Discuss, "Warlock" movie

[Texas Star]

I was in the mood for a Western today and found, "Warlock" on YouTube.

Starred Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Anthony Quinn, and Dorothy Malone, mainly. Look for Deforest Kelly, prior to his days on, Star Trek.

Widmark was billed as the star, but Fonda overshadowed him and made his role seem a secondary story.

I felt the producer should not have cast Fonda in a movie that was supposed to star Widmark. And I didn't like the way that Fonda threw away his gold handled (!) Colts at the end.

Overall I think the movie needed rescuing by having Fonda marry the girl that he was planning to and finding some role in the town, maybe being a deputy for Widmark, despite his being a superior gunman.

Was anyone else here disappointed in this film, feeling that it was miscast and unreal? I know many of you like Westerns.

On the plus side, it's old enough not to have used CGI...

 

[rockquarry]

It remains a very good western as is. I suppose one could read a lot into it that wasn't there and make it a lesser film, but why do that?

 

[steveno]

I think it was a pretty good western as is

 

[Targets Guy]

Widmark remains a favorite of mine. Very good actor.

 

[Texas Star]

Widmark remains a favorite of mine. Very good actor.

Yes, he was one that l liked, too. I thought it was unfaair to bill him as the star, but put him up against the more imposing Fonda, who really had the larger role.

That's basically my complaint.

 

[dave1918a2]

I watch it almost every time it comes on Dish. Always was enthralled by Dorthy Malone. Hi School GF looked like Her also.

 

[Jellybean]

It's a decent film, but I too feel it could have been better, just like some of my favorite western films.

Not all westerns were based on the "action" aspect and often were written or directed to express personal or political opinions, it just happened that western themed movies were very popular back then.

Overall the old "oaters" are way better than most of the garbage that comes out of Hollywood today and I watch as many of them as I can.

And speaking of Deforest Kelly, he was in an early episode of the Lone Ranger I watched recently and I didn't even recognize him.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I’ll take a peek.
It’s on YouTube.
I just got it started.
Thanks for posting!

 

[Texas Star]

I’ll take a peek.
It’s on YouTube.
I just got it started.
Thanks for posting!

You're welcome. YouTube is where I saw it yesterday.
And I saw, The Santa Fe Trail there. Can't find, They Died With Their Boots on, though. They once had that, too.

Better watch, A Bridge Too Far before they take that down, too.
And a 1956 movie with Victor Mature and Janet Leigh called, Safari.

 

[Joed49]

Darn, I always felt that was one of the worst westerns I'd ever seen. I avoid it like the plague any time its on.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I did see it.
I am a big Fan of the Oaters, been watching them since I was a
Wee Laddie.
This is not one of the good ones.
It’s got a better cast than many.
The story don’t really follow through and don’t make a lot of sense.

 

[Jellybean]

The casting actually makes sense. I don't remember all the roles names so I'll stick with the actors names.

Richard Widmark starts off as one of the bad guys until his conscience gets to him. Henry Fonda is brought in to clean the bad guys up and is "more famous" in the movie. Anthony Quinn is Fonda's partner and is a better gunman, but due to his being crippled he needs Fonda to live his life through and actually made Fonda what he was, but not always in a good way. When Fonda decided to get married and settle down, Quinn realized his career would end and decided to make Fonda kill him.

Now for the mushy part. Miss Dollar came to town to get revenge on Fonda for killing the man she loved. She fell in love with Widmark and lost her desire for revenge. After killing Quinn, Fonda felt so much remorse for his old friend he gave up the woman he felt he loved and his interest in his guns.

There have been many good westerns that were ruined by the "psychological undertones" included in the film, some were still watchable while others were not, it all depended on the "other" content.