Brad Wesley

Brad Wesley is the main antagonist of the 1989 film Road House.

He was portrayed by the late Ben Gazzara, who also portrayed Jackie Treehorn in The Big Lebowski.

Biography

Dalton is soon introduced to local business magnate (and next door neighbor) Brad Wesley. Wesley appears to have a strangle hold on the town, and little happens without his knowledge and approval. In the course of cleaning up the violent nightclub, Dalton dismisses several unruly and corrupt employees, some of whom are connected with Wesley. After one particularly violent night where Dalton is forced to use physical contact to force some of Wesley's henchmen out of the club, he gets his side slashed. Upon going to the hospital for stitches, he strikes up a friendship with Dr. Elizabeth "Doc" Clay, which leads into a romantic relationship.

Wesley summons Dalton to his home in a seemingly innocent attempt to make peace, but has an ulterior motive: Wesley would like Dalton to work for him once he extorts Tilghman's club. When Dalton declines, Wesley begins an assault on Dalton's friends, including interfering with liquor deliveries to the Double Deuce. Dalton's mentor, legendary but aging cooler Wade Garrett, arrives in town after a disconcerting phone call from Dalton and helps him defend a liquor shipment from Wesley's thugs.

That evening, local automotive parts and supplies business owner (Doc's uncle) Red Webster's store is destroyed by a fire after he refuses to give ground to Wesley's persistent extortion demands. Dalton, not wanting to exacerbate matters, allows Wesley and his men entrance to the club that night. The next day, car dealership owner Pete Stroudenmire becomes Wesley's next victim when he too rebuffs Wesley. As a result, Wesley has one of his thugs, Gary Ketchum, demolish the structure with his monster truck (BIGFOOT #7) as Dalton and his friends look on with contempt. That night, Doc visits Dalton and also attempts to persuade him to leave. However, their conversation is interrupted by a massive explosion. Dalton rescues Emmett from the blaze before the house is completely destroyed. One of Wesley's henchmen, "Jimmy" is responsible, and confronts Dalton in vicious hands-to-hand combat, that Dalton wins when he eventually kills Jimmy by ripping out his throat with his bare hand, which is witnessed by "Doc". Wesley soon realizes that he must escalate the stakes and either run Dalton out of town, or kill him. Dalton comes to realize that the violence needed to defeat Wesley is futile, and decides to leave with Wade. However, events take a tragic turn when Wesley orders Wade's death; Dalton discovers the body of his friend on the bar in the Double Deuce, a knife impaled in his chest, with a note from Wesley addressed to Dalton. Having reached his limit, Dalton jumps into his car, and drives headlong toward Wesley's estate for a final confrontation.

Dalton crashes his car onto Wesley's estate, drawing gunfire from Wesley's henchmen, but they discover the car empty, and the knife that was used to kill Wade stuck in the accelerator. One-by-one, Dalton dispatches each of Wesley's thugs, and eventually comes face-to-face with Wesley, and the two battle until Dalton restrains Wesley. Staring down at Wesley with his hand poised to rip Wesley's throat, he reflects about the error of his past violent ways. As he turns to walk away, Wesley seizes the opportunity to reach for a nearby gun. Clay arrives just in time to witness the men Wesley has bullied and extorted over the years, Red, Emmet, Stroudenmire and Tilghman, come to Dalton's defense and shoots Wesley three times, with Tilghman stating that "this is OUR town, and don't YOU forget it" and making the kill shot on Wesley. They stash the weapons prior to the arrival of local law enforcement and proceed to corroborate each others' innocence: "I didn't see nothin'. You see anythin'?" When asked if he saw anything, a dazed Tinker, eying a statue of three monkeys (hear, speak, see no evil), sheepishly states "a polar bear fell on me", inducing stifled laughter. Each of the characters chuckle, with the implication that what happened in Wesley's house will remain a secret.