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

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Plot Keywords:

blackjack | tombstone arizona | arizona territory | arizona | gunfight at the o.k. corral | 

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Taglines:

The Fiery Brilliance of 8 Great Stars... The Double-Barreled Excitement of 2 Mighty Action Spectacles!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 May 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Duelo de titanes

Filming Locations:

Old Tucson - 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$11,750,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

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

Dennis Hopper (Billy Clanton) was born and raised in Dodge City, Kansas, where Wyatt Earp was once Sheriff.

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Goofs

Wyatt and Cotton reminisce about Oklahoma City, which was not founded until 1889.

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Quotes

Cotton Wilson: [wanting to leave before the gunfight] Ike, I can't take this kind of gunplay anymore. Let me out.
Ike Clanton: [angrily] Get over there.

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Connections

Referenced in Goof Troop: Gunfight at the Okie-Doke Corral (1992)

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Soundtracks

Tombigbee River
(1950) (uncredited)
from Copper Canyon (1950)
Written by A.F. Winnemore and S.S. Steele
Arranged by Charles Bradshaw

User Reviews

Lancaster and Douglas --- Earp and Holiday

In one of her books Hedda Hopper devoted a chapter to both of the stars of Gunfight at the OK Corral, calling them the Terrible Twins. As a columnist Hopper was a firm defender of the old studio system and both Burt and Kirk were seen by her as betraying old Hollywood.

Now personally I think their careers show that both of these guys knew exactly what they were doing in guiding their own destinies. This film is a great example of it. It was deservedly a critical hit and a moneymaker.

No film has ever been made that completely told accurately the story of the famous gunfight, least of all this one. But it sure captures the spirit.

I think both of these guys could have played each other's part and the film still would have been a winner. The problem with playing Wyatt Earp is that he's usually such a straight arrow on screen or on television that the main job of the actor is to keep from making him sound like Dudley Doo-Right. Burt Lancaster is capable enough and did it, but Wyatt Earp maybe one of the least complex roles he ever essayed.

Kirk Douglas though is the best Doc Holiday I've ever seen portrayed. Doc Holiday is a brooding, consumptive alcoholic who's also a woman batterer. He treats Jo Van Fleet like garbage and her responses to him is responsible for several of the plot twists. As I've said before Douglas can flip into rage better than any other actor ever. Just watch him with Van Fleet after the youngest Earp brother has been killed.

Today we would call Jo Van Fleet a battered spouse even though she and Douglas are living common-law. Her's is the next best portrayal in the film besides Kirk Douglas.

Rhonda Fleming has little to do except look coquettish and beautiful as the lady gambler who Lancaster falls for. But that was usually enough for her public. It's ironic that she's playing a liberated woman for 19th century and Fleming's politics are quite right wing and Lancaster her very traditional 19th century man was a noted political liberal.

And of course the unbilled co-star is Frankie Laine singing that wonderful title song by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington. Tiomkin was one of the best of movie composers, his music gave that extra oomph into a lot of good movies, making them great.