Gun Crazy (Deadly Is the Female) (Gun Crazy)

Judge, I guess you know how it is.

I'm not only his big sister, but mother and father too.

I've been trying to take care of him...

...but I guess I never earned enough to buy

the things for him that other boys had.

But he was good. He was always good.

Never cried or nothing.

I'm sure he was good, Ruby.

But this obsession he seems to have for guns....

Well, when he was real little, at first it was slingshots.

Used to make them himself.

Then he got an old BB gun he traded

for a chipmunk he'd caught and tamed.

And he was always shooting it.

He was a better shot than any other kid.

Well, I thought maybe a boy likes

to feel he's best at something.

So I saved up and one Christmas I got him a brand-new BB gun.

He was prouder of that than anything else in his whole life.

He told me what he'd done, Judge Willoughby.

And he's never killed anything since in his whole life

and he never will.

It's something else about guns that gets him, not killing.

-I see. -Judge Willoughby, sir.

I'm Dave Allister, sir, and this is Clyde Boston.

You know him, being the sheriff's son.

Yes, Dave. Go ahead.

Well, Clyde and Bart and me have

been best friends ever since Bart moved to town.

And what Ruby-- I mean, Miss Tare, says

about Bart not wanting to kill anything--

Why, it's true, judge. Clyde and I know it is.

A couple of years ago, during summer vacation...

...we went on a camping trip up in the San Lorenzo Mountains...

...near a place we called Natural Bridge.

Clyde had lost his jackknife...

...and we were looking for it. All of a sudden--

-There's a mountain lion. -Where?

There he is.

-I see him. I see him. -You wanna try a shot?

No, I'd miss. Bart's the only one

who could hit him at that distance.

Go ahead, Bart.

He's not so far. You can hit him, Clyde.

We can get a bounty. Go on, Bart.

The sun's a little in my eyes.

He stopped. It's a perfect shot.

-Go on, Bart. -Okay.

He's not gonna stand there forever. Hurry up, Bart!

Go ahead, Bart. Shoot. Shoot.

-No! -Here.

-Fine shot you are. -Sun's a little in his eyes.

You think I can't shoot when I want to?

Hey, Bart, wait for us!

So you see, Judge Willoughby, it's like Miss Tare just said.

He wouldn't kill anything. Not even an old mountain lion

that had a bounty on him.

Is that all?

Yes, sir. That is. Yes, sir.

Now, this business of carrying a revolver.

That was only last spring.

-Is Miss Wynn here yet? -Yes, Your Honor.

Would you tell us about this gun-carrying incident?

Yes. Well, I had Bart and these other boys

in the eighth grade. And on this day--

Just a moment. Would you take it more slowly, please?

I'm sorry. I just feel so rushed.

Well, on this particular day, I'd left the room on an errand.

And when I came back to the room....

-Is it real? -Sure, it's real.

-Can I shoot it? -No!

How'd you get it?

-Bought it off the road crew. -Do you always carry a gun?

Sure. Nobody can tell what'll happen.

Never can tell when you'll need it.

-It sure is a beauty. -Do you shoot it?

I'm probably the best shot in Cashville.

-Bart Tare. -Miss Wynn!

Give me that gun.

It's mine. I bought it.

Give it to me at once.

It's my gun. I earned the money for it.

And I'm not gonna give it to anybody.

Very well.

You'll have to come to the superintendent's office with me.

It was as if the gun was something he simply had to have.

Just as other boys have to have jackknives or harmonicas

or baseball bats.

He wouldn't give the gun to you or the superintendent?

No, sir. Not until we called Mr. Boston.

-Thank you, Miss Wynn. -Oh, yes, thank you, judge.

Did you have any trouble getting it, sheriff?

None at all.

Of course, I've known him since he was a toddler.

He handed it right over.

Then I talked to him and his sister,

and it was agreed by all of us...

...that he wouldn't have another gun until he was of age.

-May I speak, judge? -Yes, Ruby.

Judge, Bart's needed a man around the house.

Well, this is Ira Flagler.

Ira and I are going to be married next week.

And we've talked it over and Ira wants Bart

to live with us.

Adjusting yourself to marriage, Ruby, is a job all by itself...

...without assuming extra handicaps at the start.

Come here, son.

In the face of your promises to all these people...

...you still broke into Meisner's hardware store

and stole this gun.

Yes, sir. I did.

-But why? What made you do it? -I don't know.

They took my gun away from me. And I've just gotta have a gun.

But why?

Because, like Sis says, shooting's what I'm good at.

It's the only thing I like. It's what I wanna do when I grow up.

You don't want to do anything with your life

except shoot guns?

I like shooting them, judge. I don't know why...

...but I feel good when I'm shooting them.

I feel awful good inside, like I'm somebody.

Well, we're not trying you here today

because you like to shoot, Bart.

We're trying you because guns have turned

into a dangerous mania with you.

You're here today because you've committed grand larceny...

...burglary, breaking and entering.

We all want things, Bart.

But our possession of them has to be regulated by law.

And you've broken the law.

You've committed a very serious crime.

Now, it's my job here to think not only of what's good for you.

but what's good for the community in which you live.

And I'm afraid we're going to have to find a new environment

for you, Bart.

One in which you can grow up without jeopardizing the lives

and property of others.

Bart, I'm going to send you to a school. One that's out of town.

It's not a punishment.

It's a school that will help you grow up.

You will remain there until you're of age...

...or until this court finds reason to make a change.

Children, why didn't you call me?

Hello? Hello?

Who?

Where are you?

Why didn't you let us know?

We're fine. We're just fine.

-Who is it, Mama? -Be quiet.

Oh, they're wonderful. Wait till you see them, you'll just--

What?

Yes. Hurry.

Who was it, Mama?

It's your Uncle Bart. He's come home.

City desk.

Who?

Bart Tare! When did you get into town?

No, no, I'll get somebody else to take over the desk.

I'll be right over.

Oh, sure. I'll pick Clyde up on my way down.

Right.

Joe, put her to bed. I got a celebration coming up.

-Hey, Bart. -Yeah?

-What are these, anyway? -English dueling pistols.

Handmade.

You really got a collection, haven't you?

-Yeah. Hand me a beer, will you? -Sure.

What about you? I heard you got married.

-Yep, and one boy. -No kidding.

Yep. He'll grow up to be sheriff too.

How about you, Bart?

Four years in reform school, and then the Army.

Not getting married on that routine.

I always figured you'd be regular army

for the rest of your life.

No, no. It gets dull. Nothing but teaching guys how to shoot.

Have you seen your sister?

Oh, that's.... I hate warm beer.

-Have you seen Ruby yet? -Yeah. First thing.

How's it feel to be uncle to a couple

of swell kids like that?

Pretty important. You know, I hadn't seen them before.

What are you figuring on doing now, Bart?

Well, I don't know.

I don't know. I'd like to settle down.

Maybe get a job with Remington, demonstrating.

There's been a carnival in town lately.

Let's go and have fun like we used to.

Well, you got yourself a date.

Our great star act.

Ladies and gentlemen, as owner and manager

of Packett's Carnival...

...it is I, myself, who'll present to you the famous

the dangerous...

...the beautiful Miss Annie Laurie Starr.

Direct from London, England and the capitals

of the continent.

Before whose remarkable marksmanship...

...the greatest pistol and rifle shots in America

have gone down to defeat.