#336- Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)Starring: Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming
Directed by: John Sturges
Plot Summary: Marshal Wyatt Earp travels to Fort Griffin, Texas, with hopes of bringing Ike Clanton and Johnny Ringo into custody. When they are released from prison, Earp seeks the help of gunslinger Doc Holliday to help him track down the outlaws. Thanks to a grudge with Wyatt's brother, Morgan, Holliday refuses his request, and they meet up again in Dodge City, Kansas. Earp lets Holliday stay in town if he promises not to fight anyone. Earp also meets and falls in love with a gambler named Laura Denbow, but is called away from her when his brother, Virgil, requests help from the lawman. When Laura refuses to go with him, Wyatt Earp rides with Doc Holliday to clean up Tombstone, Arizona.
One of the older Westerns that I was intrigued to watch this month was Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. I understood that some aspects of the earlier days of the Western might not hold up with a modern viewing, but I was pleasantly surprised at what did age well, and was even entertained by a number of things that would nowadays be considered "campy." I had the perfect mindset for this film, to enter skeptical and with expectations lowered (purely because of what might not have aged well), which led to a pleasantly surprising and fun viewing experience. Another level added to my enjoyment was when after the film started to carry on, I had a moment of revelation where I exclaimed, "Oh my goodness, this is like Tombstone." Knowing that this film shared characters and similar plot points, my excitement was heightened even further, I knew this was going to be really good.
Burt Lancaster stars as Marshal Wyatt Earp. At first, Earp was a bit too plain for my taste, but after a while, I thought it fit his character. Earp's natural instincts are as an honorable and honest lawman, and Lancaster plays him as such. Add in a few scenes where he can get emotional, even vengeful, and many scenes where he can flash his trademark grin, and you've got the proper type of heroics for a protagonist the audience can get behind.
The true highlight of the film is Kirk Douglas as Doc Holliday. Every line Holliday says is golden, ranging from humorous to just plain cool. Douglas's portrayal of Holliday is an excellent depiction of a rugged gunslinger from the West, and is a character that is made even better through the natural charisma of Douglas. Watch the ways that he treads the fine line between good and evil (an excellent anti-hero if you ask me), and how darn entertaining it is when he does so. I can't count the times where I saw Holliday speak or interact and go "Man, I love this character," he's THAT awesome.There are a handful of other noteworthy characters in the film. Wyatt's brothers, Virgil, Morgan, and James, played by John Hudson, DeForest Kelley, and Martin Milner respectively, are obviously important in filling the family dynamic that Wyatt values. None of them really stand out on their own, except maybe Morgan (only because DeForest Kelley was Dr. McCoy for all those Star Trek fans out there). Wyatt's love interest, Laura Denbow, played by Rhonda Fleming, is entertaining through her tough demeanor on gambling. But when she refuses to go with or wait for Wyatt while he's in Tombstone, you're kind of left saying "Why in the world would she do that?" Doc's love interest, Kate Fisher, played by Jo Van Fleet, is a bit of a mixed bag because of her ability to flip flop between loving Doc and loving his enemy, Johnny Ringo, played by John Ireland. Also, be on the lookout for a young Dennis Hopper as Billy Clanton. It's a minor role, but has been made much more significant due to Hopper's legacy as an actor.
At the end of the day, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is a lot of fun, and offers many great scenes that fit the stereotypes of the Western genre. The shootouts are full of suspense, the characters represent the dichotomy of good and evil (with Doc being that midpoint, of course), the landscape, sets, and costumes help fully emerge the audience into an environment befitting of the Old West. The film even has music that sings the exposition between scenes (so cheesy, yet so catchy and entertaining all at the same time). This film fully embodies a tale of Western legends like Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, with aesthetics and an environment that is equally as iconic as the legends portrayed on the big-screen.Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Here's a Western that is able to thrive based on the performances of its two lead actors. Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is a film full of fun Western stereotypes that I recommend all fans of Westerns should own in their DVD collection. Also, as a bonus, watch it alongside Tombstone if you want an Old vs. New type of film comparison.
Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and movie images are copyrighted by Paramount Pictures
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