Warlock

Synopsis: The town of Warlock is plagued by a gang of thugs, leading the inhabitants to hire Clay Blaisdell, a famous gunman, to act as marshal. When Blaisdell appears, he is accompanied by his friend Tom Morgan, a club-footed gambler who is unusually protective of Blaisdell's life and reputation. However, Johnny Gannon, one of the thugs who has reformed, volunteered to accept the post of official deputy sheriff in rivalry to Blaisdell; and a woman arrives in town accusing Blaisdell and Morgan of having murdered her fiancé. The stage is set for a complex set of moral and personal conflicts.
Genre: Western
Director(s): Edward Dmytryk
Production: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
  1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
7.3
APPROVED
Year:
1959
122 min
413 Views


Get off the streets!

They're coming!

I see them, Miss Jessie.

They're here.

- Abe.

- Take care of the horses.

Where are the men to stop them?

Where are the men to help Thomson?

I'd like to see them

all burn in hell.

Thomson!

Thomson, come out of there.

Roy, want me to go with you?

No, thanks.

This town may not need a deputy,

but it sure needs a fireman.

I'm here to talk about my man.

It's death, murder.

You've murdered too many

good men, Thomson.

Come out into the street.

Or are you a coward?

A back-shooting coward

who won't face me!

Going for a ride,

sheriff?

Come on, let's give him a hand.

That's a boy, good boy.

Oh, Sheriff.

Come on, you're all dirty.

You've got to practice your mounting.

Look, here's a present for you.

Come on, get him up.

Let's give him a guard of honour.

I'm old.

Much too old.

Warlock beats me.

Got to get out of this town.

- Got to get out.

- Too late.

Too late for us all.

- Come on, Curley.

- I can't find Johnny.

Where's my horse...?

Johnny!

- Wake up, Johnny.

- No, let me sleep.

You're a fine example

of a big brother.

- I want to feel good...

- Yeah, sure. Come on.

Attaboy, Billy, help me.

- Help me to feel good.

- I can't figure you, Johnny.

I swear I can't figure you.

Pony Benner!

Come on, let's go, Pony.

- Hurry up, I've got to go.

- If you'll just give me time.

It'll do no good.

You're the ugliest.

Come on.

Look what he did.

Look what he did.

Come on, Pony, let's go.

Johnny!

We've got to go.

Thomson didn't stand a prayer,

did he?

- Did he, Abe?

- Johnny, you're drunk.

Were Cade and Benner supposed to

shoot him before or after he drew?

They had orders to shoot only if

there was interference from outside.

From who? No man in Warlock

would dare come against you.

No? There's getting to be a lot more.

New ones all the time.

I've got to keep letting them

know I was here first.

How long does that give you

the right to run things your way?

- As long as I want.

- Yeah...

All I'm saying is,

when you stand to win,

you've got to be able

to stand to lose too.

The time has come to take up arms

in our defence.

Last night was the fourth time

in a month.

Driven to cover by them

murdering cowboys.

We put our faith in Thomson

and he ran.

While everyone else hid.

An excellent point, Miss Jessie.

It's time to stop hiding.

We've got them outnumbered 5 to 1.

We've got to fight them with arms.

At the risk of losing our own lives?

I have ore I have to deliver

from my silver mines.

Yet my miners are terrorised,

my wagons wrecked.

We can't let this anarchism, murder

and violence destroy Warlock,

even at the risk of our lives.

I say we arm ourselves

and stand and fight.

That's the only way

and you all know it.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

All wrong.

You're using anarchy and murder

to prevent anarchy and murder.

You're doing the same thing

as McQuown.

- What's the alternative, Judge?

- Law and order.

There is one other way,

we can hire our own marshal.

- Lots of towns have done it.

- We can't hire a marshal.

There's no such position here,

we're not legally a town.

He'd be just as much a marshal

as you are ajudge, Mr. Holloway.

On acceptance, as you put it. You'd

act for the citizens of Warlock.

The only way to handle this

is the legal way.

Send for Sheriff Keller.

What'll he do?

Send another Thomson?

Keller's 50 miles away.

He might as well be a thousand,

for all the times he comes down here.

I say we try our own marshal.

This looks like a happy gathering.

Something we should know about?

Just foolish committee talk.

Something I can do for you?

With all this foolish committee talk,

half the stores in town are closed.

It is supply day at San Pablo,

Mr. Richardson.

Let's see, a half dozen

sacks of flour...

Give me a few minutes, Curley,

and I'll be open.

Yes, sir, Mr. Richardson.

We wouldn't think of breaking up

such an important meeting.

I tell you what,

we'll wait outside.

Pony, Johnny and me.

Benner killed our barber.

An hour ago, we were all

very indignant about that.

Yet, there he stood,

and none of us did anything.

All right, Henry.

You've made your point.

But who are you going to get

for your marshal?

I have a man in mind.

Clay Blaisdell.

Serving at present

as marshal in Port James.

You mean, vigilante, gambler,

gunman.

I'm sure we've all

heard about him.

There's even been a book

written about him by Kalib Bane.

Mr. Bane attributes all manner

of courage to Mr. Blaisdell.

He presented him with a pair of

gold Colts for his brave deeds.

I saw Blaisdell once,

in Port James.

The day after he killed

big Ben Nicholson.

Nicholson was a bad one.

Blaisdell deserved those colts.

Is this superhuman going to

subdue the savage beast

by the pure power of his eye,

or the menace of his six shooter,

or simply by his reputation?

None of those, Miss Jessie.

Blaisdell's only hope in Warlock

is to be lead-proof.

There she is, Clay.

Warlock.

A pretty enough town.

Better than some I've seen.

- Just for a short stay.

- We'll find out.

They're coming!

They're coming!

I saw them!

They're coming!

I saw them!

They're coming!

Well, Jessie.

There he comes,

gold handled Colts and all.

This is a real beginning for Warlock.

- He's here.

- And I'm going.

- I've sold out to Morgan.

- I guess you have.

I wonder if we all have.

Morning, Mr. Blaisdell.

Blaisdell,

I'm Judge Holloway.

- I didn't know Warlock had ajudge.

- On acceptance only.

Same way you're a marshal.

I want to get a good look at you.

- They say you're a decent man.

- I thank you.

But it's not enough to be decent

where you have to kill men

and judge which men to kill,

the word is the law.

I guess I'll be the law, Judge,

on your acceptance.

Not on mine.

I don't accept you.

Any man who's got himself set

over others

and isn't responsible

to something bigger

- Is a murdering swine.

- Shut up, Judge.

There's something bigger than

all men, and that's the law!

Do you hear me? The law!

- A nice welcome.

- Better than some I've seen.

As I understand it,

I have full authority

accountable to you,

the citizens' committee.

- Yes, accountable to us.

- That's what I said, Mr. Petrix.

I'll carry out my duties in ways

best fitted to the job,

the aim being public safety.

Peace and safety,

that's our aim.

You won't be surprised then,

if I have to post men out of town.

As a last resort, in the case

of real trouble makers,

they'll be informed they come

into town at the risk of their lives.

I suggest you start by posting

every one of the San Pablo cowboys.

Just a minute, Buck.

All those boys ain't bad.

I like Curley Burne and Billy Gannon,

among others.

It's McQuown and Benner...

Mr. Skinner and Mr. Slavin,

you'll let that be my choice.

There are one or two real trouble

makers. If I give you their names...

He's not your private marshal,

Mr. McDonald.

Also my choice,

Mr. McDonald.

One other thing.

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Robert Alan Aurthur

Robert Alan Aurthur (June 10, 1922 – November 20, 1978) was an American screenwriter, director and producer. more…

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