Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)

Lawman Wyatt Earp and outlaw Doc Holliday form an unlikely alliance which culminates in their participation in the legendary Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Leon Uris (screenplay), George Scullin (suggested by an article by)

Stars:

Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Burt Lancaster	...	Wyatt Earp
Kirk Douglas	...	Doc Holliday
Rhonda Fleming	...	Laura Denbow
Jo Van Fleet	...	Kate Fisher
John Ireland	...	Johnny Ringo
Lyle Bettger	...	Ike Clanton
Frank Faylen	...	Cotton Wilson
Earl Holliman	...	Charles Bassett
Ted de Corsia	...	Shanghai Pierce (as Ted De Corsia)
Dennis Hopper	...	Billy Clanton
Whit Bissell	...	John P. Clum
George Mathews	...	John Shanssey
John Hudson	...	Virgil Earp
DeForest Kelley	...	Morgan Earp
Martin Milner	...	James Earp

Storyline

After the long career of lawman that made him a legend, Wyatt Earp deciedes to quit and join his brothers in Tombstone, Arizona. There he would see them in feud with Clantons, local clan of thugs and cattle thieves. When the showdown becomes inevitable, the help will come from Doc Holliday, terminally-ill gambler who happens to be another Wild West legend.

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Plot Keywords:

gunfight | tombstone | cattle | showdown | gunfight at the o.k. corral | 

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 May 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hall Wallis' Production of Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

Filming Locations:

Agoura Ranch, Agoura, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Wallis-Hazen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to a news piece, in January 1955 Hal B. Wallis was "hoping to" cast Burt Lancaster and Humphrey Bogart in the leads and in February 1955 Barbara Stanwyck was mentioned as one possible female star of the film.

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Goofs

The actual shootout took about 30 seconds but in the movie it takes about 8 minutes.

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Quotes

Wyatt Earp: Look, Holliday, as long as I'm the law here, not one of those cowpokes is going to cross that deadline with a gun. I don't care if his name *is* Shanghai Pierce.
Dr. John 'Doc' Holliday: Well spoken. I'll repeat those words at your funeral.

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Connections

Referenced in Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Barroom Piano"
(1940) (uncredited)
from Cherokee Strip
Music by John Leipold

User Reviews

Nice Colors, Two Big Stars Best Features Of This Version

The stories and films about Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and the Clantons are always interesting, at least to me. They've been put on film a half dozen times over the years. I think the best feature of this particular version was the beautiful, muted colors. Now that it's out on DVD, I would like to see this on a nice widescreen transfer. My only looks (two of them) were on VHS. Story-wise, most of the others Earp films were more interesting than this one.

What makes the story worth seeing are two big stars playing main roles: Burt Lancaster as "Wyatt Earp" and Kirk Douglas as "Doc Holliday." What's different about the story is that, unlike all other versions, Earp and Holliday are not good friends throughout this movie, although they wind up as allies in the final shootout. Also, the arguments between Holliday and his girlfriend "Kate" (Jo Van Fleet) grow tiresome after awhile.

Overall, this doesn't have enough action to satisfy today's viewers, except for the shootout scene at the end, which goes on for at least 10 minutes.