No!
There she is. There she is.
There she is.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I've traveled over half our state to be here tonight.
I couldn't get away sooner because my new well was coming in
at Coyote Hills and I had to see about it.
That well is now flowing at 2,000 barrels
and it's paying me an income of $5,000 a week.
I have two others drilling and I have 16 producing at Antelope,
so, ladies and gentlemen, if I say I'm an oilman, you will agree.
Now, you have a great chance here,
but bear in mind you could lose it all if you're not careful.
Out of all men that beg for a chance to drill your lots,
maybe one in twenty will be oilmen.
The rest will be speculators,
that's men trying to get between you and the oilmen
to get some of the money that ought, by rights, come to you.
Even if you find one that has money and means to drill,
he'll maybe know nothing about drilling.
He'll have to hire the job out on contract,
and then you're depending on a contractor,
who'll rush the job through
so he can get another contract just as quick as he can.
This is the way that this works.
What is your offer? We're wasting time.
Please!
I do my own drilling.
And the men that work for me, work for me, and they are men I know.
I make it my business to be there and to see their work.
I don't lose my tools in the hole and spend months fishing for them.
I don't botch the cementing off
and let water in the hole and ruin the whole lease.
I'm a family man.
I run a family business. This is my son and my partner, H.W. Plainview.
We offer you the bond of family that very few oilmen can understand.
I'm fixed like no other company in this field
and that's because my Coyote Hills well has just come in.
I have a string of tools all ready to put to work.
I can load a rig onto trucks and have them here in a week.
I have business connections, so I can get the lumber for the derricks.
Such things go by friendship in a rush like this.
And this is why I can guarantee to start drilling
and to put up the cash to back my word.
I assure you, ladies and gentlemen,
no matter what the others promise to do,
when it comes to the showdown, they won't be there.
Sit down! Sit down, you have no right...
Let us discuss what the man has to say.
- Prescott, do you trust this man? - Let's discuss what he has to say.
- There's logic to what he's saying. - How does he know? My lot is there!
Two or three years, it could be ten years!
- We gain nothing by losing our heads! - Look at that well out there!
Nobody's losing their heads.
You have no business being here!
Sit that woman down, sir!
You can sit down.
Mr. Plainview! Please, Mr. Plainview.
No, Mr. Plainview! No, where are you going?
- I don't need the lease. Thank you. - But we need you.
Too much confusion. Thank you for your time.
No, no, there's no confusion.
I wouldn't take the lease if you gave it to me as a gift.
Mr. Bankside, I'm not going to waste your time.
I'd certainly appreciate it if you didn't waste mine.
Now, if you wish to sign with me, we can have a well drilling within 10 days.
Your lot is further north from the discovery well up here.
That means we'll probably have to dig deeper.
And if there's as much oil here as I think there is,
it'll be harder to reach, but once we find it, we can take it right out.
We have to act quickly, because very soon these fields will be dry.
I need you to know what you want to do.
Now, because of the distance from the discovery well,
I'll pay you a smaller royalty than you'd get down there
but I'm prepared to give you a $1,000 bonus on your lot.
What kind of royalty are you talking about?
One-sixth, plus a guarantee to start drilling within 10 days.
Now, that's something you won't find anywhere else.
What age are your children, ma'am?
Ten and twelve.
Mr. Plainview, a question, sir. Where is your wife?
She died in childbirth, Mrs. Bankside.
So it's just me and my son now.
It's coming in, boss!
Hear it?
Mr. Plainview?
Yes?
Are you Daniel Plainview?
Yes.
What can I do for you?
You look for oil.
That's right.
What do you pay for a place that has it?
- Well, that depends. - What does it depend on?
On a lot of things.
If I told you I knew a place that had oil where land could be bought cheaply,
what do you think that would be won'th?
I think that you should let me know what you know
and then we'll try and work something out.
- Can I sit down? - Please.
What church do you belong to?
I...
I enjoy all faiths. I don't belong to one church in particular.
I like them all. I like everything. Where are you from?
That would be telling you. That's what I want to sell you.
What are you doing in Signal Hill?
We have oil, and it seeps through the ground.
Do you want to pay me to know where it is?
Just 'cause there's something on the ground
doesn't mean there's anything beneath it.
Why did Standard Oil buy up land?
Is it in California?
- Maybe. - How much land did they buy?
I'd like it better if you didn't think I was stupid.
Why did you come to me?
- You just brought this well in. - That's right.
Yes, so just give me $500 in cash right now
and I'll tell you where it is.
I'll tell you what I'll do, son. I'll give you $100 now,
and if it proves to be a promising lease, then give you a $1,000 bonus.
Six hundred dollars.
Tell me one thing to help me decide. What else have you got up there?
What do you grow?
We have a big ranch, but it's mostly rocks.
Plant things. Nothing will grow but weeds.
What makes you think it's up?
Is there sulfur around? Or alkali deposits?
Alkali nearby. I don't know sulfur.
Is that your son?
Yes.
- Hi. - Hi.
- Who are you? - I'm Fletcher Hamilton.
Nice to meet you, son. What's your name?
What do you do?
I work with Mr. Plainview.
Here's $500, son.
You tell me something won'th hearing, this money's yours.
I come from a town called Little Boston in Isabella County.
This is us, here. Spur station here at Little Boston.
The Sunday ranch is what you're looking for.
There's a sheep trail that takes you there.
It's a mile out of town headed west, not far.
Just through a small pass here near the base of the hills.
You'll pass a church and just follow the sheep trail.
- Where's Standard buying up? - Here and here.
- Your family name is Sunday, yes? - That's right.
How many's in your family?
My father and mother and sisters and my brother Eli.
- How many sisters do you have? - Two.
- What's your name? - Paul.
Does any of your family know about the oil that you say is there?
I don't know.
My uncle always said there was oil there,
but I don't know what they heard or what they think.
What do you grow?
lt's goats. It's a goat farm. I told you, nothing grows but weeds.
- Is there water? - It's salty.
You drill a well, it's hard not to get saltwater.
The oil is there. I'm telling you.
- I want to go now, so... - You can stay tonight.
- No, I want to go now. I want to leave. - Listen, Paul.
If I travel all the way out there and I find that you've been lying to me,
I'm going to find you and I'm going to take more than my money back.
Is that all right with you?
- Yes, sir. - All right, then.
- Nice luck to you. God bless. - And to you, young man.
- There's someone coming. - Thank you, Mary.
- Good evening. - Good evening.
My name's Daniel Plainview. This is my son, H.W.
- Are you hunting? - Hunting for quail.
We're told there might be a good place to camp up near the Sunday ranch.
This is the Sunday ranch. You can camp here.
- Thank you. Do you have water? - Yes.
We heard there was an earthquake up here a few days ago.
- Is that right? - Yes.
- Your family? - Yeah, all fine. Thank you.
- We have goat's milk, if you'd like. - That would be fine.
Now,
if we set our tent away over there, we'd be out of your way over there.
That's fine.
Ruth! Help these men and bring them some water.
No! H.W.
Mr. Plainview, would you like that milk now?
- That would be fine. Thank you. - Mary! Bring them some milk.
My family will help you set up your tent.
No, please. We set ourselves on this camping trip.
We have to do the camping.
Hurry up!
- Do you have bread? - We have potatoes.
Potatoes would be nice, thank you.
I'll have them boil you up some potatoes.
That's all right. I thought maybe we'd make a fire.
I wanted to work with my son on making a fire.
All right. My son, Eli, will bring you some wood.
Thank you so much for your hospitality, Mr. Sunday.
- Yes. - And we'll be out of your way.
- We're just hunting for quail. - Yes.
- I'm sorry we don't have any bread. - No, no, no.
Corn doesn't fill out in the hills here. It's mostly rock.
We don't have room to raise the grain.
Thank you, young lady.
My name is Eli.
Yes, you're Eli Sunday.
Welcome.
- H.W. - Eli.
- You're hunting quail? - That's right.
- We will bring dinner. - Thank you. Thank you so much.
Dad!
Dad, look at my shoe.
That's earthquake oil. Set loose.
So...
So?
So, so.
If there's anything here, we take it to the sea.
What we do is we build a pipeline to Port Hueneme or Santa Paula,
it's about 100 miles,
and we do a deal with Union Oil. This is what we do.
Then we don't need the railroads and their shipping costs anymore.
You see?
Yeah.
- You see that? - Yeah.
Then we're making money. We're making the real money.
What we should be making. Not just...
Not just throwing it away on shipping costs.
Otherwise, it's just mud.
How much are we going to pay them?
Who's that?
The Sunday family.
I'm not going to give them oil prices.
I'll give them quail prices.
If we could take a few minutes,
there's something I'd very much like to talk with you about.
Mother, would you take the girls outside, please?
I believe in plain speaking, so...
This is a beautiful ranch. I love hunting for quail.
My boy has been sick, you know. He needs fresh air.
Doctors all say he needs plentiful fresh air.
So,
what would you say would be a fair price for this lot, Abel?
- To buy this place? - That's right.
Take a moment.
- I'm sorry. I don't know. - Six dollars an acre.
Six dollars? Thank you, Eli.
And then with the improvements to the ranch over the years at $500...
I'd like to offer you $3,700 for this ranch.
- That's $3,700. - No.
The Lord has sent this man here, Eli.
Yes, I believe He has.
- My offer to you is $3,700. - What is it that brought you here, sir?
The Good Lord's guidance.
- Now, of course, within that... - What about our oil?
...we're going to develop a lease.
- What's that? - What about our oil?
What about it?
We have oil here. That's won'th something.
Do you have someone who can drill for it?
- Do you think there's oil here? - I know there is.
It's very expensive to drill.
To get it up and out of the ground. You ever tried that before?
- How much is it? - Costly.
Well, our oil sits right up on top of the ground.
I believe that's called seepage.
Doesrt necessarily mean there's anything underneath.
- What would you give us for it? - I don't know.
- Something you don't know. - That's right.
What would you like, Eli?
Ten thousand dollars.
For what?
For my church.
That's good.
That's a good one.
Well...
If we decide to drill for oil and if the well begins to produce,
I'll give your church a $5,000 signing bonus.
Ten thousand.
Do you want to find someone else that's going to come here and drill, Eli?
Make the investment and do all the hard work that goes into it?
I can just as easily hunt for quail on another ranch as I can here, so...
Though I'll happily be a supporter of your church for as long as I can.
For the bonus only.
Now, as it happens, I do have some connections in the drilling business
who might help get us started. How do you feel about this, Abel?
Yes. What Eli says.
Well, good! Let's draw up some contracts and let's...
Let's give it a try.
Appreciate your help with this, Eli.
- Good afternoon. - Good afternoon.
- Real estate? - Yes.
Yes, I'd like to talk to you.
I'm looking for some land. I just bought the Sunday ranch.
And, well, where's the map?
Where are the hills behind the Sunday ranch?
That's here. It's the Bandy tract. He has over 600 acres.
Bandy, 600.
- What about this? - A.C. Maude, Blodget, Redlick, Carr.
- What's it held at? - Six dollars an acre.
Six.
What about this?
That's the Belvins, and that could be got, I'm sure.
Can everything around here be got?
Sure.
Paul Sunday turned out to be a good friend of ours.
That's right.
Well, you get here just as soon as you can. Bring Fred English.
Good enough.
Thank you, porter.
- H.W., how are you? - Fine, and you?
- Pretty good. Where's your dad? - He's inside.
You fellas are a long way from Signal Hill.
- Hello, Plainview. - Hello, Gene.
- Good to see you. - Charlie.
- On your way somewhere else? - Passing through. Looking around.
- Funny to see you. - Funny, isn't it?
You boys are a regular family business.
You boys are a little late.
- What did you find? - I found some interesting prospects.
Did you hear Standard bought up?
- Mostly in the north, so far. - That's what I hear.
I'm gonna tell you, Gene, if you're gonna make a play, look east.
I'd rather it be you than someone else. This mud around here has been taken.
It must be easy when you have such a cute face to carry around with you.
- Telling me how handsome my son is? - Well, that I am.
That's very nice. Thank you. Good luck, Gene.
- Take care. - Like I said, go east.
H.W.
I'll be your lawyer if you need to draw up a contract.
Make sure you don't get swindled, boy. Get half what your dad's making.
How's that?
What are those men doing?
They're just guys that are working for us.
They're just looking around.
How much money can we make?
I don't know. It depends.
One thousand dollars?
Mary said that her father beats her if she doesn't pray.
Mary, she's the smaller one?
Yes, she is.
- Everyone here? - Very successful.
But?
There were a few vacant lots and one holdout.
- Who? - William Bandy.
...eight. Who's he?
He's an old man who homesteaded here.
Lives with his grandson. He said he'd like to speak with you.
Is he here?
No, he'd like you to come visit with him.
He's boosting his price.
He said he'd like to speak with whoever is doing the buying.
Well, let him wait. He'll come around. Let's go.
Ladies and gentlemen?
Ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you so much for visiting with us this evening.
Now, I've traveled across half our state to be here and to see about this land.
Now, I daresay some of you might have heard
some of the more extravagant rumors about what my plans are,
so I just thought you'd like to hear it from me.
This is the face. It's no great mystery.
I'm an oilman, ladies and gentlemen,
I have numerous concerns spread across this state.
I have many wells flowing at many thousand barrels per day,
so I like to think of myself as an oilman.
As an oilman, I hope that you'll forgive
just good old-fashioned plain speaking.
Now, this work that we do is very much a family enterprise.
I work side by side with my wonderful son, H. W.
I think one or two of you might have met him already.
And I encourage my men to bring their families, as well.
Of course, it makes for an ever so much more rewarding life for them.
Family means children, and children means education.
So, wherever we set up camp, education is a necessity,
and we're just so happy to take care of that.
So let's build a wonderful school in Little Boston.
These children are the future that we strive for,
and so they should have the very best of things.
Now, something else,
and please don't be insulted if I speak about this. Bread.
Let's talk about bread.
Now, to my mind, it's an abomination to consider
that any man, woman, or child in this magnificent country of ours
should have to look upon a loaf of bread as a luxury.
We're going to dig water wells here, and water wells means irrigation.
Irrigation means cultivation.
We're going to raise crops here where before it just simply wasrt possible.
You're going to have more grain than you'll know what to do with,
and bread will be coming right out of your ears, ma'am.
New roads, agriculture, employment, education.
These are just a few of the things we can offer you,
and I assure you, ladies and gentlemen,
that if we do find oil here,
and I think there's a very good chance that we will,
this community of yours will not only survive, it will flourish.
I'd be happy to answer any questions that you might have. Yes?
Will the new road lead to the church?
That'll be the first place that it leads. Thank you, Eli. Anyone else?
Well, if anything comes up, I'm pretty easy to find.
You just come visit with me.
Thank you so much for your time, and good night.
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
What a privilege to carry...
Just follow the new road right to the church.
The new road will lead you there.
Hello, brother, my name is Eli.
The Church of the Third Revelation welcomes you.
Hello, brother, my name is Eli.
The Church of the Third Revelation welcomes you.
Just follow the new road right to the church.
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Are we weak and heavy-laden
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior still our refuge
Take it to the Lord in prayer...
- Daniel, may I speak with you? - Yes, come in.
I'll bring them up when they arrive.
- Good morning. - Good morning.
How is all the work coming?
Everything's good.
- All the men are provided for? - Of course.
Spirits seem high.
Is there anything that you need from me?
- Anything the church can do for you? - I don't believe so. No. Thank you.
I understand you've asked the people to gather around
and watch the well begin tomorrow. Is that right?
- That's right. - I will bless the well.
Before you begin, you should introduce me.
You'll see me walk up towards the oil well, and when I...
The derrick.
You'll see me walk up, and then you could say my name.
When you walk up?
Yes. You'll see me walk up, and then you could say,
"The proud son of these hills who tended his Father's flock,"
and then you could say my name.
That's fine.
- And what happens then? - Well, then we start the drill.
It's a simple blessing, Daniel, but an important one.
It's just a few words. It won't take long.
- What time? - What time's good for you, Eli?
- 4:00. - Well, let's make it 4:00 then.
- My thanks for your visit. - Good day. Thank you.
Afternoon, everyone.
Come with me.
I thank you all so much for visiting with us at this time.
I've had the pleasure of meeting some of you
and I hope very much in the months to come,
I'll be able to visit with each and every one of you.
I'm better at digging holes in the ground than making speeches,
so let's forget the speech for this evening,
just make it a simple blessing.
You see, one man doesn't prospect from the ground.
It takes a whole community of good people, such as yourselves,
and this is good. We stay together.
We pray together, we work together,
and if the Good Lord smiles kindly on our endeavor,
we share in the wealth together.
Now, before we spud in Mary's Well Number One,
named for the lovely Miss Mary Sunday, here by my side,
a proud daughter of these hills,
I'd just like to say God bless these honest labors of ours, and, of course,
God bless you all.
Amen.
Now go.
Wort be a minute.
Fast as you can, H.W.
Are you ready to do this?
That's it, ladies and gentlemen!
Al Rose has very generously provided some refreshments for this occasion
out of his own pocket. Thank you, Al.
If you'll all just care to help yourselves, I'll be back in a minute.
Mary.
Mary Sunday.
- Do you like your new dress? - Yes. Thank you.
You're welcome. I thought you'd like it.
- Are you happy I came here? - Yes.
Your daddy doesn't hit you anymore, does he? Does he now?
Better not, right?
I'll take care of you.
No more hitting, right? No more hitting. Now go.
Go and play some more and don't come back.
Daniel?
lt's okay, H.W. Go back to sleep. Go on. Go back to sleep.
Daniel.
Daniel!
What?
Lost a man down the well.
- What man? - Joe Gundha.
- Did I know him? - No.
What happened?
Pick it up.
Set the brake.
- Tie it down. - Tie it on.
Shit!
God damn it. Where's the body?
- They're fishing it out now. - All right.
- Where's the bit? - It's on the deck.
Clean him up. Put some clothes on him.
And...
Set up a tent.
Anyone goes down into the cellar, you tell somebody. Yes?
- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.
Shut down till midday.
And I had a vision. Yes, last night, I had a vision
and I felt God's breath move through me.
And it rolled down into my stomach.
It sloshed around.
And my stomach spoke in a whisper, not a shout,
"Touch this woman with your hands and caress her." Yes.
My dear Mrs. Hunter,
you have arthritis, don't you?
- Yes, I do, Eli. - Yes.
The devil is in your hands, and I will suck it out.
Now, I will not cast this ghost out with a fever
for the new spirit inside me has shown me I have a new way to communicate.
It is a gentle whisper.
Get out of here, ghost.
Get out.
Get out of here, ghost.
...and enter this womars body now. - Get out of here, ghost.
Get out of here. Don't you dare turn around and come back.
For if you do,
all the armies of my boot will kick you in the teeth
and you will be cast up and thrown in the dirt
and thrust back to perdition!
And as long as I have teeth, I will bite you,
and if I have no teeth, I will gum you!
And as long as I have fists, I will bash you!
Now, get out of here, ghost! Get out of here, ghost!
And it left!
- Hallelujah! - Hallelujah!
- Praise the Lord and his holy days! - Praise God!
- Amen! Thank you. - Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, God.
My dear Mrs. Hunter.
Dance with me.
- Thanks for coming. - It was a wonderful sermon.
- Will I see you tomorrow? - Yes.
Eli.
Had a tragedy at the well last night.
Yes, I heard.
Joe Gundha was a man of considerable faith.
So if you wish to say a few words, his burial is at noon tomorrow.
Daniel, this accident could have been avoided.
It is terrible to think of that well
- working away out there... - These men work in 12-hour shifts.
...unblessed. - They need their rest.
If they don't have it, they start to make stupid mistakes.
I've seen the men drinking. Don't you think that has something to do with this?
We need these men well-rested to bring in this well.
They can't get that if they're up here listening to your gospel,
and then the well can't produce and blow gold all over the place.
I wish I had more time with Joe Gundha.
More could have been done.
Then the well can't produce and blow gold all over the place.
Now, would you see to it that his personal possessions
find their way back to his family, please?
Thank you.
Heard you were planning some renovations.
Yes, our congregation is growing strongly.
- We need more room. - That was one goddamn hell of a show.
We were happy to have you, Daniel.
Gas, gas, gas!
Lights out! Wait here. Wait here. Lights out!
Put that fire out!
Is he hurt? H.W.! Hand him down to me!
- Hand him down! - Here.
- Got him? - I've got him!
Oh, God.
Come on.
Open the door.
Let go. There you go. You're safe. You're safe.
You're safe now. I got you here. You're safe. Let go, son.
Tell me where it hurts. Tell me where it hurts. Tell me where...
- Did you see this? - No.
Tell me where it hurts.
Where does it hurt you? Where does it hurt you?
- I can't hear my voice. - Were you hit in the head?
Were you hit in the head? Tell me! You have to tell me if you were!
I can't hear my voice.
I have to go and deal with this now. You wait here for me.
You understand? You wait here for me. I'll be back. I'll be back in a minute.
- Wait here. - Don't leave!
I'm going to take care of you. Wait. Stay here, son. I'm going to fix this.
- Don't leave! - You're going to be fine!
Wait for me here!
- Hold him down. Hold him down. - Don't leave!
Got to break the cables, Daniel!
Get me a hammer!
Here you go.
Get back!
- Michael! - Sir!
Take Dave and two of the fellas, pick up some hoses...
Billy, protect the roof. Don't wait before it gets too hot.
What are you looking so miserable about?
There's a whole ocean of oil under our feet!
No one can get at it except for me.
H.W. okay?
No, he isn't.
- Where is he? - Mess room.
That's enough now. That's enough, H.W. That's enough.
Do you hear me? Can you hear me in there?
That's enough.
- Grab his legs. - I have his legs.
- No. Nope. - No, lad.
Give me that.
Steady. That's it.
- Easy, boy. Easy. - Soon be over.
Yeah, and that's good. Now the other side. Turn him over.
Almost done.
That's it.
Come here. It's over. It's over.