The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp

- Hyah! - Hey!

- Bushwhackers! - Keep down!

Wait 'til you got something to shoot at!

We're trapped real good.

Come on.

"The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" starring Hugh O'Brian.

Despite all that Marshal Earp and his deputies could do,

the lawless element continued to terrorize Arizona

until finally the scandalous conditions were reported to Washington.

President Chester Arthur forced the resignation of Governor Fremont

and issued stern orders to Acting Governor Gosper.

He and Chief U.S. Marshal Crawley Dake

asked Wyatt Earp to come to Tucson

for what amounted to a conference of war.

And outlaws have squatted on every water hole

from Old Mexico to the McGollens,

from the Huachucas to Los Animos.

They own sheriffs and most of the judges.

- It's disgraceful. - I agree, governor.

Charleston, Bisbee, Lewis Springs,

Prescott, even Tucson...

all outlaw boss towns. Every one of them.

Governor Gosper, as United States Marshals,

Mr. Earp and I have no jurisdiction

unless federal crimes are committed.

Don't tell me what you can't do.

Here, sit down, both of you.

Here are my orders from Washington

instructing me to break up these outlaw gangs,

and I'm going to do it by issuing shoot-to-kill warrants.

Well, I'm against that, sir. In my opinion, it's not legal.

Civilized communities cannot exist without law, and I mean enforced law.

Although you've done good work in Tombstone, Mr. Earp,

no man's life or property

is free from attack under our present conditions.

I intend to make them safe.

Well, I hope you succeed, sir.

With your cooperation, I will.

You know Dick Gird,

owner of the Lucky Cuss mine in Tombstone?

- A friend of mine. - He's a hard fighter.

I've asked him to organize a vigilante group.

I'm doing the same thing in other towns.

These will be posses comitatus

with the authority of federal law.

All they require is experienced officers to lead them.

Well, I'll need more than that, sir.

You give vigilantes their head and they don't know when to stop.

It's up to you to control them.

Now I figured you'd need help in this emergency.

Have Mr. Earp's new deputy step in.

- Howdy, big brother. - Morgan!

Hey, how come I didn't know

that you'd sign on as my deputy, huh?

Figuring you'd say no, I didn't give him a chance to tell you.

When Mr. Dake explained the situation to them,

your brothers agreed you needed help.

Virgil's ready to sign on too if you say so.

Well, now it isn't quite as bad as all that.

But if the governor does insist on this vigilante order,

we're gonna have a small war on our hands.

War's already been declared, Wyatt.

Why not give the governor's plan a chance to work?

I haven't much choice.

I told you he'd come around.

You're wrong, Mr. Dake.

I still say that vigilantes with shoot to kill orders

aren't the answers to outlaws in Arizona Territory.

Well, your way isn't the answer.

We must use vigilantes.

I see no reason for further discussion, Marshal.

Well, sir, some day you might.

Good day, gentlemen.

Kinda fresh talk to the governor, wasn't it?

When a man's wrong, I tell him.

Shame to obey orders.

Mount up. It's a long ride to Tombstone.

Lou.

Anything wrong with your drink, Doc?

Well, it's not enough to kill you for.

I've been watching those Clanton hands.

They look like a walking arsenal.

They've been drifting in here since noon.

Mm-hmm.

- You still a friend of Wyatt's? - Well, I sure am.

Good. Now they won't talk while I'm around here,

but I'd like you to find out why Clanton cowboys

are liquoring up on a Wednesday afternoon during round-up time.

What's on your mind?

Wyatt's riding in from Tucson today.

- Oh, I don't think they... - You don't think.

Just start listening.

I'll be over in Dick Gird's office.

Come on in!

- Oh, hello, Shotgun. - Howdy, Mr. Gird.

Listen, I got your message.

Well, since you're the law with Wyatt out of town,

I figured you'd better read this letter.

The acting governor wants me to organize a vigilante group.

He says he's gonna order Wyatt to cooperate.

He ain't gonna order Wyatt to do nothing.

But you know, this here makes sense.

All them outlaws, shoot to kill...

ain't a bad idea.

Shoulda done it a long time ago.

Why, it's the only way to do it.

Wyatt throws 'em in jail and...and Sheriff Bean let's 'em escape.

We do make a case with a jury that's packed with hoodlums.

- Hi, Doc. - Hey, Doc, read this here letter.

This new governor says we ought to start shooting to kill.

I was with Mr. Gird when he opened that letter.

Probably the most intelligent verbiage

ever written by a politician in our time.

- Gosper gets my vote. - Mine, too.

And when I'm through passing the word,

we'll have the fightingest vigilante posse

- in the territory. - Doc.

Doc, you guessed right.

Soon as you left, those fellas hightailed it out of town.

Clanton issued orders to ambush Wyatt on the trail.

Bushwhackers? How many?

It's hard to tell. There must've been

a half a dozen at the saloon.

They'll most likely join up with the Clantons outside of town.

If old man Clanton's giving the orders,

- you can be sure of it. - Well, let's get started.

Give me 10 minutes to round up a posse.

They'll be our first vigilantes.

This way, Morgan.

We taking a shortcut?

I don't ride open trail in Clanton country.

With enough vigilantes, we could kill all the Clantons.

Make every trail in the Territory safe.

I never have approved of vigilantes.

The governor does.

Well, I think he's wrong.

This is war, Wyatt.

You've got Tombstone pretty well in hand.

But the Clantons and the Ten Percent Ring still run the rest of Arizona.

I say shoot 'em out of the saddles.

You won't shoot to kill anybody as long you're my deputy.

And you remember that.

- Hyah! - Hey!

- Bushwhackers! - Keep down!

Wait 'til you got something to shoot at!

We're trapped real good.

Come on.

- Are those the rustlers we're after? - They sure are.

But I only see two men.

All the better for us.

They're working closer.

Not yet. Let 'em hunt for us.

All right, boys. Move in.

All right, now take your time, Morg.

They're getting set to rush us.

I'm not waiting any longer. Come on, get your head...

They're not rustlers, Rico! One of 'em is wearing a star!

- What's the difference? - You're getting paid, ain't you?

Hold your fire! I want no part of shooting the law!

Up yonder! Dig your spurs in! Hyah!

Hyah!

- Hold your fire! - Hold your fire!

Halt! Halt!

Looks like we got 'em all, Wyatt!

You know him, Wyatt?

Vic Styles. He's just a kid.

Not anymore, Wyatt. And he had it coming.

The same goes for the rest of Clanton's outlaws.

You didn't have to kill him.

They were trying to kill us, Wyatt.

That still doesn't make it right!

The governor thinks different.

Well, I don't care what the governor thinks.

You shot to kill. What did that get us?

- Clanton, McLaury, Brocius, Ringo? - No.

No, they're too smart for us.

All we get is a bunch of small fry.

All right, you had your way.

Now you can have the honor of bringing the bodies back to town.

Wyatt, nobody agrees with you.

Isn't the first time.

You want to add the vigilantes to your list of enemies?

They all took a chance of getting themselves killed out there this afternoon

Don't you think you at least owe them a word of thanks?

I'll thank 'em,

but not for taking the law into their own hands

and killing every man out there.

The governor asked Dick Gird to organize the vigilantes.

- And he was right. - Look, if Gosper wants to stop outlaws,

let him issue legal warrants against Brocius, Ringo,

old man Clanton and the rest of his hired guns.

I'll bring them in dead or alive instead of this wholesale killing.

I want to talk to Mr. Earp.

Alone.

Won't you sit down, Miss Craddock?

- What can I do for you? - Can you bring Vic Styles back to life?

Vic Styles?

What kind of a marshal are you?

What side of the law are you on?

I'd like to talk to you about Vic Styles.