Jubal (1956) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Horgan believed the affair because Pinky woke him in the night to tell him that Mae and Jubal might be together. When Horgan rode home and found Mae sleeping alone, he kissed her and she mumbled Jubal's name, which fueled his jealousy and rage. Pinky had been building this narrative ever since forcing Mae to kiss him earlier.

Foreshadowing: Pinky forced Mae to kiss him earlier, telling her they used to do this when Horgan was away, establishing his malicious intent to destroy their marriage.

• shep horgan
• mae
• horgan
• jubal
• affair
• rumor
• pinky

The exact reason is ambiguous in the film. Mae had been actively pursuing Jubal throughout the story and he had consistently rejected her advances. When she mumbles his name, it could indicate she was dreaming about him or simply that his name was on her mind after her earlier interactions with him. The ambiguity works to further inflame Horgan's jealousy.

Foreshadowing: Mae had been making advances toward Jubal earlier in the story, and she rode out that specific night to deliver a message to the cowboys.

• mae
• jubal
• name
• mumbling
• sleeping

Yes, the killing appears to be self-defense. Horgan rode into the saloon and fired at Jubal first, missing him. Jubal was then handed a gun by Reb and shot Horgan. The circumstances show Horgan came looking for violence, making Jubal's actions defensive rather than murderous.

Foreshadowing: Horgan had already hit Mae earlier in the night when interrogating her about the alleged affair, showing his violent temperament.

• jubal
• horgan
• self-defense
• killing
• gunfight
• saloon

Pinky resented Jubal from the moment he arrived because Horgan immediately took a liking to him. When Horgan promoted Jubal to foreman over the existing hands, Pinky's jealousy turned to open hostility. Pinky also wanted Mae for himself and saw Jubal as an obstacle to both his professional standing and romantic ambitions.

Foreshadowing: Pinky accused Jubal of smelling like sheep dip and burned his clothes while he slept, showing his petty and aggressive nature from the start.

• pinky
• jubal
• rivalry
• jealousy
• foreman

Mae died from the injuries Pinky inflicted when he beat her savagely after she rejected his advances. On her deathbed, she told the posse the truth about what really happened, clearing Jubal of any wrongdoing and confirming Pinky as the principal villain who had manipulated everyone.

Foreshadowing: Pinky had forced Mae to kiss him earlier and made advances after Horgan's death, showing his persistent pursuit of her.

• mae
• death
• truth
• dying
• posse
• pinky

Pinky actively rallied the town against Jubal, claiming Jubal had stolen Horgan's wife and murdered him. Pinky's position as the longtime foreman gave him credibility with the townspeople, and his false narrative convinced them to hunt Jubal rather than question his own actions.

Foreshadowing: After Horgan's death, Pinky made another play for Mae and then beat her when she resisted, but he blamed everything on Jubal.

• posse
• jubal
• pinky
• town
• hunt
• false accusation

The rawhiders were a traveling religious group who stopped near the ranch. Jubal defended their right to stay when other cowboys tried to run them off, which is how he met Naomi. Later, when Jubal became a fugitive, the rawhiders Split their wagons to hide him, with one group drawing off the posse while the other concealed Jubal, buying him crucial time.

Foreshadowing: Jubal argued the rawhiders caused no trouble and could stay, showing his character and setting up his connection to Naomi.

• rawhiders
• wagon train
• naomi
• escape
• hiding

Mae was a younger woman married to the much older Shep Horgan, whom she met in Canada. She appears dissatisfied with her marriage and actively seeks attention elsewhere. She pursues Jubal despite his rejections, and her persistent advances create the false impression of an affair that drives the tragedy.

Foreshadowing: Mae rode out to the cowboys' camp at night alone with a message, and later accepted Horgan's suggestion that Jubal escort her back.

• mae
• jubal
• pursuit
• marriage
• unsatisfied

When the rawhiders agreed to hide Jubal, half the wagon train went one way while the other half went another direction. The posse followed the wrong trail, giving Jubal time to recover from his injuries and plan his next move. This mistake proved crucial to his survival.

Foreshadowing: Jubal had defended the rawhiders earlier, and Naomi had developed feelings for him, making them willing to risk their safety for him.

• wagon train
• posse
• escape
• split
• trail

Pinky wanted Jubal dead and out of the way for multiple reasons: he was jealous of Jubal's quick rise to foreman, he desired Mae for himself, and he blamed Jubal for the tension in the ranch. By rallying the town with false accusations, Pinky hoped to have Jubal killed or hanged without risking his own life.

Foreshadowing: Pinky woke Horgan in the night to suggest Mae and Jubal were together, planting the seeds of false accusation from early on.

• pinky
• false accusation
• stealing wife
• murder Jubal