Warlock (1959)

56% of users liked it
(1,748 ratings)

Warlock offers us a mean-spirited, mercenary Henry Fonda and an honest, peaceloving Richard Widmark. A Wyatt Earp-like frontier marshal, Fonda agrees to protect the small town of Warlock from an outlaw gang, but only if he's permitted to plunder the town's cash reserve. Widmark, the town deputy, is… More Warlock offers us a mean-spirited, mercenary Henry Fonda and an honest, peaceloving Richard Widmark. A Wyatt Earp-like frontier marshal, Fonda agrees to protect the small town of Warlock from an outlaw gang, but only if he's permitted to plunder the town's cash reserve. Widmark, the town deputy, is a reformed outlaw whose willingness to fend off the invading criminals is motivated by his fondness for his new neighbors. Looming large in the proceedings is Anthony Quinn as the glory-grabbing Fonda's sidekick. Adapted by Robert Alan Aurthur from a novel by Oakley Hall, Warlock is a good example of the "thinking man's westerns" prevalent in the late 1950s-early 1960s. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 2 min.
Directed By: Edward Dmytryk
Written By: Robert Alan Aurthur
Genres: Western, Action & Adventure, Classics

In Theaters: Apr 1, 1959 Wide
On DVD: May 24, 2005

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Arguably the best film made by Edward Dmytryk.

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Adult western that deals with the threat of mob rule and a crisis of conscience for several of its characters. Henry Fonda is the nominal lead and he is fine as usual but the best performance comes from the great Richard Widmark who is tormented by a very basic struggle.
xGary X

A small town terrorized by outlaws hires gunman Henry Fonda as unofficial lawman but when the bodies start to mount up, local cowpoke Richard Widmark steps in as sheriff causing tensions for all concerned. Essentially a variation on the OK Corral story, Fonda's character is… More
A small town terrorized by outlaws hires gunman Henry Fonda as unofficial lawman but when the bodies start to mount up, local cowpoke Richard Widmark steps in as sheriff causing tensions for all concerned. Essentially a variation on the OK Corral story, Fonda's character is probably far closer to a true portrait of Wyatt Earp than his more romanticized counterparts. Although on the surface a black hat vs white hat generic western, it's more of a series of varying shades of grey hats in the ring, as each man has a shady past and ulterior agenda. Fonda is a man of violence that tries to play by the rules but has no illusions as to what his job entails; Doc Holliday style sidekick Anthony Quinn plays both sides of the fence off against each other but has very sketchy motives; Richard Widmark is initially torn between his inherent sense of right and wrong and loyalty to his friends but comes to realise the time for vigilante justice is over. The larger theme for the story is the passing of the old west from lawlessness to order and despite the rather formulaic approach, some well written characters and quality leading men make for a cut above the usual horse opera.

Cast

            Richard Widmark as Johnny Gannon

            Henry Fonda as Clay Blaisdell

            Anthony Quinn as Tom Morgan

            Dorothy Malone as Lilly Dollar

            Dolores Michaels as Jessie Marlow

            Wallace Ford as Judge Holloway

            Tom Drake as Abe McQuown

            Richard Arlen as Bacon

            DeForest Kelley as Curley Burne

            Regis Toomey as Skinner

            Vaughan Taylor as Richardson

            Don Beddoe as Dr. Wagner

            Whit Bissell as Mr. Petrix

            Bartlett Robinson as Slavin

            J. Anthony Hughes as Shaw

            Don 'Red' Barry as Edward Calhoun

            Frank Gorshin as Billy Gannon

            Ian MacDonald as MacDonald

            Stan Kamber as Hutchinson

            Robert Adler as Foss

            Joel Ashley as Murch

            June Blair as Dance Hall Girl

            Wally Campo as Barber

            Paul Comi as Friendly

            Walter Coy as Deputy Thompson

            Ann Doran as Mrs. Richardson

            Sol (Saul) Gorss as Bob Nicholson

            Robert Osterloh as Professor

            James Philbrook as Cade

            Hugh Sanders as Sheriff Keller

            Mickey Simpson as Fitzsimmons

            Joe Turkel as Chet Haggin

            David Garcia as Pony Benner

            L.Q. Jones as Jiggs
See full cast