Develiker terrible... so disappointed.

Dotbankey A lot of fun.

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Grimossfer Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

HotToastyRag Just so you know: Warlock is the name of the town in Warlock. In case you're like me and sometimes misinterpret the meaning of a title, this is a western, not a movie about witches and wizards. Now that that's out of the way, let's get to the plot.Henry Fonda and his faithful sidekick Anthony Quinn arrive in the town of Warlock to instill some law and order into the western city that's frequented by bandits and criminals. The local "bad boys" resent the presence of a new marshal, and they're quick to let Henry and Tony know they're not about roll over and play nice. Richard Widmark, Frank Gorshin, Tom Drake, and DeForest Kelly constantly toe the line with the so-called good guys, but then the lines start to blur. Henry and Tony aren't as good as they appear to be, and Dick isn't as enamored by the bad guys as he should be. . .I actually really liked this movie, but if John Wayne were the lead, or if Henry Fonda had been given Dick's part, I probably wouldn't have liked it. Richard Widmark, looking adorable in glorious Technicolor, is a fantastic and conflicted hero, torn between good and bad, family and friends. There's no scrimping on the side plots in this movie, as everyone has a backstory and something to hide. Plus, there are countless love triangles with the arrival of Dorothy Malone and Dolores Michaels. Since I'm not the biggest Henry Fonda fan, so I didn't need to be convinced that he's got a bit of a bad guy in his character. Anthony Quinn does a good job, except for his strangely muddled Southern accent, but really it's Richard Widmark who's the heart and soul of the movie. Even when he's bad-which he almost always is-he's incredibly likable. He just might be the most adorable, lovable, type casted bad guy ever! And ladies, if you don't think he's handsome, make an appointment with your eye doctor.

MrAkimbo Warlock is a peculiar film. I admire the director's intention, and having not read the original novel, I cannot state whether the interpretation was faithful to the book or whether the director chose wild sweeps of dramatic license instead? When the film concludes I saw it as a failed film. Many of the reviews so far comment on the caliber of the performances. While I agree, I would use the metaphor, a poorly constructed car can still have an engine that runs fine.In its favour the film has a brooding quality to it, scenes are careful in its precision and placement as the casts are framed at different planes of the screen space. It makes you work hard to notice, hear the dialogue in its almost stage like presentation, and consider the underlying emotions. Indeed Fonda himself never the most outward of performers adds to the enigma of the film, and what its trying to achieve which some may declare as perfect casting for a fictional character beset with ambivalent emotions. As the film advances to the denouement, the imagery is rich, predetermined in its lavish design to illustrate the metaphor of long lasting friendship, yet still I found myself feeling cheated somewhat.Without giving too much away, the reason I believe and is somewhat endemic of the other reviewers who have hinted at the subtext of homosexuality contained in the film. The creative choices used by the director at times are awkward and incoherent. E.g. there are scenes where the character portrayed by Quinn, 'Morgan', although saying something his body language suggests something different - this could be seen as great direction - the point is the unspoken body language hint at homosexuality rather than anything else. At times he is framed in the back plane of the screen space, akin to the way soap operas will frame a nagging wife who complain to their husbands. Similarly, Fonda's character a much respected and feared gunman at one point disarms a rowdy character. He instructs the character to approach him and then clouts him with the butt of his revolver. This scene rang false to me. A feared gunslinger should never have to instruct anybody - they just act. The concept of repercussion means nothing when they are ingrained with toughness.This is why I find the film frustrating, and ultimately a failed but honourable film. Dmytryk took, no doubt a challenging novel, and attempted to realise it.I can't help but consider what John Ford would have done with the material, or any other notable Western luminary film director. Maybe he would have left it well alone believing it a mismatch of emotions and themes to portray?

utgard14 The town of Warlock is being terrorized by a gang of violent cowboys. So the townsfolk hire notorious gunfighter Henry Fonda and his club-footed sidekick Anthony Quinn to protect them. Later, a man (Richard Widmark) who has left the cowboys because he disapproved of their actions is appointed the deputy sheriff of Warlock. This sets up conflicts involving the cowboys, the hired guns, and the law.Strong cast in thinly-veiled version of Wyatt Earp/Doc Holliday story. The stars are all great. Fonda appears to have had an accident with ink and got a lot of it in his hair. There's solid support from the likes of Wallace Ford, Tom Drake, DeForest Kelly, and Frank Gorshin. Dorothy Malone and Dolores Michaels have the only two prominent female roles and both are fine. It's an intelligent, layered western with good performances and a quality script. The basic plot is nothing new, even for 1959, but it's handled in such a way it feels fresh. Subtext fans will have a field day with Quinn's character.

writers_reign The film adaptation of John Van Druten's stage success Bell, Book, And Candle was released around the same time as this oddly-named Western and chances are that several moviegoers who had seen Jack Lemmon playing a warlock (male witch) in BB&C thought they were in for more of the same. Far from it; Warlock is simply the name of the town that forms the setting, a town more or less terrorised by a local gang led by Tom Drake of all people - yep, The Boy Next Door himself, who also played Richard Rodgers in Words and Music. When enough finally becomes too much the townsfolk hire a pro, Henry Fonda, to restore law and order. On paper you couldn't find a simpler plot but in reality the film is bristling with sub-text and psychological overtones, not least the complex relationship between Fonda and his side-kick Anthony Quinn, outlaw-turned-lawman Richard Widmark's equally complex relationship with his own brother and this is before Dorothy Malone shows up harbouring all kinds of resentment against both Fonda and Quinn one or both of whom offed a man she was about to marry. In short this is a heady wine, a rich broth with fine performances from the likes of DeForest Kelly, Frank Gorshin, Wallace Ford to say nothing of the principles. Well worth a second look.