Last Train from Gun Hill (1959) Plot Summary Explained

Morgan follows the trail of the distinctive saddle that his son escaped on. He recognizes the saddle as belonging to his old friend Craig Belden, which gives him a direct lead to the killer. Rather than searching blindly, he goes to return the saddle and confront Belden directly, knowing that whoever owns that saddle must be connected to the crime.

Foreshadowing: The saddle is introduced early as the boy escapes on one of the killers' horses, making it the crucial clue that ties the crime to Belden's ranch.

• saddle clue
• matt morgan
• belden ranch
• 跟踪线索

When Morgan arrives at Belden's ranch to return the saddle and investigate, he quickly confirms that Rick is the killer. The timeline and evidence point directly to him, Belden's son was in the area that night, and the saddle proves the connection to the Belden ranch. Morgan's determination to get Rick on the last train out of town stems from this certainty.

• rick belden
• killer identification
• evidence
• marshals

Linda is Belden's former lover and initially tries to negotiate on Rick's behalf. However, after learning from Lee that Craig Belden has no intention of marrying her and that Rick was directly responsible for the murder, she switches sides. Realizing she's been used and that Rick's fate rests with Morgan's success, she resolves to help bring Rick to justice.

Foreshadowing: Linda's initial pleas for Rick's life and her role as go-between set up her later betrayal of Belden when she learns the truth.

• linda
• carolyn jones
• betrayal
• belden
• justice

Lee is Rick's accomplice and works for Craig Belden. With Rick held prisoner in the hotel, Lee attempts to flush Morgan out by setting the building on fire. The fire forces Morgan to abandon his defensive position and move Rick toward the train station, creating the chaotic confrontation that Belden's men use as an opportunity to attack.

• lee
• hotel fire
• accomplice
• escape attempt

At the train station, Lee confronts Morgan and fires at him. In the chaos of the shootout, Rick is killed by a stray shot from Lee's gun, not by Morgan. Morgan then returns fire and kills Lee with the shotgun. Rick dies before reaching the train, and the attempt to bring him to justice through the legal system fails.

• rick belden death
• stray bullet
• lee
• train station

After Rick is killed, Craig Belden faces Morgan in a final showdown at the train station. Belden, having lost his son and willing to let his entire town burn to protect Rick, engages Morgan in a gunfight. Morgan kills Belden in the exchange. The confrontation represents the final collapse of their friendship, Belden chose to protect his criminal son over justice, forcing Morgan to kill his old friend.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early that Morgan and Belden were old friends, making Belden's refusal to surrender Rick a profound betrayal.

• craig belden death
• final showdown
• friendship betrayed
• gunfight

Petey escapes on one of the killers' horses during the assault on his mother. He survives and his escape provides the crucial evidence, the distinctive saddle, that allows Morgan to track the killers to Belden's ranch. After the events at the train station, Petey is presumably reunited with his father, though the film doesn't explicitly show this reunion.

• petey morgan
• escape
• son survival
• saddle clue

Morgan vows to bring Rick to justice and get him on the last train out of Gun Hill that same day. This creates urgent pacing, the entire film takes place within a single day. Morgan wants Rick to face proper legal judgment rather than summary execution, but the deadline forces rapid action. When Rick dies at the station, the train departs without him, symbolizing the failure of organized justice.

• last train
• deadline
• justice
• urgency
• timeline

Gun Hill is effectively controlled by Craig Belden, the wealthy cattle baron who rules the town. The townspeople are afraid of Belden's power and influence, so they offer little help to Morgan's investigation. Only Linda, Belden's former lover, secretly provides information about where Rick might be found. The hostile environment reflects Belden's grip on the town.

• gun hill town
• belden power
• hostile witnesses
• investigation

With the hotel burning and Belden's men pursuing him, Morgan uses Rick as a human shield. He marches toward the train station with a shotgun pressed to Rick's chin, threatening to kill him if anyone tries to stop him. This brutal tactic ensures Belden's men hold their fire, allowing Morgan to reach the train station while keeping Rick alive for justice, but ultimately, Rick is killed anyway.

• shotgun threat
• human shield
• march to station
• standoff