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:

Marshal | Sheriff | Outlaw Gang | Shave | Lynch Mob

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Adler	...	Foss (uncredited)
Joel Ashley	...	Murch (uncredited)
Don 'Red' Barry	...	Edward Calhoun (uncredited)
June Blair	...	Dance hall girl (uncredited)
Wally Campo	...	Barber (uncredited)
Harry Carter	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Paul Comi	...	Luke Friendly (uncredited)
Walter Coy	...	Deputy Sheriff Roy Tompson (uncredited)
Sheryl Deauville	...	Dance hall girl (uncredited)
Ann Doran	...	Mrs. Richardson (uncredited)
David Garcia	...	George 'Pony' Benner (uncredited)
Frank Gorshin	...	Billy Gannon (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	...	Bob Nicholson (uncredited)
J. Anthony Hughes	...	Shaw (uncredited)
Roy Jenson	...	Hasty (uncredited)
L.Q. Jones	...	Fen Jiggs (uncredited)
Stan Kamber	...	Hutchinson (uncredited)
Gary Lockwood	...	Gang member (uncredited)
Ian MacDonald	...	MacDonald (uncredited)
Robert Osterloh	...	Professor (uncredited)
James Philbrook	...	Cade (uncredited)
Hugh Sanders	...	Sheriff Keller (uncredited)
Roy N. Sickner	...	Bush (uncredited)
Mickey Simpson	...	Fitzsimmons (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Joe Turkel	...	Chet Haggin (uncredited)
Tom Wilson	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Harry Worth	...	(uncredited)
Henry Worth	...	Burbage (uncredited)

Directed by
Edward Dmytryk

Writing credits
Oakley Hall		(novel)
Robert Alan Aurthur		(screenplay)

Produced by
Edward Dmytryk	....	producer

Original Music by
Leigh Harline

Cinematography by
Joseph MacDonald		(as Joe MacDonald)

Film Editing by
Jack W. Holmes

Art Direction by
Herman A. Blumenthal
Lyle R. Wheeler

Set Decoration by
Stuart A. Reiss
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Charles Le Maire		(executive wardrobe designer) (as Charles LeMaire)

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Helen Turpin	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stanley Hough	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Alfred Bruzlin	....	sound
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound

Special Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roy Jenson	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Robotham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roy N. Sickner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Yrigoyen	....	stunts (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Leonard Doss	....	color consultant

Music Department
Lionel Newman	....	conductor
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Rodd Redwing	....	technical advisor: fire arms
Walter C. Roberts	....	dialogue director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century-Fox)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1959) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1965) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Fox Video (1988) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• 20th Century Fox (1959) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Comet Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Koch Media (2005) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Bausch & Lomb  CinemaScope lenses by
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation  CinemaScope is the registered trademark of

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:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) | 4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Germany:12 | UK:U | West Germany:16 (nf) | Norway:16 | 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:

John Brown's Body

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.