Shady Deal at Sunny Acres - Recap

In the town of Shady Acres, Bret emerges from a saloon and notices a man working in his bank office across the street. Bret gets the attention of the banker, John Bates, and offers to deposit his poker winnings in return for a service charge. The gambler asks for a receipt but Bates insists on counting it first. Once he counts it, Bates writes out a receipt and foregoes the service charge.



The next day, Bret goes to the bank and tries to collect two thousand of his money. Bates denies having ever seen him or taken his money. When the co-owner, Ben Granville, comes over, Bret explains the situation and shows him the receipt, but Granville confirms that it isn’t Bates’ signature. Bret warns Bates that he’ll get his $15,000 and leaves, and Bates sends a man for the sheriff.

Later, Bret is sitting on the porch of his hotel and whittling when Bates brings over Sheriff Griffin. Bates angrily complains that Bret is slandering his name, but Bret insists that he’s doing nothing and Griffin points out that slander isn’t a jail offense. The sheriff suggests that Bret move on, but the gambler explains that he’s paid for his room two weeks in advance. Griffin warns Bret that if anything happens to Bret, he’ll come after him first. Bret assures them that he’ll be on the porch whittling. The sheriff talks to him alone and asks what Bret has against Bates. Bret insists that Bates owes him $15,000 and he plans to collect, but Griffin warns that Bates has never willingly given up a penny in his life, much less $15,000.



Two townspeople come by and ask if Bret has his money back. All he says is that he’s working on it. Mr. Granville’s daughter Susan comes up to Bret and says that she believes him. Susan explains that her father doesn’t trust Bates and offered to buy him out for $30,000 or give Bates the same option. Since Bates didn’t accept Granville’s offer, he and Susan figure that Bates plans to buy Granville out and use Bret’s $15,000 to do it. Bret insists that all he’s doing is thinking and whittling. After Susan leaves, Bates comes over and tells Bret that he’s eager for a fight, but Bret says that fighting wouldn’t get him the $15,000 and as for his plan, “I’m working on it.”

That night, Granville comes over and tells Bret that Bates bought out his share of the bank for $30,000. The co-owner admits that they have no way to prove that Bates couldn’t have acquired the money legitimately. He admits that he believes Bret and feels responsible since it was stolen under his ownership. When he asks what Bret plans to do, Bret says, “I’m working on it.” The stagecoach arrives and Bart steps out. The hotel manager, Brent Williams, rushes out to escort him inside. Bart signs in as Bartley Mansfield.

The next morning, Bart asks for directions to the town mill, which has been closed for years. He rides off while Bret carves. That night, Bates checks briefly on Bret and then goes inside to the café where Bart is eating supper. He introduces himself and says that he came there to ask why Bart is interested in the flour mill. The bank has a lien on the property and Bates wants to know why it’s important. Bart says that he represents a consortium of British financiers looking to diversify. Bates says that the price is $100,000 and Bart offers $75,000 in return. Bates immediately agrees and Bart tells him that he’ll contact his principals and get their agreements. He then invites the banker to join him for dinner the next night.



The next day, a reporter tries to get a statement from Bret without success. The sheriff sends the reporter on his away and asks what Bret has planned in the last three days before his rent runs up. Bret assures him that he’ll be leaving with his $15,000 but all he can say is that “I’m working on it.”

At dinner that night, Bates asks Bart if he’s received bad news from his principals. Bart explains that he now has the opportunity to accumulate his own capital and he’s nervous. He refuses to tell Bates what that opportunity is, claiming it’s confidential, but admits that Bates had a hand in it. Once he gets his commission, $7,500, Bart claims he’s going to invest it into a million dollars. Bates says that as Bart’s temporary banker, he should know what’s going on. Bart finally gives in, swears him to secrecy, and explains that while the Nevada Empress Silver Mine is worthless, his principals own the adjoining mine and found new silver veins. Bart has been buying up cheap shares of the Empress on their behalf and his principals have let him buy his shares own as well. A broker in Denver, Ralph Schaffer, has agreed to buy the shares for a dollar each on behalf of the principals. Bates warns against it but Bart invites him to come with him to Denver. He plans to buy 15,000 shares from a widow, Carrie Watson, at a nickel a share and prove to Bates that what he’s claiming is true.

The next day, Bart and Bates meet with the “widow”: con woman Samantha Crawford. Bart explains that he is a speculator and offers her $750 for her fifteen thousand shares. She reluctantly agrees despite claiming that they’re worthless. Bart and Bates leave but Bart goes back to get his hat and tell Samantha that she kept $300 when she slipped him the money back. She claims she made a mistake and turns over the money, and she and Bart share a brief kiss.



Next Bart takes Bates to the real brokerage house. Gentleman Jack Darby is playing the role of a clerk and sends them up to see Schaffer, and then gets out before the real staff figure out what he’s doing. Bart explains that the brokerage also has upstairs office. They’re greeted at Schaffer’s door by con woman Cindy Lou Brown, posing as a clerk. She ushers them in to meet “Schaffer”: Dandy Jim Buckley. Bart assures Dandy Jim that he’s bought 15,000 shares and asks for cash payment so he can buy the remaining shares. Dandy Jim agrees and carefully removes the $15,000 from a locked bag and counts it, while Bates looks on eagerly. As they go, Bart assures Dandy Jim that with the money he can buy 100,000 shares from Ambrose Callahan, the owner of a Denver hotel. As they leave, Bates admits that he believes Bart’s entire claim. As they go, Dandy Jim and Samantha leave the office, removing their fake sign, and go to meet Gentleman Jack.



At the hotel, another con man acquaintance of the Mavericks, Big Mike McComb, comes to see Callahan and asks for a job. The owner turns him away and McComb leaves. The bellboy, paid in advance, identifies McComb as Callahan to Bart and Bates as they come in. McComb ignores them and walks off down the street and Bart and Bates go in pursuit. They catch up to him and Bart explains that he’s a speculator who wants to buy the hundred thousand shares. Bates offers a nickel a share and McComb refuses, and Bart offers fifteen cents. McComb agrees to sell it to them for thirty cents a share, all or none. Bart claims that he only has half the necessary money and confirms that McComb’s offer is only good through the end of the week. Once they’re alone, Bart assures Bates that after the sale of the flour mill and another property, he’ll have enough to cover the rest.



Back in Sunny Acres, Bret hails Bates as he and Bart walks by. Bret is still whittling. Bates checks his bank collateral record and discovers that a man named Ernest Plunkett holds 40,000 shares. Bret checks with him and reports that his financiers have refused to okay the purchase of the mill at $75,000. Bates says that they don’t need it because Plunkett has the shares and they can pick it up on consignment. Bart agrees but Bates demands a 50-50 share for making the deal succeed. Bart agrees but asks for a few minutes to change his clothing before they ride out.

Bates and Bart go to the Plunkett farm and the bank owner offers Plunkett $1,000 in a couple of days in return for his 40,000 shares now. Plunkett says that he gave it to his granddaughter, who is now in Oregon somewhere. Realizing he’s out of options, Bates offers to pay for half of the shares from McComb but Bart refuses. However, Bates points out that Bart has no choice and Bart agrees. Once they leave, Plunkett tells Bret to come out. Bret emerges and thanks Plunkett for helping him, pays the farmer $100 for his part in the scheme, and rides off.

In Denver, Bart and Bates buy the shares from McComb. He invites them to dinner with him but Bates says that he has to go back to Sunny Acres. Once he leaves, Bart and McComb chuckle over their success and McComb promises to give Dandy Jim the $15,000 back that Bart borrowed from him.

Bates goes to the brokerage office and discovers that Schaffer’s office has disappeared and there’s only an empty rental property. He goes downstairs and is told that Schaffer retired five years ago. Stunned, Bates staggers out of the brokerage as he realizes that Bret did exactly what he promised to do.



Bart prepares to leave town and runs into Granville. He tells the banker to check on the bank’s funds and confirms that Bates embezzled $15,000 to cover the purchase of the stocks. When Granville wonders if “Bartley” knows Bret, Bart makes a hasty exit.

Later, the townspeople read about how Bates has confessed to the embezzlement but refused to explain what he did with the funds. Bret prepares to leave town and the reporter wonders if he has a statement for them. They know he has his $15,000 back and Bret says that he’s sorry to be leaving Sunny Acres but his business is finished. He says goodbye to Susan and her father and gets into the stagecoach. Griffin runs up and asks how Bret did it. Bret hands him his partially-finished wood sculpture, a jackass, and suggests that Griffin give it to Bates to complete. As the stagecoach leaves, Bret admits that for once he left a town in a better state than when he found it.



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