Walter Brennan

A frontier town in the Old West springs up almost literally overnight when the rather klutzy and hotheaded Prudy Perkins discovers gold in a grave during a funeral. Her father Olly becomes mayor of the new settlement. He and the other members of the town council bemoan the twin facts that the place has become a drunken round-the-clock free-for-all, and that in order to ship out all the gold they are mining, they must pay a hefty fee to the Danbys, a family of ranchers/bandits who control the only route out of town. Most people are too busy digging to take time out to be sheriff, and those who are willing to put down their shovel quickly die. This all changes with the arrival in town of Jason McCullough, a calm and hyper-competent man from "back East" who is passing through town "on his way to Australia." While in the town saloon, he sees young Joe Danby gun a man down, essentially for fun. Needing money after discovering the town's ruinious rate of inflation, McCullough demonstrates his uncanny firearms ability to the mayor and town council, and becomes the new sheriff. He breaks up a street brawl and while at the Perkins house meets Prudy under (for her) mortifyingly embarrassing circumstances. McCullough then arrests Joe and tosses him in the town jail, which has everything a sheriff needs - except iron bars for the cell doors and windows. McCullough keeps the none-too-bright Joe "imprisoned" through the use of a chalk line, some dribbles of red paint, and applied psychology. In the process of all this, McCullough acquires a semi-willing deputy in the form of the extremely scruffy Jake, who was previously nothing more than the "town character." The arrest ignites the wrath of the patriarch of the Danby family; while the rest of the town immediately quiets down under McCullough's reign, "Pa" mounts various efforts to get Joe out of jail. None of them work and he then brings in a string of hired guns, who are equally unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Prudy spars romantically with McCullough, McCullough and Jake go on an unsuccessful search for gold, and, much to Joe's relief, bars are finally installed in the jail. The climax of the film sees Pa Danby summoning scores of his relatives to launch an all-out assault. The sheriff's first impulse is to just leave town and resume his trip to Australia, but when Prudy expresses her sincere approval of this sensible idea, he announces that it sounds cowardly and decides to stay. The rest of the townfolk announce their disapproval of his new plan, and officially vote to not help in any way. Thus the Danby mob rides in faced only by McCullough, Jake and Prudy. After a lengthy gunfight, McCullough bluffs his way to victory using hostage Joe and the cannon mounted in the center of town. As the Danbys are all marched off to jail, the cannon fires, smashing the town brothel and scattering the resident prostitutes and visting civic leaders. McCullough makes his peace with the townfolk, he and Prudy get engaged, and he carries her home. In a closing monologue, Jake directly informs the audience that they get married and McCullough goes on to become governor of the state, while he, Jake, becomes sheriff and then "one of the most beloved characters in western folklore."

Harry Lucas (Jim Hutton) works at the U.S. Mint in Washington, D.C. He has an admirer in sweet co-worker Verna Baxter (Dorothy Provine), who tries to woo him by giving him home-cooked (but nearly inedible) fudge. Lucas accidentally brushes $50,000 in currency into the bag with the fudge, and walks out with it. Before he realizes his mistake, he disposes of the fudge, simultaneously destroying the currency, and an audit is planned at the mint shortly. In desperation, he finds someone who will help him get into the mint after hours and print up replacement currency, but learns that he will eventually need a group of people (a safecracker, a person to navigate entry through the sewer, etc.) to realistically pull it off. He finds those willing to help him on the condition that he'll print them a million dollars apiece. The time for the operation is moved up unexpectedly, forcing the group to go in immediately, not completely prepared - and dressed as they are. As the caper unfolds, few things go according to plan.

The town drunk - former deputy sheriff, Dude, (Dean Martin) enters a saloon through the back door. He's dirty, unshaven and broke. A man called Joe Burdette (Claude Akins), the brother of the wealthy, corrupt local rancher Nathan, (John Russell) stands at the bar smiling as he watches how desperate Dude looks for a drink. He tosses a coin into the spittoon and laughs. Dude reluctantly bends down to pick it up but his old friend sheriff John T.Chance (John Wayne) kicks it out of the way. Burdette smiles and Chance starts to approach him. Dude feeling shamed picks up a piece of wood and knocks Chance out with it. Joe still smiles. Dude goes to hit him but Joe's men grab him and beat him. As Joe starts on him, an unarmed customer grabs his arm to stop him and Joe pulls out his gun and shoots him dead. He strolls out of the saloon leaving Chance and Dude half unconscious near the dead body. Joe walks into another of the town's bars and Chance walks in, head bleeding, dazed and pointing his rifle at him to arrest him. He tells him he's under arrest. Because of Joe's connections, there's some men to back him up in this saloon as well. A man stands behind Chance and pulls his gun on him. Dude appears at the salon doors and whips out someone else's gun and shoots the other gunman's hand to protect Chance. Joe goes for his gun and Chance knocks him out with his rifle. Dude helps Chance take him over to jail. The next day, as the funeral of Joe's victim takes place, a wagon train arrives in town led by Pat Wheeler (Ward Bond) and his youthful gunslinging helper, Colorado (Ricky Nelson). Pat and Chance are old friends and Chance tells him about the trouble going on in town. Burdette has his men scattered all over and he only has his reinstated deputy dude and old, crippled Stumpy (Walter Brennan) for support. There's no way he can get Joe out of town to the marshal, - he's going to have to wait a few days for the marshal and his posse to arrive to pick him up. Pat goes off to leave the wagons which are filled with oil and dynamite near Nathan's warehouse, while Chance and Dude join Stumpy inside for a drink of beer. Just as Dude is about to take a drink near the cell, Joe starts to taunt him again about his shaking and trying to dry out. Dude throws the glass bottle at the bars in anger. A package arrives for the hotel owner Carlos (Pedro Gonzalez) and Chance takes it over for him.It's some underwear for his wife Consuela. As Chance and Carlos are talking, a woman appears at the door,"Feathers" (Angie Dickinson). Just arrived in town, she laughs at the sight of the sheriff and Carlos with the underwear.Chance walks out. Later at night, Chance,Dude and Stumpy are sat at the office. Chance and Stumpy see that Dude is restless and suffering with the drying out process.Realising he needs a distraction, Chance tells Stumpy that he and Dude are going to patrol the town. As they wander the street, Carlos comes out of the hotel and tells Chance that Pat has been spreading the word around that the sheriff needs some help. Chance goes inside and interrupts the card game that Pat's having with Colorado, Feathers and a few others. The two of them have a talk at the bar. Chance warns him that anybody who goes around publicly asking for people to help him out could end up dead. Pat offers to help him but Chance tells him no. He'd be no good if he needs Colorado for protection. So Pat offers him Colorado's help. As he goes to get him, Chance inspects a deck of cards that Pat and the others were playing with. Pat brings Colorado over but the young man says he's not interested. He's just going to mind his own business. Pat tells Chance that he's leaving in the morning. Chance gets ready to leave and notices Feathers winning another hand. He follows her up to her room to have a word with her. He tells her that the cards he looked at had three aces missing. He pulls out a wanted bill for a con-man and he's identified her as the man's partner. She admits she is but says she hasn't cheated. She says he's going to have to search her. As Chance starts to feel uncomfortable, Colorado appears and tells him he thinks it's the man with the checkered vest who's been cheating. They approach him downstairs and he tries to go for his gun but Colorado's faster. He whips his gun out and after searching him, he finds the cards. Chance tells Carlos to lock the man in his room all night and to make sure he leaves town in the morning. He tells the others to split his winnings between them and thanks Colorado. Colorado asks him about Feathers but Chance is reluctant to apologise to her. He just tells her he was wrong. He leaves the hotel and asks Dude where Pat is. Pat's walking down the street towards them but he is shot by a man hiding in the stable. Chance and Dude run to him but he's dead. Colorado asks Chance if he can help them pursue the gunman but Chance says no. Chance bursts into the barn but the gunman gets away to the saloon. Dude gets a few shots of and thinks he might have got him. Chance lets Dude go in the front entrance of the saloon while he goes through the back. The customers tell them that no one has entered. Dude looks for a man with muddy boots as the gunman watches from the balcony. None of the men have muddy boots. He even checks the barman's to make sure. The men start laughing at him.One of them tosses a coin into the spitoon. Dude looks shameful and Chance looks doubtful about his mind but Dude notices some blood dripping into a glass of beer on the bar. Dude knows he's there. He turns around, whips out his gun and shoots up at him. The dead body lands in front of the bar. Dude finds a 50 dollar goldpiece on him and know it's the work of Burdette offering money to hitmen. Chance confronts the man who told them no one came in and hits him over the head with his rifle. He tells the barman to collect the mens guns and take them over to the jail. Chance tells Dude that he'll let him go in the front often. Colorado arrives at the office with some of Pat's belongings. He thanks Dude for getting the man who killed him and tells Chance that he's just taken him to the undertaker's. Chance has to keep hold of all of Pat's belongings until he gets a court order, including the wagons, which means Colorado has to stay in the town for a while, broke. Chance goes to the hotel and finds Feathers at the bar. She apologises for acting the way she did. He tells her how he became the sheriff and she tells him what happened to her gambling husband. He cheated people one too many times and was murdered. Chance knows the sheriff who put out the wanted bills for her and tells her that he'll write him a letter to stop anymore been put out which she appreciates. The next morning, Chance wakes up late and wants to know why Carlos has let him sleep in. He says that Feathers told him to leave him and that she kept watch on his room all night sat in a chair in the hallway.Chance confronts her about it and tells her it was a stupid thing to do. He tells her she better get ready for the stagecoach. Dude is on watch making sure that the visitors in the town leave their guns in his possession upon arrival to be collected when they leave. Nathan Burdette rides into town with a bunch of men. He tells them to leave their guns while they visit Joe. They refuse but Dude shoots the raines on one of the men's horse and then they do what he says. They ride up to the office and Chance tells them that he's only letting Nathan see Joe. While he sees him, Chance lets Nathan know how angry he is about what he's been doing and the fact that Pat is dead. He tells him that if he and his men even try to attack the office, Stumpy will blow his brother away before he knows what's happening. After Nathan leaves, Stumpy asks Chance why he let him go. Chance says because whatever they are going to do is planned already and if Nathan's in jail when it happens it will just give him an alibi. Carlos arrives and tells Chance that Feathers never got on the stagecoach to leave. Chance goes over to her room wanting to know why. She says she doesn't want to leave town until all the trouble's over and she knows he's alright. Colorado sits in the saloon watching Nathan and his men drinking at the bar. Nathan walks over to the mariachi band. He whispers to them, leaves them some money and walks out with his men as they start to play a slow Mexican tune. The music plays out across the town all day into the quiet night as Chance and Dude listen to it.Colorado approaches them and tells Chance that Nathan asked them to play the tune. He says it's Nathan's way of sending him a message.It's called The Deguelio, a cutthroat song, a tune the Mexicans played for the Texans when they had them pent up at the Alamo. It's Nathan's way of saying No mercy. As Chance, Dude and Stumpy sit around in the office, Dude asks Chance about how he feels about Feathers. Chance is reluctant to talk about it. Dude brings up the fact that when a woman arrived in town off a stagecoach that he liked, he was the first person to warn him about her and he turned out to be right. Stumpy comes out from the jail and asks Chance to go and get him some coffee. Dude tells him that he's finding Stumpy's gun a little stiff and wants to file the action. Stumpy says no and tells Chance to give him his hold guns. He's been keeping them for a year and bought them off the man who Dude had sold them to when he was at rock bottom. Chance takes Dude over to the hotel to get washed and cleaned up. When he leaves, Feathers tells Chance that she's staying on at the hotel to bartend.Chance hears a gunshot go off over at the jail and runs over. He realises that Stumpy had fired at Dude after failing to recognise him and assuming it was one of Burdette's men trying to get in. Dude isn't hit but he's angry. He fully realises the dirty looking state he must have been in for the last two years. And Stumpy feels ashamed that he nearly killed his good friend. The next morning, whilst on his watch, some of Burdette's men sneak up to him from behind. They dunk his head in the horse trough and knock him out. They tie him up in the barn and one of the men, dressed in identical clothes, takes his place in the street so that Chance won't suspect anything. Chance talks to Colorado at the entrance of the hotel and Colorado goes inside for some matches just as Burdette's men approach. Chance is rolling a cigarette and his rifle is out of arm's reach as them men catch him off guard and pull their guns on him. They tell him they want Joe.Colorado sees what's going on from inside and tells Feathers to throw a plant pot through the window after counting to three. He calmly walks out side,he window smashes, just long enough to distract the men and Colorado tosses Chance his rifle and they gun them down.The fourth man in the distance tries to ride off but Chance shoots him too and goes to check on Dude. He finds him in the barn and unties him. Feeling ashamed and with the shakes becoming worse, Dude tells Chance he's had enough and that he's quitting. Chance tells him he's had enough too and that if he's going to get drunk don't expect to ask for his help again. Dude hits Chance. Chance tells him to wait for him at the office and he'll pay him what he owes him. Chance tells the undertaker to bury the men and it will be paid for by the town. The undertaker says there's no need. He's found enough money on the men to cover the costs. Chance realises that Nathan's price offer to get Joe out is going up. Feathers is sat at the bar with Colorado getting drunk and feeling emotional. Chance tells her that he appreciates what she did and offers Colorado a job as his deputy. Colorado agrees this time. He gives Colorado his badge at the office while Dude watches feeling helpless. Colorado goes to collect his stuff ready o sleep at the jail. Dude sits quiely craving a drink. Stumpy tells him not to but Chance, fed up with his self pitying, tells him to drink the whole bottle. Dude pours himself a glass and the Mexican tune starts to play again. He decides against it. He slowly pours the glass back into the bottle and tells them the shakes have stopped. He asks Chance for another opportunity which Chance is more than willing to give him. At night, Dude,Colorado and Stumpy have a little sing along while they sit around. Stumpy says it's better than been shot at in the street, which gives Chance the idea of shutting themselves away for a few days while they wait for the marshal to arrive. Chance and Dude go to the hotel to ask Carlos for some food and blankets. Carlos goes out back but finds that has Consuela has been taken hostage by some of Burdette's men. Dude takes a bath while Chance keeps guard on the landing talking to Feathers. He tells her he won't be seeing her for a few days. Burdette's men want to keep Chance alive so that they can get Joe out. So they tie a thin piece of rope across the bottom of the stairs,so that he trips over it as he charges down towards the screaming that they force Consuela to do. As Chance trips over it,he knocks himself out as he hits the floor. The men also take Dude and Feathers hostage. They want to trade Chance and Dude for Joe but Chance tells them there's no way Stumpy would do that. They tell Chance that he's going to have to tell Stumpy that they've put up bail for his release.Dude tells him they've no choice.Stumpy's old and alone. It's best to release Joe. Chance walks into the office with the two men behind him pointing guns at his back. One man waits outside.Stumpy is behind the bars with a shotgun ready. Chance calmly tells him that he's going to release Joe. Stumpy tells him the keys are on his desk and when Chance moves to get them, Stumpy blows the two men away. The third man runs in and Colorado wounds him.While Stumpy keeps guard on him,Chance and Colorado run over to the hotel to save Dude. But when they get there, they only find Feathers untying Carlos and Consuela. The men have taken off with Dude out the back door. Chance decides not to go after them in case it reults in Dude been killed.Instead he tells Carlos to get in touch with Nathan to tell him he wants to talk to him. He asks Feathers if she now regrets staying. She shakes her head. Chance, Stumpy and Colorado wait at the office for news from Carlos. When he turns up, he tells them that Nathan wants a deal.Trade Dude for Joe. Chance agrees.Stumpy wants to go but Chance tells him he's too old and slow to get involved in any trouble in wide open spaces. Stumpy reluctantly stays. Chance and Colorado leave and walk through the town to the barn overlooking Nathan's warehouse. Chance and Colorado get ready with their guns. Chance is happy to see Dude still alive and well as they bring him out. Joe starts walking towards Nathan and his men as Dude starts walking towards Chance and Colorado. Just as the two men are about to walk passed each other, Dude lunges for Joe and they start fighting behind a wall, as Chance and Colorado engage in a gunfight between the men hiding in the warehouse. Dude knock Joe out and Colorado tosses him a gun. During the shootout, a few men try and escape across the creek to try and get behind Chance and Colorado to ambush them. Chance and Colorado shoot a couple of them but two manage to get across. But two explosive gunshots are fired out of view and the men drop dead. Chance recognizes the laugh belonging to Stumpy. Chance and Colorado are pleased but Colorado tells Chance that Stumpy is near the wagons that are full of dynamite. Carlos arrives to help Chance with a big shotgun. Chance runs out of the barn to get across to warn Stumpy as the gunfight carries on. From behind a wall and out of range of the dynamite,Stumpy throws a couple of unlit sticks towards the warehouse for Chance and Dude to fire at and blow up. The dynamite gets closer and closer to the warehouse and on the final one that Chance fires at, the whole warehouse nearly blows up. The Burdette brothers and the remaining henchmen tell them they give up and come walking out unarmed. Later at night, the town is peaceful again. The remaining men have taken off and Chance goes over to the hotel to see Feathers. As he passionately embraces her, she throws her tights out of the window into the street. Dude and Stumpy are passing and walk off smiling and laughing.

In 1920s Arkansas, after a 12 year absence, reformed alcoholic Matt Ballot returns to his abandoned family but has to win them back and regain his hometown's respect too. Matt Ballot has returned home after 9 years of hard drinking in all 48 states. His wife managed to raise their 11-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son nicely without his help. Matt is considered a disgrace to the town he came from, and now he finds himself trying to win the love of his children, his wife and the respect of the townspeople. Set in Arkansas in the 1920s. —William Lund <hdccs@telis.org>

In 1851, Tom Dunson (John Wayne) and friend Nadine Groot (Walter Brennan), join a wagon train in St. Louis (or near St. Louis), headed for California. After three weeks, they approach north Texas, where the land looks good to Tom. He decides he wants to break away from the wagon train and go find a place to start a ranch of his own. The wagon master tries to order him to stay, then tries talking him out of it, all to no avail. Tom is also pretty handy with his fists and a gun, so there wouldnt be any forcing him. Along with Tom and Nadine on the trip to California is Fen (Colleen Gray), Toms love interest. He and Fen are basically engaged (in love, anyway) and she wants to come with Tom and Nadine to find a ranch. Tom wont hear of it, promising to send for her once hes settled in. She doesn't like the idea of having to wait, but promises to come. Before leaving, Tom gives Fen a bracelet that belonged to his mother. Tom and Nadine take off with their wagon, horse, one bull and two cows, and get maybe 10-15 miles from the wagon train, near the Red River, when they look back and see black smoke. Realizing that the wagon train has most likely been attacked by Indians, they know they cant get back in time to help, and that some of the Indians are likely to come looking for them soon enough anyway, so they set up in a defensive posture and wait. Sure enough, maybe 6-7 Indian braves show up and begin an attack with a fire arrow that hits Tom's and Nadine's wagon (but doesnt do much damage). Both Tom and Nadine are good shots and they kill most of the attackers right away. However, one of their cows was killed by the Indians and then Tom has to fight hand-to-hand. He kills one Indian as they fight and fall into the river. Tom notices the Indian he killed was wearing the bracelet hed given to Fey. Tom then sneaks out to kill the last one or two Indians of the group, who were still out there hiding. The next day, theres a young boy named Matt Garth (Mickey Kuhn) who comes strolling along leading a cow and talking to himself, like hes lost his mind. Tom slaps the kid to snap him out of his trance. The kid then pulls a hand gun and points it at Tom. Tom grabs the gun and takes it away, knocking the kid down. The kid is not crazy, but just play-acting. Tom tells him never to pull a gun on him again. The kid has spunk and tells Tom never to take his gun from him again. Tom turns to Nadine and says, hell do. Tom hands Matt's gun back to him and allows him to come with them. Apparently, the family or group Matt had been with was attacked by Indians too, so he had no one left. The three of them travel deep into Texas, stopping at the Rio Grande, where Tom pronounces himself the new owner of all the land visible north of the river. He also says that 10 years hence, hell have the biggest and best ranch in all of Texas, with plenty of beef to feed and nourish all the people around the area. He tells Garth and Groot that he will brand all the cattle in his future herd with a D double bar (the bars representing the banks of the Red River). Matt wants an M added to the brand, but Dunson says he'll have to earn it. Two Mexican men come riding up and introduce themselves as employees of Don Diego, the man who owns the land they are standing on. At that moment, Don Diego was at his ranch headquarters 400 miles south, in Mexico. Tom tells the two men to ride back and tell Don Diego that all the land north of the Rio Grande now belongs to him and hes taking it. One of the men says that just cant be and he goes for his gun. Tom outdraws him and shoots him dead. He tells the other man to take his friends horse and go back and tell Don Diego what happened. Tom told the guy that he would take care of burying the other man's body. Flash forward nearly 15 years later to find Tom, Nadine and a grown Matt (Montgomery Clift) having a discussion about Matts recent return to the ranch, and the major problem of there being no market in Texas for all of Toms thousands of cattle (thanks to the Civil War basically bankrupting everyone). The decision is that they will need to drive the cattle north instead, to Missouri, to sell them. Tom was going to make Nadine stay behind, as Nadine was getting too old to ride, but the trail cook had just quit, so Nadine got to go, as the cowboys would need a cook. Tom and Nadine had a funny exchange, right after Tom had told Nadine he had to stay behind. Nadine was talking to himself, complaining about the decision, while Tom was trying to talk to Matt. Tom finally turned to Nadine and asked him what he was saying and why didnt he have his new teeth in his mouth, because he couldnt understand his mumbling. Nadine responded that everyone else could understand him just fine and he was keeping his teeth in his pocket until he needed them for eating. Matt was overseeing the branding of the cattle, preparatory to the drive, and having the men turn loose any cows belonging to a rancher named Meeker (Davison Clark), or to Don Diego. Tom rides up and orders that no cattle be turned loose and that they all be branded with the D-Double Bar brand (his). Matt doesnt agree, but tells the men to go ahead and do as Tom says. About that time, Mr. Meeker rides up with some of his men, including a hired gun, and asks Tom for permission to look through the herd to cull out any of his cows. Tom denies permission, telling Meeker that hes branding all of the cows he has, regardless of any other brands they may already have on them. Things get pretty testy and Matt and Mr. Meekers gunfighter, Cherry Valance (John Ireland) exchange words. Matt has become very handy with a gun himself. Tom relents somewhat, in that he decides to offer Meeker $2/head for any of his cows that make it to Missouri and get sold. Meeker agrees. Cherry then decides hed like to work for Tom instead of Meeker and asks to be hired on. Tom hires him at $10/month, the going rate for a trail hand. Matt and Cherry are just itching to have a fight (preferably a gunfight), and Tom realizes its probably inevitable, but he forces them to get along for the time being. They do have an initial challenge contest, where they borrow each others guns and alternately shoot at a tin can, impressing each other with their respective skills. In the bunkhouse, theres a poker game the night before the drive starts. Quo (Chief Yowlachie) is sitting opposite Groot. Groot has a good hand, but when Quo bets one silver dollar, Groot is aghast. Thats equivalent to 3 days pay. He asks Matt to loan him a dollar, but Matt refuses. The rule of the game is that only whats on the table at the time can be used to bet with. So, Quo asks Groot whats in the small bag he has there on the table and Groot tells him it contains his false teeth. Quo says hell accept half interest in the teeth to cover the one dollar bet. Groot isn't happy about it, but he agrees. They show their cards. Quo has the better hand and demands the teeth. Groot wants to know how hes supposed to eat without his teeth and Quo tells him that come grub time, you get em. Dunson comes into the bunkhouse and tells everyone that its now or never as far as their decisions to go on the drive. He tells them that there will be no hard feelings for anyone who wants to stay behind, and promised them that theyd still have jobs on the ranch after the drive is over. He tells them that theyll be doing good to make 10 miles a day on the 1,000 mile drive, 15 miles if they are lucky. Theyll face bad weather, dust, Indians and border gangs (once they get close to Missouri). But, once a cowboy says hell go, hes expected to finish the drive, whatever happens. Dunson makes everyone going sign a piece of paper representing their word to stick it out. The next morning, breakfast was served at 4:30 and, with nearly 10,000 head of cattle grouped together, at 5 a.m., Dunson quietly told Matt to take 'em to Missouri. All the cowboys whooped and hollered as they started out. Quo holds Groot to the results of their bet, only loaning the false teeth back to Groot at mealtimes. Groot is not happy about that. He tells Quo that the teeth help him keep the dust out of his mouth. Quo tells him to keep his mouth shut then, and dust not get in. Groot complains that before the drive is over, hell probably eat enough land to get himself incorporated in the Union as the State of Groot. Quo still says no. Dunson isnt happy about the situation either, complaining that Groot mumbles and needs to have his teeth in to be understood. The men start talking about taking the cattle to Kansas instead of Missouri, as its closer and there are less hazards along the way. However, because no one has personal knowledge of a railway actually being in Abilene, KS (where rumor has it there was one), Dunson says to forget it. Dunson goes through 3-4 horses a day, so hes obviously very involved in the drive. The group is 30 days into the drive with no major issues. One cowboy remarks that he doesnt like that. It makes him nervous. He prefers a balance of things going well and having trouble, not just one or the other. The trouble part does come, and it starts as a result of Bunk Kenneally (Ivan Parry) continuing to get into the supply of sugar (he dips his fingers into the sack whenever he can, which gets him in trouble with Groot). Everyone has been on their best behavior as far as being quiet, because the cattle are on edge. They are tired and there are coyotes milling about. Everyone is worried that the cows will stampede if something spooks them. So, when Bunk clumsily knocks over some of the cook pots as hes getting into the sugar, thats enough noise to start a stampede. One of the cowboys prefers to wear a bowler hat. He gets trapped behind a shrub in the middle of the stampede, so Matt and another fellow ride up and each grab an arm of this fellow and they carry him off to the side of the stampeding cows and let him down. After the cows are stopped and calmed down, it's noticed that one of the wranglers, Dan Latimer (Harry Carey Jr.) is missing. Latimer wore checkered pants and would talk about using the $100 he would be earning on the drive to buy a place to farm/ranch, and a pair of red shoes for his wife. A search begins and they find what's left of Latimer's distinctive checkered pants among a bunch of dead cattle. Dunson tells Matt to make sure the widow gets Dans money and whatever else. Matt replies, like a pair of red shoes? Dunson reads over Latimer's remains the next morning and as he puts the Bible back on the wagon, he goes over and picks up Groots' whip, at the same time calling out to Bunk: Bunk Kennally, you started all this! 400 cows dead and Latimer too. Stealing sugar like a little kid. Well, we whip kids to punish them for things like that. Dunson tells Teeler to strap Bunk to a wagon wheel. Before Teeler can do that, Bunk speaks up and acknowledges that he is remorseful about Latimer and the dead cows, but he tells Dunson he wont stand to be whipped. As he goes for his gun, hed likely have been shot dead by Dunson, but Matt draws first and shoots Bunk in the shoulder, saving his life. Dunson turns to Matt and says, you shot him, you take care of him! Matt provides Bunk with two horses and sends him back home. Cherry observes all this and tells Matt that while hes real fast with a gun, hes got a soft heart, and that will get him hurt some day. Matt says that could be, but not to count on it. 40 days out, with reduced rations (after one wagon was destroyed in the stampede), the men become increasingly restless. Tom reminds them that they all signed on to see it through, like it or not. A cowboy named Sutter (William Self) rides up, his head bandaged and barely able to talk (there was a rope burn around his neck), saying he had been riding with the Garwood herd (2,000 cows) when they were ambushed by about 100 bandits. Hearing that, Naylor, Fernandez and another hand tell Dunson theyve had enough (but not until right after theyd watched Dunson set his gun belt down as he was preparing to go get some water). Dunson tells them they cant go. They reach for their guns as Groot tosses a loaded and cocked rifle to Dunson. Dunson's shots, in combination with those fired by Matt and Cherry, kill the three wranglers. Dunson orders the three buried, announcing that hell read over them in the morning. That prompts one of the cowboys to say: Plantin and readin, plantin and readin. Why, when youve killed a man, why try to read the Lord in as a partner in the job? Matt argues with Dunson over the need to confront and kill the three men. He and Groot both tell Dunson hes wrong to do such things. Groot then patches up a bullet wound on Dunsons lower left leg. That night, Teeler, Kelsey and Laredo are on watch, when they decide to take some ammunition and flour and ride out, headed back home. The next morning, Dunson sends Cherry and Buster to go get the three and bring them back, dead or alive. The herd arrives at the Red River. Matt wants to give everyone a rest and cross the river first thing in the morning. Dunson will have none of that, and orders the crossing to begin immediately. He finds a couple areas of quicksand in the river to be avoided then orders the crossing to start. The process continues into the night. Between 30-40 head are lost during the process. Dunson is limping badly and pulls heavily from a bottle of whiskey once he sits down to rest. Hes exhausted, refusing to sleep until Cherry gets back with the three cowboys who left. He wants to make sure no one else tries to leave. Hes sure once the three are returned and punished, no one else will leave. Cherry does come back, on the 4th day after he left, with two of the cowboys: Laredo and Teeler. Cherry said Kelsey chose not to return, so he had to shoot him. Dunson announces that he is going to hang the two. Matt tells him that he wont be doing that, and he will be the one to stop him. Dunson braces his right hand on a piece of wood to stand up and face Matt, but Matt shoots him in the hand. When Dunson tries to draw his gun, he isn't able to hold onto it and it falls to the ground. Dunson reaches down for it with his left hand and Buster shoots the gun away. Matt announces that hes taking over and will be taking the herd to Abilene. He says that Dunson will be left behind. Groot offers to stay with Dunson, but he tells Groot to go with the others. He then tells Matt that hell come after him and will kill him. Groot is later calculating how long before Dunson gets to another town, rounds up some new men, and catches up to them. For the next 2-3 weeks, everyone on the drive is nervous and jumpy, anticipating his return. One of the steers is found dead, filled with Apache arrows. Matt sends Buster and Cherry ahead 10 miles with rifles to scout and keep watch. Buster comes riding back all excited, with news that theres a wagon train about 18 miles ahead, the Donegal party, headed from New Orleans to Nevada, to set up a saloon for gambling, drinking and partying. He says there are dancing girls with the wagon train. Matt decides that the men need and deserve some distraction and decides to head the herd to the wagon train before continuing on to Abilene. As the herd approaches the wagon train, they hear shooting. The train is under attack by Apaches. Matt gives orders for the men to split into two groups and come at the Indians from the sides, while he and a few others ride down the middle. It takes some time to get all the men rounded up and ready, so Matt and the few others go ahead and ride straight to the wagons, jumping right into the middle of the circled wagons and helping fight the Indians who were circling around, yelping and shooting their arrows. Matt finds himself side by side with a very attractive woman who is firing a rifle (but not very well). Shes Tess Millay (Joanne Dru). He tells her to load and hell shoot. She perceives that hes angry about something and wants to know what. About that time, she takes an arrow to the right shoulder, pinning her to a wagon. Matt cuts the shaft so she is free from the wagon, but he has to finish the Indian fight before helping more. The rest of the men finally come charging down the hill and the men within the circle of wagons come charging out and the Apaches decide to hightail it. Matt returns to pull the arrow from Tesss shoulder, then he decides he needs to suck some poison out of the wound. She slaps him across the face for doing that, then passes out. Theres a big party that night, making use of the food, drinks, cards, and girls that are all available in the camp. Tess asks Groot to tell her all about Matt, because she "needs to know." She also wants to talk to Matt before they get back on the trail the next day. Groot goes and finds Matt (hes out in the evening fog, on watch) and tells Tess where he is. She goes out there and gets up close and starts talking to him. She tells him that he needs to talk to her, that talking about his concerns and fears is the way to deal with them. Matt doesnt need all that much convincing to talk, as she's a very soft and pretty girl that is very close to him. He opens up and they quickly get very comfortable with each other. Shed fallen in love with him immediately. He probably did too, but needed a bit of convincing that it would be ok to fall in love with a saloon girl. As its raining hard and there are worries about the level of the next river to be crossed. Matt decides they need to do it right away, even though its nighttime. Meanwhile, Dunson has gathered 8 new men and is on the chase. Nine days after the herd had left the wagon train, Dunson and his men come across the wagons. Tess immediately announces that shell "take care of Mr. Dunson." She considers shooting Dunson, as he sits in her tent talking to her, but he knows she has a pistol and is prepared to shoot her first if need be. It doesnt come to that. He notices shes wearing his mothers bracelet and asks her how she got it away from Matt. She sarcastically says she stole it, then admits she loves Matt and that he gave it to her. As they talk, Tess tells Dunson that she wanted to go with Matt on the drive, but he said no, it was too dangerous and tough. That reminded Dunson of the day when he turned down his womans request to go along with him. He was nevertheless bound and determined to go find and kill Matt, and tells Tess she cant say or do anything to change his mind. She keeps after him, though, and he acknowledges his disappointment in Matt, saying he was the son he never had and would stand to inherit his ranch if he hadnt betrayed him. Dunson takes a fresh look at Tess and offers her half of everything he owns in exchange for her bearing him a son. She says shell do it, if hell stop pursuing Matt. He says no, so she begs instead to be allowed to go with him. He says ok. Matts understandably stressed about whether they will find a railroad in Abilene, and the fact that Dunson is hot on his trail. Fortunately, they hear a train whistle in the distance and come across a train, about 12 miles from Abilene. The engineer is very thrilled to see the herd, as are the townspeople who come riding out to meet and greet them. They tell Matt to drive the herd right down Main Street so all the people can see (thats nearly impossible not to do anyway, as its a tiny town). Its August 14, 1865 and marks the time the first cattle drive on the Chisholm Trail is completed. In Abilene, Mr. Melville (Harry Carey Sr.) represents the Greenwood Trading Company of Illinois and offers immediately to buy the entire herd. Matt has no experience at selling cows, so hes hesitant to accept the $20/head offer. Mr. Melville then tells him to go out and find the best price he can for a lot of 500 cows and then hed match the price and still buy the whole herd. It ends up being $21/head. Matt signs the contract and receives a check for $50,000, with the balance to be paid once a final tally is arrived at. He makes sure all the cowboys get paid right away. Matt returns to his room at the Hotel Royale and is shocked to find Tess in there, all dressed in black. She apologizes for appearing as if shes in mourning. She tells him Dunson is camped outside town and will be coming to get him in the morning. It's likely that they get to know each other intimately that night. The next morning, everyone has gathered at the front of the hotel, waiting. Buster rushes in through the cows on his horse to announce that Dunson and his 10-12 men were riding in. Dunson, meanwhile, is telling his men to remember where they each stand in all this, which apparently is to hang well back and not interfere. Dunson dismounts on the far side of the railroad tracks and sets out with a very purposeful walk, through the cows and across the tracks. Cherry, realizing that Matt is not likely to draw and shoot it out with Dunson, confronts Dunson before he gets to Matt. They both draw and shoot, wounding each other. Cherry falls, but Dunson continues on. He gets close and tells Matt to draw, but Matt refuses. Dunson draws and empties his gun, shooting all around Matt, knocking his hat off and grazing his right cheek, drawing blood. He then walks up to Matt and wants to know what he has to do to make a man out of him. Dunson grabs and tosses away Matts gun. He reminds Matt that as a boy, he once told him never to try that again, but Matt doesn't react. Dunson then punches Matt in the face 2-3 times, knocking him down. He drags him back up, ready to hit some more, but Matt shocks him by punching him and knocking him down. They brawl until Tess fires a pistol into the air, stopping the action. She chews them out loudly for awhile, then decides maybe they should go ahead and pummel each other, and she turns away so they can continue. They don't start fighting again, however. Instead, they stand looking after Tess. Dunson tells Matt to marry that gal. Matt says, When are you going to stop telling people what to do? Dunson says, After one more thing. After we get back to Texas, Im going to make the brand the double bar D, with an additional name (he scrawls out an M in the dirt). You earned it!

6-year-old Jenny rescues a collie dog slated for animal experiments. Dr. Webster adopts them both, to his fiancee's chagrin. An outbreak of spotted fever sends the town into panic and Jenny is infected and about to die. Six-year-old Jenny rescues a collie dog, the only survivor of a plane wreck. A tag on the dog's neck states that it is en route to a medical laboratory where its blood will be used for spotted fever vaccine. Dr. Steven Webster meets Jenny and the dog and "adopts" them both. His fiancée Susan isn't too fond of either the girl or the dog. Webster wants to get a hospital for the town but he is suppressed by the town mayor. In the arguments that follow, Webster's lab is wrecked and ticks infected with spotted fever escape. The town is in a panic and all want to be vaccinated. Jenny is infected and is about to die. —Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>

In 1871 Dakota, two crooked businessmen oppose the local wheat farmers and the railroad development to control the town of Fargo. In 1871, professional gambler John Devlin elopes with Sandra "Sandy" Poli, daughter of Marko Poli, an immigrant who has risen to railroad tycoon. Sandy, knowing that the railroad is to be extended into Dakota, plans to use their $20,000 nest egg to buy land options to sell to the railroad at a profit. On the stage trip to Ft. Abercrombie, their fellow passengers are Jim Bender and Bigtree Collins, who practically own the town of Fargo, and Devlin is aware that they are prepared to protect the little empire: trying to drive out the farmers by burning their property, destroying their wheat, and blaming the devastation on the Indians. Continuing their journey north on the river aboard the "River Bird', Sandy and John meet irascible old seafarer Captain Bounce. Two of Bender's henchmen, Slagin and Carp, board the boat and relieve John of his $20,000 at gunpoint. Captain Bounce, chasing the robber's dinghy, wrecks his boat on a sandbar. At Fargo, the land wars begin and John teams with the wheat farmers against the Bender gang. Several attempts are made on his life and Collins tries to frame him for murder. —Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net> John Devlin helps Dakota wheat farmers save their land from swindling entrepeneurs who hope to make a fortune selling it to the railroad for its right-of-way. —Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>

When reporter ANN MITCHELL (Barbara Stanwyck) is laid off by managing editor HENRY CONNELL (James Gleason) because of streamlining, she begs to stay on since she's supporting her MOTHER (Spring Byington) and TWO SISTERS (Tina Thayer and Carlotta Jelm), but it's no use. Angry, she gathers up her belongings but then, as a parting shot, types up a fake letter from "John Doe" stating that he's so downtrodden by the unfairness of things that he intends jumping off the building on Christmas Eve. The paper prints the letter and it causes a sensation. Everyone relates to and wants to help John Doe. Connell, desperate to get hold of the original letter is shocked when Ann tells him there was no letter. Connell, angry, is ready to print a retraction but Ann suggests that they hire a "fake John Doe" to embody the pathos of the letter. She gets her job back along with a lucrative fee and contract. Several desperate MEN line up claiming to have written the letter, so Ann and Connell must now pick the one. When handsome JOHN WILLOUGHBY (Gary Cooper) walks in, Ann's clearly smitten. A likable, quiet baseball pitcher who's fallen on bad times, John's the one who will become "John Doe." Although he seems too honest to lie, Ann believes he's desperate enough. They create a fake letter, put him up at a fancy hotel with bodyguards, making him sign an agreement. Also in tow (much to Connell's chagrin) is THE COLONEL (Walter Brennan), a confirmed vagabond, distrustful of society, who warns John that he's falling into a trap of privilege. Next come publicity photos, which are directed by Ann to get the correct "angry protest" look. With headlines proclaiming his anger at the unfairness of the world, John becomes an increasing media sensation, courtesy of hyperbolic headlines concocted by Connell. Meanwhile, the GOVERNOR (Vaughn Glaser) suspects John Doe is a myth but mistakenly feels it was concocted by publisher B. D. NORTON (Edward Arnold) to discredit him. Ann convinces Norton to play it for what it's worth. Norton offers her money to write radio speeches to sell Doe. He also wants her to work directly with him and not Connell. Ann goes to work, typing up a storm but nothing comes to mind. Ann's Mother (Spring Byington) suggests that she write something upbeat and simple, using the values of Ann's late father as an inspiration. By now, John has begun realizing that his baseball career might not get started again if the John Doe business is revealed as a phony. Nonetheless, John reads his first manufactured upbeat speech, written by Ann, to a packed house. Ann coaches him to be sincere, suggesting that she's fallen in love with John Doe. The speech, broadcast on the radio, stirs the people with its "love-thy-neighbor" style message. CROWDS love him but John can't get away fast enough. He and the Colonel retreat to riding the rails in a boxcar and flee. B. D. Norton, thinking he was great, wants him located. When a DINER WAITER (Sterling Holloway) recognizes him, John's hope for a return to normalcy is squelched by sudden CROWDS, eager to meet him. Ann and Norton locate him. John isn't happy about it. When Norton offers him a lecture tour, he refuses it angrily. When the common PEOPLE who have a "John Doe" club talk to him, however, he softens when hearing how he's touched them. Now, John's torn. His itinerant pal, The Colonel, thinks he's been "hooked" and, disgusted, walks out on him. Norton arranges the lecture tour. John speaks in state after state, addressing the many national clubs in his name. Connell tells Norton, however, that he's curious why Norton is spending so much money on the tour. In the meantime, Ann, knowing that John now likes her, feels increasingly like the heel she feels she is. She feels even worse when John relates a tender dream that he had about her and talks to her about how he relates to the lonely, hungry people to whom he's been speaking. Norton gives Ann a fur coat and a gift. He then tells her that he wants John Doe to announce a new "third political party," which, it's clear to Ann, was Norton's plan all along. Norton wants to be the presidential candidate for that party, which will be less for the people than it is for those like Norton - big business types. John visits Ann's Mother, telling her he'd like to marry Ann. Her gentle advice is just to ask. While John talks with Connell, the editor, who's had a few drinks, blurts that Norton has a dark agenda. John feels hurt and used, as he'd felt the whole John Doe was legitimate, not a tool for Norton's political ambitions. Connell also tells John how well paid Ann is to write the speeches and would do anything for money. Angry, John walk in on Norton and Ann at a lavish dinner party he's having in his mansion. John overhears Norton's political plotting as well as his toast to Ann for having aided him. Ann sees that John is listening. John asks Ann if indeed she wrote Norton's speech and she admits it. John then confronts Norton and all at his party. John threatens to thwart his efforts. Norton accuses John of being the fake, not him. Norton threatens to reveal such if he talks. Aghast that Norton would kill the John Doe movement to protect his own interests, John is furious with all of them. He tells them off with passion, impressing Ann and the STAFF, who overhear. John feels that the movement is far too powerful for Norton and his cronies to stop. Norton wants John stopped before he can blow the whistle at the huge gathering that has now formed at a public arena. Ann catches up with John, trying to explain, telling him that she didn't know what Norton and his people were doing. John doesn't believe her and won't allow her to accompany him in his cab. John shows up at the event as a huge CROWD stands in the rain singing the National Anthem. A PRIEST introduces John. Before he can speak, Norton has published a report that John Doe is a fake. Norton's TROOPERS storm the event as John tries to get the mob's attention and speak. With John subdued, Norton takes the mike and accuses him of being a fraud. As John tries to speak, the Troopers cut the mike cords. Ann listens on the radio as the mob becomes unruly. John returns to his place beneath a bridge with The Colonel. Newspapers herald his faker. Clubs disband. John feels disgraced. He's tortured by memories of the sweet, simple people that he feels he now let down. Christmas Eve comes, the appointed time that John Doe was to take his life by leaping from the building. Some of his FOLLOWERS are convinced he'll jump, so they head for the roof, as does Ann. Indeed, John shows up, a letter in his hand addressed to the admirers he feels he let down. He's about to jump when Norton steps from the shadows with this MEN, telling him that if he jumps the mayor has been instructed to remove his ID, and thus his suicide will be for nothing. But John tells him he's already mailed a copy of the letter elsewhere. John's glad they're here. He tells Norton that the movement that they killed will be born all over again. Ann shows up as he's about to jump, begging him not to do it. She insists they can start it over again together; his followers agree. John and Ann walk away, and Connell gets in the last word with a thwarted Norton.

Semi-fictional account of pirate Jean Lafitte's involvement in the War of 1812. In the War of 1812, the British have sacked Washington and hope to capture New Orleans, where pirate Jean Lafitte romances blueblooded Annette de Remy and openly sells his loot in a pirates' market. But he never attacks American ships. Can the British bribe Lafitte to help them? Can Lafitte persuade American authorities of his loyalty? Will a love triangle between Annette and pretty Dutch girl Gretchen (survivor of a pirates' prize) bring about Lafitte's undoing? —Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>

Cappy Ricks, a crusty old sea captain, returns home from a long voyage to discover that his family and his business are in chaos--his daughter is set to marry a nitwit that he can't stand, and his future mother-in-law has taken over everything and is set to merge his business with that of a rival company. Worst of all, though, is that she--in the interests of "progress"--has completely automated his beloved ship, "Electra"!. He sets out to put an end to all this foolishness and comes up with what he thinks is a foolproof plan. —frankfob2@yahoo.com

When a wrongly-accused prisoner barely survives a lynch-mob attack and is presumed dead, he vindictively decides to fake his death and frame the mob for his supposed murder. Joe Wilson and Katherine Grant are in love, but he doesn't have enough money for them to get married, so Katherine moves across the country to make money. But things go disastrously wrong for Joe when he stops in a small town and is mistaken for a wanted kidnapper. Through the course of the movie, Fritz Lang shows us how a decent and once-civilized man can become a ruthless and bitter man. Based on the story "Mob Rule" by Norman Krasna. —Andre'a M. Thompson <athompso@ziggy.st.hmc.edu> Hard worker Joseph "Joe" Wilson and teacher Katherine Grant are in love but do not have enough money to get married. Katherine gets a better job in Washington and together with Joe, they save money to get married one year later. Joe quits his job in the factory and uses his savings to buy a gas station, working with his brothers Charlie and Tom. He makes enough money to get married with Katherine and buys a car. While driving with his dog Rainbow to meet his fiancée, Joe is stopped in Strand by the redneck deputy "Bugs" Meyers as a suspect in the kidnapping of a girl in the Peabody case. When they find peanuts in his pocket and a $5 bill in his pocket with the numeration of the money paid for ransom, Joe is arrested in jail for investigation. "Bugs" Meyers makes a comment in the barbershop about the prisoner and sooner the gossip is spread in the little town. As a tale never loses in the telling, Joe is accused by the population of kidnapping and they try to invade the police station to lynch him. For political reasons, Governor Burt does not send the National Guard to help Sheriff Tad Hummel to protect Joe and the police station is burnt down by the vigilantes. Katherine witnesses the action and has a breakdown. Joe is presumed dead but out of the blue he appears at his brothers' apartment seeking justice. He had learned that in accordance with the laws, Lynch Law is murder in the first degree and his brothers open a case against 22 inhabitants of Strand. The prosecutor Mr. Adams accepts the case and Katherine Grant is the prime witness. Joe's revenge is set in motion. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil It's been one year since Chicago pump jockey Joe Wilson and schoolteacher Katherine Grant have seen each other, when Katherine moved to Capitol City for a better paying job so that they jointly could earn enough money quicker to be able to get married. Joe is now driving to Capitol City in he feeling they have enough money for that permanent reunion. En route in the small town of Strand, Joe is stopped by the local sheriff in they having circumstantial evidence that he may be involved in a kidnapping. Word spreads quickly throughout the town that "a perpetrator" in the kidnapping has been apprehended and is being held in the local jail. Wanting their form of justice faster than what the sheriff's department is able to do, many of the townsfolk decide to take matters into their own hands and storm the jail, ultimately burning it down, the fire started just as Katherine, hearing about Joe's incarceration, arrives on the scene to see Joe in the cell window of the burning building, she witnessing Joe's death which places her in a semi-comatose state in emotional shock. Two subsequent items emerge which change the nature of the matter. First, the true kidnappers are apprehended in another town, they who confess to the crime. As such under the law, those in Strand that stormed the jail and burned down the building could be charged with Joe's murder. And second, Joe, aware of the law, reveals himself to be alive only to his two brothers, Charlie and Tom Wilson, back in Chicago, Joe who was able to escape from the burning building. With Charlie and Tom's help, Joe wants his own form of vigilante justice to see that those who "killed" him are charged and convicted with his murder which he doesn't believe will happen in the townsfolk protecting their own regardless of what they know to be the truth. In the process of the subsequent trial, Katherine has evidence that Joe is actually alive. She herself has to decide what to do, especially in believing that Joe's own vigilantism is not the man she knows and is not a foundation for a life together with him if that's what he still has in mind. —Huggo Passing through a small town, Joe is arrested for kidnapping. A lynch mob burns down the jail and Joe is believed killed. The incident has been captured on newsreel film and, for revenge, Joe urges his brothers to use the film to prove the mob guilty of his murder. —Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>