Wyatt Earp

As a history teacher, I have long been appalled by how Hollywood has portrayed the characters of the old west. Real life people's lives have been so distorted and misrepresented that they have become works of almost complete fiction. Minor characters such as Billy the Kid, Jesse James and the like were now elevated to mythic proportions and, oddly, are generally portrayed as heroes or misunderstood boys gone bad. Considering that this is all crap and has nothing to do with the real West, you can probably understand why I hate these sorts of films.

While Wyatt Earp wasn't a super-important figure in American history (despite his mythic status), MANY Hollywood films have portrayed him and the famed gunfight at the O.K. Corral. And, in grand Hollywood tradition, films like "My Darling Clementine" and "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" are almost completely fabricated. So, it's great to see this episode of "The American Experience", as it attempts to accurately discuss the life of Wyatt Earp--note that I said ACCURATELY! Because the film is accurate, demystifies the characters and is well-researched, it's very much worth seeing. Using narration, interviews and LOTS of vintage photos, it's a typically well made PBS documentary. I just wish folks would watch this film to get a picture of what the man was really like!