Warlock

Warlock

Year: 1959

Runtime: 122 mins

Language: English

Director: Edward Dmytryk

Western

Warlock follows a ruthless gang of outlaw cowboys who seize the town of Warlock, driving the sheriff out in disgrace. The desperate townsfolk enlist Clay Blaisedell as their de‑facto marshal. Arriving with his friend Tom Morgan, Clay imposes his own brand of justice while also overseeing the opening of a gambling house and saloon.

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Timeline & Setting – Warlock (1959)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Warlock (1959). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

early 1880s

Set in the early 1880s, a period of mining booms and rough frontier justice. Violence and quick draws define life in a town that relies on personal honor more than formal institutions. Loyalties shift as wealth and power drive ambitions, with people choosing sides in the face of upheaval.

Location

Warlock, Utah, Bright City

Warlock is a rough, unincorporated mining town in early 1880s Utah, where frontier wealth and lawlessness shape daily life. The town operates with a loose sense of order, enough to hire a gunfighter as marshal and tolerate quasi-legal Regulators. Bright City sits nearby as the county seat where major cases go for trial, highlighting the tension between frontier justice and formal law.

❄️ Western 🏜️ Frontier town 🗺️ Mining town

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:57

Main Characters – Warlock (1959)

Meet the key characters of Warlock (1959), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Clay Blaisedell (Henry Fonda)

A renowned gunfighter hired as town marshal, Blaisedell brings a disciplined approach to a place accustomed to informal justice. He values order and restraint but will act decisively to defend the town, balancing loyalty to Morgan with the demands of leadership.

🏷️ Marshal 🗡️ Gunfighter 🛡️ Leader

Tom Morgan (Anthony Quinn)

Blaisedell's devoted but volatile ally, a heavy-drinking gambler and expert gunman who manages the town’s saloon. His fierce loyalty to Blaisedell is tested by jealousy and competing loyalties, contributing to the town’s volatile balance of power.

🏷️ Sidekick 🗡️ Gunman 🖤 Loyal friend

Lily Dollar (Dorothy Malone)

Morgan’s old flame who returns with a motive to punish him and complicate Blaisedell’s leadership. She wields influence through personal leverage and moves the plot toward the clash between Blaisedell and Gannon.

🏷️ Woman of influence 💘 Love triangle

Johnny Gannon (Richard Widmark)

The town sheriff’s deputy who becomes Warlock’s resident deputy, embodying a duty-driven but morally complex counterweight to the regulators. He champions order while navigating shifting loyalties and a personal vendetta.

🏷️ Deputy 🗡️ Gunman 🛡️ Lawman

Jessie Marlow (Dolores Michaels)

A new presence in Warlock who becomes Blaisedell’s romantic partner. Her decisions reflect both personal loyalties and the town’s perilous power dynamics, highlighting how love and duty intersect in a volatile frontier setting.

🏷️ Love interest 💔 Loyal friend

Abe McQuown (Tom Drake)

Leader of the cowboys who terrorize the town; his group enforces a brutal, intimidatory rule. His downfall marks a turning point in the struggle between Regulators and the town’s authorities.

🏷️ Antagonist 🗡️ Regulator

Bob Nicholson (Sol Gorss)

Brother of Big Ben Nicholson and one of the robbers who triggers later events. His actions help drive the plot and intensify Lily’s motive against Blaisedell.

🏷️ Victim 🔫 Robber

Curley Burne (DeForest Kelley)

A smooth-talking organizer who mocks the regulators and shapes public sentiment. He pushes for a 'fair fight' and provides strategic support that keeps the conflict alive.

🏷️ Promoter 🧭 Strategist

Billy Gannon (Frank Gorshin)

Johnny Gannon’s younger brother who spearheads the regulator faction. His confrontation with Blaisedell ends in a fatal exchange of violence that underscores the costs of street justice.

🏷️ Antagonist 🗡️ Regulators

Judge Holloway (Wallace Ford)

The old judge who views Blaisedell’s approach with skepticism and worry about how the town will be governed. His stance captures the tension between tradition and bold frontier leadership.

🏷️ Judge ⚖️ Skeptic

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:57

Major Themes – Warlock (1959)

Explore the central themes of Warlock (1959), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⚖️ Law vs. Vigilantism

Clay Blaisedell represents formal authority, appointed to restore order in a town wary of regulators. The Regulators and mobs test whether law or force should prevail in a place where violence is easy and consequences are swift. The plot probes what true justice looks like when institutions are weak and fear is strong.

🔥 Friendship and Rivalry

Morgan and Blaisedell start as allies, united by a common goal but divided by competing visions of how to run the town. Personal loyalties collide with public responsibilities, and jealousy over power and recognition threatens the pair’s camaraderie. The feud culminates in a deadly confrontation that redefines what it means to be a friend in a hostile environment.

💔 Love, Betrayal and Loyalty

Lily Dollar returns to the town with vendettas that affect the men she once knew, complicating Blaisedell and Morgan’s relationship. Jessie Marlow’s romance with Blaisedell adds another layer of loyalty and choice, showing how affection can influence decisions in a town ruled by violence. The emotional tensions intersect with the town’s violent struggle, shaping its fate.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:57

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Westerns of Moral Ambiguity like Warlock

Westerns where the line between lawman and outlaw is blurred.If you liked the gray-area morality and complex justice in Warlock, you'll find similar themes in these movies. This list features Westerns and crime dramas where heroes are flawed, villains have motives, and the path to order is paved with moral compromise.

tensegrimfatalisticbroodingmelancholicanxious

Narrative Summary

These narratives typically follow a figure of authority, often a hired gun or a marshal with a past, who brings order to a chaotic town through violent means. The central conflict arises from the clash between their personal code and the community's needs, often leading to betrayal, ethical dilemmas, and a questioning of who the real heroes and villains are.

Why These Movies?

We group these films together because they share a core focus on ethical complexity within a violent, lawless setting. They feature similar tones of grim tension, steady pacing driven by character decisions, and a heavy emotional weight stemming from the consequences of ambiguous justice.

Movies with Bittersweet Endings like Warlock

Stories where success comes at a profound personal cost.For viewers who appreciated the poignant, costly resolution of Warlock, this collection features films with similarly bittersweet endings. These stories offer narrative closure but leave a lingering sense of melancholy, focusing on the heavy price of victory and the emotional toll of the journey.

melancholicbittersweetfatalisticlonelybroodingheavy

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a protagonist striving toward a clear objective, overcoming significant external obstacles. However, the journey exacts a heavy internal toll, often through betrayal or sacrifice. The climax secures the external goal, but the denouement reveals the profound personal loss, resulting in an ending that is resolved yet emotionally somber and introspective.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared emotional arc and concluding tone. They deliver a satisfying narrative conclusion while simultaneously evoking a strong sense of melancholy and loss, creating a powerful and memorable viewing experience defined by its emotional complexity.

Unlock the Full Story of Warlock

Don't stop at just watching — explore Warlock in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Warlock is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Warlock Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Warlock, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Warlock Summary

Warlock Timeline

Track the full timeline of Warlock with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Warlock Timeline

Warlock Spoiler-Free Summary

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Warlock Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Warlock

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Warlock: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Warlock

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