11x22 - Return Engagement
Posted: 01/27/22 11:21
Nothing in sight yet.
She ought to be here by now.
Don't worry about it. Since when
has that stage ever been on time?
Here she comes!
Yes, ma'am, step right this way.
As head of the Virginia City Civic
and Cultural Improvement League,
I consider it a great honor
to welcome one of America's
greatest actresses to our fair city.
The one and only Lotta Crabtree.
Just a minute. Please, no.
I'm not Lotta. I'm
Bonnie Vernon.
Won't you save some of that speech
for me? It sounds very flattering.
I'm Lotta Crabtree.
Thank you.
Whoa.
I'd take the moose head out of
the parlor to make room for that.
Thank you. Now, may
I present my company.
Mr. McDonald, my manager.
Mr. Stanhope, my leading man.
And Miss Vernon, who plays
practically everything else.
Hold it! Hold it!
As head of the Virginia City Civic
and Cultural Improvement League,
I consider it a great honor
to welcome one of America's
greatest actresses to our fair city.
The one and only Lotta Crabtree.
Thanks.
It's a wonderful and
unexpected reception.
When I played Virginia
City as a little girl,
reception committees
didn't arrive with speeches.
They carried g*ns.
Ma'am, things have changed
a lot in the last 15 years,
and there's not a safer place in
this entire country than Virginia City.
- Yeah!
- Hear, hear!
Are we ever going
to get to the hotel?
Thank you again for meeting us,
and I hope you'll all come down
to San Francisco and see our show.
Now, if you'll excuse me...
- Come on, give her the...
- Oh. Miss Crabtree.
Miss Crabtree. Miss
Crabtree. Wait a minute. Wait.
We... We got something here that
we thought maybe you might like.
Oh.
It brings back so many memories.
Oh, thank you for
saving it all this time.
Oh, ma'am, don't thank me.
I'm Hoss Cartwright, ma'am.
It was my pa that
saved it. Ben Cartwright.
Mr. Cartwright.
Oh, Mr. Cartwright, I didn't
recognize you with your gray hair.
Well, my hair wasn't
quite as gray back then.
Oh, Mr. Cartwright.
My mother and I will never forget
how wonderful you were to us.
She isn't with me, but, oh, I
know she'd want me to do this.
Oh, Mr. Cartwright.
Now, Lotta, this
is my son, Joseph.
- Hello, Joe.
- You've met Hoss.
- Hoss.
- This is my ranch foreman, Mr. Canaday.
- How do you do, Miss Crabtree?
- Hello, Mr. Canaday.
You all have a
lot to live up to.
Yeah.
Miss Crabtree, we were just wondering
if maybe you and your company
couldn't put on a performance
here in Virginia City for us
before you went
on to San Francisco.
Pa says that every
great artist that ever lived
played the Silver Dollar
here, even Edwin Booth.
Lew, when do we
open in San Francisco?
You know the schedule
as well as I do, Lotta.
We open on Wednesday.
It'll only take a couple
of days to get there.
We've got plenty of time to do a
special engagement in Virginia City!
Excuse me.
- Hey, looks good, Hop Sing.
- Thank you.
- Mr. Cartwright.
- Lucy, how are you?
- Miss Crabtree.
- Hello.
Bryce. I was wondering
what was keeping you.
Well, to tell the truth,
Lucy was sort of put out.
She thought the party should
have been held at our place.
Well, no point in being
head of the Cultural League
if it ain't gonna
do you no good.
Will you forgive me, Mrs.
Howell? It's all my fault.
Mr. Cartwright was such a
good friend of my mother's,
I thought the party should
be held here at the Ponderosa.
Well, if it's a family matter, I
suppose we shouldn't make a fuss.
- Well, come in. Enjoy yourselves.
- Thank you, Ben.
- Thank you.
- It's my pleasure.
- How about another cup of punch?
- Oh, please. I've had more than enough.
Saying hello to all these folks
is gonna make you hoarse.
You don't wanna get hoarse
before that performance.
Don't worry. Sometimes the
audience leaves, but never my voice.
- Pa, you want this?
- Yes, thank you.
Well, to you.
Doesn't Lotta look
lovely this evening?
What's that elephant
trying to do? Move in?
I think he's nice.
He's not very handsome,
but he's kind of homey.
It's bad enough to be stuck here
to play a performance in a saloon.
Lotta, I just can't tell you how
delighted we are to have you here.
- Oh.
- Hoss, this is a special occasion.
I'm gonna break out
some vintage wine.
- Hey, great.
- Oh, thank you.
- Would you take over, Hoss?
- You bet. Yes, sir.
Hey, why don't we
go over and sit down?
- I'd love to.
- Must be terribly tired.
Well, one of the first
things my mother taught me
was that when people are interested
in seeing you, you don't get tired.
I was about, um... so high
when I first learned that.
It must have been terribly exciting,
a child on the stage and the shows.
Oh, yeah, it really was.
I'm not gonna put up with this.
Take it easy, Ward. Pour
yourself another drink.
You don't have to
sneak it this time.
That's what you
care about, not Lotta.
I don't need your smart remarks.
The stage was anyplace.
A big rock or a flat piece of
ground, all lit up by torches.
The miners were just wonderful.
Some of them hadn't seen a
woman or a child for months.
And they shouted
and they cheered.
All that gold they'd worked
so hard for meant nothing.
They just showered
the stage with it.
But some of it was...
frightening and dangerous.
Miss Lotta, you certainly
don't seem worried
about being in
Virginia City anymore.
Well, not with
you here, Sheriff.
Thank you, ma'am.
This is Steve Fallon, a friend of
mine, a United States marshal.
- Miss Crabtree.
- Hello, Marshal.
Steve Fallon?
I haven't been in this part
of the country in a long time,
but wasn't there a gunfighter
with the same name?
Yes, there was.
But he decided to use his g*ns
where they'd do the most good,
on the side of the law.
Steve's been a marshal
for a good many years.
There's not a more honest,
more respected marshal anywhere.
- Well, I'm sorry. I...
- That's all right, ma'am.
Nobody can run
away from his past.
Hoss, let's dance.
All right, ma'am, but
it's gonna be dangerous.
Keep your hands off her.
You been pawing her all night!
- Ward, this is none of your concern.
- Isn't it? Used to be.
Or am I being replaced
by this elephant?
Now, say goodnight to all the
solid citizens and let's get out of here.
Ward, stop it. You're drunk.
- Leave the lady alone.
- How would you know a lady?
All right, why don't you
come outside before
you bleed to death?
Come on, let's go.
If you're trying to get rid of
me, Lotta, it won't be that easy.
When he gets drunk, he
doesn't know what he's saying.
Somebody must have
spiked that punch pretty good.
Oh, Ward did it. He's been drinking
his way halfway across the country.
I'm gonna have to replace him
the minute we get to San Francisco.
Oh, ma'am, I wouldn't be
too upset. Nobody else is.
Hoss, you're sweet. And
thank you for not fighting back.
Hey, let me have some more of
that coffee, will you, Hop Sing?
- Did Hoss have his breakfast early?
- No breakfast.
Hoss!
- Yeah, Pa?
- Come on, hurry it up.
They're expecting us at Alder
Creek to help up with the dam.
Pa, I... I'm afraid I ain't
gonna be able to cut it today.
I must have eaten something
at that party last night.
My old belly sure is upset.
Hop Sing look for new
job. No like complaint.
That doesn't make sense. Hoss
could eat nails and not complain.
From now on, Mr. Hoss
cook his own nail.
I wonder what he's saying?
Better if we don't know.
Go in and calm him down.
- Yeah, okay.
- What did you eat?
It'd be sort of hard
to pinpoint, Pa.
I took a little bit of
everything off that buffet.
- You look terrible.
- I do?
I do? Yeah, I do.
Well, listen, you
better get some rest.
And then come down and
apologize to Hop Sing, huh?
Yes, sir.
- Pa?
- What?
I had a talk to him. He said
he'd stay until after dinner.
- Good.
- Do me a favor, will you? Get better.
We can afford to lose you.
We can't afford to lose Hop Sing.
Bonnie, you'll only be able to
take three steps in on your entrance
because that's all
the room we have.
All right, Lotta.
Any time you're ready.
Sal, I'm afraid I've
got bad news for you.
Sheriff Pete Johnson
is headed this way.
Even a rattlesnake has
the decency to give warnin'.
Now, take two steps down
before you say your next line.
Oh. Oh, Lotta, I'm
gonna break my ankle.
Mr. Higgins, isn't there any way for you
to give us more playing room up here?
That's all the stage there is.
Look, I ain't sold a drink
with all this rehearsin'.
If you don't like it...
All right, Bonnie, you'll just
have to be a little more careful.
- Well, may I move the chair over here?
- Certainly.
Now take your line.
What are we going to do?
Cora, tell me, do you think
the sheriff knows anything?
Does he?
I hate to alarm you,
Sal, but if he was a cat,
I'd say he had a mouthful
of canary feathers.
You can see for yourself.
Here comes the varmint now.
Ward.
Ward!
- Where is he?
- I don't know.
Depends on how many bars there
are between here and the hotel.
Well, go and find
him. And hurry.
Yes, Lotta.
That's all we ever do is sit
around and wait for Ward.
Hoss.
- Would you do us a favor?
- Yes'm.
Howdy.
Howdy, ma'am. Now, what
can I do for you, ma'am?
Will you play the sheriff
till Ward gets back?
Oh, ma'am, I ain't
much of an actor.
I only been in one play,
a little old church play.
- I played an angel.
- It's really very simple.
- We're just blocking moves.
- Oh.
- All right?
- Yes'm.
Now, you go out there,
and you come back in when Bonnie
says "Here comes the varmint now."
Here comes the varmint
now. I got you, ma'am.
Here comes the varmint
now. Here comes the varmint...
All right, Bonnie.
I hate to alarm you,
Sal, but if he was a cat,
I'd say he had a mouthful
of canary feathers.
You can see...
- I'm sorry, ma'am.
- That's all right, Hoss.
Your cue is "Here
comes the varmint now."
Oh, yeah. Here
comes the varmint now.
- Here comes the varmint...
- All right.
I hate to alarm you,
Sal, but if he was a cat,
I'd say he had a mouthful
of canary feathers.
You can see for yourself.
Here comes the varmint now.
Here comes the varmint
now! That's your cue, Hoss.
Oh, yeah, yeah. Uh...
Sal, I didn't expect to find you
laughing and living it
up at the Faro Saloon.
- Hoss.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
- Sal, I didn't expect to find you...
- Hoss, I'm Sal.
Oh, you're Sal. Oh,
I'm sorry, ma'am.
Sal, I didn't expect to find you
laughing and living it up
at the Little Faro Saloon.
Well, you know me, Sheriff.
Nothing comes before business.
Uh, uh... Not even
a wounded man?
Sheriff, if I was to take care of every
man who was wounded at the Little Faro,
I'd be kept mighty busy.
Sal, this i...
this is Ted Markham, the
man you are in love with.
A man who's wanted in
every state west of the Rockies.
Barten... Bonnie,
play the bartender.
Oh, yes, ma'am.
Bartender, bring
the sheriff a drink.
We don't want people thinking he's
telling all those wild stories sober.
Hoss, take three steps to the
table and sit down and face me.
Yes'm.
One, two, three.
I'll get you a chair, Hoss.
Oh, thank you, ma'am.
Uh, yeah.
Uh, ma'am, would you hold that?
Thank you.
It's no use pretendin', Sal.
Patcheye the Indian
spilled everything.
Patcheye the Indian.
Soon as I finish
this drink, I'm...
I'm goin' up to your cabin
where you have got him hidden,
and take Ted here with me.
Maybe you'll need company,
Sheriff, so you can apologize
for doubting a lady's word.
Sal, you are...
Sal...
You're beautiful.
Hoss, when you say that line,
get up and step over here.
Yes'm.
Sal...
Sal, you're beautiful.
But, remember, when
I arrest Ted over there,
you will be an accessory unless
you want to make other arrangements.
Bravo!
On the worst performance in
the history of the American theatre.
Ward, that'll be enough.
Oh, that's... that's
all right, ma'am.
I know I ain't no actor, but
thanks for lettin' me try anyhow.
Oh. So long, Ted.
You'll be much better.
How could I fail to be?
And how do you like your
new leading man, Lotta?
Ward, I'm warning
you, don't push it.
Hurray! Hurray!
♪ Whatever you do,
wherever you're goin'
♪ Jim along Rosie with me
♪ Out in the sun
or if'n it's snowing
♪ Jim along Rosie with me
♪ Jim along Rosie
Jim along Rosie
♪ Jim along Rosie, Rosie, do
♪ Jim along Rosie
Jim along Rosie
♪ And I'll Jim along with you
♪ The rivers are
dry in Louisiana
♪ Jim along Rosie with me
♪ But not as dry as
your old Aunt Hannah
♪ Jim along Rosie with me
♪ Jim along Rosie
Jim along Rosie
♪ Jim along Rosie Jim right now
♪ Jim along Rosie
Jim along Rosie
♪ And I'll Jim along with thou
♪ Make life sweet forever after
♪ Jim along Rosie with me
♪ Fill the world
with love and laughter
♪ Jim along Rosie with me
♪ Oh...
♪ Jim along Rosie
Jim along Rosie
♪ Jim along Rosie Toe the line
♪ Jim along Rosie
Jim along Rosie
♪ Jim along
♪ And feel fine!
Hurray!
Hurray!
You searched the whole cabin,
Sheriff. Where else are you gonna look?
The rat holes?
That should be easy for you.
She's got him hid all right.
I read the end of the play.
Will you shut up?
Watch the ceiling. Blood's
gonna drip from the attic.
- Will you stop it?
- Shh!
I haven't seen this thing.
Let me watch, will you?
You've won for now, but...
There's one place
we forgot to search.
- The attic.
- Wait!
Ted Markham is up there,
more dead than alive.
- What'd I tell you, huh?
- Will you let them do it, please?
I'm gonna take Ted
Markham anyway.
- Here's the real excitin' part.
- Oh, come on, will you?
Quiet. Shh!
You snake!
By tomorrow morning we'll
be safely across the border!
- More!
- Like I told you. Wasn't it great?
You've told us enough times.
Wonder why they
haven't taken their bows.
Well, ask him. He
knows the whole show.
Well, I imagine that Lotta's back there
primping so she can look extra special.
Yay!
Uh, ladies and gentlemen,
there won't be any curtain call.
Will the sheriff come
backstage immediately, please?
We didn't rehearse that. I
don't know what this is all about.
Let's go back and find out.
- He's dead.
- No.
You must use up an awful lot
of leading men on this show.
These are real
b*ll*ts in this g*n.
But we open on Wednesday in
San Francisco. The billboards are up.
Ma'am, I already
know about that.
But what happened here
tonight was just plain m*rder,
and you cannot leave this town
until we find out a lot more about it.
Now, you can go to jail, or you
can stay at the hotel under guard.
Why me? I told you, the g*n
was lying in the prop trunk.
Anyone could have come
by and put real b*ll*ts in it.
Lotta, Roy is just
trying to do his job.
Ma'am, you are the
one who fired the g*n,
and there's plenty
of us who know
that you had good
reason to dislike Stanhope.
I've disliked a lot
of actors in my time,
but I don't go
around k*lling them.
I'm sorry.
How long will I
have to stay here?
If you're telling the truth, it shouldn't
be more than a couple of days.
- I haven't got a couple of days!
- Lotta.
I remember a little lesson
that your mother taught you.
Don't fight the
audience. Win them.
Thank you, Ben.
Sheriff, I'd like to
go back to the hotel.
Yes, all right.
Pa, I think I'll see
Lotta up to the hotel.
- All right. I'll see you at home, then.
- Fine.
Will there be an armed
deputy in my room, Sheriff?
No, ma'am. He'll be in the
corridor just outside your door.
- Roy?
- Yeah?
Would it be all right if I
saw Miss Lotta to her room?
Yeah, go right ahead.
Things'll look better
tomorrow, ma'am. Wait and see.
Goodnight, Hoss. Thank you.
Night, ma'am.
Hoss?
Could you come here a minute?
Yes'm.
Hey, wow. I'll get the sheriff.
No.
Ma'am, you don't think Roy
Coffee had anything to do with this?
This ain't his method
of gathering evidence.
Nobody tore this room
apart for evidence.
Why else would anybody
wanna do a thing like this to you?
Because Baby Lotta,
Darling of the Mining Camps,
was a huge success.
Well, yeah, but what's
that got to do with all this?
Everything.
Hoss, when I made
my last tour as a child,
Mother and I arrived here
with 18,000 dollars in gold.
Virginia City was the
roughest place in the country.
Mother was afraid we wouldn't even
get out of here alive with the money.
- She didn't lose it?
- No.
The morning we left,
our stage was held up
and they ripped apart our
luggage and our clothes.
Except they didn't take one
trunk off the boot of the stage.
If they had, they would
have noticed how heavy it was
and they would have found the false
compartment where Mother hid the gold.
Oh.
Everybody knows that
you got robbed out there,
but at the same time everybody
knows they didn't find the gold too, huh?
And they think mother
hid it in Virginia City.
Yeah. And they think you've
come back here to get it.
Somebody thinks so.
Whoever loaded that prop g*n...
so I'd be held
here for m*rder...
until they found the gold.
Yeah. Well, now I know,
I gotta get the sheriff.
Sheriff Coffee may be
honest, but I don't trust Fallon.
They'll work together and the
whole town will know there's no gold
and then we'll never find
out who loaded the g*n.
We gotta have somebody to help. I
wouldn't even know where to start.
How about my pa?
Do you trust him?
- Yes.
- I'll tell him. He'll know what to do.
And don't you
worry about nothin'.
I'll get Candy to stand guard
out here with this deputy.
Hoss.
Thank you.
Yes'm.
Lotta was right about one thing.
Whoever loaded that
g*n was after the gold.
- He'll try again.
- Not if he finds out there ain't none.
There will be, as soon as I
see my friend in Carson City.
Now, the inquest starts
at ten o'clock sharp.
You boys ride in
and be there early.
Tell Lotta not to mention
the gold, and not to lose hope.
- Hey, Roy.
- Morning, boys.
- Mr. Fallon.
- Little early, ain't you?
The inquest don't start
for a couple of hours yet.
Well, we just thought we'd
come in and see Miss Lotta,
maybe take her to breakfast.
- Well, I think that's a good idea.
- Thanks. I'll get her.
You wait here. I'll go
in see if she's up yet.
Roy? Could you come
down here a minute?
Yeah.
Roy, I found these blanks
in Hoss's saddlebag.
What's up?
Take a look at those.
Blanks.
I had an idea you wouldn't be
bright enough to get rid of them.
You're under arrest,
Mr. Cartwright... for m*rder.
Now, I know I'm not going to
be very popular around here. I...
Well, I have to
prove that a member
of one of the most important families
in this state should be held for m*rder.
But the verdict will
be yours, not mine.
I won't waste your time with a
lot of details you already know.
Here are sworn statements from
Mr. McDonald, Miss Crabtree's manager,
and from Mr. Higgins, owner of
this establishment, the Silver Dollar.
Now, Mr. Higgins has sworn
that Hoss Cartwright spent almost
the entire afternoon before the sh**ting
right here in this saloon.
And Mr. McDonald has
definitely identified the blanks
found in Hoss
Cartwright's saddlebag.
You can take your
time studying these.
I'd like to call the first
witness now, Joe Cartwright.
Do you swear to tell
the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the
truth, so help you God?
I do.
Mr. Cartwright, would
you say that your brother
was more than a little
interested in Miss Crabtree?
Yeah, I think
he likes her a lot.
Did your brother tell you that he was
going into town to meet Miss Crabtree
on the afternoon of the m*rder?
No, not exactly.
Were you with your
brother that afternoon?
No, we were with him in the morning,
but we went to work without him.
He wasn't feeling well,
had an upset stomach.
Mr. Cartwright, does your brother
usually invent fake illnesses?
No, he does not.
But this was a special occasion.
He had something really
important on his mind.
You had no way of knowing that he
was going into town to meet Miss Crabtree
to plan a m*rder, did you?
That's ridiculous.
He wanted to go in
town and see a girl
and he was too embarrassed
to tell us about it, that's all.
That's your conclusion,
Mr. Cartwright.
That's all. Thank you.
Well, Mr. Stanhope was missing,
and he was out drinking
like he usually did.
And Miss Crabtree
asked Hoss Cartwright
if he would help us out so that we
could block out the moves on stage.
Would you tell us
exactly what he did?
Well, he just played the
sheriff in the saloon scene.
Was Hoss Cartwright out of
sight for any length of time?
Well, yes, he was, but
he was kind of eager
and Lotta told him to wait in
the wings until he heard his cue.
And while he was waiting, could
he have gotten to the prop trunk
and exchanged the
blanks for real b*ll*ts?
I don't even think he
knew the g*n was there.
Your faith in Mr. Cartwright
is very touching, Miss Vernon.
But it doesn't account for the
blanks found in his saddlebag.
Thank you, Miss Vernon.
- I did the best I could.
- It's all right. It's okay.
Now, Miss Crabtree,
you were on intimate
terms with Mr. Stanhope?
I was friendly with Mr. Stanhope
at the beginning of our tour
because I thought he
was a nice young man.
I then discovered he was
vain, egotistical and a drunk.
In other words
you got tired of him.
There was no
relationship to get tired of.
Isn't it true, Miss Crabtree, that
you were anxious to get rid of him,
to have him out of the company?
I intended to fire him when
we got to San Francisco.
But you found an easier
way of doing it, didn't you?
No more embarrassment.
No more scenes.
It wouldn't be very difficult,
would it, Miss Crabtree,
for an actress to convince a good,
simple man like Hoss Cartwright
to do the job for you?
I resent these innuendoes
about actresses.
We don't twist men around
our fingers to commit m*rder.
Oh, I see. I'm sorry. You're just
simple women, like ranchers' wives.
No, we're not like that either.
An actress's job is
something quite different.
We don't get up at sunrise and
we don't worry about the kids.
We don't do the hundreds of chores,
like cooking, cleaning and mending.
But we do do something else,
and maybe it's more important.
We ride in dusty coaches and we
appear in fleabags and saloons like this,
so that maybe a
rancher and his wife
can have a few minutes of
laughter and tears, happiness.
That's our sin, Mr. Fallon.
Oh, please, we've
got to have it quiet!
Now, this is not a performance.
It's an inquest. Please be quiet.
Miss Crabtree, anyone who would
doubt your ability as an actress
would be a fool.
Thank you. That's all.
Gentlemen...
Forgetting that performance,
I have no doubt as to
what your verdict will be.
I certainly paid you back for all the
wonderful things you've done for me.
You had friends on the jury.
How could they put Hoss in jail?
They know he couldn't commit m*rder.
We ought to consider
ourselves lucky
that they thought Hoss
was acting on his own,
or else you'd be
in jail right now too.
- We have to do something, get lawyers.
- We are going to do something.
Gold coins.
Not 18,000 dollars’ worth,
but enough of them, I think.
All dated prior to the
time that Baby Lotta
made her first appearance in
Virginia City with her mother.
They're brand-new.
Where did you get them?
From the storage vault
at the mint in Carson City.
- The manager's a friend of mine.
- What are we gonna do with 'em?
We're gonna try to
catch ourselves a k*ller.
And it all depends on how
good an actress you are.
- You can watch me from outside.
- Yes, ma'am.
Mr. Howell?
Yes, Miss Crabtree.
I was wondering if
you'd do me the favor
of changing some gold
coins into paper money for me.
Well, how much, Miss Crabtree?
Uh, I only brought a few coins with
me because gold is so difficult to carry,
but I think that the total
sum is around 18,000 dollars.
There's nothing wrong
with them, is there?
No, no, no, no, they're just
very old. And in mint condition.
You've taken good care
of these for a long time.
My mother kept them for me.
- Will you do me the favor?
- Well, I'd like to, Miss Crabtree.
But the bank doesn't have
that kind of cash to spare.
It'll take a couple
of days at least.
I see.
If you can wait, I'll
contact you at the hotel.
I'll be there, Mr. Howell.
Mr. Higgins.
Ah, Miss Crabtree.
I have the receipts
for the performance.
- Wonderful.
- There it is. 280 dollars.
You took in four times that
much. The show was a sell-out.
You're forgetting my expenses.
It cost a lot of money to clean
the stage and get the curtains.
I'm entitled to something
for all the business I lost.
That mess with you and Hoss
Cartwright closed me down for two days.
I can't even pay
my actors out of this.
Then next time,
don't play my saloon.
All you did was give
the place a black eye.
Mr. Higgins, I'll need some extra money.
Can you change these into bills for me?
One minute you cry, and
then you come up with these.
You're pretty shrewd when it
comes to money, aren't you?
Well, thank you, Mr. Higgins.
Coming from you, I consider
that a real compliment.
Will you change them?
If you got any more of these...
I'd like to have 'em.
You're still stayin' at
the hotel, aren't you?
Yes, I was requested
to stay until after the trial.
I even have a deputy
watching to make sure I do.
Thank you, Mr. Higgins.
You're leaving?
Lotta.
Well, Bonnie and I decided there wasn't
any need to hang around Virginia City,
and, well, besides, the
people aren't being too friendly.
You're running
out before the trial?
Well, they don't need us.
We just thought that we'd go to San
Francisco and wait till you got there.
You'll be there soon,
and then they'll all apologize about all
the terrible things they said about you.
Well, thank you for your great loyalty.
I suppose you'll be wanting to be paid.
Well, we could
certainly use some.
I had to do a song and dance for
the hotel to get our baggage out.
Here. I think that
ought to cover it.
It's gold.
It's perfectly good, Lew, and there's
a lot more where that came from.
Enough to build a whole new
company when I get to San Francisco.
Lotta, we had no
idea you'd be so upset.
- If you really want us to stay, we'll...
- Don't bother.
We'll see you back at the hotel.
Mister, can I
return these tickets?
How'd it go?
I've never been a
greater attraction.
All of them?
Mr. Howell will be only too
happy to come up with the cash,
only there'll be a
few days' delay.
Mr. Higgins seemed
more than interested.
He'd be delighted to acquire
any other coins I'd like to sell him.
And my troop suddenly
decided to stay in Virginia City
after I showed them the gold.
Well, the rest
shouldn't take too long.
Whatever happens,
don't be afraid.
I'm trying not to.
The gold in your purse.
Dump it on the table.
Well, you've waited a long
time for this, haven't you?
Where's the rest of it?
Now, drop it. Drop the g*n.
Put it there.
I wouldn't have believed it if I
hadn't seen it with my own eyes.
That's why I wanted
you along as a witness.
I was just...
I know exactly what you were doing.
Deputy! Come in here. Get your g*n out.
Now, move. Come on.
Take him down to the sheriff's
office. Lotta, you better come along.
The sheriff will want to
hear all about this. Quickly.
Come on, move.
It worked.
Yeah, we figured you had to
be the only one who would know
that Lotta's mother had not bought
a bank draft with her 18,000 in gold.
And you had to be the one
who sent men to rob the stage.
And when they didn't
find the gold there,
you knew it was hidden somewhere
in Virginia City, didn't you?
Now, just...
just... just leave it.
The sheriff will want
to see you right there.
He'll also want to ask
you a couple of questions
about who loaded a certain
g*n that k*lled Stanhope.
Move out.
Ladies and gentlemen!
And now Virginia City's favorite, and
one of America's truly great actresses,
will sing for you the song she
couldn't sing the other night.
Miss Lotta Crabtree.
Yay!
Professor.
♪ How can I leave you
♪ How can I leave you
♪ Leave you by
this time tomorrow?
♪ Don't want to grieve you
♪ How can I leave you?
♪ Parting is such sweet sorrow
♪ How can I tell you
♪ How much I'll miss you
♪ Miss you by
this time tomorrow?
♪ No need to tell you
♪ You know as I do
♪ Parting is such sweet sorrow
♪ Goodbye, goodbye
♪ And if a tear
should leave my eye
♪ Don't sigh, don't sigh
♪ We have until tomorrow
♪ How can I leave you
♪ How can I leave you
♪ Leave you by
this time tomorrow?
♪ Don't want to grieve you
♪ I don't want to leave you
♪ Parting is such sweet sorrow
♪ But then, but then
♪ How sweeter when we meet again
♪ And then, and then
♪ How sweeter when we meet
♪ Again
She ought to be here by now.
Don't worry about it. Since when
has that stage ever been on time?
Here she comes!
Yes, ma'am, step right this way.
As head of the Virginia City Civic
and Cultural Improvement League,
I consider it a great honor
to welcome one of America's
greatest actresses to our fair city.
The one and only Lotta Crabtree.
Just a minute. Please, no.
I'm not Lotta. I'm
Bonnie Vernon.
Won't you save some of that speech
for me? It sounds very flattering.
I'm Lotta Crabtree.
Thank you.
Whoa.
I'd take the moose head out of
the parlor to make room for that.
Thank you. Now, may
I present my company.
Mr. McDonald, my manager.
Mr. Stanhope, my leading man.
And Miss Vernon, who plays
practically everything else.
Hold it! Hold it!
As head of the Virginia City Civic
and Cultural Improvement League,
I consider it a great honor
to welcome one of America's
greatest actresses to our fair city.
The one and only Lotta Crabtree.
Thanks.
It's a wonderful and
unexpected reception.
When I played Virginia
City as a little girl,
reception committees
didn't arrive with speeches.
They carried g*ns.
Ma'am, things have changed
a lot in the last 15 years,
and there's not a safer place in
this entire country than Virginia City.
- Yeah!
- Hear, hear!
Are we ever going
to get to the hotel?
Thank you again for meeting us,
and I hope you'll all come down
to San Francisco and see our show.
Now, if you'll excuse me...
- Come on, give her the...
- Oh. Miss Crabtree.
Miss Crabtree. Miss
Crabtree. Wait a minute. Wait.
We... We got something here that
we thought maybe you might like.
Oh.
It brings back so many memories.
Oh, thank you for
saving it all this time.
Oh, ma'am, don't thank me.
I'm Hoss Cartwright, ma'am.
It was my pa that
saved it. Ben Cartwright.
Mr. Cartwright.
Oh, Mr. Cartwright, I didn't
recognize you with your gray hair.
Well, my hair wasn't
quite as gray back then.
Oh, Mr. Cartwright.
My mother and I will never forget
how wonderful you were to us.
She isn't with me, but, oh, I
know she'd want me to do this.
Oh, Mr. Cartwright.
Now, Lotta, this
is my son, Joseph.
- Hello, Joe.
- You've met Hoss.
- Hoss.
- This is my ranch foreman, Mr. Canaday.
- How do you do, Miss Crabtree?
- Hello, Mr. Canaday.
You all have a
lot to live up to.
Yeah.
Miss Crabtree, we were just wondering
if maybe you and your company
couldn't put on a performance
here in Virginia City for us
before you went
on to San Francisco.
Pa says that every
great artist that ever lived
played the Silver Dollar
here, even Edwin Booth.
Lew, when do we
open in San Francisco?
You know the schedule
as well as I do, Lotta.
We open on Wednesday.
It'll only take a couple
of days to get there.
We've got plenty of time to do a
special engagement in Virginia City!
Excuse me.
- Hey, looks good, Hop Sing.
- Thank you.
- Mr. Cartwright.
- Lucy, how are you?
- Miss Crabtree.
- Hello.
Bryce. I was wondering
what was keeping you.
Well, to tell the truth,
Lucy was sort of put out.
She thought the party should
have been held at our place.
Well, no point in being
head of the Cultural League
if it ain't gonna
do you no good.
Will you forgive me, Mrs.
Howell? It's all my fault.
Mr. Cartwright was such a
good friend of my mother's,
I thought the party should
be held here at the Ponderosa.
Well, if it's a family matter, I
suppose we shouldn't make a fuss.
- Well, come in. Enjoy yourselves.
- Thank you, Ben.
- Thank you.
- It's my pleasure.
- How about another cup of punch?
- Oh, please. I've had more than enough.
Saying hello to all these folks
is gonna make you hoarse.
You don't wanna get hoarse
before that performance.
Don't worry. Sometimes the
audience leaves, but never my voice.
- Pa, you want this?
- Yes, thank you.
Well, to you.
Doesn't Lotta look
lovely this evening?
What's that elephant
trying to do? Move in?
I think he's nice.
He's not very handsome,
but he's kind of homey.
It's bad enough to be stuck here
to play a performance in a saloon.
Lotta, I just can't tell you how
delighted we are to have you here.
- Oh.
- Hoss, this is a special occasion.
I'm gonna break out
some vintage wine.
- Hey, great.
- Oh, thank you.
- Would you take over, Hoss?
- You bet. Yes, sir.
Hey, why don't we
go over and sit down?
- I'd love to.
- Must be terribly tired.
Well, one of the first
things my mother taught me
was that when people are interested
in seeing you, you don't get tired.
I was about, um... so high
when I first learned that.
It must have been terribly exciting,
a child on the stage and the shows.
Oh, yeah, it really was.
I'm not gonna put up with this.
Take it easy, Ward. Pour
yourself another drink.
You don't have to
sneak it this time.
That's what you
care about, not Lotta.
I don't need your smart remarks.
The stage was anyplace.
A big rock or a flat piece of
ground, all lit up by torches.
The miners were just wonderful.
Some of them hadn't seen a
woman or a child for months.
And they shouted
and they cheered.
All that gold they'd worked
so hard for meant nothing.
They just showered
the stage with it.
But some of it was...
frightening and dangerous.
Miss Lotta, you certainly
don't seem worried
about being in
Virginia City anymore.
Well, not with
you here, Sheriff.
Thank you, ma'am.
This is Steve Fallon, a friend of
mine, a United States marshal.
- Miss Crabtree.
- Hello, Marshal.
Steve Fallon?
I haven't been in this part
of the country in a long time,
but wasn't there a gunfighter
with the same name?
Yes, there was.
But he decided to use his g*ns
where they'd do the most good,
on the side of the law.
Steve's been a marshal
for a good many years.
There's not a more honest,
more respected marshal anywhere.
- Well, I'm sorry. I...
- That's all right, ma'am.
Nobody can run
away from his past.
Hoss, let's dance.
All right, ma'am, but
it's gonna be dangerous.
Keep your hands off her.
You been pawing her all night!
- Ward, this is none of your concern.
- Isn't it? Used to be.
Or am I being replaced
by this elephant?
Now, say goodnight to all the
solid citizens and let's get out of here.
Ward, stop it. You're drunk.
- Leave the lady alone.
- How would you know a lady?
All right, why don't you
come outside before
you bleed to death?
Come on, let's go.
If you're trying to get rid of
me, Lotta, it won't be that easy.
When he gets drunk, he
doesn't know what he's saying.
Somebody must have
spiked that punch pretty good.
Oh, Ward did it. He's been drinking
his way halfway across the country.
I'm gonna have to replace him
the minute we get to San Francisco.
Oh, ma'am, I wouldn't be
too upset. Nobody else is.
Hoss, you're sweet. And
thank you for not fighting back.
Hey, let me have some more of
that coffee, will you, Hop Sing?
- Did Hoss have his breakfast early?
- No breakfast.
Hoss!
- Yeah, Pa?
- Come on, hurry it up.
They're expecting us at Alder
Creek to help up with the dam.
Pa, I... I'm afraid I ain't
gonna be able to cut it today.
I must have eaten something
at that party last night.
My old belly sure is upset.
Hop Sing look for new
job. No like complaint.
That doesn't make sense. Hoss
could eat nails and not complain.
From now on, Mr. Hoss
cook his own nail.
I wonder what he's saying?
Better if we don't know.
Go in and calm him down.
- Yeah, okay.
- What did you eat?
It'd be sort of hard
to pinpoint, Pa.
I took a little bit of
everything off that buffet.
- You look terrible.
- I do?
I do? Yeah, I do.
Well, listen, you
better get some rest.
And then come down and
apologize to Hop Sing, huh?
Yes, sir.
- Pa?
- What?
I had a talk to him. He said
he'd stay until after dinner.
- Good.
- Do me a favor, will you? Get better.
We can afford to lose you.
We can't afford to lose Hop Sing.
Bonnie, you'll only be able to
take three steps in on your entrance
because that's all
the room we have.
All right, Lotta.
Any time you're ready.
Sal, I'm afraid I've
got bad news for you.
Sheriff Pete Johnson
is headed this way.
Even a rattlesnake has
the decency to give warnin'.
Now, take two steps down
before you say your next line.
Oh. Oh, Lotta, I'm
gonna break my ankle.
Mr. Higgins, isn't there any way for you
to give us more playing room up here?
That's all the stage there is.
Look, I ain't sold a drink
with all this rehearsin'.
If you don't like it...
All right, Bonnie, you'll just
have to be a little more careful.
- Well, may I move the chair over here?
- Certainly.
Now take your line.
What are we going to do?
Cora, tell me, do you think
the sheriff knows anything?
Does he?
I hate to alarm you,
Sal, but if he was a cat,
I'd say he had a mouthful
of canary feathers.
You can see for yourself.
Here comes the varmint now.
Ward.
Ward!
- Where is he?
- I don't know.
Depends on how many bars there
are between here and the hotel.
Well, go and find
him. And hurry.
Yes, Lotta.
That's all we ever do is sit
around and wait for Ward.
Hoss.
- Would you do us a favor?
- Yes'm.
Howdy.
Howdy, ma'am. Now, what
can I do for you, ma'am?
Will you play the sheriff
till Ward gets back?
Oh, ma'am, I ain't
much of an actor.
I only been in one play,
a little old church play.
- I played an angel.
- It's really very simple.
- We're just blocking moves.
- Oh.
- All right?
- Yes'm.
Now, you go out there,
and you come back in when Bonnie
says "Here comes the varmint now."
Here comes the varmint
now. I got you, ma'am.
Here comes the varmint
now. Here comes the varmint...
All right, Bonnie.
I hate to alarm you,
Sal, but if he was a cat,
I'd say he had a mouthful
of canary feathers.
You can see...
- I'm sorry, ma'am.
- That's all right, Hoss.
Your cue is "Here
comes the varmint now."
Oh, yeah. Here
comes the varmint now.
- Here comes the varmint...
- All right.
I hate to alarm you,
Sal, but if he was a cat,
I'd say he had a mouthful
of canary feathers.
You can see for yourself.
Here comes the varmint now.
Here comes the varmint
now! That's your cue, Hoss.
Oh, yeah, yeah. Uh...
Sal, I didn't expect to find you
laughing and living it
up at the Faro Saloon.
- Hoss.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
- Sal, I didn't expect to find you...
- Hoss, I'm Sal.
Oh, you're Sal. Oh,
I'm sorry, ma'am.
Sal, I didn't expect to find you
laughing and living it up
at the Little Faro Saloon.
Well, you know me, Sheriff.
Nothing comes before business.
Uh, uh... Not even
a wounded man?
Sheriff, if I was to take care of every
man who was wounded at the Little Faro,
I'd be kept mighty busy.
Sal, this i...
this is Ted Markham, the
man you are in love with.
A man who's wanted in
every state west of the Rockies.
Barten... Bonnie,
play the bartender.
Oh, yes, ma'am.
Bartender, bring
the sheriff a drink.
We don't want people thinking he's
telling all those wild stories sober.
Hoss, take three steps to the
table and sit down and face me.
Yes'm.
One, two, three.
I'll get you a chair, Hoss.
Oh, thank you, ma'am.
Uh, yeah.
Uh, ma'am, would you hold that?
Thank you.
It's no use pretendin', Sal.
Patcheye the Indian
spilled everything.
Patcheye the Indian.
Soon as I finish
this drink, I'm...
I'm goin' up to your cabin
where you have got him hidden,
and take Ted here with me.
Maybe you'll need company,
Sheriff, so you can apologize
for doubting a lady's word.
Sal, you are...
Sal...
You're beautiful.
Hoss, when you say that line,
get up and step over here.
Yes'm.
Sal...
Sal, you're beautiful.
But, remember, when
I arrest Ted over there,
you will be an accessory unless
you want to make other arrangements.
Bravo!
On the worst performance in
the history of the American theatre.
Ward, that'll be enough.
Oh, that's... that's
all right, ma'am.
I know I ain't no actor, but
thanks for lettin' me try anyhow.
Oh. So long, Ted.
You'll be much better.
How could I fail to be?
And how do you like your
new leading man, Lotta?
Ward, I'm warning
you, don't push it.
Hurray! Hurray!
♪ Whatever you do,
wherever you're goin'
♪ Jim along Rosie with me
♪ Out in the sun
or if'n it's snowing
♪ Jim along Rosie with me
♪ Jim along Rosie
Jim along Rosie
♪ Jim along Rosie, Rosie, do
♪ Jim along Rosie
Jim along Rosie
♪ And I'll Jim along with you
♪ The rivers are
dry in Louisiana
♪ Jim along Rosie with me
♪ But not as dry as
your old Aunt Hannah
♪ Jim along Rosie with me
♪ Jim along Rosie
Jim along Rosie
♪ Jim along Rosie Jim right now
♪ Jim along Rosie
Jim along Rosie
♪ And I'll Jim along with thou
♪ Make life sweet forever after
♪ Jim along Rosie with me
♪ Fill the world
with love and laughter
♪ Jim along Rosie with me
♪ Oh...
♪ Jim along Rosie
Jim along Rosie
♪ Jim along Rosie Toe the line
♪ Jim along Rosie
Jim along Rosie
♪ Jim along
♪ And feel fine!
Hurray!
Hurray!
You searched the whole cabin,
Sheriff. Where else are you gonna look?
The rat holes?
That should be easy for you.
She's got him hid all right.
I read the end of the play.
Will you shut up?
Watch the ceiling. Blood's
gonna drip from the attic.
- Will you stop it?
- Shh!
I haven't seen this thing.
Let me watch, will you?
You've won for now, but...
There's one place
we forgot to search.
- The attic.
- Wait!
Ted Markham is up there,
more dead than alive.
- What'd I tell you, huh?
- Will you let them do it, please?
I'm gonna take Ted
Markham anyway.
- Here's the real excitin' part.
- Oh, come on, will you?
Quiet. Shh!
You snake!
By tomorrow morning we'll
be safely across the border!
- More!
- Like I told you. Wasn't it great?
You've told us enough times.
Wonder why they
haven't taken their bows.
Well, ask him. He
knows the whole show.
Well, I imagine that Lotta's back there
primping so she can look extra special.
Yay!
Uh, ladies and gentlemen,
there won't be any curtain call.
Will the sheriff come
backstage immediately, please?
We didn't rehearse that. I
don't know what this is all about.
Let's go back and find out.
- He's dead.
- No.
You must use up an awful lot
of leading men on this show.
These are real
b*ll*ts in this g*n.
But we open on Wednesday in
San Francisco. The billboards are up.
Ma'am, I already
know about that.
But what happened here
tonight was just plain m*rder,
and you cannot leave this town
until we find out a lot more about it.
Now, you can go to jail, or you
can stay at the hotel under guard.
Why me? I told you, the g*n
was lying in the prop trunk.
Anyone could have come
by and put real b*ll*ts in it.
Lotta, Roy is just
trying to do his job.
Ma'am, you are the
one who fired the g*n,
and there's plenty
of us who know
that you had good
reason to dislike Stanhope.
I've disliked a lot
of actors in my time,
but I don't go
around k*lling them.
I'm sorry.
How long will I
have to stay here?
If you're telling the truth, it shouldn't
be more than a couple of days.
- I haven't got a couple of days!
- Lotta.
I remember a little lesson
that your mother taught you.
Don't fight the
audience. Win them.
Thank you, Ben.
Sheriff, I'd like to
go back to the hotel.
Yes, all right.
Pa, I think I'll see
Lotta up to the hotel.
- All right. I'll see you at home, then.
- Fine.
Will there be an armed
deputy in my room, Sheriff?
No, ma'am. He'll be in the
corridor just outside your door.
- Roy?
- Yeah?
Would it be all right if I
saw Miss Lotta to her room?
Yeah, go right ahead.
Things'll look better
tomorrow, ma'am. Wait and see.
Goodnight, Hoss. Thank you.
Night, ma'am.
Hoss?
Could you come here a minute?
Yes'm.
Hey, wow. I'll get the sheriff.
No.
Ma'am, you don't think Roy
Coffee had anything to do with this?
This ain't his method
of gathering evidence.
Nobody tore this room
apart for evidence.
Why else would anybody
wanna do a thing like this to you?
Because Baby Lotta,
Darling of the Mining Camps,
was a huge success.
Well, yeah, but what's
that got to do with all this?
Everything.
Hoss, when I made
my last tour as a child,
Mother and I arrived here
with 18,000 dollars in gold.
Virginia City was the
roughest place in the country.
Mother was afraid we wouldn't even
get out of here alive with the money.
- She didn't lose it?
- No.
The morning we left,
our stage was held up
and they ripped apart our
luggage and our clothes.
Except they didn't take one
trunk off the boot of the stage.
If they had, they would
have noticed how heavy it was
and they would have found the false
compartment where Mother hid the gold.
Oh.
Everybody knows that
you got robbed out there,
but at the same time everybody
knows they didn't find the gold too, huh?
And they think mother
hid it in Virginia City.
Yeah. And they think you've
come back here to get it.
Somebody thinks so.
Whoever loaded that prop g*n...
so I'd be held
here for m*rder...
until they found the gold.
Yeah. Well, now I know,
I gotta get the sheriff.
Sheriff Coffee may be
honest, but I don't trust Fallon.
They'll work together and the
whole town will know there's no gold
and then we'll never find
out who loaded the g*n.
We gotta have somebody to help. I
wouldn't even know where to start.
How about my pa?
Do you trust him?
- Yes.
- I'll tell him. He'll know what to do.
And don't you
worry about nothin'.
I'll get Candy to stand guard
out here with this deputy.
Hoss.
Thank you.
Yes'm.
Lotta was right about one thing.
Whoever loaded that
g*n was after the gold.
- He'll try again.
- Not if he finds out there ain't none.
There will be, as soon as I
see my friend in Carson City.
Now, the inquest starts
at ten o'clock sharp.
You boys ride in
and be there early.
Tell Lotta not to mention
the gold, and not to lose hope.
- Hey, Roy.
- Morning, boys.
- Mr. Fallon.
- Little early, ain't you?
The inquest don't start
for a couple of hours yet.
Well, we just thought we'd
come in and see Miss Lotta,
maybe take her to breakfast.
- Well, I think that's a good idea.
- Thanks. I'll get her.
You wait here. I'll go
in see if she's up yet.
Roy? Could you come
down here a minute?
Yeah.
Roy, I found these blanks
in Hoss's saddlebag.
What's up?
Take a look at those.
Blanks.
I had an idea you wouldn't be
bright enough to get rid of them.
You're under arrest,
Mr. Cartwright... for m*rder.
Now, I know I'm not going to
be very popular around here. I...
Well, I have to
prove that a member
of one of the most important families
in this state should be held for m*rder.
But the verdict will
be yours, not mine.
I won't waste your time with a
lot of details you already know.
Here are sworn statements from
Mr. McDonald, Miss Crabtree's manager,
and from Mr. Higgins, owner of
this establishment, the Silver Dollar.
Now, Mr. Higgins has sworn
that Hoss Cartwright spent almost
the entire afternoon before the sh**ting
right here in this saloon.
And Mr. McDonald has
definitely identified the blanks
found in Hoss
Cartwright's saddlebag.
You can take your
time studying these.
I'd like to call the first
witness now, Joe Cartwright.
Do you swear to tell
the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the
truth, so help you God?
I do.
Mr. Cartwright, would
you say that your brother
was more than a little
interested in Miss Crabtree?
Yeah, I think
he likes her a lot.
Did your brother tell you that he was
going into town to meet Miss Crabtree
on the afternoon of the m*rder?
No, not exactly.
Were you with your
brother that afternoon?
No, we were with him in the morning,
but we went to work without him.
He wasn't feeling well,
had an upset stomach.
Mr. Cartwright, does your brother
usually invent fake illnesses?
No, he does not.
But this was a special occasion.
He had something really
important on his mind.
You had no way of knowing that he
was going into town to meet Miss Crabtree
to plan a m*rder, did you?
That's ridiculous.
He wanted to go in
town and see a girl
and he was too embarrassed
to tell us about it, that's all.
That's your conclusion,
Mr. Cartwright.
That's all. Thank you.
Well, Mr. Stanhope was missing,
and he was out drinking
like he usually did.
And Miss Crabtree
asked Hoss Cartwright
if he would help us out so that we
could block out the moves on stage.
Would you tell us
exactly what he did?
Well, he just played the
sheriff in the saloon scene.
Was Hoss Cartwright out of
sight for any length of time?
Well, yes, he was, but
he was kind of eager
and Lotta told him to wait in
the wings until he heard his cue.
And while he was waiting, could
he have gotten to the prop trunk
and exchanged the
blanks for real b*ll*ts?
I don't even think he
knew the g*n was there.
Your faith in Mr. Cartwright
is very touching, Miss Vernon.
But it doesn't account for the
blanks found in his saddlebag.
Thank you, Miss Vernon.
- I did the best I could.
- It's all right. It's okay.
Now, Miss Crabtree,
you were on intimate
terms with Mr. Stanhope?
I was friendly with Mr. Stanhope
at the beginning of our tour
because I thought he
was a nice young man.
I then discovered he was
vain, egotistical and a drunk.
In other words
you got tired of him.
There was no
relationship to get tired of.
Isn't it true, Miss Crabtree, that
you were anxious to get rid of him,
to have him out of the company?
I intended to fire him when
we got to San Francisco.
But you found an easier
way of doing it, didn't you?
No more embarrassment.
No more scenes.
It wouldn't be very difficult,
would it, Miss Crabtree,
for an actress to convince a good,
simple man like Hoss Cartwright
to do the job for you?
I resent these innuendoes
about actresses.
We don't twist men around
our fingers to commit m*rder.
Oh, I see. I'm sorry. You're just
simple women, like ranchers' wives.
No, we're not like that either.
An actress's job is
something quite different.
We don't get up at sunrise and
we don't worry about the kids.
We don't do the hundreds of chores,
like cooking, cleaning and mending.
But we do do something else,
and maybe it's more important.
We ride in dusty coaches and we
appear in fleabags and saloons like this,
so that maybe a
rancher and his wife
can have a few minutes of
laughter and tears, happiness.
That's our sin, Mr. Fallon.
Oh, please, we've
got to have it quiet!
Now, this is not a performance.
It's an inquest. Please be quiet.
Miss Crabtree, anyone who would
doubt your ability as an actress
would be a fool.
Thank you. That's all.
Gentlemen...
Forgetting that performance,
I have no doubt as to
what your verdict will be.
I certainly paid you back for all the
wonderful things you've done for me.
You had friends on the jury.
How could they put Hoss in jail?
They know he couldn't commit m*rder.
We ought to consider
ourselves lucky
that they thought Hoss
was acting on his own,
or else you'd be
in jail right now too.
- We have to do something, get lawyers.
- We are going to do something.
Gold coins.
Not 18,000 dollars’ worth,
but enough of them, I think.
All dated prior to the
time that Baby Lotta
made her first appearance in
Virginia City with her mother.
They're brand-new.
Where did you get them?
From the storage vault
at the mint in Carson City.
- The manager's a friend of mine.
- What are we gonna do with 'em?
We're gonna try to
catch ourselves a k*ller.
And it all depends on how
good an actress you are.
- You can watch me from outside.
- Yes, ma'am.
Mr. Howell?
Yes, Miss Crabtree.
I was wondering if
you'd do me the favor
of changing some gold
coins into paper money for me.
Well, how much, Miss Crabtree?
Uh, I only brought a few coins with
me because gold is so difficult to carry,
but I think that the total
sum is around 18,000 dollars.
There's nothing wrong
with them, is there?
No, no, no, no, they're just
very old. And in mint condition.
You've taken good care
of these for a long time.
My mother kept them for me.
- Will you do me the favor?
- Well, I'd like to, Miss Crabtree.
But the bank doesn't have
that kind of cash to spare.
It'll take a couple
of days at least.
I see.
If you can wait, I'll
contact you at the hotel.
I'll be there, Mr. Howell.
Mr. Higgins.
Ah, Miss Crabtree.
I have the receipts
for the performance.
- Wonderful.
- There it is. 280 dollars.
You took in four times that
much. The show was a sell-out.
You're forgetting my expenses.
It cost a lot of money to clean
the stage and get the curtains.
I'm entitled to something
for all the business I lost.
That mess with you and Hoss
Cartwright closed me down for two days.
I can't even pay
my actors out of this.
Then next time,
don't play my saloon.
All you did was give
the place a black eye.
Mr. Higgins, I'll need some extra money.
Can you change these into bills for me?
One minute you cry, and
then you come up with these.
You're pretty shrewd when it
comes to money, aren't you?
Well, thank you, Mr. Higgins.
Coming from you, I consider
that a real compliment.
Will you change them?
If you got any more of these...
I'd like to have 'em.
You're still stayin' at
the hotel, aren't you?
Yes, I was requested
to stay until after the trial.
I even have a deputy
watching to make sure I do.
Thank you, Mr. Higgins.
You're leaving?
Lotta.
Well, Bonnie and I decided there wasn't
any need to hang around Virginia City,
and, well, besides, the
people aren't being too friendly.
You're running
out before the trial?
Well, they don't need us.
We just thought that we'd go to San
Francisco and wait till you got there.
You'll be there soon,
and then they'll all apologize about all
the terrible things they said about you.
Well, thank you for your great loyalty.
I suppose you'll be wanting to be paid.
Well, we could
certainly use some.
I had to do a song and dance for
the hotel to get our baggage out.
Here. I think that
ought to cover it.
It's gold.
It's perfectly good, Lew, and there's
a lot more where that came from.
Enough to build a whole new
company when I get to San Francisco.
Lotta, we had no
idea you'd be so upset.
- If you really want us to stay, we'll...
- Don't bother.
We'll see you back at the hotel.
Mister, can I
return these tickets?
How'd it go?
I've never been a
greater attraction.
All of them?
Mr. Howell will be only too
happy to come up with the cash,
only there'll be a
few days' delay.
Mr. Higgins seemed
more than interested.
He'd be delighted to acquire
any other coins I'd like to sell him.
And my troop suddenly
decided to stay in Virginia City
after I showed them the gold.
Well, the rest
shouldn't take too long.
Whatever happens,
don't be afraid.
I'm trying not to.
The gold in your purse.
Dump it on the table.
Well, you've waited a long
time for this, haven't you?
Where's the rest of it?
Now, drop it. Drop the g*n.
Put it there.
I wouldn't have believed it if I
hadn't seen it with my own eyes.
That's why I wanted
you along as a witness.
I was just...
I know exactly what you were doing.
Deputy! Come in here. Get your g*n out.
Now, move. Come on.
Take him down to the sheriff's
office. Lotta, you better come along.
The sheriff will want to
hear all about this. Quickly.
Come on, move.
It worked.
Yeah, we figured you had to
be the only one who would know
that Lotta's mother had not bought
a bank draft with her 18,000 in gold.
And you had to be the one
who sent men to rob the stage.
And when they didn't
find the gold there,
you knew it was hidden somewhere
in Virginia City, didn't you?
Now, just...
just... just leave it.
The sheriff will want
to see you right there.
He'll also want to ask
you a couple of questions
about who loaded a certain
g*n that k*lled Stanhope.
Move out.
Ladies and gentlemen!
And now Virginia City's favorite, and
one of America's truly great actresses,
will sing for you the song she
couldn't sing the other night.
Miss Lotta Crabtree.
Yay!
Professor.
♪ How can I leave you
♪ How can I leave you
♪ Leave you by
this time tomorrow?
♪ Don't want to grieve you
♪ How can I leave you?
♪ Parting is such sweet sorrow
♪ How can I tell you
♪ How much I'll miss you
♪ Miss you by
this time tomorrow?
♪ No need to tell you
♪ You know as I do
♪ Parting is such sweet sorrow
♪ Goodbye, goodbye
♪ And if a tear
should leave my eye
♪ Don't sigh, don't sigh
♪ We have until tomorrow
♪ How can I leave you
♪ How can I leave you
♪ Leave you by
this time tomorrow?
♪ Don't want to grieve you
♪ I don't want to leave you
♪ Parting is such sweet sorrow
♪ But then, but then
♪ How sweeter when we meet again
♪ And then, and then
♪ How sweeter when we meet
♪ Again