Warlock (1959)

Director:

Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

Oakley Hall (novel)
Robert Alan Aurthur (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 April 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Western

Plot:

The town of Warlock is plagued by a gang of thugs, leading the inhabitants to hire Clay Blaisdell, a famous gunman...

Plot Keywords:

Lynch Mob | Cold Blooded Murder | Shot In The Chest | Sniper | Small Town

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Richard Widmark	...	Johnny Gannon
Henry Fonda	...	Clay Blaisedell
Anthony Quinn	...	Tom Morgan
Dorothy Malone	...	Lily Dollar
Dolores Michaels	...	Jessie Marlow
Wallace Ford	...	Judge Holloway
Tom Drake	...	Abe McQuown
Richard Arlen	...	Bacon
DeForest Kelley	...	Curley Burne (as De Forest Kelley)
Regis Toomey	...	Skinner
Vaughn Taylor	...	Henry Richardson
Don Beddoe	...	Dr. Wagner
Whit Bissell	...	Petrix
Bartlett Robinson	...	Buck Slavin

Also Known As:

Shoot Out at Warlock (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (as De Luxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo | Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:U | Norway:16 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Germany:12 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #19195)

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Henry Fonda's name in the original US version is definitely "Clay," but some other sources refer to him as "Curt." Perhaps some foreign versions of the film renamed him because "Clay" as a first name was unfamiliar there, while "Curt" was.

Quotes:

Jessie Marlow: The men you posted are coming into town.
Clay Blaisedell: I thank you for warning me, but I've already heard.
Jessie Marlow: Why does it have to happen? Why do these things always have to end in bloodshed?
Clay Blaisedell: Ah, that's how things are, Miss Jessie. That's why I was hired... why you hired me.
Jessie Marlow: And so they'll come into town, and you'll shoot them all down dog-dead in the street, is that it?
Clay Blaisedell: Or them me.
Jessie Marlow: Or them you...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in C'era una volta il West (1968)

Soundtrack:

Beautiful Dreamer

One of the Best Westerns of the 50's

In the 50's Westerns were extremely popular, and many of that decade's best movies were Westerns. The Searchers, Winchester '73, The Man From Laramie, The Naked Spur - the list of great Westerns from the 50's could practically go on for days. One movie that should always be included on any list of best Westerns from the 50's is Warlock.

Warlock's strengths start with a very well written, intelligent script that gives the characters three dimensions and realistic motivations. The script uses these characters well in pushing forward the many solid plot points. Warlock isn't a "shoot 'em up," Western, but it does have its share of good action. Many fans have described this as one of the quintessential "Psychological Westerns," and to a degree that is true. It also features solid drama, and genuine excitement when the action scenes come.

Henry Fonda, Anthony Quinn, and Richard Widmark give some of their finest performances in Warlock, and a strong case could be made that this is Anthony Quinn's best performance in a Western. Fonda's dark, brooding performance foreshadows the even darker and nastier performance he would give almost a decade later in Once Upon a Time in the West. DeForest Kelley gives a strong supporting performance as well, showing his natural abilities in the Western genre.

Edward Dmytryk directed Warlock with a steady hand. He didn't overdo the direction looking to push the artistic envelope with unusual camera angles, but he did direct the movie with a flair and style ideal for a Western.

Ultimately, Warlock holds up not only as one of the best Westerns of the 50's, but as one of the best Westerns of all time and may be one of those movies that receives more acclaim with each passing decade.