The Westerner

Judge Roy Bean proclaims himself the law west of the Pecos and conducts trials from his saloon. He dispenses his own form of justice, hanging those who annoy him and enriching himself in the process. The town becomes a theatre of his eccentric, corrupt authority.

A homesteader's barb-wire fence provokes a violent confrontation with Bean's cattlemen. The shootout leaves casualties and deepens the feud between the homesteaders and Bean's faction. The town's unrest begins to spill into the streets.

Cole Harden, a drifter, is arrested and faces a likely conviction by a jury of Bean's men. Bean dismisses Harden's claim that he bought the horse legally, sealing Harden's doomed fate in the courtroom. The verdict appears preordained as the crowd awaits the outcome.

Harden tries to sway Bean by claiming intimate knowledge of Lily Langtry, hoping to soften the judge's heart. Bean fixates on the actress, while Harden's boast adds a personal, theater-like twist to the proceedings. The exchange reveals Bean's susceptibility to personal whim.

The man who sold Harden the horse steps forward, triggering a brawl in which Harden defeats him. Bean shoots the man as he lunges to shoot Harden in the back, ending the immediate threat. The killing reinforces Bean's volatile control over justice.

Bean sees Harden as a kindred spirit, both bold and reckless. Harden lends support to the struggling homesteaders and even saves Bean from an attempted lynching. Their uneasy alliance grows amid escalating town tensions.

A corn crop is burned and Caliphet Mathews is killed, escalating the feud to deadly levels. Harden is deputized by the county sheriff and secures an arrest warrant for Bean. The pursuit shifts from rants to formal legal action.

Unable to arrest Bean with his men around, Bean learns Lily Langtry will perform in a nearby town and buys every ticket. He dons Confederate Civil War regalia and rides out with his retinue to see the show. The act showcases his appetite for theatrical power over the town.

The town of Vinegaroon is renamed Langtry in honor of the actress, a public symbol of Bean's obsession. The change reflects Bean's control over the town's identity as part of his personal theater. Residents adapt to the new name as conflicts near a breaking point.

Harden waits inside the theater to arrest Bean as the performance unfolds. In a fierce gunfight, Harden mortally wounds Bean and carries him backstage. There, Bean is given a final moment with the actress he idolized before dying.

Harden and Jane-Ellen, now married, have rebuilt the burned homestead and resumed their life together. The landscape begins to heal as new settlers arrive to claim land and help rebuild the community. The town moves forward after the fall of Bean's reign.