3 Bad Men

3 BAD MEN

John Ford Production

Suggested by HERMAN WHITTAKER'S Novel " OVER THE BORDER "

Directed by JOHN FORD

Gold on Indian land! The Sioux tribes were given other reservation,

and President Grant set a day

when settlers might race for possession of the rich lands.

By the President of the United States of America Proclamation

I Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States, do hereby make knowm

that the said lands acquired from the Sioux tribes,

will be available for settlement at and after the hour of o'clock ...

noon of the 25 day of June, 1887 and not before ...

In the middle of the seventies,

ship of hope bore thousands of emigrants

to seek the reality of their dreams in America.

Some sought happiness ... some only the horn of plently ...

the chalice of ... the Unholy Grail ...

And from crowded eastern cities,

civilization began pouring the overflow

into the trackless immensity of the West.

Spring, 1876 ...

Old World blood began to fuse

with Colonial strains ...

and "westward the course of empire takes its way".

In the Black Hills of Dakota,

the outriders of progress had set up a trading post at Custer.

" Gold! Gold ... I'm tellin' ye ... the mountains is just abustin' with it! "

" Sorry, Lucas,

but we can't touch that land ...

it's on the Sioux Reservation. "

" Where'd you strike it, Lucas? "

And then came the eager thud of hoofs and the creak of wagon wheels.

The start of an empire that was to be compounded

from the peoples of the face of the earth!

Dan O'Malley had came from Ireland at a smile a minute pace.

" The wheel came off. "

" Oh, did it ? "

" Something ought to be done about it."

" You must have traveled a lot to know all those things."

" I can fix it. "

" Don't let me stop you."

" I'm Mayor Carleton of Virginia. Suh ... this is my daughter Lee."

" My name and address is Dan O'Malley."

" We're on our way to the Dakota rush ... With these race horses."

" Sure, an' you'll be needin' speed that day!

Th' Dagoes are askin' Saint Anthony for wings ...

An' th' Irish who have 'em! "

CSA X

" Come along, Daughter ... we're more'n a mile behind."

$ 2000,00 REWARD

HOLDUP & ROBBERY

OF A CALIFORNIA POSTAL STAGE

WANTED FOR BANK ROBBERY

"BULL " STANLEY MIKE COSTIGAN " SPADE " ALLEN $ 1000 REWARD

£ 500 REWARD HORSE THIEVES

" Bull " Stanley - Who lived day by day...

on pluck, powder and providence.

Mike Costigan and " Spade " Allen weren't exactly thieves ...

but they had a habit of finding horses that nobody had lost.

" Chaw ? "

" Naw ! "

" Am I seein' things ... or is them million wagons on the square? "

" Pardner ... where-you all bound for? "

" Sufferin' coyotes ...

yer don't mean t' say you ain't heard tell about gold in the Dakotas! "

" We're goin' to the Dakotas ... he may be there ... "

" It ain't gold I'm looking for ... but it's a man jest as yeller ..."

Hundreds of gold-mad men swarmed Custer,

awaiting word to rush for the ore-ladened lands.

Sheriff Layne Hunter, running the mushroom town with a high hand;

keeping his own lawless gang in cheek by a generous division of the spoils.

" Layne, please don't make me stay in there with those ... women ..."

" Just for tonight, Millie ... tomorrow we'll find a better place."

" A string of race hosses ... about fifteen miles back ...

an' only two men herdin' them! "

" Thoroughbreds! "

" Why the low-down hoss-thieves! "

" Nothin' to it ... our businness is gettin' overcrowded."

" I have to goin' blind ... fired three shots and only dropped two of 'em."

" By golly ... he's a woman! "

" Put them hosses back ! "

Hour by hour, thousand by thousand,

the stampeders crushed into Custer,

as the big day neared.

Zach Little ... Editor of the Custer "Pathfinder ",

was half Scotch and half seltzer.

" They had a lot of touble takin' out Spud Taylor's appendix ...

they had to kill him first. "

THE EMPORIUM JOE MINSK

And still they come ... lured by the magic word ... Gold.

" You are a minister of the Gospel, Sir? "

" There's a minister in town, Layne ... now we can be married! "

" Parson ... this ain't exactly a Sunday School camp ...

but they's some of us that'll be d...n glad you come along."

" Oh, bless these plows ...

that they may make this wilderness blossom with the glory of God! "

" I'm Sheriff Hunter ... allow me ..."

" This lady's in my outfit ... if they's anything she needs, I'll 'tend to it! "

" Since when did the notorious ' Bull ' Stanley become so gallant ..."

"... And Mike Costigan!

Every sheriff west of the Mississippi has asked me to welcome you! "

"... And 'Spade' Allen! Been shot at lately for card cheating? "

" I congratulate you, Miss ... on your selection of friends! "

" Come along, my 3 Bad Men ... it's time we were making camp."

" What you lookin' at ... hoss face? "

" They're dangerous men ... but I'll take care of them ...

in my own way! "

Just outside the town ... a camp for the night.

" I'm mighty grateful to you men for helping me through."

" We couldn't see anybody robbed."

" No, sir, not us! "

" I'd like to hire you three, but I suppose

you have business to attend to ..."

" To tell the truth, miss ... our business ain't what it used to be."

" Then you're free ... for the moment? "

" Y.. y .. yes ... for the moment. "

" I ... I'm afraid I can't pay you any wages ... just yet."

" For the time bein', miss ... I'll work for nothin'..."

"... and I know my pardners will ! "

"Oh, gladly!"

" Then you'll be my men? "

Morning found a wagon city on the edge of the town.

" I'm sorry about ... er ... yesterday, Miss Carleton."

" Drunk again ! "

" So are we ! "

" It's plumb low-down to do a thing like this ... an' her trustin' us! "

" I'm thinkin' three terrapins like us

ain't fit to take care of a gal like her ..."

" What our gal needs is a husband! "

" Leave it to us!

We'll find a marryin' man ... if we have to shoot him."

" So you're back again, Lucas? "

Brother, I have gone awug with the man I love.

Everithing is all right, as he has promised to marry me.

Lovingly, Millie.

Husband hunting ...

" Not a Chink ... they get shot too easy."

" Thirty two."

" Twenty eight."