Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The Southwest at the turn of the century was accustomed to violence and death that stemmed
00:18from the anger of hot-blooded men, but the brutal, senseless murder of a young girl was
00:24something else.
00:26When Hannah Williams' body was found, Dr. Bill Baxter joined in the angry search for
00:30the killer, little suspecting that the killer would strike again.
00:35Rex Allen stars as the frontier doctor.
00:43Good night, honey.
00:49Please, Art, you'd better go now.
00:53I love you, Mary.
00:54I've got to get back before Pa misses me.
00:56When will I see you?
00:57Next Tuesday, the same place.
01:00Good night, sweetie.
01:03Good night.
01:04See you Tuesday.
01:05Good night.
01:22Mary Ross' body was discovered the next morning, and Sheriff Wilson sent for me to make medical
01:28examination.
01:29It was the second such murder within a month.
01:31Mr. Ross?
01:32I don't know.
01:34Nobody could have had a reason for doing this to Mary.
01:37From the footprints we found up past, she was come one.
01:40Have any idea who it was?
01:42I was kind of strict.
01:43She wouldn't have told me.
01:45Well, anyway, we know he's not the man we're after.
01:48Footprints don't match.
01:50But he may have heard or seen something.
01:53He's the only lead we got besides the shoes.
01:55Shoes?
01:56Whoever killed her took her shoes.
01:58Can I take her away from here, Doc, please?
02:01Sure.
02:04She was strangled, all right.
02:07With a rope.
02:08Same as Hannah Williams?
02:10Yeah.
02:11Two senseless killings in a month.
02:14The man's a homicidal maniac.
02:17I'm going to make a list of everybody that's moved in here in the last year.
02:20I want you to look it over and see if any of them show any signs of...
02:23That wouldn't do any good.
02:24He could be perfectly normal in every other way.
02:26I'm going to make a list of everybody that's moved in here in the last year.
02:29I want you to look it over and see if any of them show any signs of...
02:32That wouldn't do any good.
02:33He could be perfectly normal in every other way.
02:35It ain't likely that anybody that was born and raised in the rising springs
02:38could be loony without us knowing about it.
02:40Stan Gray and his sister,
02:42they've kept pretty much to themselves ever since they moved here.
02:45You don't know beans about ranching.
02:47He don't profess to be a rancher.
02:49He came out here for his asthma.
02:51Has he got asthma?
02:53I'm seeing him about it this morning.
02:55Instead of making lists of people you don't know or don't like,
02:58why don't you get out and find those shoes?
03:00Well, thank you.
03:01It's a radius of 20 miles.
03:02All I got to do is go out and find a pair of shoes,
03:04girl's shoes, size 5, black, with red mud on.
03:14Stan?
03:16Yes, Esther?
03:20Dr. Baxter's coming up the road.
03:28Hello, Doctor.
03:29Morning, Miss Gray.
03:31How's our asthma patient?
03:33Oh, he's a lot better.
03:34This was a mild attack compared to the ones he had in St. Louis.
03:38Morning, Stan.
03:39Hello, Dr. Baxter.
03:40How are you?
03:41I feel much better.
03:43You're looking better.
03:44Stan, over here.
03:49By the way,
03:50in case you hadn't been told,
03:52I think you'd better keep your windows and doors locked.
03:55Why?
03:56There's been another murder.
04:01Mary Ross was strangled last night.
04:04No.
04:05Oh, how dreadful.
04:08Your breathing's easier,
04:09but there's still a lot of congestion.
04:11Your heart's beating very rapid.
04:14Oh, he's so sensitive.
04:16Any news like this always upsets him.
04:19Is that man still in the neighborhood?
04:21He's obviously a maniac.
04:23If I were you,
04:24I don't believe I'd go out alone,
04:26at least until he's been caught.
04:28Well,
04:29well,
04:30he only seems interested in pretty girls.
04:33Guess he won't bother me.
04:35That's silly, Esther.
04:38I'm going to lock up right now.
04:47Oh, by the way,
04:48weren't you going to give me a sample of that Madison you wanted?
04:50Oh,
04:51all that talk about maniacs and killings
04:53put it right out of my mind.
04:55I really should have had Dr. Neal
04:57write out the prescription
04:58before we left home.
05:00I'll analyze it this afternoon.
05:02Goodbye.
05:03Thank you, doctor.
05:11Stan?
05:21I didn't do it, Esther.
05:23I swear I didn't.
05:26What's that in your hand?
05:27Nothing, sister, nothing.
05:30Give it to me, Stan.
05:46I found it on the floor this morning.
05:49My boots were muddy and my coat was torn,
05:51but I don't remember going out.
05:53I don't remember anything.
05:55Then never do.
05:57I tried.
05:59Honest, I tried.
06:02I hadn't lied for you in St. Joseph.
06:05If I'd just gone to the authorities,
06:07then these girls would be alive.
06:13Don't let them lock me up.
06:16I don't know what to do.
06:19I'd finished lunch
06:20and was working on the medicine for him.
06:22Any luck?
06:24No.
06:25We didn't even find out
06:26who Mary Ross went to meet.
06:28Probably some kids
06:29who were scared to go near the place.
06:31Here's that list of new people.
06:33Look it over and see if you get any ideas.
06:36I told you that wouldn't do any good.
06:38They had a whole series of killings
06:40just like this over in St. Joe last year.
06:42St. Joe?
06:43Yeah.
06:44They never found out who it was either.
06:47Ed, if I show you something,
06:48will you promise not to jump the gun?
06:50Ed, if I show you something,
06:51will you promise not to jump the conclusion?
06:53Sure.
06:54Take a look at the label on that.
06:58Seton Pharmacy, St. Joseph, Missouri.
07:01Where'd you get this?
07:03From Hester Gray.
07:04Well, I thought they came from St. Louis.
07:06Maybe they did.
07:07That don't mean anything except that...
07:08Except what?
07:10When I was examining Stan this morning
07:12and I mentioned the name Mary Ross,
07:14his heart went to beating
07:15like a blacksmith's hammer.
07:17You better come with me.
07:20You wait here.
07:21All right.
07:28Dr. Baxter.
07:30Hello, Miss Gray.
07:32You know Sheriff Wilson?
07:34Of course. How did you...
07:35Howdy, ma'am. He's your brother here.
07:37Well, he's resting.
07:39He's resting?
07:40Yes, he's resting.
07:41He's resting?
07:42Yes, he's resting.
07:43He's resting?
07:44Yes, he's resting.
07:45He's resting?
07:46Yes, he's resting.
07:47He's resting?
07:48Yes, he's resting.
07:49I'm afraid we'll have to disturb you.
07:51Do you mind if I ask why?
07:54It's about the murders.
08:12I don't like to throw my weight around,
08:14but if I have to...
08:15Enough!
08:19Come on!
08:36Come on!
08:42Get out!
08:43Come on, get out there!
08:49Come on, get out there!
08:50Come on!
09:14He's got the wind knocked out of him.
09:16Who cares?
09:18Let's get him back to town.
09:26Can I see my brother now?
09:28Not until you answer a few questions.
09:30There's nothing I can tell you,
09:32except you made a terrible mistake.
09:34I think you're making a mistake, Miss Gray.
09:36Sheriff has enough evidence to convince the jury
09:38that your brother's guilty.
09:39That's impossible!
09:40A jury will ask why you lied about living in St. Joe.
09:44They'll ask why you lied about living in St. Joe.
09:46They'll ask why your brother attacked my deputy
09:48and ran away to keep from answering questions.
09:51How will he explain Mary Ross's shoe in his fireplace?
09:56I don't know.
09:57Well, if he don't know, he'll hang.
10:01But you can't hang him, Fort.
10:03He didn't know what he was doing.
10:05You're not helping your brother by hiding the truth.
10:08He's insane, isn't he?
10:16I'm as much to blame for this as he is.
10:22I knew he wasn't right years ago.
10:26I covered up for him when he was a child
10:28and I just kept on.
10:31Every time when he had one of these attacks
10:34and couldn't remember anything,
10:36I hoped he was cured.
10:38When did you first realize he'd become dangerous?
10:41Not until that last girl in St. Joseph.
10:44I found her shoes in his room
10:46as newspapers had described it.
10:49Oh, I should have gone to the authorities then,
10:52but I just couldn't.
11:00Where is he?
11:01Where is that dirty...
11:02Take it easy, Mr. Ross.
11:05You've been drinking.
11:06Take it easy, nothing.
11:07He killed my daughter, didn't he?
11:09He's gonna pay for it.
11:10Mary's all I had in the world.
11:12Lord, this is strange.
11:15Put that down.
11:16She hasn't done anything.
11:21I can't tell you how dreadful I feel about all this.
11:24You're gonna feel a lot worse.
11:26Come on, Mr. Ross.
11:27I'll take you home.
11:30Why should I go home?
11:32Ain't nobody there.
11:34I'll go.
11:39I'm warning you, Ed.
11:41If Stan Gray don't hang for this,
11:43you're gonna answer to me.
11:45A lot of my friends say hang's too good for him.
11:47The one lynching him.
11:48I told him no.
11:49Let the law take care of him, I said.
11:51But if the law don't,
11:53we're gonna come after him.
11:54We're gonna come after him.
11:56I'm gonna kill him.
11:58I'm gonna kill him.
12:00I'm gonna kill him.
12:03We're gonna come after him.
12:04And we're gonna come after you.
12:13Sam.
12:14Yes, sir.
12:15Get Miss Gray home.
12:18Come on, Miss Gray.
12:21You mean...
12:23They may try to lynch Stan.
12:25There may be trouble.
12:27But there'll be no lynching as long as I'm sheriff.
12:33They'll tear this place apart
12:35the minute they find out
12:37the law can't hang a man that's insane.
12:39I know.
12:40You better get your prisoner over to Eltham
12:42before they find out.
12:44I'm swinging you in as a deputy
12:46so you can go along with us
12:48just in case of trouble.
12:50Come on.
12:56Where's Hester?
12:58She told you I didn't do it, didn't she?
13:00She told you I didn't do it.
13:02Go on out.
13:03I knew you'd have to let me go.
13:05Give me your arm.
13:07What are those for?
13:08We're just gonna take you over to Eltham.
13:10Look, what does Hester tell you?
13:11Give me your arm.
13:13Get his hat and coat.
13:16She broke her promise.
13:19She told you, didn't she?
13:22Look, Stan.
13:23Your sister loves you.
13:24She just wants to protect you.
13:28I'd get even with her.
13:30I'd get even with her somehow.
13:32Come on.
13:35We got Stan out of town unobserved
13:37and rode for Eltham,
13:38keeping to the back trails
13:39to avoid attracting attention.
13:41By the time we reached Bent Creek,
13:43we figured it was safe to slow down.
13:51I could use a drink of water.
13:53Yeah, me too.
13:55You want a drink?
14:00Get out.
14:30By the time I'd rounded up the horses,
14:32it was too late.
14:33Our prisoner had escaped,
14:34and what's more,
14:35the horse he had taken
14:36had a rifle on the saddle.
14:38Because Stan had made threats
14:40against his sister,
14:41Ed decided that while he went
14:43to organize a posse,
14:44I was to warn Hester.
14:46The horse he had taken
14:47had a rifle on the saddle.
14:49Because Stan had made threats
14:50against his sister,
14:51Ed decided that while he went
14:53to organize a posse,
14:54I was to warn Hester.
15:16♪
15:45♪
16:00Hello, sister.
16:04How'd you get here?
16:06What's that in your hand?
16:13Nothing, Stan.
16:15Nothing.
16:16Let me see it.
16:17No.
16:21It's Mary's other shoe, huh?
16:28I...
16:29I just this minute found it here.
16:31You must have hidden it last night.
16:32He didn't find it.
16:34He went right to it.
16:35You knew it was there.
16:36No.
16:37He must have put it there.
16:39And you put the other one
16:40by my bed, huh?
16:41No, that's not true.
16:42You made me think I was insane.
16:44Why, Hester?
16:45Why?
16:49I was afraid.
16:52I was afraid you'd send me away
16:54if you found out what I was.
16:56So you framed me, huh?
16:58No.
16:59No.
17:00I wanted you to be dependent on me.
17:03I was afraid you were gonna go away
17:05and get married
17:06and all I had in the world was Stan.
17:09Please, don't hate me.
17:12You don't know what it's like
17:14knowing you're gonna kill somebody.
17:16Having that feeling
17:18going and gnawing inside of you
17:20until you have to kill somebody.
17:23Why couldn't I remember?
17:28I drugged your coffee.
17:30I wore your clothes
17:32so it looked like you'd been out.
17:36I ought to kill you.
17:42Stan.
17:58Stan, I love you.
17:59I know it was a terrible thing to do to you
18:01but I only did it because I loved you.
18:03You think about the way you felt
18:05and what you went through.
18:06What about the way I felt?
18:07What about the way I went through, huh?
18:09Nobody in their right mind will blame me
18:12but instead I'm gonna do something.
18:13Drop that gun.
18:17Dr. Baxter.
18:18You got here just in time.
18:20I was just gonna do something I might regret.
18:22I said drop that gun.
18:25Sure, doc.
18:27I just found out something you might be interested.
18:31He tried to kill me, doctor.
18:33I know.
18:34No, you don't know.
18:36She committed these murders.
18:38I just confessed it.
18:39He lost his mind completely.
18:41Don't worry about it.
18:42I'll get hold of the sheriff.
18:56I'm sorry.
18:58I don't usually go to pieces like this.
19:01It's all right, Miss Gray.
19:03You had every reason to.
19:05I'm gonna tie him up while he's still unconscious.
19:09You better let me hold that.
19:20Poor Stan.
19:22He never really was happy
19:23even when he was a little boy.
19:25Why was that?
19:26I suppose because
19:28he wasn't nice looking.
19:30He was terrible shy.
19:33Never had any friends.
19:34He never had a
19:36a girlfriend.
19:39Afraid people would laugh at him.
19:41Most people get over that.
19:43Not Stan.
19:45He grew older
19:46and felt like life was slipping by him.
19:49It got worse.
19:51He began to hate everybody
19:53who was happy and in love.
19:56He grew like a maniac.
19:58And that last night
19:59when he saw Mary kissing that Miller boy
20:01that was just more than he could bear.
20:03How did you know it was the Miller boy?
20:06Stan told me.
20:08You said he didn't remember anything.
20:12Did I?
20:13Yes, you said he...
20:14Stay where you are.
20:17I said too much, didn't I?
20:20Stan was telling the truth.
20:22You're the killer.
20:24Nobody else is gonna find that out.
20:27Pick him up.
20:28I said pick him up
20:29and carry him outside.
20:43Now get up there
20:44and take the lion.
20:47Where are we going?
20:51You're taking Stan back to town.
20:53There's gonna be an accident.
20:55It won't be easy.
20:56It won't be an accident.
20:58The wagon's going over a cliff.
21:00I'm coming along to make sure it does.
21:03Come on.
21:26Don't try anything, Doctor.
21:28Keep your eyes on the road.
21:31It's dark.
21:32A woman. Looks like Miss Gray.
21:35Hey, Doc!
21:41Sheriff.
21:43Stop that.
21:46Come on, whip him up.
21:48Yes.
21:52Why didn't he stop?
21:54You let him catch us, I'll shoot.
22:25Come on, get up there.
22:30Come on.
22:43All over, Miss Gray.
22:45Whoa.
22:54Whoa.
23:25It was all over.
23:27Esther Gray was dead.
23:31She meant an awful lot to me, Doc.
23:35No matter what she was.
23:37Or what she did.
23:40I'm just no good without her.
23:42You shouldn't think like that.
23:44It's true.
23:46She always took care of me.
23:48And without her, I...
23:50I don't know, I feel lost.
23:52Confused.
23:54That's why I brought someone to see you.
23:59Come in, Mr. Ross.
24:04Mary's father.
24:07He feels bad about the way he threatened you.
24:10Howdy, Stan.
24:12I, uh...
24:14hear you kind of lose ends.
24:16I guess so.
24:18Saw it that way myself.
24:20Now that Mary's gone.
24:23Doc here thought we might get together and kind of help each other out.
24:26What do you mean?
24:28Well, I need help running my ranch.
24:30I thought maybe...
24:32maybe you could sell this place and come stay with me.
24:36Why should you do me any favors?
24:38You'd be doing me the favor, Stan.
24:40I need someone I can depend on.
24:45No one ever depended on me before.
24:47It's always the other way around.
24:53Is it a deal?
24:57It's a deal.
24:59Well, uh...
25:01we gotta get together and talk over things.
25:03It's gotta be done.
25:05I don't know whether I can get rid of this farm...
25:09That was only the beginning.
25:11Freed from his sister's unhealthy influence,
25:13Stan learned to stand on his own feet.
25:15Eventually became one of the town's leading citizens.
25:17I felt like I'd done a good day's work.
25:22♪
25:52♪