Walker (1987): Cast, Plot & Where to Watch
Walker is a 1987 drama western directed by Alex Cox, starring Ed Harris as William Walker, Gerrit Graham and William O'Leary. It runs 1 hour 34 minutes. Rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
English What Is Walker About?
The premise of Walker without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Set before the era of Rambo or Oliver North, the story follows 19th‑century adventurer William Walker and his mercenary corps as they cross into Nicaragua, intent on staging a coup d’état to install a new government amid the turbulent politics of mid‑19th‑century Central America.
Walker Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- mercenary
- character name as title
- william walker character
- surname as title
- psychotronic film
- deaf woman
- surname in title
- courtroom
- reference to the manifest destiny
- not guilty verdict
- cornelius vanderbilt character
- public whipping
+38 more Show fewer
- time magazine
- newsweek
- 1850s
- 1800s
- nicaragua
- freebooter
- filibuster
- villain as protagonist
- sword
- battle
- horse
- cannon
- small town
- street shootout
- attack
- death of protagonist
- war violence
- musket
- flintlock pistol
- flintlock rifle
- bayonet
- combat
- opening action scene
- slow motion scene
- bullet ballet
- blood
- blood splatter
- gore
- mexican standoff
- gunfight
- gun duel
- gun
- violence
- tycoon
- sign language
- montage
- central america
- year 1855
Where to Watch Walker
Rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
Streaming availability in the US, powered by 
Walker Cast & Characters
Ed Harris leads the cast as William Walker, with Gerrit Graham as Norvell Walker and William O'Leary as James Walker. Directed by Alex Cox; 54 actors are credited in all.
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Director Alex Cox
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Ed Harris as William Walker -
Gerrit Graham as Norvell Walker - William O'Leary as James Walker
- Marlee Matlin as Ellen Martin
Also Starring in Walker
· 50 more- Peter Boyle Cornelius Vanderbilt
- Blanca Guerra Yrena
- Xander Berkeley Byron Cole
- Richard Masur Ephraim Squier
- René Auberjonois Maj. Siegfried Hennington
- David Hayman Father Rossiter
- Richard Edson Turley
- Kathy Burke Annie Mae
- Alfonso Arau Raousset
- Milton Selzer Judge
- Pedro Armendáriz Jr. Munoz
- John Diehl Stebbins
- Miguel Sandoval Parker French
- Joe Strummer Faucet
- Norbert Weisser Prange
- Keith Szarabajka Timothy Crocker
Show all 54 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Sy Richardson Captain Hornsby
- Biff Yeager Rudler
- Edward Tudor-Pole Doubleday
- Fox Harris District Attorney
- Luis Contreras Benito
- Del Zamora Padre Vigil
- Tom Collins 4th reporter
- George Belanger Assistant Deputy
- David Chung Lui
- Ren Woods Alta Kewen
- Michèle Winstanley Maid
- Zander Schloss Huey
- Dick Rude Washburn
- Bob Tzudiker Garrison
- Frederick Neumann Wiley Marshall
- Bennet Guillory Achilles Kewen
- Richard Zobel Lemuel
- Sharon Barr Darlene
- William Utay Fry
- Karl Braun Bruno Van Namzer
- Rudy Wurlitzer Morgan
- Robert Dickman Company man
- Ed Pansullo Major Angus
- René Assa Doctor
- Ramón Álvarez 2nd reporter
- Linda Callahan Mrs. Bingham
- Jack Slater Sanders
- William Rothlein Dewey
- Enrique Beraza Corral
- Spider Stacey Davenport
- Joe Celeste Jury foreman
- J.D. Silvester Huston
- Martin Aylett 1st reporter
- Raymond Kettless 3rd reporter
Walker Plot Summary
What happens in Walker from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In 1853, William Walker, a seasoned soldier-of-fortune, flees Mexico after a failed attempt to spark an armed insurrection. He is brought to trial by a U.S. official for breaking the Neutrality Act, but wins acquittal after delivering a rousing speech to the jury.
Walker plans to settle down and start a newspaper, but his fiancée Ellen Martin dies of cholera. Soon after, American magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt offers him a mission: to bring stability to Nicaragua by aiding the Democratic Party in its civil war against the Legitimists, a move that would secure Vanderbilt’s rights to the critical overland shipping route. He accepts and gathers 60 mercenaries to join the effort.
Full summary
The whole story of Walker, scene by scene
Walker Also Known As
8 alternative titles, including “ウォーカー” and “Walker - Una storia vera”.
- Also known as
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- ウォーカー
- Walker - Una storia vera
- ווקר
- Walker (Una historia verdadera)
- Walker, a felszabadító
- Walker - Uma Aventura na Nicarágua
- Уокер
- 烽火怪杰
Seen Walker?
Movies Like Walker
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire, Walker, Texas Ranger: One Riot, One Ranger and Burn!.
Walker FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch and post-credit scenes of Walker, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Walker?
Walker runs 1 hour 34 minutes (94 minutes).
When was Walker released?
Walker was released on December 4, 1987.
Who directed Walker?
Walker was directed by Alex Cox.
More films by Alex Cox Who is in the cast of Walker?
Walker stars Ed Harris as William Walker, Gerrit Graham as Norvell Walker and William O'Leary as James Walker, among 54 credited actors.
Where can I watch Walker?
In the US, Walker is available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).
Does Walker have a post-credit scene?
No. Walker has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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