“YESTERDAY’S VENDETTA”
Season 1, Episode #16
Director: Otto Lang Written by: Don Brinkley
Guest Stars:
Teresa Wright as Ellen Haney Lin McCarthy as Judd Haney
“Yesterday’s Vengeance” (aka “Yesterday’s Vendetta” ) (Henceforth YV)
SCENE 1.
Its dark out, ML in his study, seated at his desk, writing using pen dipped in ink. Its after 3:00 according to the big clock. ML puts the paper into an envelope and slips it into a pocket inside his jacket. Takes his gun belt and saddle bags off of a nearby standing coat rack.
He goes outside, where his horse is already saddled and waiting. As he is fastening the saddlebags onto the horse, Jelly comes up behind him ”Hold it”. Murdoch is not startled. “Its only me, Jelly.” Jelly is a bit disappointed, he thought that he’d caught himself a “sneaking prowler.” ML says he was going to wake Jelly anyway--he hands him the envelope and wants to know whether or not he can trust him with it. Jelly assures him that he can. “If I’m not back by Friday noon, show that to my sons, but not to anybody til then. Clear?”
Jelly responds that “Scott and Johnny are gonna ask questions, what do I tell them?”
“Tell them that I have some business to take care of--something I should have taken care of 25 years ago.” He rides off, and Jelly, hitching up his pants, goes back to bed.
Next shot: Its daylight, ML arrives at a house. Trunk on the porch is labeled “Judd Haney”. He knocks on the door, no on is home. He remounts and rides off.
SCENE 2.
Back at the ranch:
Scott is speaking: “Twenty five years and all of a sudden it can’t wait til morning?”
He is standing, holding a silver coffee pot, in one hand, cup and saucer in the other. His shirt is untucked and he has more buttons undone than usual. We see Teresa seated on a chair to his left in this opening shot. “It doesn’t add up.”
Now we can see that Jelly is seated on the right, also holding a cup and saucer and JL is behind Scott. They are not in the kitchen or dining room, but in a living room type area in front of a mantle.
JL: “Jelly, you sure he didn’t say where he was going?” SL crosses over to perch on the edge of a table between Jelly and JL.
Teresa: “Something’s been gnawing at him, he’s been taking long walks, sitting at his desk, staring at the walls.”
JL (with straight face): “I--- I just think he’s got a woman.”
T: (glares at him): “Its nothing to joke about Johnny, your father might be in serious trouble.”
JL (laughs now): “Yeah, that woman could have a husband.” No response from T, but she looks displeased.
SL (serious): “The other day I saw him in the pasture, shooting at tin cans like a kid training for a gun fight.” Jelly starts to rise.
SL: “More coffee, Jelly?”
Jelly: “If you’ll excuse me, I got lots of chores to do.” SL reaches for the coffee pot that he’s placed on the table beside him. Teresa gets up and goes after Jelly, stands facing him: “Its not like him to disappear like that. Didn’t he leave us any word, a message?’
Camera goes back to the boys: Scott walks back to the table with the coffee pot in hand, sort of glances a t Johnny, but ignores the fact that his brother is holding out his cup for a refill.
Back to Jelly and Teresa: “As a matter of fact, he did. He said if he wasn’t back by Friday noon, I was to give Scott and Johnny the note.”
Camera returns to S & J: Scott turns to look at Johnny at this news about the note, while Johnny gets up out of his chair to ask “What note?’
The two brothers approach, standing together as SL asks “Where is it?”
“Safe and sound”, replies Jelly.
SL: “Let’s have it.”
Jelly: “Friday noon.”
SL: (ominous tone) “Jelly . . .”
Jelly: “Now listen, your father gave me the note cause he trusted me. And I trust him. Anybody that can take 25 years to make up his mind must know what he’s doing.”
SL (more insistent): “Jelly . . .”
JL (to Scott): “Forget it. I mean, he’s not going to give you that note.” Johnny turns back towards where he was seated earlier; Scott gives Jelly “a look” and turns to follow Johnny.
SL, places hands on mantle, then turns: “I don’t like it, Johnny---Murdoch wouldn’t slip away in the middle of the night unless----”
“-------unless he wanted to do what he’s doin’ alone.” Johnny is seated in his chair again, one leg crossed over, gestures with his hand as he finishes Scott's sentence.
Teresa (comes to stand against table where Scott was perched earlier, beside Johnny) “But he may need help”.
JL to her: “Look, all he had to do was ask.”
Teresa: “You know what he’s like, he’s just too proud to ask for help.”
JL doesn’t respond except to shift in his chair. He leans his head against one hand, but his eyes glance up at Scott as he speaks: “Come on Johnny, let’s go after him.”
Camera shifts to Scott: “If he headed through the south pasture, the ground’s still soft enough to show tracks, we could pick them up easily.”
Shift to Jelly, “I wouldn’t count on that. Can’t tell what sort of false trail you’d pick up goin’ south. Or north, or west for that matter.” He leaves, quickly.
Scott smiles: “I guess that answers my question.”
JL (still in chair) “Look, Scott, Murdoch’s a big boy--I mean he doesn’t need us around all the time.”
SL: “Well, I think he does.” Scott leaves, apparently off to trail ML.
Teresa stares at Johnny, doesn’t say anything. Johnny gets up and goes over to the table for the coffee pot, picks it up, turns to look at T, who is still looking at him. He tries to pour, clanks it against his cup, evidently there isn’t any coffee left anyway. Puts his cup and saucer down, not gently, “All right, I’ll go with him.” He leaves.
SCENE 3.
ML riding down a street, enters hotel carrying his saddlebags. Sign says “Mesa Roja Hotel”. There’s a lady at the desk, he asks for a room. It will cost him $3 per day, includes breakfast. He pays. She gives him key, indicates room location. Asks “Do you have any more luggage Mr.____”. He respond in the negative as she looks down to read the register that he has just signed. Long reaction shot on her, looking distressed. “Lancer, Murdoch Lancer.”
The hotel lady goes to talk with a man--she still looks distressed.
“He could have come here looking for you.“ she tells him.
“After 25 years, that’s a long time to carry a grudge.”
“Maybe I’m wrong. I thought you ought to know.”
He moves his arm & we can see he’s wearing a sheriff’s star. “All right, thanks.”
She starts to leave--”Judd . . .I don’t want you to get hurt.”
He tells her not to worry, she says she can’t help worrying, he asks “Why?”
“You’re my husband, isn’t that enough?”
“I’m not sure. Is it?’ She turns away again, he speaks to her by name,
“Ellie. Sorry, I shouldn’t have said it.”
“My own fault, expecting you to forgive and forget.”
He talks about “all that time I was away”, refers to 18 filthy, miserable years.
She replies that 18 years is a long time to carry a grudge. She says she’s tried to make it up to him, asks what else she can do . . .
The deputy comes in, says “Hi, Mrs. Haney’, has coffee for the sheriff, says to Judd, “hope you’re not still sore at me.”
Sheriff Haney heads out, says he’s gonna welcome Murdoch Lancer . . .his wife wants him to wait, let ML make the first move. He asks why he should do that, thinks he’ll just get a bullet in the back. She still tries to talk him out of it, offers to go talk to ML herself, find out what he wants, why he’s here.
“I know why he’s here . .” says Haney. Haney leaves.
The deputy has heard this last part. He asks “Who is Murdoch Lancer?”
“Years ago he swore that, some day, somehow, he’d find Judd Haney and shoot him on sight.”
Deputy says: “No, ma’am, leastwise not as long as I’m around.”
SCENE 4.
Knock on ML’s hotel room door. “Who is it?’ “Judd Haney.” “Come in.”
JH: “Its been a long time, Murdoch.”
ML: “24 years, 8 months, 11 days.”
JH corrects him, says its been 12 days.
ML says that he read in the paper they’d made JH a sheriff, “figured it was high time we got this settled once and for all.”
JH: “Any time you’re ready.”
ML: “How’d you know I was here?”
JH explains that his wife works the desk. ML says that 25 years ago he wouldn’t have figured Judd for the marrying kind.
JH: “People change.”
ML: “Have you?’
JH says that he spent the last 18 years in prison--”bound to have some effect.”
ML: “When’d you get out?”
JH: “A few months ago. People in this town know me, everything about me. They gave me this job because I can handle a gun.’
ML: “18 years. I never thought they’d find you Judd.”
JH: “They didn’t. My wife turned me in.”
ML: “Your wife? Why?’
JH: “Ask her sometime.”
ML:”It doesn’t really matter any more, does it? I mean, you‘re a free man now, with a wife, a good job, comfortable house ---
JH: “--get on with it, Murdoch. Why‘d you come here?”
ML goes to his belt, JH reacts, ML: “Steady”. ML removes his gun belt.
ML: “Guess I’ve changed too. I was a hot headed, self-righteous youth who made all those threats 25 years ago. I’m asking you to forget ‘em. So we can both live the rest of our lives without looking over our shoulders. This is like the past--dead weight. “ He holds up the gun belt. “I’m getting too old to lug it around.”
JH: “You came here to tell me that?”
ML: “I didn’t know how you’d take it, but that’s why I came.”
JH: “Well, we’ll see. But I won’t turn my back on you. Not yet.” He leaves.
Haney goes downstairs where the Mrs. is waiting anxiously for him.
“What did he say?’ she asks.
JH: “Forget the past, he said, it’s a lot of dead weight.”
EH agrees, the past is weighing them all down, but JH doesn’t believe that ML came all this ways “just to take off his gun belt“.
JH says he doesn’t believe ML because “I gave him too many reasons to hate me.” EH: “But that was years ago.”
JH: “No body changes that much, not even Murdoch Lancer. Just wait--he’ll be coming after me and I’ll get that dead weight right between the eyes.”
He leaves and his wife still looks distressed.
ML watches from his window as JH walks down the street. He puts on his hat, decides not to wear the gun belt. No one at the desk, he rings the bell. Still no one--so he tosses the key on the desk. He goes outside, walks down the street, gets shot, falls to the ground. Several people rush over, including Haney, who is seen putting his gun in the holster as he kneels beside ML.
SCENE 5. THE BOYS ARRIVE!!!!
Here they are, riding down the street. On their usual mounts. Scott is wearing the jacket that we love, Johnny is attired in his pink shirt and black jacket over it, the usual pants. Scott in black pants. Both wearing their regular hats. Scott has the gloves on.
Johnny dismounts, comments on this “flea-bitten town.”
SL: “This must be it, there’s no other town near here.”
They enter the hotel, Johnny first, touches his hat to a female guest, but doesn’t remove it. Scott removes his hat as he enters the building.
JL to EH: “Nice quiet town.”
EH: “Double or singles?’
SL: “Well, all we want is some information.”
EH: “Of course, anything I can do.”
SL: “We’re looking for a man named Lancer, Murdoch Lancer. Has he checked in here?”
Meanwhile, Johnny is leaning on the desk, fingering the register book, letting Scott handle the conversation. Scott is standing holding his hat in his gloved hands.
EH: “Well, I don’t think so.” She picks up the register to check, asks if they are friends of his (ML’s).
SL: “More or less, he’s our father.”
EH: “No, no Murdoch Lancer registered here.” She closes the books and clasps it to her chest.
SL: doesn’t say anything, but reacts with pursed lips and movement of hat in his hands
JL: “Let’s go look around town.” They turn and head out together, then turn back to her when she says “Wouldn’t waste time looking’ for him---haven’t had a stranger here in days.”
JL: “Thanks anyway.” They start to leave again.
EH asks if they are planning to stay in town.
SL: “We aren’t sure yet, but thank you again.”
They leave. SL puts his hat back on as he exits. Ellen Haney wears the same distressed look she’s had for the entire episode thus far. She follows them out the door. The brothers walk down the street without talking to each other, and enter the saloon.
The boys go into the saloon. Scott leaves his hat on in here, but pushes it back on the crown of his head the way some of us like to see it. (sorry for the editorial comments sneaking into the plot summary) Johnny goes in first, just as when they entered the hotel.
Barkeep: “Howdy, what’ll it be?”
Scott looks around as he removes his gloves, one finger at a time. Then places them on his gun, as usual. Johnny orders tequila; when asked, Scott requests “the same”.
Shot of Ellen Haney still standing outside the hotel, then she heads down the street.
Barguy asks if they are new in town.
SL: “Just passing through. You don’t happen to know a man by the name of Murdoch Lancer, do you?”, to which the barkeep replies: “Nope, never heard of him”.
“I have”--Judd Haney at the door.
“Fact is,” he says walking in, “I knew Murdoch Lancer before you two were born.”
Johnny is standing with his back to the bar. Scott is leaning on it sideways, facing Johnny. Haney approaches and whenever Haney speaks, we can see Scott watching him.
JL: “You seen him lately?’
JH: “No, I haven’t. Last I heard, he had a ranch up around Morro Coyo.”
JL: “Yeah, he’s still got it.”
JH: “What would you boys want with old Murdoch?’
SL: “Oh . . . Personal matter.” Johnny downs his drink.
JH: “No trouble I hope.”
JL: “Why is he here?”
JH: “No, son, he isn’t. So there really isn’t any reason for you to stay around, is there?” Scott looks at Johnny at this--camera goes to Johnny who says “Yeah, there’s one, I’d like another drink.”
Barguy: “Sorry boys, I seem to be plum out.”
JL: “How’d you know what I was gonna order?”--he grabs the bartenders arm.
SL: “Johnny--let’s go”---he reaches across Johnny’s arm.
JL: “Not yet.”
SL: “NOW!”.
JH: “If Mr. Lancer comes by, I’ll tell him you were looking for him.”
Johnny has already headed for the door.
SL: “You do that.”
They go out through the saloon doors---JL pushes then out hard and wide, goes through--Scott is close behind him and catches the doors to avoid getting slammed. Outside they stand together for a moment, then JL sits. SL moves down a step or two, but remains standing.
JL: “Well, you saw they were trying to get rid of us, didn’t ya?”
SL: “I saw. We’ll never find anything out doing it your way.”
JL: “You know, I’m beginning to dislike this town just enough to stay awhile. You wanna get a room?”
SL: (has been looking around, it seems as if something has occurred to him. ) “You check us into the hotel. I’m gonna have a look around.”
Scott walks down the street, Haney’s deputy watches him go by--watches him intently. Johnny finally gets up and with dust noticeable on the seat of his pants, he heads towards the hotel.
Scott goes to the livery--just looking around. The guy outside encourages him to go on in. Here comes the deputy. The livery guy follows Scott inside and talks about all the ‘great horseflesh”--broke them himself, then Scott notices a particular one--well, that’s the “only stranger in the bunch“. Its Murdoch’s horse, we see the Lancer brand.
SL: “Who brought him, how long have you had him?”
Livery guy: “Couple three days.”
Deputy: “I brought him in.”
He claims that the horse had no saddle. Scott wants to take a look at the tack room, but the deputy immediately says that “Mr. Ferguson” was going to close early. Ferguson agrees and Scott leaves.
Meanwhile, Johnny is at the hotel, and Mrs. Haney tells him that the last room was just rented. He laughs, she claims that a large party just arrived.
JL: “I don’t see any horses out there. What’d they do, get here on foot?”
He goes over to the desk, she says “Mr. Lancer--”
JL: “Don’t mention that name around here, cause if anyone hears it they don’t sell you a drink or rent you a room in this town.”
Johnny is looking at the register, she tries to stop him, they argue, he insists, still calls her “ma’am.” JL notices that a page had been torn out, asks if she did it, she denies it. “Where’s Murdoch? Look, I’m gonna go up there and kick in every door unless you tell me where he is.”
He heads up the stairs, she follows saying “He’s gone. He’s gone.”
Johnny actually kicks in the door.
EH: “Oh, he’s not here, I swear it.”
JL: “Ma’am, you’ve lied before and you’re lying again.”
She says that she had to lie to protect her husband--”What are you talking about, who’s your husband?“
EH: “Sheriff Haney. Murdoch Lancer once threatened to kill him. I thought that you and your brother were part of a plan, that’s why I tore out the page.”
JL takes her by the shoulders, turns her around to face him: “Look, you’re not makin’ any sense. Where’s my father now?’
EH:”I don’t know.”
JL: “Now you’re lyin’ again.”
She says that he was there, left around 11:00, and in response to Johnny’s question of “where did he go?” she repeats that she doesn’t know.
Sound of bell ringing.
Camera shifts downstairs to Scott at the desk, who looks at the register, sees the missing page, hits the bell again more insistently.
EH comes downstairs, apologizes, SL at the bottom of the stairs, asks where Johnny is.
“Right behind you.” Johnny slides down the banister!!!
SL: “I found Murdoch’s horse at the livery stable.” (he doesn't react to Johnny's mode of arriving)
JL: “You sure its his?”
SL: “I’m sure, I saw the brand. He must be here, he’d never leave town without that horse.”
JL goes over to the desk, leans over it and looks at Ellen Haney: “And you swore he was gone.”
“That’s right, boys, he’s gone” Sheriff Judd Haney enters with the deputy. He tells “Billy Joe” to take their guns. The boys remove their gun belts. The sheriff tells BJ to show them the way out of town. Says that they better not show up again or they’ll end up in jail or dead.
JL: “Like Murdoch Lancer?’
JH: “Your father had plans to kill me. I figure maybe you’re in on it.”
SL: “Now why would our father want to kill you?”
JH: “Ask him the next time you see him.”
Billy Joe escorts the boys out. Mrs. Haney is worried. “Judd, its not gonna work, they find out what happened to their father and they’ll be back.”
JH: “By then it won’t matter.’
EH: “It will to them. They’ll be back here gunnin’ for you.".
DRAMATIC MUSIC Commercial break.
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