The stories of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and the town of Tombstone are always interesting and have always been told just a little differently through the years on film.
I've read where this movie was supposed to be based more on fact than some of the other versions, but I've heard that before, so I have my doubts. Well......more than doubts...but are ANY of the versions really true? Probably not, so you just enjoy each film for what it offers.
Henry Fonda makes a good Earp but Victor Mature as Holliday doesn't fit. In re- makes, we saw Val Kilmer and Dennis Quaid do far better in the role. Walter Brennan, however, was very good as the nasty father of the Clanton family. Too bad he didn't have a bigger role. The female lead in the movie was played by Cathy Downs, a wholesomely-beautiful woman. I am surprised she never amounted to making more than no-name films after this one.
Once again, director John Ford returns to his favorite location, Monument Valley, and provides us with some memorable panoramic scenes of that area, particularly in the beginning of the film.
The DVD has the film version that was not seen in theaters. This version is 10 minutes longer, showing footage that was cut by studio head Daryl Zanuck. It didn't make much of a difference. In fact, if anything, the film lags in a few spots with this longer version, but it's nice to have the complete package.
I've read where this movie was supposed to be based more on fact than some of the other versions, but I've heard that before, so I have my doubts. Well......more than doubts...but are ANY of the versions really true? Probably not, so you just enjoy each film for what it offers.
Henry Fonda makes a good Earp but Victor Mature as Holliday doesn't fit. In re- makes, we saw Val Kilmer and Dennis Quaid do far better in the role. Walter Brennan, however, was very good as the nasty father of the Clanton family. Too bad he didn't have a bigger role. The female lead in the movie was played by Cathy Downs, a wholesomely-beautiful woman. I am surprised she never amounted to making more than no-name films after this one.
Once again, director John Ford returns to his favorite location, Monument Valley, and provides us with some memorable panoramic scenes of that area, particularly in the beginning of the film.
The DVD has the film version that was not seen in theaters. This version is 10 minutes longer, showing footage that was cut by studio head Daryl Zanuck. It didn't make much of a difference. In fact, if anything, the film lags in a few spots with this longer version, but it's nice to have the complete package.