Warlock

Warlock

Year: 1959

Runtime: 122 mins

Language: English

Director: Edward Dmytryk

WesternWesternsWild west outlaws and gunfightsWestern frontier dramas with a touch of humorViolent action guns and crime

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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