After youngest brother James is murdered and their cattle stolen, the Earp brothers become lawmen in Tombstone, leading eventually to a showdown with the Clanton gang at the OK Corrall.
John Ford directs a widely regarded take on the Wyatt Earp story, with Henry Fonda as Wyatt. Now I am far from an expert on the Earp story but, as well as the two 21st century major movies, I have watched various others as well as having read a moderate number of books and articles. And it strikes me that this film may not be a very accurate retelling of what actually happened. I can't see why not, either, because it's a perfectly exciting and dramatic story.
It's exciting enough in its own fictitious way, beautifully photographed, as one might expect (in Ford's customary, and distinctly un-Tombstone-like Monument Valley), and Henry Fonda is a good Wyatt Earp. The two female romantic interests add unnecessary and fictitious subplots, while Victor Mature is a surprisingly effective Doc Holliday. Head and shoulders above everyone else, though, is Walter Brennan as a splendidly wicked Old Man Clanton.
On balance, I'm not sure it's as good as it's made out to be.
John Ford directs a widely regarded take on the Wyatt Earp story, with Henry Fonda as Wyatt. Now I am far from an expert on the Earp story but, as well as the two 21st century major movies, I have watched various others as well as having read a moderate number of books and articles. And it strikes me that this film may not be a very accurate retelling of what actually happened. I can't see why not, either, because it's a perfectly exciting and dramatic story.
It's exciting enough in its own fictitious way, beautifully photographed, as one might expect (in Ford's customary, and distinctly un-Tombstone-like Monument Valley), and Henry Fonda is a good Wyatt Earp. The two female romantic interests add unnecessary and fictitious subplots, while Victor Mature is a surprisingly effective Doc Holliday. Head and shoulders above everyone else, though, is Walter Brennan as a splendidly wicked Old Man Clanton.
On balance, I'm not sure it's as good as it's made out to be.