Frontier Marshal (1939)

Earp agrees to become marshal and establish order in Tombstone in this very romanticized version of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral (e.g., Doc is killed by Curley before the actual battle and Earp must do the job alone).

Director:

Allan Dwan

Writers:

Stuart N. Lake (based on a book by), Sam Hellman (screen play)

Stars:

Randolph Scott, Nancy Kelly, Cesar Romero

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Randolph Scott	...	Wyatt Earp
Nancy Kelly	...	Sarah Allen
Cesar Romero	...	Doc Halliday
Binnie Barnes	...	Jerry
John Carradine	...	Ben Carter
Edward Norris	...	Dan Blackmore
Eddie Foy Jr.	...	Eddie Foy
Ward Bond	...	Town Marshal
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Pringle
Chris-Pin Martin	...	Pete
Joe Sawyer	...	Curley Bill
Dell Henderson	...	Dave Hall (as Del Henderson)
Harry Hayden	...	Mayor Henderson
Ventura Ybarra	...	Pablo
Charles Stevens	...	Indian Charlie

Storyline

Early low budget version of the famous Gunfight at OK Corral with Scott as Wyatt Earp and Romero as Doc Holiday. Remade by John Ford as "My Darling Clementine" in 1946 and by John Sturges as "Gunfight at OK Corral" in 1957

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Plot Keywords:

gunfight | wyatt earp | gunfight at the o.k. corral | boot hill | fast draw | 

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Taglines:

THE FLAMING SAGA OF TOMBSTONE! (Hades of the West) (original poster)

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Genres:

Biography | History | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

28 July 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

L'aigle des frontières

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

71 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA High Fidelity Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ward Bond, who plays the marshal that Earp replaces, would go on to play Deputy Marshal Morgan Earp in the 1946 remake, "My Darling Clementine." Earlier he had played a bad guy in the 1934 version of "Frontier Marshal" starring George O'Brien.

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Goofs

The film is set in the period from 1877 to 1880, but three of the songs sung were published in the late 1880s.

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Quotes

John 'Doc' Halliday: I don't wanna hear anymore, Yes, I'm a killer! What of it? Life's nothing! My life... anybody's life! What's the difference to a lot of rats caught in a trap? Whatthey do? How they act? Sarah, you've got to go!

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Connections

Referenced in Bye Bye Braverman (1968)

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Soundtracks

"She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain When She Comes"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Played as dance music at the Bella Union

User Reviews

A Good Movie On Its Own

Yes, yes, I know. My Darling Clementine(MDC) is a famous remake of this picture. That one got the John Ford treatment and went into greater depth as far as character development goes. But there's nothing wrong with "Frontier Marshal" and it can stand on its own. First off, since it is an action western it had a better lead actor in stalwart Randolph Scott - Henry Fonda was a more cerebral actor and not really a two-fisted type. Second, I think Caesar Romero played Doc Holliday with more heart than Victor Mature, who was a limited actor.

In MDC, the OK Corral confrontation was better and had more tension but the barroom bimbo was Binnie Barnes, who did a better job than Linda Darnell. Ward Bond was in both pictures and got a promotion in MDC to Earp's brother. And you get a chance to see Eddie Foy Jr. in the earlier movie.

"Frontier Marshal" is only 71" long and therefore not as comprehensive as MDC. In sum, I guess the worst thing that could be said about "Frontier Marshal" is that MDC was made, which in sheer production value diminishes the whole enterprise. If you like westerns, see this one. You will appreciate it better if you haven't seen MDC - which I also feel suffers from one of the lamest titles in Hollywood annals and detracts from the final product. "Frontier Marshal" was on FMC the other morning and I rated it a seven.