The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp

In Marshal Wyatt Earp's long struggle to tame Wichita,

there were two points of controversy of which historians

of the Western frontier have argued since 1875.

Was Marshal Earp justified in using the famous

City Ordinance Number 27 to close

crooked gambling joints and rowdy dance halls?

And, why did he permit Ben Thompson,

a notorious gunfighter and killer,

to operate a gambling game in Wichita,

while Marshal Earp's stormy cleanup campaign

was raging to a murderous pitch of tensions and hatreds.

Come on, bring them out of there.

Go on, there's plenty of bars up the street.

You guys go that way.

Get on down there.

Is that all of them?

That's the last one of them.

Unsanitary, you call it? I washed my glasses as

clean as any place in this town.

You're just using that public health ordinance as a trick,

and you're not going to get away with it.

Come on.

That's a great idea, Wyatt.

You're going to have all of Douglas Avenue hating

It was Judge Jewitt's idea.

See, when the saloon owners get too slick for me to prove crooked gambling,

why, he's ordered me to proceed under Ordinance 27.

Be a lot quicker.

And use it against dancehalls?

Hmm.

Yeah.

Gotta close one up the street.

The Dreamland Joint?

Uh-huh.

They've been importing immigrant girls and paying them almost no wages.

Oh, but don't print that in the newspaper. They're kind of scared to testify.

I understand.

The Orient Saloon, the Dreamland Dance Hall, were closed today

were closed today as unsanitary, by Marshal Earp.

He was ordered to take this action by Doctor

Andrew Fabrique,

City Health Officer.

Howdy, Marshall.

Hi, Mr. Finley.

I wasn't sure you'd remember me.

Well, I've looked at you over a gunsite once or twice.

Mr. Murdoch, this is Jack Finley,

friend of Ben Thompson.

Oh, yeah.

Ben Thompson.

How is Ben been these days?

He was fine, thanks.

Oh, Marshal...

I know you and Ben had several run ins over at Ellsworth.

But he don't bear you no grudge.

And if you...

Why should he?

Well, what I wanted to ask you is, how do you feel about Ben?

You sore at Ben?

No.

Well, would it be all right if he comes into Wichita?

Sure. Long as he stays out of trouble.

I mean, what Ben wants to know is...

he wants to buy into a game here.

That's no business of mine as long as he runs it honest.

Well, Ben knows that, and he'll run straight as a straight.

Is it all right if I tell him you said?

Thank you, Mr. Earp.

Thank you very much.

I'll tell Ben.

Oh, he'll shall be mighty pleased.

On the eve of a cleanup campaign that's going to cause you a lot of trouble,

you say Ben Thompson can come into town?

Ben and I have settled our differences.

He's a dangerous gunslinger...

a killer, and a...

Also, a pretty honest man.

Oh, come now, Wyatt.

He's always kept his word to me.

I never did hear of them cheating at cards.

You had a gunfight with Thompson.

You sent his brother Bill to prison for killing Sheriff Whitney.

Look, Mr. Murdoch. A man in my line of business,

he's got to let his old quarrels die.

To be strictly honest about it, I, uh..

I always did like Ben Thompson.

That's good, Johnny. Good.

Get down around them cracks there and in the them little crevices.

Careful. There's carbolic acid in that scrub water.

These glasses.

I want them all dipped in scalding water.

This place is going to be sanitary.

Hey.

Yes, sir.

Where's the roulette wheel?

It was crooked. Dunphy is fixing it honest.

Good.

No wonder Wyatt closed this dump.

Well, didn't Jack tell you?

No.

Earp and I are friends.

But he's John Law in this town.

I love Wyatt almost as much as I love my brother Bill.

Yes, sir.

So spread the word.

I have no talk against Wyatt from the men who work for me,

or the customers.

And another thing.

I thought I told you to tell these men

how I stood with Wyatt.

- They didn't know... - I'm sorry, Ben.

But you told me to check on all the opposition.

In the rush, I might have missed a few.

All right.

What'd you find out?

Plenty.

You men keep busy.

I want this place spic and span.

And I never listen to such a mean talk.

Wyatt's going to have a small war on his hands.

Ain't nobody likes that Ordinance Number 27.

Anyway, who can run a clean place in a town like Wichita

that's old, dusty and muddy?

Just don't make sense.

Does to me.

I told Wyatt he couldn't make that gun checking law stick up in Ellsworth.

But I was wrong.

And if he says this town is going to be sanitary, he'll make it stick.

Well, anyway, all the opposition say that that Ordinance

27 is just an excuse to give Wyatt a power

of let run or close up.

You against Wyatt?

Me? Oh, now, Ben...

I'm gonna to tell you a thing or two.

Now Wyatt could have killed me in a fair draw in a fair fight.

But he didn't.

Could have had my brother Bill hanged, but

he didn't.

Oh.

Now Bill's up in the hospital in Denver.

Got a chance to get well.

You should have told us about that before, Ben.

I don't spill things until it's necessary, but

when I'm loyal to a man, I go all the way.

Sure, Ben.

Now...

Just...

where do they talk the meanest about my friend, Wyatt?

The Hotel Wichita Bar.

You got about an hour to get the men ready.

Oh, Ben. Trouble our first night in town.

When I'm loyal to a man, I go all the way.

Now, I told you that.

Get going.

Wyatt? I can see Wyatt any time I like.

Lady.

Lady? I hate that word.

Oh.

Ah.

Are you Wyatt? The best friend of Ben Thompson?

Well, I know him, yeah.

Like Ramón and Romeo.

Oh, it is beautiful.

What's your name?

I am Lolita Ryan.

More Lolita than Ryan, huh?

Well, what can I do for you?

Oh, I think I'm going to have to hurt Ben's other girl.

You are his dearest friend.

If you chase her out of town for me...

You just better sit down.

Now, let's get one thing straight.

In the first place I'm not Ben's dearest friend.

In the second place, I let 'im re-open the Orient Saloon because

he promised it wouldn't be any trouble and that he'd run an honest game.

Another thing, I can't mess into Ben's private affairs.

So if he's running around with another girl,

you're just going to have to settle with him.

You will not chase her out of town?

Nope.

Oh, but he doesn't like her very much.

He only took up with her because

he thought I was with my mom in San Antonio.

You just go tell that to Ben.

Oh, but I did.

And he said I could hurt this girl.

You see, you say you wouldn't like it.

What am I to do?

She's no good.

She's one of the biggest...

Wyatt, Ben Thompson and his boys are headed for the Wichita Hotel bar with guns.

Go get Sam.

Allright.

Miss Ryan, you control your temper

- Oh, but... - and you stay here, understand?

And so, any time that you don't keep the joint

clean enough to suit that big head, he can close ya?

Yeah.

Why, that's against the Supreme Court.

Earp's got too big for his britches, this time.