Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

Action Comedy Drama Horror Thriller Sci-Fi Romance Mystery Animation Crime
Last Train from Gun Hill (1959) movie poster

Timeline

Last Train from Gun Hill (1959) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1959 · 98 mins · English
JustWatch #26,675 6
Directed by
John Sturges
Starring
Anthony Quinn, Brad Dexter, Kirk Douglas, Carolyn Jones, John Anderson, Earl Holliman

From the same star, director and producer behind “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral,” this Western follows a determined marshal who must confront the powerful son of an autocratic cattle baron. He seeks justice for the brutal rape and murder of the baron’s wife, battling both personal loyalties and the baron’s ruthless influence as he strives to uphold the law.

Western Cast, crew & box office
On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (14)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Last Train from Gun Hill
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Last Train from Gun Hill (1959)

Where can you watch Last Train from Gun Hill? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on fuboTV, MGM Plus and Philo: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

Streaming availability powered by JustWatch

14 events in order · contains spoilers

Last Train from Gun Hill Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Last Train from Gun Hill (1959) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Wife's assault and saddle clue

    Two drunken cowboys rape and murder Morgan's wife while she returns home with their son. She fights back and leaves a deep whip wound on one attacker. Before the attackers can be caught, the boy escapes on one of their horses, which bears a distinctive saddle that will later help Morgan track them.

    Where
    on the road outside town

  2. Morgan pursues the killer toward Gun Hill

    Morgan, now a U.S. Marshal, sets off to find the killer. He follows the trail toward Gun Hill and soon realizes the saddle belongs to Belden, his old friend. The saddle clue convinces him to pursue Belden directly.

    When
    that day
    Where
    en route to Gun Hill

  3. Discovery at Belden's ranch

    Morgan goes to Belden's ranch to return the saddle and press for information. He quickly confirms that Belden's son, Rick, is the killer. Belden's denial and protective stance for Rick heighten the emotional stakes.

    When
    that day
    Where
    Belden Ranch

  4. Belden refuses surrender; Morgan vows justice

    Belden refuses to surrender Rick and defends his son's actions. Morgan vows to bring Rick to justice and ensure he reaches the last train of the day. The confrontation sets the film on a collision course.

    When
    that day
    Where
    Belden's ranch

  5. Morgan enters a hostile town; Linda helps

    Morgan arrives in Gun Hill town to track Rick but encounters a hostile, uncooperative community. Linda, Belden's former lover, secretly tells him where Rick is likely to be found. Her information becomes crucial to the pursuit.

    When
    that evening
    Where
    Gun Hill town

  6. Rick is prisoner in the hotel

    Morgan traps Rick and takes him prisoner, locking him to the bed in a hotel room despite resistance from the hotelkeeper. Rick is cuffed and awaiting transport, turning the hotel into a focal point of the conflict. The stage is set for a tense confrontation.

    When
    that night
    Where
    Hotel

  7. Craig Belden arrives and learns Rick is captive

    Craig Belden and his men arrive in town and discover Rick is now Morgan's prisoner. They realize Rick is handcuffed to the hotel bed, escalating the stakes of the standoff. The showdown between families becomes personal.

    When
    that night
    Where
    Gun Hill town hotel

  8. Standoff escalates; Linda as go-between

    A short, heated negotiation begins as Morgan holds off Belden's shooters. Linda resumes her role as the town go-between, relaying terms and trying to prevent further bloodshed. The tension in the hotel and street tightens the grip of the confrontation.

    When
    that night
    Where
    Hotel

  9. Linda secures Morgan a shotgun

    Linda pleads Rick's case, but the stalemate persists. Morgan asks Linda to bring him a shotgun, signaling a ruthless readiness to act. The street-level suspense intensifies as the fire of conflict grows.

    When
    that night
    Where
    Hotel room

  10. Lee revealed as Rick's accomplice; Linda commits

    Linda learns that Lee is Rick's accomplice and that Craig has no intention of marrying her. Realizing Rick's fate rests on Morgan's success, Linda resolves to help in any way she can. An alliance between Morgan and Linda forms.

    When
    that night
    Where
    Hotel

  11. Linda supplies shotgun; hotel is set ablaze

    Linda sneaks a shotgun to Morgan while Lee sets fire to the hotel to flush him out. The burning hotel forces Morgan to move Rick toward the exit and toward the train station. The plan shifts to a perilous escape under flame and gunfire.

    When
    as the hotel burns
    Where
    Hotel

  12. Morgan marches toward the train with Rick

    With the hotel burning, Morgan advances toward the train station, shotgun ready, threatening to kill Rick if anyone tries to stop him. He moves slowly with Craig Belden and his armed men and the pursuing townspeople in tow. The tense procession pushes toward a dramatic departure.

    When
    just before departure
    Where
    From hotel to train station

  13. Rick dies at the train station; Lee is killed

    At the train station, Lee confronts Morgan and shoots at him, but Rick is killed by Lee's shot. Morgan responds by killing Lee with the shotgun. The plan to transport Rick collapses in the immediate aftermath.

    When
    as train is about to depart
    Where
    Train station

  14. Final showdown; Belden is killed

    In a final confrontation, Morgan faces Craig Belden and defeats him in a gunfight, killing Belden. The town's feud closes with Belden's death and Morgan’s grim victory. The narrative resolves with the price of justice being paid.

    When
    immediately after Rick's death
    Where
    Train station platform

Last updated: October 05, 2025 at 11:13

Was this helpful?

Timeline questions answered

Last Train from Gun Hill Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Last Train from Gun Hill (1959): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Matt Morgan go directly to Belden's ranch after finding the saddle?

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
Q2

How does Morgan know that Rick Belden is the killer?

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
Q3

Why does Linda decide to help Morgan against Belden?

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
Q4

Why does Lee set fire to the hotel?

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
Q5

How does Rick Belden actually die?

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
Q6

Why does Morgan kill Craig Belden at the end?

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
Q7

What happens to Morgan's son Petey after the murder?

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
Q8

Why is getting Rick on the last train so important to Morgan?

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
Q9

Why doesn't anyone in Gun Hill help Morgan investigate?

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
Q10

Why does Morgan threaten to kill Rick with a shotgun during the march to the train?

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

Movie threads

More Movies Like Last Train from Gun Hill, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Last Train from Gun Hill tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Urgent revenge thrillers like Last Train from Gun Hill

High-stakes stories where a personal tragedy triggers a relentless, time-sensitive manhunt. This collection features movies similar to Last Train from Gun Hill, where a personal loss ignites a fast-paced, high-stakes quest for justice. If you liked the intense, single-day timeline and the relentless pursuit of vengeance against powerful foes, you'll find more gripping stories here.

  • tense
  • urgent
  • vengeful
  • relentless
  • desperate
  • grim
  • Tone: dark, tense, vengeful
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically begin with a catalyzing act of violence that sets a clear, immediate goal for the protagonist. The plot unfolds over a short period, often just a day, creating immense pressure as the hero navigates a hostile environment, facing off against a well-protected antagonist, culminating in a violent and morally complex confrontation.

Why they belong together: They are grouped together for their shared structure of compressed-time revenge plots, high emotional stakes driven by personal tragedy, and a consistently tense, fast-paced atmosphere that builds to an explosive climax.

The Restless movie poster

The Restless

2023
The Unholy Trinity movie poster

The Unholy Trinity

2025
Dead in Tombstone movie poster

Dead in Tombstone

2013
The Quick and the Dead movie poster

The Quick and the Dead

1995
Recoil movie poster

Recoil

2010
Texas Rangers movie poster

Texas Rangers

2001
Ticking Clock movie poster

Ticking Clock

2011
Gunslinger movie poster

Gunslinger

1956

Claustrophobic moral dramas like Last Train from Gun Hill

Stories where one just individual confronts a corrupt system in an isolated, oppressive setting. Discover movies like Last Train from Gun Hill that explore the theme of a lone lawman or outsider enforcing justice in a corrupt and hostile town. These films share a tense, grim atmosphere and focus on the heavy cost of upholding moral duty against overwhelming opposition.

  • grim
  • claustrophobic
  • tense
  • moral conflict
  • desperate
  • oppressive
  • Tone: dark, grim, morally complex
  • Pacing: steady, building pressure
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a principled character, often a lawman, entering or residing in a community controlled by a single powerful figure or ideology. The conflict is not just physical but deeply moral, pitting personal convictions against loyalty, mercy, and the pervasive corruption of the environment, leading to a tragic but necessary conclusion.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their exploration of moral conflict within a microcosm of society, their dark and tense tone, and the use of a confined, hostile setting to amplify dramatic pressure and thematic weight.

Wyoming Outlaw movie poster

Wyoming Outlaw

1939
Death of a Gunfighter movie poster

Death of a Gunfighter

1969
Firecreek movie poster

Firecreek

1968
The Duel movie poster

The Duel

2016
The Last Outlaw movie poster

The Last Outlaw

1993
The Unholy Trinity movie poster

The Unholy Trinity

2025
High Plains Drifter movie poster

High Plains Drifter

1973
Gunslinger movie poster

Gunslinger

1956

If you liked this

Movies Like Last Train from Gun Hill

Similar movies to Last Train from Gun Hill: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

Browse all movie summaries
A Gun Fightin’ Gentleman movie poster

A Gun Fightin’ Gentleman

1919
Gunsmoke: To the Last Man movie poster

Gunsmoke: To the Last Man

1992
The Last Outlaw movie poster

The Last Outlaw

1993
Gunfighters movie poster

Gunfighters

1947
Gunsmoke: One Man’s Justice movie poster

Gunsmoke: One Man’s Justice

1994
Gunman’s Walk movie poster

Gunman’s Walk

1958
Last Stagecoach West movie poster

Last Stagecoach West

1957
Westbound movie poster

Westbound

1959
The Last Hunt movie poster

The Last Hunt

1956
Gun Glory movie poster

Gun Glory

1957
Top Gun movie poster

Top Gun

1955
Man with the Gun movie poster

Man with the Gun

1955

Every angle

Last Train from Gun Hill (1959) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Last Train from Gun Hill in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

Plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Catch up on any movie in minutes, save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private, always.

Learn more about the app