Decision at Sundown

Decision at Sundown

Year: 1957

Runtime: 78 mins

Language: English

Director: Budd Boetticher

Western

At last the search was over… A man and his partner arrive at a small Western town to kill its most powerful man because the former blames him for his wife’s death.

Tense
Bittersweet ending
Emotionally heavy
High intensity
Steady pacing
Simple story

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Decision at Sundown (1957)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Decision at Sundown (1957). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

The events unfold in a dusty frontier town, centered on a tense power dynamic and a wedding that becomes a flashpoint for violence. The period emphasizes rugged individualism, gunplay, and a code of honor that can justify drastic actions. Key scenes take place in the town’s public spaces, where characters confront moral choices under pressure.

Location

Sundown

An isolated Western town named Sundown where the church, saloon and livery stable anchor daily life. Tate Kimbrough's political and economic influence shapes the town, while outsiders arrive and upset the balance. The setting functions as a microcosm of frontier justice, where loyalty and fear drive decisions.

🏜️ Western town ⚖️ Power struggles 🕯️ Moral ambiguity

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:03

Main Characters – Decision at Sundown (1957)

Meet the key characters of Decision at Sundown (1957), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Bart Allison (Randolph Scott)

A gunfighter driven by a consuming hatred after believing his wife was driven to suicide by Tate. He is a skilled marksman and loyal friend to Sam, whose obsession with revenge often undermines his moral clarity. The story follows his struggle between vengeance and the possibility of a more tempered response to loss.

⚔️ Revenge 🤝 Loyalty 🧭 Moral ambiguity

Tate Kimbrough (John Carroll)

A charismatic power broker who rules Sundown with political and economic influence. He uses control, schemes, and tension to maintain his position while presenting a calm public facade. His wedding plan is a calculated move to consolidate power amid a growing opposition.

💼 Power 🗡️ Ruthlessness

Lucy Summerton (Karen Steele)

The bride-and-daughter of Mr. Summerton who becomes a catalyst in the town’s turmoil. She resists Tate's scheme and asserts her own moral compass, influencing Bart and other townsfolk. Her choices illuminate love, loyalty, and the possibility of reform.

💖 Love 🧭 Moral courage

Sam (Noah Beery Jr.)

Bart's loyal friend and companion, who becomes a casualty in the escalating conflict. His death exemplifies the personal costs of revenge and the fragility of trust in a town ruled by fear. His presence anchors a moral counterpoint to Bart's obsession.

🤝 Loyalty 💔 Tragic loss

Dr. John Storrow (John Archer)

The humane town doctor who challenges vengeance and calls for restraint. He helps mobilize public opinion against unchecked violence and serves as a moral voice within Sundown.

🏥 Healer 🧭 Moral compass

Morley Chase (Ray Teal)

A ranch owner who sides with the reform-minded opposition and contributes to organizing resistance against Tate's rule. He represents practical power aligned with a move toward justice.

🤝 Opposition 🐄 Rancher

Ruby James (Valerie French)

Tate's romantic interest who becomes a conscience in the conflict. Her decision to shoot Tate's arm to prevent a fatal battle shows a willingness to defy her lover for a greater good, complicating Bart's vendetta.

💃 Love 🧭 Moral conscience

Spanish (H.M. Wynant)

One of Tate's hired guns whose violence escalates the town's crisis, culminating in Sam's death and the subsequent moral reckoning.

🗡️ Henchman 🔫 Violence

Sheriff Swede Hansen (Andrew Duggan)

The local law who finds his authority challenged by Bart's confrontation with Tate, embodying the legal framework of the town amid rising tensions.

⚖️ Law 🛡️ Authority

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:03

Major Themes – Decision at Sundown (1957)

Explore the central themes of Decision at Sundown (1957), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⚔️ Revenge

Bart's pursuit of Tate is driven by a consuming hatred and a desire to overturn the local power structure. The plan to derail the wedding escalates conflicts and triggers a chain of violence that tests loyalty and restraint. The narrative probes whether vengeance ultimately frees or destroys those who seek it, leaving bitterness in its wake.

🤝 Justice & Morality

Dr. Storrow and others challenge Bart's vendetta, arguing for humane and fair responses rather than vigilante acts. The town's shift from fear to collective conscience shows that justice depends on public voices as much as on gunplay. Lucy's and Ruby's moral choices pressure Bart to reconsider the meaning of true justice.

💔 Loss & Redemption

Sam's death is the emotional catalyst that reshapes Bart's outlook, underscoring the cost of violence for friendships and the community. Ruby's interference complicates Bart's hatred and catalyzes a potential turn toward restraint. The resolution hints at redemption, even for a man driven by revenge.

💼 Power & Control

Tate Kimbrough wields political and economic influence to shape Sundown, demonstrating how wealth and authority can intimidate a town. The conflict reveals how power can be sustained through fear, manipulation, and social pressure. The eventual shift in allegiance shows that control is fragile when confronted with collective action.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:03

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Corrupt town showdowns like in Decision at Sundown

A lone outsider brings violent reckoning to a community ruled by lies.For viewers who liked the tense, small-town confrontation in Decision at Sundown, this list features movies where a vengeful outsider challenges a local tyrant. Discover similar Westerns and thrillers about moral corruption, power struggles, and violent vendettas in isolated communities.

tenseoppressivegrimvengefulclaustrophobiccorruptunsettledconfrontational

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a protagonist arriving in a relatively closed setting—like a small town or isolated outpost—with a clear, vengeful goal. The story unfolds as they systematically challenge the local authority, exposing the hypocrisy and fear that sustain it. The climax is a direct, often violent, confrontation that resolves the personal conflict but leaves the protagonist and the community profoundly altered, rarely with a clean victory.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here by their shared focus on a high-stakes personal conflict within a microcosm of society. They feature a tense, oppressive mood, a steady buildup to a climactic showdown, and themes of justice, corruption, and the heavy price of vengeance.

Bittersweet revenge stories like Decision at Sundown

Stories where achieving revenge brings emptiness, not peace.If you appreciated the emotionally hollow victory in Decision at Sundown, explore these movies about the futile cost of vengeance. Find similar narratives where a character's quest for retribution ends in sadness and loss, featuring heavy emotional weight and bittersweet conclusions.

bittermelancholicgrimheavysadhollowgriefmorally grey

Narrative Summary

These narratives follow a character on a single-minded path of revenge, driven by a deep personal loss. The plot is often straightforward, leading inevitably to a confrontation with the target. However, the resolution subverts the expected catharsis; instead of satisfaction, the protagonist is left with emptiness, having lost allies, their purpose, or a part of themselves, forcing them to confront the pointlessness of their quest.

Why These Movies?

This group is defined by a shared emotional arc and thematic conclusion. The movies are united by their exploration of grief, the moral and personal cost of vengeance, and their ultimately bittersweet or bleak endings where the goal is achieved but meaning is lost.

Unlock the Full Story of Decision at Sundown

Don't stop at just watching — explore Decision at Sundown in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Decision at Sundown is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Decision at Sundown Summary

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Decision at Sundown Summary

Decision at Sundown Timeline

Track the full timeline of Decision at Sundown with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Decision at Sundown Timeline

Decision at Sundown Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Decision at Sundown that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Decision at Sundown Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Decision at Sundown

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Decision at Sundown: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Decision at Sundown

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