Warlock
Warlock
A band of murderous cowboys has imposed a reign of terror on the town of Warlock. With the sheriff humiliatingly run out of town, the residents hire the services of Clay Blaisedell as de facto town marshal. He arrives along with his friend, Tom Morgan, and sets about restoring law and order on his own terms whilst also overseeing the establishment of a gambling house and saloon.
Edward Olsoe reviewedApril 28, 2025
Superb dramatic western with a solid cast and fine script. Unpredictable story line surrounding a small town harassed by a gang of unscrupulous cowboys, which begins as the deputy Sheriff is run out of town, leaving the townsfolk undefeated. The town council hears of a fixer gunslinger who has a reputation of cleaning up riff-raff with no nonsense, so they agree to pay him $400 a month to keep the peace in their little village named Warlock. Gun-for-hire (expertly cast and played by Henry Fonda) arrives with his evil and slightly crippled sidekick played by Anthony Quinn. After a tense first showdown in the town's main saloon, the rough cow pokes are sent packing with their tools between their legs, but one straggler (Richard Widmark) stays behind in town because for reasons yet unknown the glitter has fallen from his gang. The plot moves about briskly, with both Widmark and Fonda taking turns at being good and bad, leaving the viewer wondering who will ultimately be the hero in the end. Great music, fine direction, in Technicolor and Cinemascope.