Earp recalls in court the details of the day when the Clanton gang rides into Tombstone to shoot it out with the Earps and his plans initially to head off a street battle by arresting each o... Read allEarp recalls in court the details of the day when the Clanton gang rides into Tombstone to shoot it out with the Earps and his plans initially to head off a street battle by arresting each one of the gang separately and then the gunfight.Earp recalls in court the details of the day when the Clanton gang rides into Tombstone to shoot it out with the Earps and his plans initially to head off a street battle by arresting each one of the gang separately and then the gunfight.
Photos
- Sheriff Johnny Behan
- (as Steve Brode)
- Morgan Earp
- (as Dirk London)
- Frank McLowery
- (as George Wallace)
- Vigilante
- (uncredited)
- Vigilante
- (uncredited)
- Coleman
- (uncredited)
- Vigilante
- (uncredited)
- Judge Wallace
- (uncredited)
- Court Clerk
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaGregg Palmer (Tom McLowery) later played a rancher in Spectre of the Gun (1968), another depiction of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
- GoofsThe actual shootout didn't actually occur at the OK Corral itself, but in a vacant lot 90 or so feet from the OK Corral, with 30-35 shots being fired in 30 seconds.
- Quotes
Wyatt Earp: [Opening Narration] The long struggle for law and order in Arizona exploded in thirty seconds of deadly gunfire at the O. K. Corral and placed Wyatt Earp among the great Marshals of the Western frontier. But the famous gunfight has been a matter of controversy ever since 1881. Witnesses from the outlaw element contradicted each other on so many vital points that no reputable historian has taken their version seriously. Marshal Earp's story of the fight was taken under oath and transcribed verbatim. This is Wyatt's own testimony of what happened that bloody day in Tombstone.
- ConnectionsEdited into Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone (1994)
- SoundtracksThe Legend Of Wyatt Earp
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Harold Adamson
Performed by The Ken Darby Singers
Before too long, the cowboys (Ike Clanton and company) converge on the O.K. Corral and issue further challenges to the Earps, who respond in force and are joined by Doc Holliday (Douglas Fowley) who memorably asserts, "I'm steadier than any of you. I had whiskey for breakfast." County Sheriff Johnny Behan (Steve Brodie), who's in league with the cowboys, tries to dissuade Earp and his men from going to the corral, insisting that he's disarmed the cowboys. Earp & co. proceed with determination. The gunfight commences when Billy Clanton (Ralph Reed) draws and fires first, prompting the Earps and Doc to begin firing back and the McLaurys to begin shooting as well. The fight is filmed with a succession of medium close shots devoted to each of the main participants, with the firing of guns and the falling of mortally wounded combatants captured in slow motion (eight years before Sam Peckinpah popularized the technique in THE WILD BUNCH). This isn't done to create excitement but to give us a sense of how shooting and killing have consequences. Three men die rather senselessly, and the viewer feels for them, even though they seem to have provoked it and one can't quite blame Earp & co. for their actions. It's not a pleasant sight nor is it a source of exhilaration. Earp himself expresses regrets at the inquest.
There were numerous, conflicting eyewitness accounts of the gun battle and some historians side with one version of events over others. This version begins a little differently from how I've assumed it happened, based on my reading of different books about it, but it conforms to others' readings. Either way, it's about as accurate a rendition as we're likely to get. Taking place in a matter of seconds, it's also a far cry from the lengthy, choreographed gun battles made up out of whole cloth for the celebrated film versions of this encounter found in John Ford's MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (1946) and John Sturges' GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL (1957) and its unofficial sequel, HOUR OF THE GUN (1967). The movie versions of the gunfight that compare most favorably, from an accuracy standpoint, with this TV version are found in George Pan Cosmatos' TOMBSTONE (1993) and Lawrence Kasdan's Wyatt Earp (1994).
The supporting cast is filled with quite an array of dependable character actors, including Rayford Barnes (so memorable as Buck, an ill-fated member of THE WILD BUNCH) as Ike Clanton; James Seay (VERA CRUZ) as the judge in the case; Stacy Harris ("Dragnet") as Mayor John Clum, a celebrated figure in his own right; Steve Brodie (OUT OF THE PAST, THE STEEL HELMET) as the duplicitous Sheriff Behan; Gregg Palmer (TO HELL AND BACK) as Tom McLowery (as it's spelled in the credits); George Wallace ("Commando Cody") as Frank McLowery; John Anderson (COTTON COMES TO HARLEM, SOLDIER BLUE) as Virgil Earp; and veteran character actor Douglas Fowley (SCARED TO DEATH) in his recurring role as Doc Holliday.
- BrianDanaCamp
- Feb 11, 2015
- Permalink
Details
- Runtime30 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1