Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

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

Release Date:

30 May 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

OK Corral | Cattle | Showdown | Gunfight | Tombstone

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

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
Kenneth Tobey	...	Bat Masterson
Lee Van Cleef	...	Ed Bailey
Joan Camden	...	Betty Earp
Olive Carey	...	Mrs. Clanton
Brian G. Hutton	...	Rick (as Brian Hutton)
Nelson Leigh	...	Mayor Kelly
Jack Elam	...	Tom McLowery
Don Castle	...	Drunken Cowboy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorothy Abbott	...	Girl (uncredited)
Tom Arnold	...	Barrel-Rolling Boy (uncredited)
William Bailey	...	(uncredited)
John Benson	...	Rig Driver (uncredited)
Frank Carter	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Roger Creed	...	Deputy / Killer / Townsman (uncredited)
James Davies	...	Card Player (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Gambling Extra in Saloon (uncredited)
Joseph Forte	...	Tombstone Card Player (uncredited)
Paul Gary	...	Killer (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Len Hendry	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
Charles Herbert	...	Tommy Earp - Virgil's Son (uncredited)
Edward Ingram	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Anthony Jochim	...	Old Man (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Gamgling Croupier in Saloon (uncredited)
Jack Kenny	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Morgan Lane	...	Killer (uncredited)
Gregg Martell	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
John Maxwell	...	Merchant at Dance (uncredited)
William Meigs	...	Wayne (uncredited)
Harry B. Mendoza	...	Frank Loving - Dealer (uncredited)
Walter Merrill	...	Mario - Dodge City Barber (uncredited)
Dennis Moore	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
Max Power	...	Card Player (uncredited)
Richard Reeves	...	Pierce's Foreman (uncredited)
Lee Roberts	...	Finn Clanton (uncredited)
Bing Russell	...	Harry - Griffin Bartender (uncredited)
Court Shepard	...	Card Player (uncredited)
Mickey Simpson	...	Frank McLowery (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Man at Dance (uncredited)
Glenn Strange	...	Pierce Henchman in Saloon (uncredited)
Robert Swan	...	Shaugnessy Man (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Saloon Extra at Bar (uncredited)
Henry Wills	...	Alby (uncredited)
Trude Wyler	...	Social Hall Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
John Sturges

Writing credits
Leon Uris		(screenplay)
George Scullin		(suggested by an article by)

Produced by
Paul Nathan	....	associate producer
Hal B. Wallis	....	producer
Joseph H. Hazen	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Dimitri Tiomkin		(music composed by)

Cinematography by
Charles Lang		(director of photography) (as Charles B. Lang Jr.)

Film Editing by
Warren Low		(uncredited)

Casting by
Paul Nathan		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Hal Pereira
Walter H. Tyler		(as Walter Tyler)

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer		(set decoration)
Arthur Krams		(set decoration)

Costume Design by
Edith Head		(costumes)

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervision
Hedy Mjorud	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Leonora Sabine	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Jack Stone	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Richard Blaydon	....	unit production manager (uncredited)
Frank Caffey	....	production manager (uncredited)
William Davidson	....	assistant unit manager (uncredited)
Curtis Mick	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael D. Moore	....	assistant director
Ralph Axness	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Clem Jones	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Gary Nelson	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Romaine Birkmeyer	....	prop shop (uncredited)
Robert Goodstein	....	props (uncredited)
Cline Jones	....	prop shop (uncredited)
John Keever	....	labor (uncredited)
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)
A. Peterson	....	laborer (uncredited)
Dwight Thompson	....	props (uncredited)
Dee Turner	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Winston H. Leverett	....	sound recording by (as Winston Leverett)
Harold Lewis	....	sound recording by
R.D. Cook	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
George Dutton	....	sound director (uncredited)
Archie Gardiner	....	boom grip (uncredited)
Tom Hadley	....	boom grip (uncredited)
Hayden Hohstadt	....	mike grip (uncredited)
Seymour Kline	....	sound cableman (uncredited)
Jim Miller	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Gordon Palmer	....	mike grip (uncredited)
Bob Simpson	....	sound boom (uncredited)
Bob Simpson	....	stage engineer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Paul Baxley	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Benson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lynn Borden	....	riding double: Rhonda Fleming/Jo Van Fleet (uncredited)
Roger Creed	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Gatlin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Henry Wills	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack N. Young	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alfred Alexander	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
George Almond	....	electrician (uncredited)
Bill Avery	....	still photographer (uncredited)
C. Bell	....	grip (uncredited)
Mal Bulloch	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Elmer Cannon	....	electrician (uncredited)
Frank Carroll	....	grip (uncredited)
Ed Crowder	....	grip (uncredited)
C.D. Drew	....	head electrician (uncredited)
Pat Drew	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Gordon Fleming	....	grip (uncredited)
C.F. Girard	....	generator operator (uncredited)
Warren Hoag	....	electrician (uncredited)
Al Kelly	....	camera mechanic (uncredited)
L. Kirpatrick	....	electrician (uncredited)
Kenneth Meade	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Kyme Meade	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
J. Moore	....	camera loader (uncredited)
Harry Whittingham	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Gary Fifield	....	casting (uncredited)
Bill Greenwald	....	casting (uncredited)
Olive Long	....	casting secretary (uncredited)
Bert McKay	....	casting (uncredited)
Tony Regan	....	casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John A. Anderson	....	wardrobe: men's (uncredited)
Grace Harris	....	wardrobe: ladies' (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Warren Low	....	editorial supervisor

Music Department
Dimitri Tiomkin	....	music conducted by
Lucien Cailliet	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
John C. Hammell	....	music editor (uncredited)
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Michael Heindorf	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Herbert Taylor	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Richard Mueller	....	technicolor color consultant
Thomas Conroy	....	dialogue director (uncredited)
Bob Fender	....	publicist (uncredited)
Bill Lord	....	location auditor (uncredited)
Foster H. Phinney	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Jack Saper	....	assistant to producer (uncredited)
Marvin Weldon	....	secretary (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (as A Paramount Picture)
• Wallis-Hazen (as Hal Wallis' Production of)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• Les Films Paramount (1957) (France) (theatrical)
• Paramount Film Service (1957) (UK) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1957) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1964) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Argentina Video Home (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (????) (Australia) (VHS)
• ClassicLine (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2003) (Canada) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (1983) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Works Editora (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Hall Wallis' Production of Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" - USA (complete title)

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | West Germany:16 (nf) | Netherlands:6 | UK:A (original rating) (passed with cuts) | USA:Approved (PCA #18134) | Ireland:PG | UK:PG (video rating) (1988) (2006) | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | South Korea:12 (2006) | UK:PG (tv rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-16 | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Agoura Ranch, Agoura, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Burt Lancaster agreed to do this film if he could star in The Rainmaker (1956), also produced by Hal B. Wallis.

Goofs:

Factual errors: John Behan was the sheriff of Cochise County at the time of the gunfight.

Quotes:

Wyatt Earp:[to Billy Clanton] You think you're pretty tough, don't ya, son? I never knew a gunslinger yet so tough he lived to celebrate his 35th birthday. I learned one rule about gunslingers. There's always a man faster on the draw than you are, and the more you use a gun, the sooner you're gonna run into that man.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

Soundtrack:

Tombigbee River

In this film it is Doc that counts.

The DVD copy I saw is excellent. The Frankie Laine ballad blends very well with the scenes. Burt Lancaster gives a quite cold performance as Wyatt Earp, and the Earp family is not shown as well as it should. Same thing goes for the Clantons, with the exception of Dennis Hopper, and John Ireland as Johnny Ringo. Kirk Douglas and Jo Van Fleet as Doc and his woman are really the ones that make this film pick up speed. They involve you in their drama. The gunfight is very well staged, you don't see good action scenes like that in westerns nowadays.