Warren Oates

Warren Oates in Ride the High Country

Warren Oates (1928 - 1982)

Film Deaths:

• Ride the High Country (Guns in the Afternoon) (1962) [Henry Hammond]: Shot in the stomach by Randolph Scott during the big shoot-out, after Warren shoots Joel McCrea.

• Major Dundee (1965) [O.W. Hadley]: Shot to death by Richard Harris after Warren tries to desert. (Thanks to Zeppo)

• The Shooting (1967) [Willett Gashade]: Shot in the chest in a shoot-out with Millie Perkins in the desert. (Throughout the movie, Warren, Millie and Jack Nicholson have been tracking a mysterious quarry; when they finally catch up with him, the quarry is also played by Warren, and it's this "other" Warren who is killed, rather than Warren's "Willett" character. It's ambiguous whether this double role was meant to be a literal "twin brother," or symbolic.)

• Welcome to Hard Times (Killer on a Horse) (1967) [Deputy Marshal Leo Jenks]: Shot in the chest by Aldo Ray outside the burning saloon.

• The Split (1968) [Marty Gough]: Shot to death in a shoot-out with Gene Hackman. (Thanks to Michael)

• The Wild Bunch (1969) [Lyle Gorch]: Shot to death, along with Ernest Borgnine, William Holden, and Ben Johnson, in the final shoot-out with Mexican soldiers. (Thanks to Fred and Michael)

• Barquero (1970) [Remy]: Shot in the chest by Lee Van Cleef. (Thanks to Harry)

• There Was a Crooked Man... (1970) [Floyd Moon]: Shot to death by Kirk Douglas. (Thanks to Fred)

• Badlands (1973) [Holly's Father]: Shot to death by Martin Sheen.

• Dillinger (1973) [John Dillinger]: Shot to death by FBI agents outside a movie theater after being double-crossed by Cloris Leachman.

• Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) [Bennie]: Shot to death by Emilio Fernández' thugs as Warren tries to drive away from the compound.

• The White Dawn (1974) [Billy]: Killed (along with Louis Gossett Jr. and Timothy Bottoms) by the Inuit villagers. (Thanks to Fred)

• Race with the Devil (1975) [Frank Stewart]: Burned to death when the cultists surround his mobile home with a circle of fire. (Thanks to Fred)
• Sleeping Dogs (1977) [Colonel Willoughby] Machine gunned in the face by Ian Mune

• The Border (1982) [Red]: Killed in a car crash/explosion. (Thanks to Fred)

TV Deaths:

• Wanted Dead or Alive: Die by the Gun (1958) [Jesse Cox]: Shot to death in a shoot-out with Steve McQueen.
• The Rifleman: The Marshal (1958) [Andrew Sheltin] Shot by Paul Fix in a gunfight, after Warren (non-fatally) shoots Chuck Connors.
• The Rifleman: Bloodlines (1959) [Jud Malakie]: Shot to death by Chuck Connors.
• The Rifleman: The Prodigal (1960) [Santos]: Shot to death along with Lee Van Cleef in a shoot-out with Chuck Connors.

• The Twilight Zone: The Purple Testament (1960) [Driver]: Killed in an explosion (off-screen), along with William Reynolds, when their jeep goes over a mine. We only hear the explosion from a distance. (Thanks to Michael)
• Rawhide: Incident of the Dancing Death (1960) [Marco]: Knife to death (off-screen) in the back by Paul Picerni because Warren was betrothed to Kipp Hamilton whom Paul wanted for himself. His body is shown when he returns to the cattle drive over the back of Eric Fleming's horse that he had stolen.
• The Rifleman: Day of Reckoning (1962) [Willie Breen]: Shot to death in a shoot-out with Chuck Connors.

• The Twilight Zone: The 7th Is Made Up of Phantoms (1963) [Corporal Richard Langsford]: Killed (off-screen), along with Randy Boone and Ron Foster, in a battle with Sioux warriors after they somehow go back in time to Custer's Last Stand. Their deaths are confirmed when their names appear on a memorial. (Thanks to Kenneth and Ray)

• The Outer Limits: The Mutant (1964) [Reese Fowler]: Killed by the darkness (as his mutated form needs light to survive) when he accidentally extinguishes his candle while chasing Betsy Jones-Moreland and Larry Pennell in a cave. We only hear him screaming in the dark. (Warren is wearing heavy mutant make-up in this episode.) (Thanks to Kenneth)

• Gunsmoke: Circus Trick (1965) [Speeler]: Strangled by Ken Scott on the streets, we only see Ken during the actual murder and his body is shown afterwards when James Arness discovers him. (Thanks to Harry)

• Gunmoke: The Mission (1966) [Lafe]: One of 4 men who have robbed the bank, he is shot in the back by Rafael Campos as they try to ride away, he returns fire wounding Campos but then James Arness guns him down. (Thanks to Brian)

• Gunsmoke: The Wreckers (1967) [Tate Crocker]: Shot twice in the chest in a shoot-out with James Arness.

• The Blue and the Gray (1982 TV mini-series) [Preacher / Maj. Welles]: Shot in the head by Stacy Keach when he is attacked by Warren's characters.

Notable Connections

• Father of Jennifer Oates and Tim Oates.

• Brother of Gordon Oates.

• Ex-Mr. Vickey Turner.