No Name on the Bullet

No Name on the Bullet

Year: 1959

Runtime: 77 mins

Language: English

Director: Jack Arnold

ActionWesternThrillerWesternsWild west outlaws and gunfights

After twenty‑four so‑called “victims” fell to his swift gun, hired assassin John Gant rides into the quiet town of Lordsburg—a place that has marked him for death. As the townspeople realize a skilled killer is among them, paranoia spreads, and every leading citizen worries that rivals will employ Gant to exact personal revenge.

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Timeline & Setting – No Name on the Bullet (1959)

Explore the full timeline and setting of No Name on the Bullet (1959). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Late 19th century

The story unfolds in the era of the American frontier, when lawmen, gunmen, and mining interests collide. The town operates with rough justice as formal institutions bend under pressure from those with wealth and power. The atmosphere is dusty, tense, and morally gray, typical of Westerns in this period.

Location

Lordsburg

Lordsburg is a dusty frontier town in the American Southwest, where prospectors and mine owners vie for wealth and influence. The arrival of a feared hired gun unsettles the locals, testing loyalties and the town's fragile sense of safety. The community gathers in saloons and kitchens where rumors swirl about who hired him and why.

🏜️ Frontier town 🗺️ Outpost in the West

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:05

Main Characters – No Name on the Bullet (1959)

Meet the key characters of No Name on the Bullet (1959), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

John Gant (Audie Murphy)

A professionally hired gun whose controlled calm and ruthless efficiency mask a complex moral code. He believes some men deserve to die, yet he also emphasizes he’s not paid to kill indiscriminately. His presence unsettles Lordsburg as his ambiguous ethics collide with the town’s attempts to define justice.

🤠 Gunslinger ⚖️ Moral ambiguity 🗡️ Violence

Luke Canfield (Charles Drake)

A young doctor with a strong sense of integrity, he is eager to protect the town without sacrificing moral lines. Luke acts as a counterweight to Gant’s methods, advocating restraint while recognizing a harsh reality about violence. His respect for courage is tempered by a commitment to law and healing.

🩺 Doctor 🤝 Ally ⚖️ Moral conflict

Anne Benson (Joan Evans)

Luke’s fiancée and the daughter of a tuberculosis-stricken ex-judge, she becomes entangled in the town’s peril. Her suspicion of Gant’s target drives a volatile confrontation, and she confronts danger with a mix of boldness and vulnerability. Her choices illuminate the human costs of the town’s secrets.

❤️ Love interest 🧭 Moral conflict 💃 Woman

Judge Benson (Edgar Stehli)

An aging judge whose past crimes haunt the present; his illness masks a moral authority that may still pull strings. His refusal to defend himself or fully expose others underscores the complexities of guilt, power, and accountability in a town where old associates still matter.

⚖️ Judge 💼 Power 🧭 Secrets

Asa Canfield (R.G. Armstrong)

Luke’s sturdy blacksmith father who embodies practicality and loyalty. He balances skepticism of Gant’s methods with a protective instinct for his son and town. His steady presence anchors family and community under pressure.

🛠️ Blacksmith 🤝 Ally 👪 Family

Roseanne Fraden (Virginia Grey)

The wife of Lou Fraden who senses danger and questions the motives behind Gant’s presence. Her instincts about the town’s safety reflect the fears of ordinary people caught in lethal schemes. She provides a grounded, wary perspective amid escalating tension.

🧭 Uncertainty 💔 Struggle 🧭 Suspicion

Lou Fraden (Warren Stevens)

A storekeeper whose quarrels with his ex-wife illuminate the town’s fraught personal histories. He becomes a focal point for distrust as rumors swirl about who hired Gant and why. His actions emphasize how personal history can destabilize a community.

🛒 Storekeeper 🗣️ Suspicion 💥 Tension

Ben Chaffee (John Alderson)

Mine owner and prime mover behind the town's dangerous intrigue. His suspicions about Gant and his willingness to manipulate others reveal the corrosive impact of greed on justice. He is prepared to escalate violence to secure his interests.

💼 Wealth 🧠 Conspiracy ⚖️ Power

Earl Stricker (Karl Swenson)

Mine owner who is killed in a shootout after assuming Gant’s presence signals a threat to his partnership. His death ignites fear and reinforces the precarious balance of power in Lordsburg. He embodies the dangers of resource-driven competition.

💼 Wealth 🗡️ Violence ⚔️ Rivalry

Thad Pierce (Whit Bissell)

A mining partner whose panic and death contribute to the town’s escalating tension. He represents the precariousness of trust among the mine owners and the fragility of life when guns are involved. His fate underscores the toxic blend of money and danger.

💼 Wealth ⚰️ Fatality 🗺️ Frontier

Buck Hastings (Willis Bouchey)

A town resident whose involvement signals the broader social fabric of Lordsburg—where everyday people live under the shadow of gunmen and undisclosed motives. He adds texture to the town’s reactions to Gant’s appearance and the ensuing drama.

🏷️ Townsperson 🕯️ Shadow 🧭 Social dynamics

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:05

Major Themes – No Name on the Bullet (1959)

Explore the central themes of No Name on the Bullet (1959), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🗡️ Violence

The film centers on lethal confrontation as a means to resolve disputes. Gant's presence turns ordinary town life into a cycle of ultimatums and shootings, drawing everyone into the violence's orbit. The characters weigh killing against restraint, exposing how quickly violence can redefine justice. Yet violence here rarely produces clarity; it merely reshapes who holds power.

⚖️ Law vs. Self-Defense

Official law falters in the face of a gunman who acts outside its rules. The sheriff's attempts to arrest Gant clash with the gunman's insistence that his killing is justified self-defense. Judge Benson and Luke each interpret legality in different ways, highlighting the tension between due process and personal vengeance. The town's sense of justice frays as violence becomes the default response.

💼 Power and Guilt

Wealthy mine owners and an aging judge pull the strings of the town, funding schemes and shielding themselves behind the veneer of authority. A past crime hints at the enduring reach of power and the possibility that guilt can be weaponized to control others. When past misdeeds surface, the town realizes that justice may be elusive, especially for those who sit at the top.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:05

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No Name on the Bullet Summary

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No Name on the Bullet Timeline

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