The Man from Button Willow

Year: 1965

Runtime: 81 mins

Language: English

Director: David Detiege

AnimationWestern

In 1869 rancher Justin Eagle lives at the Eagle’s Nest near Button Willow, California, and serves as a U.S. Government troubleshooter. Sent undercover to San Francisco, he must locate missing Senator Freeman, who opposes villain Montgomery Blaine’s plot to force settlers to sell land needed for a Utah‑to‑East railroad. After Freeman is kidnapped by Blaine’s henchman The Whip, Eagle races to save him and stop the scheme.

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The Man from Button Willow (1965) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

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During the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, unscrupulous land grabbers are buying up land along the route, forcing the U.S. government to purchase it at inflated prices. The government has deployed Senate investigators to stop these schemes and has assembled a secret team to protect settlers. One such member is Justin Eagle, who operates from his ranch, the Eagle’s Nest, near the town of Button Willow in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Returning from business in San Francisco, Justin reunites with his adopted Japanese daughter Stormy and ranch hand Sorry Baker. He notes the presence in town of land grabber Montgomery Blaine and his henchman “the Whip.” Justin’s mare Savannah foals, a filly sired by Rebel, and the new foal escapes the ranch, climbing toward a nearby mountain with Justin’s dog Shady and the pet skunk Alfie. When the foal is attacked by a cougar, Rebel rushes to the rescue and drives the predator away; Shady is injured but survives.

Justin learns from general store proprietor Abner Hawkins that several settlers have recently had their homes burned and been driven off their land, and that Senator Freeman is in San Francisco to investigate. The senator soon disappears; without his vote, the settlers will lose their land to the land grabbers. Freeman has proof that Blaine has cheated and driven hundreds of settlers off their lands, and he has been kidnapped and is being held on a ship, though no one knows which vessel.

Following a tip to a saloon, Shanghai Kelly shanghai a sailor. Justin, using a fight as cover, follows Kelly but falls through a trap door into a rowboat and is shanghaied by a ship captain. The ship sets sail, and Justin discovers the kidnapped senator aboard. With the help of kidnapped sailor Andy Svenson, Justin assaults the crew, knocks most of them overboard, and forces the captain to sail the ship back to San Francisco.

Returning home, Justin is welcomed by Stormy and Sorry. Blaine and the Whip are imprisoned for their crimes.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 10:46

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