The Man from Laramie
Mysterious Will Lockhart delivers supplies to storekeeper Barbara Waggoman at Coronado, an isolated town in Apache country. Before long, he's tangled with Dave Waggoman, vicious son of autocratic rancher Alec and cousin of sweet Barbara. But he sticks around town, his presence a catalyst for changes in people's lives, searching for someone he doesn't know...who's been selling rifles to the Apaches.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Man from Laramie (1955) exemplifies precise story structure, characteristic of Anthony Mann's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 11-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 43 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.7, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Will Lockhart arrives in Coronado with his mule train, a capable freight hauler on a routine supply run. He appears to be an ordinary businessman conducting normal trade in the New Mexico territory.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Dave Waggoman and his men violently attack Will for taking salt from Waggoman land without permission. They burn his wagons and brutally assault him, marking Will as an enemy of the powerful Waggoman family and destroying his freight business.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
At 52 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Dave Waggoman shoots Will through the hand in a shocking act of cruelty, crippling him. This brutal maiming is both a false defeat and a raising of stakes - Will's gun hand is destroyed, seemingly ending his ability to achieve vengeance, while also revealing the depths of Dave's sadism., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 77 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Dave Waggoman accidentally kills his own father Alec during a confrontation. The patriarch's death represents the ultimate "whiff of death" - the destruction of the family through its own corruption and pride. The old order collapses completely., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 82 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The final confrontation unfolds. Will faces down Vic Hansbro and the remaining threats. Dave's fate is sealed by his own madness and crimes. Will executes justice with his off-hand, having learned to adapt and overcome. The Waggoman empire falls, and the rifle smuggling operation is ended., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Man from Laramie's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 11 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping The Man from Laramie against these established plot points, we can identify how Anthony Mann utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Man from Laramie within the drama genre.
Anthony Mann's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Anthony Mann films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Man from Laramie takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Anthony Mann filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Anthony Mann analyses, see The Fall of the Roman Empire, Raw Deal and El Cid.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Will Lockhart arrives in Coronado with his mule train, a capable freight hauler on a routine supply run. He appears to be an ordinary businessman conducting normal trade in the New Mexico territory.
Theme
Charley O'Leary or another character mentions that "a man's pride can destroy him" or references the sins of the father being visited upon the son, establishing the film's central theme of vengeance, pride, and generational conflict.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to Coronado and its power structure: Alec Waggoman controls the territory from his ranch, his unstable son Dave acts with impunity, ranch foreman Vic Hansbro maintains order, and Barbara supports her blind father. Will's true mission is hinted at - he seeks the men who sold repeating rifles to Apaches, who killed his brother.
Disruption
Dave Waggoman and his men violently attack Will for taking salt from Waggoman land without permission. They burn his wagons and brutally assault him, marking Will as an enemy of the powerful Waggoman family and destroying his freight business.
Resistance
Will must decide whether to leave town or pursue both his investigation and justice against the Waggomans. He finds work with rivals of Waggoman, meets Barbara who becomes his moral compass, and learns more about the family dynamics. Kate Canaday offers him support and employment, while he investigates the rifle-running operation.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
Will navigates the dangerous terrain of Coronado's range war while investigating the rifle smuggling. He proves himself capable and honorable, earning respect and drawing closer to the truth. The conflict between the Waggomans and their rivals escalates, with Will caught in the middle as both participant and investigator.
Midpoint
Dave Waggoman shoots Will through the hand in a shocking act of cruelty, crippling him. This brutal maiming is both a false defeat and a raising of stakes - Will's gun hand is destroyed, seemingly ending his ability to achieve vengeance, while also revealing the depths of Dave's sadism.
Opposition
Will must adapt to his injured hand while the truth about the rifle smuggling emerges. Vic Hansbro is revealed as the supplier who armed the Apaches. Alec Waggoman's protection of his son despite his madness and Vic's schemes becomes increasingly untenable. The web of lies and violence tightens around all parties.
Collapse
Dave Waggoman accidentally kills his own father Alec during a confrontation. The patriarch's death represents the ultimate "whiff of death" - the destruction of the family through its own corruption and pride. The old order collapses completely.
Crisis
In the aftermath of Alec's death, the moral darkness settles. Will must face what his quest for vengeance has cost and what it means to kill Dave, who is now revealed as both murderer and mentally unstable. The cycle of violence demands resolution.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The final confrontation unfolds. Will faces down Vic Hansbro and the remaining threats. Dave's fate is sealed by his own madness and crimes. Will executes justice with his off-hand, having learned to adapt and overcome. The Waggoman empire falls, and the rifle smuggling operation is ended.