Arizona Bushwhackers 1968

Western

Runtime

87 mins

Language

English

Directed by

Lesley Selander

Made by

A.C. Lyles Productions

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Arizona Bushwhackers Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Arizona Bushwhackers (1968). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Lee Travis Howard Keel is a gambler and gunslinger from the South, captured during the Civil War. He is given a chance to redeem himself by bringing law and order to Colton, Arizona, where he’s to replace the corrupt Sheriff Grover Barton MacLane. Mayor Joe Smith [Brian Donlevy] hopes Travis will be able to stand up to saloon owner Tom Rile Scott Brady.

As part of his cover, Travis begins cleaning up the town, driving away the drunks and vagrants who haunt Rile’s saloon. In a high-stakes dice game, he wins the saloon, shuts it down, and forces Tom Rile out of town. The saloon girl Molly Marilyn Maxwell—whom Travis mistakenly believes to be his contact—reveals that Rile has been selling weapons to the Apaches. Travis realizes Rile must have found the hidden cache. While trying to arrest him, Travis is wounded and cared for by Jill Wyler Yvonne De Carlo, a hat maker who is actually his real contact from the South.

Deputy Dan Shelby [John Ireland] discovers that Travis and Jill are Confederate agents. As he tries to take them to the mayor, Sheriff Grover returns with news: the war is over. He also warns that Rile and the Apaches are planning an attack. The townspeople fight back fiercely. Rile, his men, and most of the Apaches are killed. Jill and Shelby fall in love. In the end, Travis leaves Colton, leaving the saloon in Molly’s hands.

Arizona Bushwhackers Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Arizona Bushwhackers (1968) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Travis arrives in Colton to replace the sheriff

Lee Travis, a gambler and gunslinger from the South, is captured during the Civil War and given a chance at redemption by taking over Colton's corrupt sheriff. Mayor Smith hopes he will stand up to saloon owner Rile and bring order to the town. This mission marks the start of Travis's attempt to reform Colton amid mounting tensions.

Civil War era Colton, Arizona

Travis's Confederate-agent cover and town cleanup

Unbeknownst to many, Travis is a Confederate agent tasked with transporting weapons from a hidden cache to Confederate troops. To maintain his cover, he begins cleaning up the town and driving away drunks and vagrants who haunt Rile's saloon. His reformist actions are aimed at strengthening his covert operation while projecting control.

shortly after arrival Colton, Arizona

Saloon power shift after a bold gamble

In a high-stakes dice game, Travis wins the saloon and promptly shuts it down, pushing Rile out of town. The win solidifies his authority and signals a dramatic change in Colton's social order. The move also disrupts Rile's influence over the town and its underbelly.

early in mission Colton, Arizona

Molly reveals Rile's weapon shipments

Molly, a saloon girl, reveals that Rile has been selling weapons to the Apaches. Travis realizes that Rile must have found the hidden cache he was supposed to secure for the Confederacy. This revelation ties the town's safety directly to the fate of the covert operation.

after item 3 Colton, Arizona

Arrest attempt and Jill Wyler's care

As Travis tries to arrest Rile, he is wounded in the confrontation. Jill Wyler, a hat maker, tends to his injuries and is revealed to be his real contact from the South. Their bond deepens as she becomes integral to his mission and survival.

after item 4 Colton, Arizona

Deputy Dan Shelby uncovers the Confederate link

Deputy Dan Shelby discovers that Travis and Jill are Confederate agents. The revelation creates tension and complicates the town's attempts to enforce law and order. Shelby's discovery adds a layer of danger to the already fragile situation.

after item 5 Colton, Arizona

War ends; warning of an imminent attack

Grover returns with news that the Civil War is over and warns that Rile and the Apaches plan an attack on Colton. The news raises the stakes for the town as they prepare to defend themselves in a volatile moment. The sense of urgency pushes everyone toward a collective defense.

after item 6 Colton, Arizona

The town braces for battle

The townspeople rally to defend Colton as Rile and his attackers assemble. The attack is anticipated and contested, with residents taking up arms and forming a makeshift defense. The clash becomes a test of the town's resolve and Travis's leadership.

leading up to the attack Colton, Arizona

The assault unfolds and casualties mount

A fierce confrontation erupts, with Rile, his men, and many Apaches meeting the townspeople head-on. The townsfolk fight with grit, and significant casualties mark the battle's brutal nature. The outcome hinges on the town's unity and willingness to sacrifice for Colton's future.

during battle Colton, Arizona

Romance blooms amid the conflict

During the turmoil, Jill Wyler and Deputy Dan Shelby fall in love, adding a personal stake to the town's struggle. Their romance provides emotional depth to the broader fight for Colton's survival. The relationship underscores themes of trust and partnership in trying times.

during/after battle Colton, Arizona

Travis departs, leaving Molly in charge of the saloon

With the town secured and his mission concluded, Travis leaves Colton. He entrusts the saloon to Molly, who continues to run the establishment. This departure signals a new chapter for Colton as order returns and the town looks to rebuild.

aftermath Colton, Arizona

Arizona Bushwhackers Characters

Explore all characters from Arizona Bushwhackers (1968). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Lee Travis (Howard Keel)

Lee Travis is a gambler and gunslinger from the South who is captured during the Civil War and sent to Colton with a mission to restore order. He is secretly a Confederate agent tasked with transporting weapons to Confederate troops. To maintain the cover, he begins reforming the town, closing the saloon and breaking up troublemakers. He is wounded during an arrest attempt and is cared for by Jill Wyler, his contact from the South.

🗡 Gunfighter 🧭 Confederate agent

Jill Wyler (Yvonne De Carlo)

Jill Wyler is a hat maker in Colton who serves as Travis’s key contact from the South. She assists his mission and becomes entangled in the town’s turmoil. She helps navigate the dangers of espionage and, later, forms a close bond with Dan Shelby. Her role is central to the information flow that shapes Colton’s fate.

💼 Contact from the South 🧵 Hat maker

Tom Rile (Scott Brady)

Tom Rile is the saloon owner and a principal antagonist, overseeing corruption and the weapon trade that funds his power. He escalates trouble by selling weapons to the Apaches and resisting Travis’s reform efforts. Travis’s rise forces Rile to face his downfall, and the confrontation culminates in a violent end for him and his followers.

🗡 Antagonist 💰 Weapon supplier

Sheriff Grover (Barton MacLane)

Sheriff Grover is the corrupt lawman of Colton, a symbol of the town’s failed authority. Travis arrives to replace him and restore order, but Grover remains a complicating presence. He later returns with news that the war is over and warns of imminent danger, highlighting the precarious balance between official power and street violence.

🕵 Corrupt lawman 🏛 Town authority

Mayor Joe Smith (Brian Donlevy)

Mayor Joe Smith hopes that Travis’s reform will bring legitimate order to Colton and stand up to Rile’s influence. He represents municipal leadership trying to navigate wartime chaos and the town’s shifting loyalties. His confidence in Travis underscores the town’s dependence on decisive leadership.

🏙 Mayor 🕊 Hope for order

Molly (Marilyn Maxwell)

Molly is a saloon girl who becomes a flawed connection in Travis’s mission, as she mistakenly believes she is his contact. She reveals that Rile has been selling weapons to the Apaches, adding a crucial twist to the investigation. After the town’s conflicts resolve, Molly inherits the saloon, signaling a shift in the town’s social order.

🍸 Saloon girl 💡 Informant

Dan Shelby (John Ireland)

Deputy Dan Shelby discovers that Travis and Jill Wyler are Confederate agents and tries to escort them to the mayor. He becomes an ally of Jill, and the two develop a romantic connection as tensions rise. Shelby’s vigilance and loyalty ground the town’s response to the espionage and mounting threats.

🕊 Loyal deputy ⚖️ Law-and-order ally

Arizona Bushwhackers Settings

Learn where and when Arizona Bushwhackers (1968) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

Civil War era (1861–1865)

The events unfold during the American Civil War, a period of intense national upheaval and shifting loyalties. Colton’s leaders and criminals operate under wartime conditions, testing the town’s sense of justice. The narrative moves toward the war’s end, which reshapes the town’s balance of power and future.

Location

Colton, Arizona

Colton, Arizona is a rough frontier town centered around a growing conflict between reformers and corrupt power. The town struggles under a corrupt sheriff and the influence of saloon owner Tom Rile. Its proximity to Apache territory heightens tensions during the Civil War era, turning petty crime and political maneuvering into a matter of survival. When Confederate agents and local power players collide, Colton becomes a battleground for law, loyalty, and control.

🏜 Desert town 🧭 Frontier settlement 🛡 Law-and-order clash

Arizona Bushwhackers Themes

Discover the main themes in Arizona Bushwhackers (1968). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🕊️

Redemption

Lee Travis seeks to reform a corrupt town while concealing his Confederate allegiance, testing whether personal redemption can coexist with a troubled past. His drive to impose order includes shutting down the saloon and confronting the weapon trade. The town’s response to his reform effort probes whether forgiveness can accompany hard choices. Ultimately, redemption is measured by the town’s willingness to change.

🕵️

Espionage

The plot hinges on deception as Travis operates under a reformist cover while moving Confederate weapons. Jill Wyler serves as his crucial contact, adding tension with every exchange of information. Dan Shelby’s discovery of the agents raises the stakes and challenges the fragile order in Colton. The theme explores trust, loyalty, and the costs of secrecy in a town at war.

🔥

War's Reach

Although the front lines are distant, the Civil War casts long shadows over Colton, influencing loyalties and violence. Weapons, allegiances, and revenge spill into the streets as Rile and his allies threaten the town. The end of the war redefines power dynamics, forcing the residents to confront a new social order. The conflict on Colton’s streets mirrors the broader national upheaval.

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Arizona Bushwhackers Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Arizona Bushwhackers (1968). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the rugged expanse of the Arizona Territory, the town of Colton stands as a lawless outpost far removed from the main theaters of the Civil War. It is here that Lee Travis, a gambler and gunslinger with Confederate loyalties, arrives under the most unusual of circumstances. Having been captured, he is offered a chance at redemption that requires him to bury his past. To survive, he must disguise himself in Union attire and assume the role of marshal, turning a badge meant for order into a convenient front for a dangerous spying mission.

The position plunges Travis into a complex web of political and social tension. As the new marshal, he is expected to clean up a town that has long been ruled by corruption and intimidation, specifically challenging the influence of a powerful local businessman. Travis’s assignment requires him to play the part of a dutiful lawman while guarding his true identity, a task that grows more difficult as he begins to enforce rules in a place that has long gone without them. Every interaction becomes a performance, and every decision risks exposing him as a Southern agent in a town that expects him to wear the blue uniform with loyalty.

However, the usual troubles of the frontier soon give way to a far more dire threat. Travis discovers that the fragile peace of the region is being undermined by a sinister operation: a local figure is arming a tribe of hostile Indians, threatening to shatter the delicate balance of the territory. Caught between his original mission and the immediate safety of the town, Travis finds himself facing a dilemma where failure could mean not only the end of his cover but the destruction of the very people he is meant to deceive.

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