MH: “how do you see it?’
JL: “I think a person’s got a right to lead his own life, do what he wants.” Johnny takes his hat off, stands facing her with hands crossed in front of him and holds his hat. She is facing him, still with her hands behind her back.
MH: “So how come you’re keeping me a prisoner?’
JL: “You’re not being kept a prisoner. Your father did my father a favor a long time ago, so we’re repaying it by bringing you back, that’s all.”
MH: “You, uh, you don’t like me very much, do you?”
JL: Oh, now what do you think, after that trap you led us into?”
MH: “yes, I know you think I behaved very badly. You think I should have told you from the very beginning that I was not going to go with you. I thought it was kind of funny, leading you on like that, but I was wrong, and stupid. And I’m very sorry about it.”
JL: “Well, what can I say?” he shrugs.
MH: “Well, I’d like you to say that you’re not angry with me any more.”
JL: “I’m not angry with you any more.”, He says this with virtually no tone to it, then he smiles. “You know, I never was. But I sure don’t trust you.’
She turns away from Johnny: “Well, I never asked you to have anything to do with me. You know, if I’d been using my head, I would’ve told Bobby to shoot you the first time you came around.”
JL, who is seated, back against one of the posts supporting the barn. “Oh, now there is a different tune“--he points at her--”Which one’s right?”
MH: “Well, what do you care”” She turns away from him, then back to face him. “I didn’t mean what I said, I didn’t want Bobby to hurt you. No matter what you do, well, I can’t help how I feel.”
JL: “How do you feel?’
MH doesn’t answer right away, she comes over to him and kneels beside him. She removes the rifle from his hands, places her hands on his shoulders and gives him multiple kisses.
JL: “Your father sure painted a different picture of you.”
MH: “yes, well, little girls do grow up you know”. She keeps kissing Johnny.
JL: “Not gonna work.”
MH--reacts, draws away quickly, makes some non word sounds--she’s angry. “All I want is to be with Bobby.” She walks away again--then turns back to him.
MH: “Why couldn’t my father just let me be happy?”
JL: “Maybe when you get back to the ranch, you can talk to him, tell him how you feel.”
MH: “Oh there’s no chance of that. My father’s idea of life is marrying into the oldest family in Boston and not doing a thing that anybody can ever criticize.”
JL: “And what’s your idea of life?”
MH: “Being free. Being the woman I am, good or bad. Loving the man that I love and raising my children to breathe the fresh air of the whole outdoors. I won’t be buried alive in some corner of Boston. I want the whole world.”
JL: “That’s a tall order.”
MH: “yes, but is it any more than you have?”
JL thinks about this: “Well, I guess not “. . He stands his rifle against a post: repeats “I guess not . . “
MH: “Johnny, please , please let me have a horse and ride out of here.” She goes over to him, places her hands on his shirt and kisses him.
JL: “I can’t.” She slaps his face. He grabs her and kisses her. She goes for the gun, he grabs it and pushes her to the ground. He stands there holding the rifle. “You sure are something, Melissa.”
The next morning: Its daylight and through the slightly ajar barn door we see the Cooper brothers arrive. Inside, Johnny is sitting up asleep and MH is nearby on the floor. Scott is sleeping on the other side of the barn, also seated. One of the Cooper brothers--Crocker--appears above him.
Melissa stirs, looks up, sees Crocker and his weapon, says “Johnny”, warning him just as he is about to be shot. He rolls and fires at Crocker. Scott is also immediately awake with his rifle in hand. Both the Lancers start shooting up at Crocker and Harmon. MH goes outside--after firing and pumping his rifle repeatedly, SL follows her. Bobby is out there, behind an old wagon; he calls her name. Scott is behind Melissa, he also says her name and she appears to duck. Scott shoots and Bobby and Bobby goes down. Scott and Harmon are still shooting it out inside the barn--SL grabs Melissa and escorts her towards the horses--she’s still saying “Bobby”. He has her sit in front of him on his horse, he’s holding the reins for JL who exit’s the barn still firing at the Coopers, then turns and runs, climbing a fence to get on board his animal. They ride away. We see that Bobby has been hit in the thigh of his right leg.
SCENE 12 Back at the ranch.
Jelly makes his second one minute appearance, he’s standing in the doorway and sees the boys ride up. MH is seated in front of JL on Barranca.
Jelly: “Just in time for Supper.”
SL: “That’s fine with us. We’ve been eating on the poor side the last couple of days.”
An unknown hand comes up and holds Johnny’s horse while JL helps MH dismount. MH steps forward, with her hands grasping the bottom of her short jacket.
MH: “So, this is Lancer.”
JL: “Well, there’s more. You get way up there on the top of that hill, it’s as far as the eye can see.”
MH: “There must be a lot of places to be alone.”
JL: “I’d like to show ‘em to ya.”
MH: “No. . I don’t want to see any place I can’t have.”
JL: “You know Melissa, I was wondering . . . Back at that barn, why you called out to help me.
MH: “Does it make a difference?”
JL: “It might.”
MH: “When I was a little girl, my father used to take me to the Boston zoo. And I would look at all of the animals in those tiny cages; now they didn’t hate their keeper or want to see them hurt. . . Out here, I guess that’s kind of hard to understand.”
Of course the cages thing is gonna pull at JL's heartstrings again. Also he wants to hear that MH called out to him because she cares for him, but no, he's just like one of the zookeepers. He's not going to be feeling too good about that analogy!!
The door opens and ML comes out with Teresa behind him, MH and JL turn. We can see SL on the right side of the shot as Ml says: “Well, well, you certainly took your time getting here.” Teresa comes out from behind him and embraces SL; he hugs her back. When he’s speaking, ML is looking at MH and JL, not at Scott who is to his left.
SL: “It was such a nice trip, it would be a shame not to relax and enjoy it.”
Johnny comes over to Teresa, she KISSES him. SL is in between; he gives Teresa, then Johnny some sort of look, could even be saying something to T, but JL’s head blocks our view.
ML, to MH: “The last time I saw you, your father was bragging about you reading news stories in the Boston Herald . . You must have been all of three.” Scott is standing with one arm on the post, Teresa has placed her elbow into his side and appears to be leaning against him somewhat, Johnny is standing to the side, his head is down. SL might possibly put his arm around T, its hard to tell.
MH: “Is my father here?”
ML: “Sure, sure, he missed you.”
JH: “Melissa!”
MH: “Hello, daddy, its nice to see you.”
JH embraces her, she hugs him back. He says “come on” and they turn towards the house. Teresa goes with them, saying she’ll show MH to her room.
ML: “uh . . See ya at dinner.” ML and SL watch the Harpers and T leave. Scott begins to remove the glove from his right hand.
ML: “Well, you did a good job, how’d it go? Any problems?” SL is still looking at his gloves, JL just looks down. SL has the right glove off and places it on his gun.
SL: “Well, aside from getting beaten up a couple of times, hit on the head, thrown in jail, shot at . . No, no real problems.” SL and JL are not looking at each other.
ML: to Johnny: “What about you son, something bothering you?”
JL: “No, like you said, we did a good job.”
ML: “Well, you don’t seem very happy about it.”
JL: “I don’t like kidnapping women.”
ML: “What are you talking about?”
JL: “You know that story that Harper told you, about her being a prisoner--a bunch of malarkey.”
The camera has been tight on the faces of JL and ML, now it expands. Scott is standing looking at the ground between them, right hand on hip. ML is facing Johnny, also with his right hand on his hip.
JL: “She wanted to marry him.” SL looks up at this, JL glances at Scott when he says this.
ML: “I know, but she’s under age---” SL rests his hand on his gun.
JL: “Oh, fine, well, just leave it at that.” JL walks away. Scott looks down again.
This is interesting interaction. SL is NOT about to tell Murdoch that Johnny didn’t want to bring Melissa back. He lists all kinds of problems, but not the one that he had with Johnny. SL for sure doesn’t tell tales. He also doesn’t interrupt or add anything to what Johnny has to say. I like that the director had SL and his careful non-reaction included in the scene. When ML echoes exactly what Scott had said earlier--that MH is not 21 yet---Johnny gives up. Its two against one and he isn’t going to fight. Makes you think that its two to one against him quite a bit. Its also interesting that when ML asks what’s bothering him, he first denies that anything is, then spills it immediately.
ML, to Scott: “Well, what have you got to say?’
SL shakes his head: “Nothing”. He gestures, pointing at the departing Johnny: “He’s got his notions, I’ve got mine.”
ML: “Well, could I hear your notions, if you don’t mind telling me .. “ a bare hint of a smile from ML.
Great close up shot of SL face, hint of a smile from him too: “I think Johnny’s in love, but too stubborn to admit it. He’s been wild and free most of his life. The girl caught him in the soft spot . . .I just hope he can handle it . . .that’s all. I’m gonna get cleaned up.”
He goes inside.
SCENE 13
Johnny is sitting outside the front door, on the ground. James Harper comes out.
JH: “I missed you at dinner, Johnny.”
JL: “Na. . I found something earlier in the kitchen.”
JH: “Oh--I understand that you and Melissa became quite close on the way back. This the horse you were riding?” He’s wiping his neck with a handkerchief when he comes out the door--then he walks over to a still saddled horse.
JL: “Whatta you trying to say?”
JH: “Well, I couldn’t help noticing that you have only one sleeping bag.”
JL gets up: “Are you kidding?”
JH: “It may seem stuffy to you out here, but our society has very definite standards.”
JL: “Boy, is that all you can think about--your standards? Your daughter’s safe, Harper.”
JH: “Well, I’m grateful, but ah, we do have rigid barriers.”
JL: Laughs---“rigid barriers huh . . .they more like cages?”
JL walks away, JH is left standing there with his hands in his pockets.
JL: whistles---outside Jelly’s window--he says Jelly’s name. Jelly comes out--he’s on camera again!!
JL: “I don’t want ya askin’ any questions--I want ya to saddle up a horse . .get provisions ready.”
Jelly: “Ready for what?’
JL” “I’ll meet you at the north barn in 10 minutes.”
He goes inside the house. Melissa is standing alone in the semi-dark looking up at a painting of two women with a parasol. Doesn’t look like the kind of painting I’d expect to see in the hacienda. MH looks sad.
JL stands behind her: “You father’s goin’ back to Boston tomorrow. Wanna go with him?”
MH: “I want to be with Bobby.”
JL: “Yeah, that’s what I figured.” He sighs.
“Why don’t you go change your clothes--I got a horse waiting for you.”
MH: she’s happy!! “Johnny!!” He motions her to go with his head. He looks uncertain after she leaves, lowers his head and sighs.
So JL helps her go back to Bobby. Not what you’d expect if he’s in love with her himself, unless we are supposed to view this as a noble sacrifice on his part--which it could be except that we know that Bobby is NO GOOD. Since we know this, we can't view JL as being noble or sweetly concerned about MH’s happiness, we know that this is just NOT GOOD. PLUS he’s sending her off alone in the night????
Immediately its daylight and we see Jelly AGAIN! at the pump and trough washing up. Then ML looking out the window at Jelly, turns to the inside of the room and addresses Johnny_: Why did you do it, Johnny?”
SL: somewhat heatedly for him--”After all we went through to get her here.” He’s putting on a gun belt.
JL: “She never wanted to be here.”
ML: “That’s not for you to decide.”
JL: “She has a right to be with her man.”
SL: “Her man is a grade A candidate for the hangman, Johnny how could you-----
ML cuts him off--”Not now, Scott--we’re wasting time--” ML and SL turn to leave, then ML looks back at Johnny: “I told you before that I owe somebody a debt and I‘m gonna make sure its paid. Are you coming??”
Johnny follows the other two, reluctantly..
SCENE 14
We see the three Coopers--they may still be near that barn where JL, SL and MH spent the night.
Melissa rides up. Harmon says “Look who it is, Bobby.” and goes over to grab the reins of her horse. Bobby has a bandanna ties around the top of his right leg, he’s walking very stiffly.
MH: “Aren’t you going to help me down?”
He just looks up at her.
MH: “Aren’t you glad to see me?”
BC: “Crocker says that he had the jump on him---you warned him”. Bobby really looks NOT happy when he says this.
MH: “I didn’t know what I was doing---- it was all happening so fast. Besides, Johnny was trying to help me, he never wanted to take me in the first place.”
BC: “That didn’t stop him from shooting at us. Melissa you’re gonna have to learn a lesson---he reaches up and pulls her roughly off of her horse.
MH: “Bobby!!!”
Harmon grabs her--”Now wait a minute, Bobby ain’t gonna do nothin’ to you--except maybe what he did to Vivian . . “
MH: “Vivian!” She tries to run.
Crocker: “Yeah, Bobby had to teach her a lesson too--he beat her so bad one time she never did get up from it”.
Harmon grabs a few strands of Melissa’s hair and sniffs them, then he’s grinning like a fool.
BC: “No one makes a fool of me, Melissa--not Vivian, not you---
She keeps saying his name “Bobby”--can’t believe this is happening.
Quick shot of three horsemen--we assume it’s the Lancers, no close-ups though.
Then back to MH tied to a tree--Bobby is stiff-leggedly walking over to her. He has a short piece of cord in one hand, intends to hit her with it. His two brothers are watching. Melissa says his name once more, in an imploring tone. “Bobby”.’
The Lancers arrive!!! Crocker runs over to the campsite for a rifle
Three on three, BIG FIGHT. Scott tackles Harmon first. Johnny is near Melissa, he has Bobby. ML must be punching Crocker. Two Coopers are down, one rides away, must be the one that SL was fighting. He walks over to Melissa, he’s adjusting his hat and hair. Johnny is already beside her, untying her.
ML: “How ‘bout it young lady? You ‘bout ready to go back to Papa?”
MH: “Yes, yes I am, thank you.”
JL puts her jacket on her shoulders.
SCENE 15.
Back at the ranch: in the Great room Melissa and Murdoch are in the foreground conversing, while we see Johnny and Teresa seated at the dining table facing us, SL must be in the chair back too, and Harper is at the end of the table to Scott’s right. Amazing to me that they have this huge house and the books, sofa dining table etc are all in this one room. Now Murdoch has referred to his “study” from time to time, but I think that his desk may even be in here as well!!
MH: “I don’t think that I’ll ever be leaving Boston again.” Both MH and ML are holding wine glasses. JH: gets up and approaches them: “Murdoch, I want to tell you that you have two very fine young men here.”
ML: “Well, thank you, Jim.”
JH: “And I want to um, tell you how much I appreciated it.”
SL: “It was our pleasure, Mr. Harper.”
MH: “Even getting thrown into jail?”
JL: “Didn’t mind that so much . . .gave me a chance to meet you.”
JH: “Well, if you ever find your way up around Bawston, you’ll always be welcome at the house” He reaches out and puts his hand on JL’s shoulder. “Of course, Melissa’s gonna be very very busy. I’ve got a full schedule arranged for her.” He gestures with his glass.
Harper’s Bawston accent is much more pronounced in this scene--must be the wine. He sort of invites the Lancers/Johnny to visit in Boston, but then hastens to outline how busy Melissa is going to be. So he really doesn’t want them showing up, and I suspect, he especially doesn’t want JL to be there. Again, the writers have evidently forgotten hat Scott is supposed to be from Boston also, since it would be natural for some comment to be made to him about this.
SL is standing to Harper’s right, JL is on his left. SL smiles at this comment and looks down at the floor. He has his hands in his pockets. JL grins too.
MH: “You have?”
JH: “Uh huh, I arranged it with the Dean. Why, you’re going to be able to catch up on the things you missed in elocution and classic ballet. “
ML looks down at Melissa.
JH: “And then there’s gonna be poetry reading with Mrs. Siddons, needlepoint with Miss Carter, all those things that a young lady, a proper young lady should know upon preparing to assume her proper place in a truly civilized society.”
ML: “Civilized, Jim?”
JH: “Oh, well, no reflection on your very picturesque life here, but it is lacking in the social graces. ” Turning to Melissa.__”Oh, I have surprise for you. You have an invitation to the next debutante cotillion. And I’ve arranged for young Harroway to escort you--he’s the son of one of the oldest families in Massachusetts.”
Melissa turns away. “He’s a pimply faced snob with half the brains of a mule.”
JH: “What dear?’
She turns back: “Nothing, Daddy.”
JH: “You know, I’m gonna make it up to my little girl for all the time she’s lost. . . “ He reaches out and touches her chin.
MH: “I . . Would you all excuse me please.” She leaves the room and JL follows her immediately, while JH continues talking.
JH: “You know, actually, Murdoch, this whole experience hasn’t been all bad for Melissa, just been the uh, right amount of misfortune, you know, to teach her where her true happiness lies.”
ML: “Be right back Jim.”
JH: “Sure.“ ML leaves, SL follows him. Teresa is left holding a bottle of wine.
Outside:
JL to MH: “Hey Melissa, you don’t have to do what he says---” he grasps her arms.
Ml and SL come outside, Johnny lets go of her as she says “Johnny, don’t worry about me.”
ML: Melissa, if you could go any place, any place in the whole world . . Where would you choose?’
JL is in the foreground, SL is behind.
MH: “I’d go to San Francisco with my Aunt Kate. I’d be free without all of this misery. “ She sort of laughs, crosses her arms. “Its too late for that now.”
JH comes out. “aahh . . There you are. What’s going on?”
ML stands facing him, with one arm around Melissa’s shoulders. The boys are standing in the background now, together.
ML: “Jim, are you open to an offer?’
JH: “An offer . . What’s involved?’ He spreads his jacket open and puts his hands in his pockets.
ML: “Your daughter.”
JH: “My daughter?” he stops, looks back at the boys and laughs. A very long laugh. “Wait a minute, you’re serious.”
JL: “What he means is that she doesn’t want to go back with you.”
JH: “Melissa . . Is that true?’
MH: “I love you Papa. You’ve done everything for me. But I want to be free.”
JH: “To do what?’
MH: “To be who I am.”
JH: “You’re my daughter, that’s who you are, isn’t that enough?”
MH: “No Papa.”
ML: “Jim, you’ve given her everything in the world, except uh, well, there comes a time when you have to give your children the right to say ‘no” to you.”
JH: “What would you do, where would you go?”
MH: “To Aunt Kate in San Francisco, like I should have done all along. Just let me go for a while and I’ll come back when I want.”
JH: “You said you’d all make me an offer for my daughter and if I agree, what do you offer in return?“
ML” smiles, looks down: “Its very simple Jim--the love and the respect of your daughter. That is if you’ve got the strength enough to let go.”
JH: “I don’t need a middleman. If Melissa’s gonna say “no” to me, she can say it to my face.” To MH: “No detours this time.”
MH: smiles, “No detours.”
JH: “That’s good enough for me.”
She kisses him. “Thank you Papa.” She heads to the house, speaks to the boys, “Would you help me get my things together?” Actually its only SL in the frame, but both of the boys go with her. ML has a close up looking at his friend Jim, looks like he’s proud of him.
Okay, so since when is Murdoch Lancer the expert on parenting?? As far as we know, he’s never raised a child!!! How does he know about letting go?? Well, he for sure knows about that, he doesn’t know how to hang on to a kid . . . I like that he asks the direct question to Melissa, and he’s the only one to do it, since he’s Harpers friend. Its just too much when he gives Harper the parenting advice. I notice that Melissa calls him Daddy sometimes and Papa here, which is weird, since people usually have one name for their parent and stick with it., The first time through, I was sure that JH would think that Murdoch’s “offer” involved Melissa marrying one of the boys, and he does look at them before he starts laughing, which is rude.
JH comes across as caring about his daughter now that he understands what she wants. Makes him less of a cartoon . I like that he says that he doesn’t need a middle man.
Odd that Melissa would ask the boys to help her with her things--because as far as we know she doesn’t have any!! She was riding double with Johnny when she arrived at the ranch and inside she’s borrowing clothing from Teresa!!
Inside, Teresa is still there by her self. She’s standing talking to MH: “Well, you’re about my size, I can lend you some things til you get settled.”
The girls walk away form the boys. MH: “Oh thank you Teresa. I’ll need something warm in the way of a coat, they tell me San Francisco can be quite cool this time of year. Teresa smiles and walks off camera.
Johnny is leaning against the doorway. “Hey” he says to Melissa. SL is standing beside him with his hands in his pockets.
MH turns back to face Johnny. He looks at Scott and smiles. SL smiles and walks forward, looking at the floor. JL watches him leave, seems to smile fondly at him. Then once he’s gone, JL addresses MH: “You sure are in a big hurry all of a sudden.”
MH: “Well, there’s a lot out there. I could be missing something. “ She walks over to him.
JL: “Well, you could be missing something right here.” He is standing facing her with his hands behind him.
MH: “Johnny, you’re not trying to hold me back, are you?”
JL: “No . . never.”
She kisses him, and starts to move away. He reaches out, draws her close and kisses her for real. End with her walking away and JL looking after her.
THE END
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