you
never know who you can trust.

If it looked good, you know, they'd be
swarming all over me in an hour's time.

- That's for sure.
- Yeah.

Say, Ben, you used to do
some mining, didn't you?

Well, some.

Well, look here, couldn't you give
me a fair idea of what I got myself into?

Well, I’m no expert, but
I'd be happy to take a look.

- When could you do it?
- Any time you say.

Well, look, there's a couple
of hours of daylight left.

How about right now?

All right, fine.

- Do you want to go with us, Candy?
- Sure. I'll saddle the horses.

- This could be my lucky day.
- [BEN LAUGHS]

Well, there she is.

Come on.

Careful of these timbers.
They've been here a long time.

It's right up ahead here.

You know, now you're here I'm
almost afraid to have you look.

- Why?
- Oh, well.

I reckon it's because it
means so much to me.

Well, John, if we never
look, we'll never know.

You're right, Ben.

You're absolutely
right. Let's go.

There it is.

[ROCKS CLATTERING]

Hoo-ee! You did all this
yourself in one month?

Well, that shaft was already
started. I just did the rest of it.

You've really done a job, John.

You'll do anything if you
really want it bad enough.

Well, let’s get down
and take a look.

Yeah. Be careful on that
rope ladder. I'll get a lantern.

I don't know if John knows
anything about mining,

but he sure does know the
meaning of the word "work".

Yeah.

I hope for his sake that
it hasn't been for nothing.

Hey, John, you got that lantern?

JOHN: Are you looking for this?

[NERVOUS LAUGH]
What are you doing, John?

What is this, some kind of joke?

No, it ain't no joke, Ben.

A mistake I pulled the
ladder up. I didn't mean to.

I made a mistake, but we
all make mistakes, don't we?

Well, mistake or whatever, John,
drop that ladder and bring the light down.

- What for?
- John, you did a lot of hard work.

Don't you want to
know if you hit it big?

Yeah, I did do a
lot of work, didn't I?

Get down here and bring that light
down so we can see what you got.

I know what I got, Ben.

I got you.

John. John!

John!

- John!
- John, are you there?

JOHN: I'm here, Ben.

We came here as
friends trying to help.

You and Candy come
to help me, did you?

I can't let you do that, Ben.
You done enough for me already.

- John, listen to me.
- No! You listen to me.

When was the last time
that you "helped" me out?

Sometimes, I can't
remember how long ago it was.

Time don’t matter, does it?

John, we know how you feel.

No, you don't know how I feel.

But you will.

You will.

BEN: John. John!

Look, just drop that ladder
down and let us out of here.

We’ll forget this ever happened.
We won’t say a word to anyone.

Will you promise me that if I let you
out you won't say anything to anybody?

Now, you promise?

Yes, I promise.

How about you,
Candy? Do you promise?

I promise, John.

[LAUGHING]

[LAUGHING CONTINUES]

That's funny. Who are you gonna
tell if I don't let you out of there?

John, you just can't
leave us here to die.

Oh, no, no, you're not
going to die, Candy.

Oh, no, I wouldn't
let that happen.

No, there's food
and water there.

Everything a man could
want. Everything you gave me.

John?

- John!
- John!

- John!
- John!

[FAINT SHOUTS] John!

[COYOTE HOWLING]

[HOWLING]

No!

It's no use. No use. I
can't get a hold anywhere.

[GROANING]

BEN: Pivot!

Oh, thanks.

Here.

You don't know how long
this is going to have to last us.

He said he'd give
us food and water.

That’s what he said. In his
state of mind there's no telling.

How about Joe and Hoss?

When they get back, we don't show
up, they'll look for us. They'll find us.

Candy, could you find your
way here without Postley?

No, we're just going to have to wait
and hope that he comes to his senses.

Makes a mistake.

What do we do in the
meantime, just sit here?

Yeah. We sit.

And pray.

I hope they're both here. I can't
wait to get the look on their faces

when they see how quick we
got those line checks checked.

Yeah, I don't mind working quick,
but I sure hate to do without breakfast.

Maybe you'll get lucky. Might be some
of those chicken and dumplings left.

Sounds good.

You put the horses away
and I'll check on the chicken.

Yeah, all right.

Hey, Pa!

Hey, Pa, we're home!

Pa?

Hey, we're back early!

[DOOR OPENS]

- Any of that chicken left?
- Take a look at this.

Everything's still on the
table from dinner last night.

Ain't like Pa to leave
a mess like that.

It sure ain't. There's
nobody in the house either.

Well, they couldn't be too far off.
Both the horses are out there in the barn.

I'm going to have a look around. You
check with the boys in the bunkhouse.

It just doesn't make any sense.

None of the hands saw them this morning.
Their horses are still in the barn.

None of the wagons are missing.

Maybe somebody drove them to
Virginia City for something. I don't know.

Even if you're right, they
would have been back by now.

What about the dinner dishes?
How do you explain that?

- [SIGHS] I can't.
- [HORSE WHINNIES]

Evening, Joe, Hoss.

Sorry to come calling so late, but
I want to see your Pa for a minute.

- He's not here, John.
- Oh?

He didn't say anything last night about
where he was going to be today did he?

That’s why I've come by, to apologize
for not coming to dinner last night.

I worked so hard at the mine, I
just plumb forgot and fell asleep.

- What is it? Something wrong?
- We don’t know.

Anything I can do?

No. No, thank you, John.

Well, I’ll be on my way.

Look, be sure you tell him that
I'm sorry about last night, huh?

- HOSS: Yeah, we'll tell him, John.
- Nice seeing you boys again.

JOE: Yeah. Goodnight, John.

I'm gonna ride into
town, have a look around.

Maybe we're making a
big thing out of nothing.

At least, I hope we are.

How long do you think
we've been down here?

Well...

It's kind of hard to tell the
difference between night and day.

- I don't know.
- How long do you think?

Oh, a day, day and a half.

Seems more like
a week or a month.

How long do you think
he'll keep us down here?

Huh?

Oh... I don't know.

Yes, you do. Yes, you do.
Forever. That's how long.

He can't let us out now. We’re going
to spend the rest of our lives down here.

Now, look, Candy...

- We're here, huh?
- Yeah.

There's nothing too much that
we can do about it, it seems.

He promised to bring
us food and water...

- He promised.
- Yes, he did. He'll bring it.

But you said yourself he's sick,
he doesn't know what he's doing.

- He'll bring it.
- Suppose he doesn't come back?

Suppose he just
leaves us here to die.

JOHN: Well!

Did my friends think
I'd forgot about them?

Postley, let us out of here.

Can't be done, Candy. Why, you yourself
said that I'd done a lot of work here.

Besides, it ain't so bad, is
it? You got food and water.

You got each other to talk to.
I never had nobody to talk to.

John, just listen for a minute,
now. It's not going to work.

They're gonna look for us when
they get back, Hoss and Joe.

They know that you were the
last one to be with us, to see us.

They're gonna find
you and it'll be all over.

Well, they don't have to
find me, Ben, I found them.

- What?
- Yeah, I went by the ranch last night.

Told them I was sorry I
missed dinner the other night.

They're right worried about both
of you. I even offered to help them.

They'll find out.
Somehow, they'll find out.

No, I don't think
they will, Candy.

And I've had a long time to
think about this, you know.

Now, look, John, they'll see the
dishes that we left on the table.

Three settings there. They'll
see that. They'll know you're lying.

Oh, well, them dishes.

Now, I took the liberty the other
night of going back in the house

and washing mine up
and putting them away.

It's a habit I got in prison.

Now, why don't you both stop
arguing and pleading with me?

I did the same thing
when I first went to prison,

but it don't do no good at all,
all it does is get you all upset.

Here's some more
food and water for you.

I'll be back in a couple
of days. Take it, Ben.

Take it!

[SIGHS]

Of course, it don't compare to
that meal you prepared for me.

But after a while, it
gets to taste pretty good.

Then after a while, nothing
tastes like anything at all.

Goodbye, fellas.

[WHISPERS] Candy.

Candy, the rope.

Wait a minute.
Make sure he's gone.

John?

You go first. You're lighter.

Easy.

As quietly as you can.

- Candy?
- [GROANS]

You shouldn't ought
to try to escape.

I'm gonna have to
put that on your record.

Nothing, huh?

Nothing.

[SIGHS] Nobody's seen
them or heard of them.

Two weeks, and nothing.

What about the reward posters?

They're all done. Roy sent them
out to every town within 200 miles.


I don't know what
good they're gonna do.

The news has been in every
newspaper from Carson City to Placerville.

If anybody had any information
we'd have heard by now.

All we can do is wait.

Yeah.

How long do you think a man
could stay alive down here?

With food and
water... a long time.

A long time. A lifetime.

Hm.

- Do you ever think about dying?
- Every man does, I guess.

I've thought about it a lot
since we were down here.

Hm.

It's funny, at
first I was afraid.

That he wouldn't come
back and we'd die.

I'd sit and I'd listen.

Wait.

Pray that he'd come back.

Now I pray that he won't
come back, so it'll be over.

As long as we're
alive, there's a chance.

A chance to what? To go blind in
the darkness? To go out of our minds?

Why doesn't he just take that
shotgun and get it over with?

Just get it over with.

[DOOR OPENS]

- Want me to fix something to eat?
- I ain't hungry.

Think I'll take a
little ride into town.

What for? So you can check
the telegraph office again?

[SIGHS] Maybe
something's turned up.

Hoss, we're kidding
ourselves. It's been a month.

The only chance we had that
kidnappers were holding them for ransom,

and even that's no good now.

It's no use.

Why?

Why? Dad burn it, I keep thinking
that that door is gonna open

and he's just gonna be standing
there like nothing ever happened.

Morning, boys!

Beautiful morning!

Oh, you're awful quiet this morning.
I figured you'd be happy to see me.

- [THUD]
- Hey, I brought a newspaper.

I thought I'd read to you a little bit
while you're having your breakfast.

[CHUCKLES]

Yes, sir, you're both famous now.
Yeah, you're right on the front page.

The excerpt says, "Reward offered"
for anybody knowing anything about you.

[CHUCKLES]

You sure you don't want
me to read it to you? Huh?

Well, I’ll read it
to you anyway.

Yeah, it says, "Cartwright
missing. One..."

Guess what it says.

Is it a week, a month, year?

Come on, guess, Ben.

You're insane, Postley.
You know that, don't you?

You're insane and you're trying to
drive us insane, but it won't work.

[CHUCKLES] I feel
sorry for you, John.

You're down there
and I'm up here

- and you feel sorry for me?
- Mm.

I'm free to go
anyplace I want to.

No, you're not. You
can't get away from here.

You gotta keep coming back
day after day, week after week.

You're just as much a prisoner
as we are. You'll never be free.

Well, now, what if I just
go away and let you die?

No, you won't. You can't.

You wouldn't have
anything to live for.

You're sure of that, aren't
you? You're real sure?

Yes. Yes, I'm sure.

You're trapped, John, and
you'll never be free. Never.

Well, we’ll see about that.

We’ll see about that.

[BEN SIGHS DEEPLY]

[FIZZING]

Throw it.

Do it!

[CANDY GASPING]

It's dirt! It's only dirt!

[SOBBING]

Who’s insane now, Cartwright?

[SOBBING]

Who’s insane now?

[LAUGHING]

[LAUGHING CONTINUES]

All right. More
water for our friends.

Yes, siree! I can't let
nothing happen to them.

Ah, this'll do
it. This’ll do it.

This’ll do it.

[RATTLING]

[BRAYING]

[SCREAMS]

We’re out of water.

I know.

I'm sorry about the
dynamite. I'm all right now.

I don't know what happened to
me. All of a sudden it was there.

Forget it. I understand.

You know, if we
ever get out of here,

you're going to owe
me a lot of back wages.

[LAUGHING] Yes. Yes.

BEN: Yes.

[LAUGHING]

[GROANING]

John?

Easy.

Oh, Hoss. Hoss
Cartwright. What...?

- John. John, just take it easy.
- Oh!

Here, drink some of
this. It'll help that pain.

[GROANS]

What...? What...?

John, you had yourself a real bad
accident, busted your legs up real good.

If you'd been hurt any worse, the
doc said you'd have lost them both.

Doc? What doc?

Doc's already been here and gone.
Little Joe's taking him back to town.

- Where am I?
- You're at the Ponderosa, John.

- Ponderosa? No, I can't be.
- John. I told you to lay still.

You got two busted legs
and if you keep moving around

- they ain't going to set properly.
- I got to get outta here.

You ain't gotta go nowhere. Not
for another six weeks, anyhow.

- Six weeks?
- It's doctor's orders.

Now, you lay still, let me
go get you something to eat.

[GROANS]

What are you thinking about?

Oh, I was just... just wondering
how Hoss and Joe were doing.

- [CHUCKLES] That figures.
- Huh?

That you'd be
worrying about them.

When I first met you
all I couldn't believe it.

- Believe what?
- The way you are.

The way you care
about each other.

I guess I just wasn't used to it. You
know the way I was always saying

I wouldn't stay in the
same spot for very long?

Always making out like I
was getting ready to leave?

I just never
meant it, that's all.

I never thought you did.

I always thought I
meant it when I said it.

I make about as
much sense as Postley.

Hm.

Oh, Candy.

Nobody makes much sense
sometimes, when you think about it.

You have problems... and you
hope for the day when they'll be over.

And when they are over, you dream
up new problems to take their place.

Yeah.

I guess it was that... that
new problem that bothered me.

What new problem?

Having friends.

- Morning.
- JOHN: Morning.

- How are you feeling?
- Fine, fine.

Well, good. You got yourself a
lot of rest yesterday, that's for sure.

- Yeah.
- See if you can scoot back a little bit.

Easy.

There you go. Yeah.

I brought you some soup in here
last night, but you was already asleep.

Little Joe's not the
best cook in the world,

but try some of this
anyhow, you need it.

[COUGHS] Why
are you doing all this?

All of what?

Taking care of me, feeding me.
We hardly know each other, Hoss.

You ain't no friend of mine.

My pa always said that
every man was your friend

till he showed you otherwise. It
ain't no big thing being friendly to folks.

Eat up, John. You need strength.

Hoss.

Sorry about your pa. I been reading
about it in the paper. I'm real sorry.

Yeah, thank you, John.

By the way, that little piece of
farmland that Pa promised you.

It's still yours if you change your
mind. He sure wanted you to have it.

If you need anything, yell.

[SIGHS]

- Joe! Joe! Postley's gone.
- What do you mean he's gone?

How could he get out of
bed with two broken legs?

I don't know, but he did.

John!

- What in tarnation got into you anyways?
- Gotta get some wa...

- Easy.
- Water. Water.

- You gotta help me.
- John, take it easy.

- JOHN: I don't know why I done it.
- Let's get him in the house.

No, no, no. They'll die. I
never meant 'em to die.

John, what are you
talking about? Who’ll die?

Your pa. In the mine.

- Pa?
- What mine? Where?

I'll show you. I'll show you.

- I'll hitch up the team.
- Hurry.

Hurry!

Yah! Yah!

Yah! Come on!

[HORSE NEIGHS]

Pa.

Pa.

Thank God, he's alive.

Here's some water.

Hoss.

[SPLUTTERS]

How's Candy?

He's all right. He's
gonna make it.

Come on. Come on.
Let's get you outta here.

- Can you make it?
- Yeah.

Come on.

HOSS: Here. Want
some more water?

- Yeah.
- Take it easy. Take it easy.

HOSS: That's
enough. That's enough.

[BEN BREATHES DEEPLY]

The sun feels good.

How... How did you find us?

Postley.

- Hm?
- Postley, he told us.

Postley!

I wanted you to feel what I felt, to
know the darkness and the loneliness.

Heaven help me.

I don't know why!