Banner Creighton is an immigrant from Scotland and a sheep farmer who comes into conflict with Jacob Dutton.
Biography[]
A Scottish immigrant married to Ellie and father of Henry, Banner is a shepherd who seeks to prosper with his fellow shepherds in Paradise Valley, Montana, but clashes with landowners, including Jacob Dutton, who want to keep their land while the shepherds' sheep are taken. After complaining to the commission, he was quickly disappointed when Jacob presided over the hearing and sided with the landowners. Banner, however, refused to let his flock die and led his sheep, along with some other shepherds, into the mountains for winter protection. The shepherds encountered Jacob Dutton and some ranch hands who had come to secure their cattle for the winter. One of the shepherds shoot Jack Dutton upon seeing him, and a gunfight ensued between the shepherds and the ranchers, during which the shepherds surrendered. Taking the law into his own hands, Jacob had Banner and his four surviving companions hanged. However, Banner survived thanks to his horse and returned home. Enraged, he and his fellow shepherds later ambushed Jacob and his family. In the shepherds' attack, Bob Strafford was killed. Although Jacob and his nephew John fought back and managed to kill some of their attackers, Banner arrived with a machine gun and opened fire on Jacob and John, killing the latter and severely wounding Jacob. Just before, he shouted that he was keeping his promises, having vowed revenge on Jacob.
After the ambush, believing Jacob to be dead, Banner set about reselling Strafford and Dutton's land parcels to a wealthy tycoon, selling them to the British mining tycoon Donald Whitfield. He also sent his herdsmen to steal the other ranchers' cattle, killing three ranchers in the process. Placing himself under Whitfield's thumb, he took advantage of this to briefly reside in Bozeman in Whitfield's luxurious house and hired two prostitutes, Lindy and Christy. While enjoying himself with the two prostitutes, Banner was surprised to see Jacob with police officers who were arresting him for the attempted murder of his family. Imprisoned, Banner was quickly released thanks to Whitfield's connections with Judge Roy Garrett, who presided over his trial. Upon his release, he taunted Jack, saying that "the blonde must have been killed."
Later, Jacob tasked his wife, Cara, and Sheriff William McDowell with creating the Montana Livestock Association to protect themselves from Whitfield and Banner. He then assigned two of his shepherds, Clyde and Alec, to infiltrate the Montana Livestock Association as agents and spy on the Duttons regarding Whitfield's plan to take over the Valley. As an associate of Whitfield, he discovered with him a new way to exploit the Valley: winter sports. Whitfield had this idea with Banner after seeing engineers skiing down a mountainside. Despite his hatred for Jacob, Banner acknowledges that Jacob and his family are fighting for their property, while Whitfield, who terrifies him, doesn't hesitate to resort to the most underhanded tactics to get to the Duttons and obtain the entire Valley. Finally, Whitfield tasks Banner with unloading Christy's body after she is accidentally killed during an extreme erotic game in a remote, uninhabited area of Montana, where there is no judge or jury. This is the last straw for Banner, who decides to flee Montana with his wife and son. At the Livingston train station, while waiting for his train, he runs into Jacob and the livestock agents waiting for Spencer. Despite the animosity between the two men, Banner tries to make amends.
Later, Whitfield's henchmen, composed of some of Banner's close friends and fellow shepherds, arrive at the train station to try and eliminate Spencer Dutton, Jacob's nephew, whose protection is assigned to the livestock agents. A shootout erupts between Whitfield's henchmen and the livestock agents. During the ensuing firefight, Banner gets his family onto a train and takes up arms against Whitfield's group, killing Clyde, who was about to shoot Jacob, thus saving his life and making amends with him and his family. In the chaos, Sheriff McDowell, wounded, fatally shoots Banner. Before dying, Banner reaffirms his commitment to his promises and asks Jacob to ensure his family will never be in need again. Jacob agrees, and Banner dies peacefully on the train platform.