My Darling Clementine (1946)

The Earps battle the Clantons at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona.

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Samuel G. Engel (screen play), Winston Miller (screen play)

Stars:

Henry Fonda, Linda Darnell, Victor Mature

3 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Henry Fonda	...	Wyatt Earp
Linda Darnell	...	Chihuahua
Victor Mature	...	Doc Holliday
Cathy Downs	...	Clementine Carter
Walter Brennan	...	Old Man Clanton
Tim Holt	...	Virgil Earp
Ward Bond	...	Morgan Earp
Alan Mowbray	...	Granville Thorndyke
John Ireland	...	Billy Clanton
Roy Roberts	...	Mayor
Jane Darwell	...	Kate Nelson
Grant Withers	...	Ike Clanton
J. Farrell MacDonald	...	Mac the Barman
Russell Simpson	...	John Simpson

Storyline

Wyatt Earp and his brothers Morgan and Virgil ride into Tombstone and leave brother James in charge of their cattle herd. On their return they find their cattle stolen and James dead. Wyatt takes on the job of town marshal, making his brothers deputies, and vows to stay in Tombstone until James' killers are found. He soon runs into the brooding, coughing, hard-drinking Doc Holliday as well as the sullen and vicious Clanton clan. Wyatt discovers the owner of a trinket stolen from James' dead body and the stage is set for the Earps' long-awaited revenge.

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Plot Keywords:

gunfight at the o.k. corral | arizona territory | arizona | reference to tombstone arizona | billy clanton | 

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Taglines:

She was everything the West was - young, fiery, exciting!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Western

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

November 1946 (UK)

Also Known As:

John Ford's My Darling Clementine

Filming Locations:

Shiprock, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min 103 min (pre-release)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Winston Miller didn't go on location, so minor dialogue changes were made as needed by producer Sam Engel, who later successfully petitioned for a writing credit, a move that angered both John Ford and Miller. "I asked him once why he was trying to muscle in on my credit," Miller said. "He said, 'On a John Ford picture a producer credit doesn't mean a thing. Everybody knows he's the producer.'" Ford turned his anger back on Miller, accusing him of not thinking "a Ford credit was worth fighting for."

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Goofs

During the shootout, which supposedly occurs at "sun up", the men's shadows are shorter than the men themselves, indicating the scene was shot much closer to noon.

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Quotes

[as Wyatt is leaving the hotel after taking the marshal's job, he meets Clanton and his sons]
Wyatt Earp: I'm the fella with the trail herd, remember?
Old Man Clanton: Oh, sure, I remember you.
Wyatt Earp: You was right. I didn't get very far with 'em. They was rustled this evening.
Old Man Clanton: That so? Well, that's too bad.
[Wyatt starts out the door]
Old Man Clanton: I guess you'll be headin' for California, huh?
Wyatt Earp: No, I figured on stickin' around awhile. Got myself a job.
Old Man Clanton: Cowpunching?
Wyatt Earp: Marshalin'.
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Tales from the Future: Third Time's the Charm (2010)

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Soundtracks

The First Kiss Is Always the Sweetest, from Under a Broad Sombrero
(uncredited)
Composer Unknown
Sung by Linda Darnell

User Reviews

My Darling Clementine

John Ford's exquisite film about marshall of Tombstone, Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday and their incredible gunfight against the Clantons at the O.K.Corral. Dramatic and wonderfully brooding, Ford employs it all here; perfect lighting, superb photography and as always, a fabulous and unmatched use of the camera. Many other films have been made on this subject, but you need look no further than this cinematic masterpiece.