Review of Warlock

I watched this for the first time this afternoon. It was certainly more complicated than most westerns of this period. There is no one who is really a hero All of the main characters have a dark side. It was interesting to see Richard Widmark who usually plays the good guy in the role of a man (Johnny Gannon) who is conflicted by his past with a band of rowdies of whom his brother is a member and his attempt to be on the side of law and order. I don't understand why many see the partnership between the high class gunslinger Blaisdell hired by the town, (Henry Fonda) accompanied by his lame self-appointed bodyguard/gambling enterprise partner played by Anthony Quinn, as in any way homoerotic, unlike the scene in 'Spartacus between Lawrence Olivier and Tony Curtis, instead of which it is co-dependent. I guess many who watched missed Morgan explaining his loyalty to Blaisdell (Fonda), saying, "He is the only man who never saw me as a cripple." As Blaisdell's sidekick/bodyguard, Morgan shares in his reputation and as well, Blaisdell's protection from being disregarded/pitied as a 'cripple'. Morgan has no other relationships in his life, and his dismay at Blaisdell's considering marrying Jessie and settling down is that of someone being abandoned. I think we have all heard of a close friend viewing a new relationship as a full or partial abandonment of the friendship and so displaying jealousy. I enjoyed DeForest Kelly as an agitator, albeit one who didn't really care to hurt anybody, in one of his pre-Star Trek 'Bones' McCoy roles. And it is only fitting that the new sheriff/reformed rowdy played by Widmark ends up in the arms of the former saloon girl played by Dorothy Malone.