Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The movie is set in Purgatory, a rough mining town in frontier-era Colorado. This volatile town is constantly shaken by dynamite blasts from the competing mining operations, creating a dangerous but opportunistic atmosphere. Saloons, trains, and dusty streets provide the backdrop for the comedy.

• purgatory
• colorado
• mining town
• frontier
• western setting

The story takes place in the late 19th century American West, during the mining boom era. This period was defined by rapid growth, boom towns, and frontier justice where fortunes could rise and fall with the next mining claim. The era's quick deals, big dreams, and rough living shape the movie's tone.

• late 19th century
• american west
• mining boom
• frontier era

Identity and deception are central to the plot as Latigo Smith pretends to be the infamous gunslinger Swifty Morgan to manipulate the rival mining factions. Jug May is also coaxed into masquerading as Swifty, creating confusion and increasing the risk for everyone involved. The revelations around who is truly who test loyalties and explore the price of wearing a false face.

• identity
• deception
• impersonation
• swifty morgan
• latigo smith

Gambling governs many decisions in the film, with Latigo's compulsive roulette habit and his fixation on the number 23 driving much of the plot. His gambling losses push him toward risky schemes and shifting alliances as he tries to pay off his debts. Luck and risk intertwine with romance and ambition, culminating in an ironic comedic payoff.

• gambling
• roulette
• latigo smith
• risk
• luck

Two mining rivals, Taylor Barton and Colonel Ames, battle over a rumored mother lode, turning Purgatory into a pressure cooker of schemes and aggression. Dynamite blasts disrupt everyday life and intensify the fight for wealth between the two companies. This clash of greed and power shapes the town's fate and ultimately leads to an extraordinary discovery.

• mining conflict
• taylor barton
• colonel ames
• mother lode
• rivalry

Latigo Smith is a gambler and con man traveling with Goldie who flees his past and improvises his way through Purgatory. He relies on charm and wit to survive, but carries a secret tattoo of Goldie on his chest that reveals his hidden vulnerability. His roulette habit drives much of the plot and his survival depends on clever luck and clever talk.

• latigo smith
• gambler
• con man
• james garner
• goldie

Patience Barton is the hot-tempered daughter of mining owner Taylor Barton who longs to attend Miss Hunter's College in New York. She wants to escape frontier life and pursues refinement and status, even as she finds herself drawn to Latigo. Her ambitions and pride create complicated loyalties within the town.

• patience barton
• taylor barton
• daughter
• refinement
• escape

Swifty Morgan is the infamous gunslinger whose arrival heightens the town's danger and tension. Latigo impersonates him to gain leverage over the rival mining factions, and Swifty's actual presence creates a tense duel of identities and bravado. He embodies the wild gunfighter myth of the frontier.

• swifty morgan
• gunslinger
• infamous
• chuck connors
• gunfighter myth

Goldie is a rich and powerful woman who wants to marry Latigo to escape frontier life and live in refinement. She wields influence with both money and wit, becoming the object of Latigo's schemes as well as a central romantic complication. Her presence significantly reshapes Latigo's plans and loyalties throughout the film.

• goldie
• marie windsor
• romance
• rich woman
• latigo

The main conflict revolves around two rival mining companies, led by Taylor Barton and Colonel Ames, fighting over a rumored mother lode in Purgatory. Each side mistakes Latigo Smith for the legendary gunslinger Swifty Morgan and competes to hire him, hoping he will drive the opposition out of town. The con artist must then decide whether to play along or stay out of the lawless clash.

• mining rivalry
• mother lode
• taylor barton
• colonel ames
• conflict

This is a comedy Western with crude humor and satirical elements that poke fun at classic Western conventions. The film uses slapstick, gags, and misunderstandings rather than genuine danger to drive the story. The tone is light and fast-paced, with cartoonish dangers and stakes that are primarily financial and reputational rather than deeply personal or tragic.

• comedy western
• satire
• crude humor
• slapstick
• light tone