- 6 years ago
A young boy finds himself accused of plotting to murder an important political figure.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00♪♪
00:13History, a man once said, is the story of soldiers.
00:17He might have added, but not all of them are soldiers of war.
00:21For instance, the soldiers of medicine fight not to take human life, but to save it.
00:27Rex Allen stars as the Frontier Doctor.
00:33It was going to be a big day in Medvale, that day in the summer of 1904.
00:39A special train was on its way, a train bearing the President of the United States.
00:45Everyone was gathering to give him the rousing welcome he deserved.
00:48I happened to be in the neighborhood that morning.
00:51I'd driven down to the Mexican border to treat a patient,
00:54and I sure didn't want to drive home again without a chance to see the President and hear him speak.
01:00Hello, Sheriff.
01:02Doc, Baxter.
01:03Did it take the President to bring you to Medvale?
01:06The President and a man named Hank Gillis who'd come down with a bad case of the mumps over here.
01:11Isn't that the special?
01:14Yep, that's her.
01:15Ought to be here in a couple of minutes now.
01:17Pardon me.
01:18Sheriff, I'm looking for my dad.
01:20Have you seen him?
01:21No, I haven't, Tommy.
01:22But he shouldn't be hard to find.
01:24Your dad's not in jail for a change.
01:27Try one of the saloons.
01:28Any saloon.
01:29Yes, sir.
01:38Name's Tommy Kiever.
01:40Sure feels sorry for that boy.
01:42What's his trouble?
01:43His dad.
01:44Kiever's the town drunk.
01:46Not just a plain, ordinary drunk.
01:48Kiever's a mean drunk.
01:50Hates everybody.
01:51Kiever hates the whole world.
01:54Come on, Doc.
01:55Sure don't want to miss this.
01:58Dad.
02:02What do you want?
02:21Mrs. Tashman says we got to move.
02:23She threw all our clothes into the river.
02:27She threw all our clothes out of the room.
02:29She says we gotta be out by 12 o'clock.
02:32Oh, she did, did she?
02:34You tell that old battle ax that we paid our rent
02:37and we're not moving anywhere.
02:40Until next Monday.
02:41But, Dad!
02:42Now, get out of here!
02:43Sloan's no place for a kid.
02:48It's no place for you either, Dad.
02:51Let's move our stuff.
02:53Not today.
02:55I got other business.
02:57Please, Dad.
02:59I'll ask you just once more.
03:02Stay away from that hotel.
03:04Get out of here!
03:06Cut that out, we'll have none of that rough stuff in here.
03:09You, kid, get out of here.
03:10You don't belong.
03:13I ought to make you clean that up.
03:15But I'm closing up.
03:16I want to see the President.
03:19I want to see him, too.
03:22Another fellow I want to see is Colonel Dodge.
03:25Shh!
03:26Shh!
03:27Shh!
03:28Shh!
03:29Shh!
03:30Shh!
03:31Shh!
03:32Shh!
03:33Shh!
03:34Shh!
03:35Shh!
03:36Shh!
03:37Shh!
03:38Shh!
03:39Shh!
03:40Shh!
03:41Shh!
03:42The President is Back!
03:52That's Colonel Dodge, used to be with
03:56Teddy's Rough Riders.
03:57You need an introduction of the President before this crowd will give him a chance.
04:03Citizens of Midvale, Mayor Smith, fellow Americans,
04:07Fellow Americans, the man I am about to introduce,
04:12the man who will step through that door,
04:15is a man who has fulfilled every promise he ever made.
04:21Fellow Americans, with a feeling of high honor
04:24and humble respect, I present to you
04:27President Theodore Roosevelt.
04:30♪♪
04:38♪♪
04:46♪♪
04:54♪♪
05:04I chased the boy out of Midvay.
05:06If Tommy had left the road, he would have gotten away.
05:09I had a fine team, but no man in a buggy cross-country
05:12can catch a man on a saddle horse.
05:14Tommy was wounded, hanging from the saddle.
05:18He was hurt.
05:19The horse he stole from the hitch rail
05:22kept running instinctively down the middle of the road.
05:25♪♪
05:35♪♪
05:45♪♪
05:55Whoa!
06:02Why'd you do it, boy?
06:04Why in the world would you want to shoot Colonel Dodge?
06:06I didn't try to shoot Colonel Dodge.
06:09You mean you tried to shoot the president?
06:11No, I didn't try to shoot him either.
06:13I shot clear over the roof of the hotel.
06:15Where'd you get this gun, you little rat?
06:17That's my business.
06:18No, it's my business.
06:19Where'd you get this gun?
06:20I don't think it's any of our business.
06:22The boy tried to shoot the president.
06:23It's a matter for the Secret Service.
06:25I didn't try to shoot him.
06:27Then who did you try to shoot?
06:28Nobody!
06:29I just...
06:30Well, I...
06:33I better patch him up here.
06:34He's bleeding pretty bad.
06:35I'll see you hang for this.
06:37Take it easy, Sheriff.
06:39He's not a man, he's just a boy.
06:43Come on.
06:52Ladies and gentlemen,
06:54may I have your attention, please?
06:56The president is all right.
06:58The boy's shots hit no one,
07:00and I understand he is in the sheriff's custody.
07:03The president will speak to you
07:05just as soon as we feel sure
07:07that this trouble is over.
07:09And the president wishes to thank you all
07:11very, very much for your patience.
07:20Doctor, how old did you say that boy was?
07:22Oh, 16 or 17, Colonel.
07:24Seems like a normal American boy.
07:27I wonder why he fired those shots.
07:3016 or 17.
07:32Just my boy's age.
07:35Come on, Doctor.
07:41Tommy, the colonel just asked you a question.
07:43Why don't you answer it man to man?
07:45We're your friends, Tommy.
07:47We're just trying to find out
07:48why you shot at that balcony.
07:50I didn't.
07:51Honest, I didn't.
07:53Just answer the question, Tommy.
07:55Colonel, this boy is obviously
07:57a case of adolescent schizophrenia,
08:00sometimes referred to in Latin
08:01as dementia precox.
08:03Now, translated into plain English,
08:05the terms of the layman...
08:06Thank you, Major.
08:08Would you gentlemen mind
08:09leaving us alone for a moment, please?
08:11Yes, sir.
08:12Not you, Dr. Baxter.
08:19What's the matter with this boy?
08:21Can you help him?
08:22I don't know, Colonel.
08:23I'll do the best I can.
08:24That's all I can promise.
08:26That's all anyone can promise.
08:30I don't know why you did it,
08:31but I guess you had your reasons.
08:33I won't press any charges, Tommy.
08:35You mean, sir...
08:36You mean you're gonna let me go?
08:38No one was hurt but you yourself,
08:40and I hope you get well again soon,
08:43real soon.
08:49So long, Tommy.
08:52So long, Colonel.
08:55And thanks.
09:06Now?
09:08Hello, Sheriff.
09:09Good evening, Doctor.
09:11I heard the bell,
09:12but I just couldn't get here any faster.
09:14Well, we want to ask you a few questions
09:16about that Kiever boy.
09:18Oh.
09:19Well, personally, I think he's a good boy.
09:25He's a good boy.
09:26He's a good boy.
09:27He's a good boy.
09:28He's a good boy.
09:29He's a good boy.
09:30He's a good boy.
09:31He's a good boy.
09:32He's a good boy.
09:33He's a good boy.
09:34He's a good boy.
09:35He's a good boy,
09:36even with a drunken father of his.
09:39I don't know.
09:40It's hard to believe
09:41that Tommy Kiever would try
09:42to shoot the President
09:43or Colonel Dodge.
09:44It's hard for us to believe too,
09:45Miss Tashman.
09:46That's why we're here.
09:47Well, I spent all afternoon
09:48and part of tonight
09:49trying to find out
09:50where Tommy Kiever got the gun
09:51he fired at the hotel.
09:54A hardware store at Elkton.
09:55They say they sold that
09:56to your husband
09:57about ten years ago.
09:59Yes, it looks like the same one,
10:02but I have always kept it
10:03even after he died.
10:06But then again, you know,
10:07guns and me don't go
10:08too good together.
10:19It's gone.
10:21That must be the gun.
10:23Sheriff, do you really think
10:24the boy took it?
10:25So now we know
10:26where Tommy got the gun.
10:28What we still don't know
10:29is why he blasted away
10:31at the hotel this morning.
10:33Won't he tell you?
10:34Tommy won't tell us a thing.
10:36One minute we think
10:37he meant business with the gun.
10:39Then again, we can't believe
10:40he meant any bodily harm.
10:43Maybe the doctor was right
10:44when he said that Tommy
10:45has two personalities.
10:48Whose coat is this, Miss Tashman?
10:50Oh, it's Kiever's.
10:51It's an old army coat.
10:53He probably picked it up
10:54in some saloon.
10:56Whoever owned this coat
10:57was a sergeant in the U.S. Army.
10:58You can see where he tore
10:59the stripes off of it.
11:01Maybe that is Kiever's coat.
11:04Maybe he was in the army once.
11:06That's what I mean.
11:07Kiever?
11:09Kiever is not the type of man
11:10to ever belong to anybody's army.
11:12That man never learned
11:13how to live.
11:14He could never learn
11:15how to die.
11:17You don't think much of him,
11:18do you, Miss Tashman?
11:19How could I?
11:21Don't tell me he ever
11:22was a soldier.
11:24I know a soldier
11:25when I see one.
11:28My husband.
11:30My husband died
11:31at San Juan Hill.
11:34My husband rode
11:35with Teddy Roosevelt.
11:37Lieutenant Wayne Tashman.
11:40They fought that battle
11:41side by side.
11:43Who put the bullet holes
11:44in that picture?
11:46He did.
11:47Kiever?
11:49Yes, Kiever.
11:50Last night.
11:52He was drunk again.
11:54So I tried to take the gun
11:55away from him,
11:56but he fired straight
11:57at the picture.
11:58This is what I think of him,
11:59he said.
12:01That when you asked him to move?
12:02Oh, I didn't ask him to move.
12:03I ordered him to move.
12:06What kind of a man is it
12:07that fires a gun at the picture,
12:08eh?
12:09Don't get your dander up now.
12:10At least he only
12:11shot at the picture.
12:13Or did he?
12:15What do you mean, Doc?
12:17I'm wondering if maybe
12:18Kiever wasn't carrying
12:19a grudge against
12:20Teddy Roosevelt.
12:22I'd like to catch up
12:23with that presidential train.
12:25Do you have any idea
12:26where it stops next?
12:28Roosevelt Junction,
12:29about daybreak.
12:30I'll be there.
12:31Can I take this coat with me?
12:32Yes, of course.
12:37You ain't taking
12:38that coat anywhere, Doc.
12:42Where's Tommy?
12:44Where's my boy?
12:45He's over in the
12:46Midvale Hospital
12:47and he's doing all right.
12:48You leave him alone.
12:50Hospital?
12:51Get this man out of here.
12:52Sheriff, don't you stand there!
12:53Get him out!
12:54Get out!
12:55Get out!
12:56I'll get out!
12:57I'll get out, you old bag!
13:02All right, Kiever.
13:03I haven't got anything
13:04I can hold you on,
13:05but out of this house
13:06you go and stay out.
13:07Take it easy, Sheriff.
13:08He's a sick man.
13:09Come on.
13:11And a man like that,
13:12you call sick?
13:14He's an alcoholic.
13:16Then he should be in prison
13:17for the rest of his life.
13:19Prison's no place
13:20for a man like that.
13:21It's a disease.
13:22Disease?
13:23Well, then why don't
13:24your doctors find
13:25a cure for it?
13:26Someday, I hope we will.
13:28But it's a disease.
13:29Someday, I hope we will.
13:31But it's a mental thing.
13:32Mental?
13:33Somewhere, somehow,
13:34we'll find a cure for it.
13:36Thanks for your help,
13:37Miss Tashman.
13:43The road over the hills
13:44to Rosedale Junction
13:45is a little shorter
13:46than the route
13:47the railroad took.
13:49By early morning,
13:50I was there.
13:51The presidential train
13:52coming into
13:53Rosedale Junction
13:54was right on time.
13:56So was I.
13:57Outside the depot,
13:58I recognized
13:59one of the government men
14:00that had been guarding
14:01the president in Midvale.
14:03I told him I'd like to see
14:04the president's aide,
14:05Colonel Dodge.
14:06He said he'd board the train
14:07and relay my message
14:08for me to wait
14:09inside the depot.
14:16Dr. Baxter,
14:18I got your message.
14:20I'm surprised to see you.
14:21You must have driven all night.
14:23I imagine my horses
14:24are a little more tired
14:25than I am.
14:26Colonel, I'd like to talk
14:27to you for a few minutes
14:28if you can spare the time.
14:29Yes, the president
14:30was asking me
14:31about that boy.
14:32What'd you find out?
14:34Haven't found out
14:35too much yet, but
14:36I've been doing some
14:37checking on his father
14:38and I thought maybe
14:39you might be able
14:40to help me.
14:41In any way I can.
14:42I have reason to believe
14:43that the boy's father
14:44might have been in the army.
14:45I thought there might be
14:46a slim chance
14:47that you'd remember him.
14:48Well, there's a lot of men
14:49in the army, doctor.
14:50What outfit was he in?
14:51I don't really know.
14:52What was the man's name?
14:53Name was Keever,
14:54a three-striper, I believe.
14:57Sergeant Keever.
14:59How could I ever forget him?
15:01Yes, he served
15:02with the Rough Riders.
15:04The word served
15:05is incorrect
15:06when applied to Keever.
15:07Jack Keever?
15:08Sergeant Jack Keever.
15:10He was the only card
15:11we ever had
15:12in the Rough Riders.
15:13He hid in a ditch
15:14with a bottle
15:15while the rest of the boys
15:16stormed the hill.
15:17That man,
15:18if you can call him a man,
15:20cost the lives
15:21of seven Rough Riders.
15:23He was responsible
15:24for 62 casualties.
15:25What happened to him?
15:26After San Juan Hill,
15:27I mean.
15:28Yes, Captain,
15:29it was my duty
15:30to report him
15:31to our commanding officer.
15:32I did.
15:33I reported him
15:34to Colonel Teddy Roosevelt.
15:35We had Keever up
15:36in the general court, Marshal.
15:37We had him drummed out
15:38of the army.
15:39Dishonorable discharge.
15:41But let's get on with it.
15:42What's this got to do
15:43with the boy?
15:45Keever.
15:47That was the boy's name.
15:48His father.
15:51I don't believe
15:52the boy tried
15:53to shoot the president.
15:54In fact, I think
15:55he tried to save his life.
15:57Save his life?
15:59Yours, too.
16:01What you just told me
16:02about the boy's father
16:03convinces me.
16:05Colonel,
16:06I won't take up
16:07any more of your time.
16:08You've been a great help.
16:10What do you think
16:11really happened
16:12back there at Midvale?
16:14I'd rather not say
16:15until I have a little more proof,
16:16but I'm going to ride
16:17back to Midvale now
16:18and have a talk with the boy.
16:20Well, I'll look forward
16:21to hearing from you.
16:22I think you'll be hearing
16:23from me real soon.
16:25Goodbye, Colonel.
16:26Good luck, Doctor.
16:44Good morning, Doctor.
16:45Morning.
16:48Where's Tommy?
16:50Well, he wanted to get up,
16:51so I helped him
16:52get his clothes on,
16:53and he's out on the porch
16:54getting some sun.
16:56How's he feeling?
16:58Restless.
17:00He didn't sleep very well
17:01last night,
17:02even with the sedatives.
17:03But at least
17:04he's finally stopped
17:05talking in his sleep.
17:06He been talking in his sleep?
17:08Quite a bit.
17:10I'd like to show you something.
17:15Last night,
17:16Tommy asked his father
17:17to bring around
17:18this suitcase.
17:20It was locked,
17:21and Tommy had the key
17:22hidden in his shoe.
17:24He didn't open it
17:25until after his father
17:26had gone.
17:29That's a picture
17:30of West Point,
17:31graduating class.
17:34Apparently, Tommy
17:35wants to be a soldier.
17:36And look here,
17:37these are the textbooks
17:38they use at West Point.
17:41And he has lots
17:42of pictures like that,
17:43pictures of Colonel Roosevelt
17:44and the Rough Riders.
17:46Apparently, Tommy's
17:47a great admirer
17:48of the President.
17:50That's what I don't understand.
17:52If Tommy so admired
17:53Teddy Roosevelt,
17:54then why did he
17:55try to shoot him?
17:56He didn't.
17:58But I was down
17:59at the hotel.
18:00I saw it with my own eyes.
18:02You didn't see him
18:03try to shoot the President.
18:05You want to know
18:06what I think's really
18:07wrong with Tommy?
18:10He has a case
18:11of torn loyalties.
18:14On one part,
18:15there's a deep,
18:16natural love
18:17for his country.
18:18The other part
18:19is a natural love
18:20for his father.
18:21Tommy's all mixed up.
18:24You had no right
18:25to open that.
18:27It's none of your business.
18:29Oh, Tommy,
18:30I was just trying
18:31to help you.
18:32We're on your side, Tommy.
18:33And when you're old enough,
18:34we'd like to see you
18:35go to West Point.
18:36You do want to go,
18:37don't you?
18:38Sure.
18:41But how can I?
18:44My own dad
18:45was a coward
18:46at San Juan Hill.
18:49What he did
18:50what use would they
18:51have for me?
18:56That's the wrong
18:57attitude, Tommy.
18:59You can go to West Point
19:00if you really set
19:01your heart to it.
19:02It takes more than
19:03setting your heart.
19:08Tommy,
19:13why don't you and I
19:14have a little talk,
19:15man to man?
19:16If you'll tell me
19:17the truth,
19:18maybe we can make a deal.
19:20You keep on
19:21going to school
19:22and try as hard as you can
19:23and make good marks,
19:24and I'll do everything
19:25I can to get you
19:26into West Point.
19:29But who...
19:31who'll get me
19:32the appointment?
19:34President Theodore Roosevelt
19:36and Colonel Dodge.
19:38But first,
19:39you have to tell me
19:40the truth about what
19:41happened down at the hotel.
19:43You took that gun
19:44from Mrs. Cashman's
19:45rooming house, didn't you?
19:48Yes, sir.
19:49You didn't intend
19:50to shoot anybody.
19:51You figured that when
19:52you fired that shot
19:53into the air,
19:54it would attract
19:55everyone's attention
19:56and stop your dad
19:57from shooting, didn't you?
19:59Well, sir, I...
20:01Tommy, you're not
20:02protecting him by lying.
20:04Your father in a
20:05drunken stupor
20:06was out to get revenge
20:07against the president
20:08and Colonel Dodge.
20:10He's a sick man
20:11and he blames them
20:12instead of himself
20:13for the mess
20:14he's got his life into.
20:16Tommy, you can't
20:17go on forever
20:18living in the shadow
20:19of another man's mistake.
20:23You won't have to, Tommy.
20:25You and me,
20:26we're getting out of here.
20:27We got things to do.
20:28We'll start a new life.
20:30Keever, put that gun down.
20:32You'll keep out of this, Doc.
20:34Come on, Tommy.
20:35I got the wagon
20:36right outside.
20:38Nobody's gonna take
20:39you away from me, son.
20:41I'll kill anybody who tries.
20:43Keever, you've lived
20:44half of your life
20:45hiding behind a bottle.
20:46I don't blame you for that.
20:48But there's one thing
20:49I do blame you for.
20:51And that's trying to hide
20:52behind your own son.
20:54Why don't you do something
20:55right for once?
20:57Why don't you go away
20:59and let that boy alone?
21:03Mighty pretty nurse
21:04you got here, Doc.
21:07Sure hate to mess her up
21:08with a Colt 44.
21:11But tell her to mind
21:12her own business.
21:14No, Doc.
21:15No.
21:17Come on, Tommy.
21:21You better go with him, Doc.
21:23Before he hurts somebody.
21:25He don't know what he's doing.
21:26I don't know what I'm doing.
21:28Son, come on.
21:37Please keep my suitcase
21:38for me, will you?
21:40I'll send for it later.
21:42Oh, yes, yes, Tommy.
21:46Yes, they're West Point pictures.
21:49All your son's dreams
21:50are wrapped up in that suitcase.
22:05Doc, we've got to do something.
22:06That man's desperate.
22:16Son.
22:19I didn't know about this.
22:22I'm sorry.
22:24I'll bet you are.
22:26Get off of me!
22:45Get up!
23:07Get up!
23:16Get up there!
23:27Get up there!
23:33That meddling doctor!
23:35Leave them!
23:36No!
23:42I can't hold them, Dad!
23:43I can't hold them!
23:46Let me help!
23:56Jump, son!
23:57Jump!
23:58No, Dad, no!
23:59Do as I say!
24:00Jump!
24:16Dad!
24:28He's gone, Tommy.
24:32You saved my life.
24:35The team ran away, Doc.
24:38He made me jump.
24:41He wanted to prove something.
24:43Prove what?
24:45All of your dad's life
24:46since San Juan Hill,
24:47he's been afraid.
24:49He wanted to prove to himself
24:50that he wasn't scared anymore.
24:54You can always remember one thing, Tommy.
24:58He died like a man.
25:09That year,
25:10Teddy Roosevelt won the election
25:11and returned to the White House
25:13for another term.
25:16Cadet Kiever graduated with honors
25:18from West Point.
25:21On October 12, 1908,
25:23Colonel Dodge wrote me a letter
25:25saying that Tommy Kiever
25:26had been cited for bravery
25:28in the Philippines.
25:30President Roosevelt,
25:31as Commander-in-Chief,
25:32confirmed Kiever's appointment
25:33as Captain in the United States Army.
25:37I am happy that the faith I had
25:38in Tommy Kiever was well found.
25:45© BF-WATCH TV 2021