a made-up name for a gunfighter (a person who engaged in
gun duels) in the
late nineteenth century US
West. Gunfights were
notoriously carried out in the
main street of the town "at sunset." Referred to as "Black" as in early black-and-white
American cowboy movies, the villain always wore a black
hat while the hero always wore a white
hat.
—Academy Level II Glossary app Jan 91