Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject. Please help improve the article with a good introductory style. (September 2012)
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral film poster.jpeg
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral/Last Train from Gun Hill film poster
Directed by John Sturges
Produced by Hal B. Wallis
Written by Leon Uris
from a story by
George Scullin
Starring Burt Lancaster
Kirk Douglas
Rhonda Fleming
Jo Van Fleet
John Ireland
Music by Dimitri Tiomkin
Cinematography Charles B. Lang Jr.
Editing by Warren Low
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) May 30, 1957
Running time 122 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $2 million[1]
Box office $10.7 million[1]

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) is a film starring Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp and Kirk Douglas as Doc Holliday, based on a real event which took place on October 26, 1881. The picture was directed by John Sturges from a screenplay written by novelist Leon Uris. The supporting cast features Rhonda Fleming, John Ireland, Jo Van Fleet, Martin Milner, Dennis Hopper, Jack Elam, Lee Van Cleef, DeForest Kelley, Earl Holliman and Charles Herbert.

Contents

Historical inaccuracies [edit]

Main article: Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

The film is a loose Hollywood retelling of the gunfight and makes no pretense at historical accuracy. Virgil Earp was already a deputy U.S. Marshal when he arrived in Tombstone, while Wyatt had little, if any, legal authority. Wyatt came to Tombstone with a common-law wife, whom he later sent away to stay with his family—in order to get her away from opiates. His brothers were also married at the time. The fight bears no resemblance to the actual battle, which was a 30 second long, face to face affair with only a few firearms, not a medium-range, heavily armed shootout. Johnny Ringo (John Ireland) was not present at the OK Corral gunfight. He later killed himself. Ike Clanton brought murder charges against the Earps and Doc Holliday. The Cowboys claimed the Earps had killed the outlaws as they attempted to surrender. During the Spicer hearing the coroner and witnesses presented conflicting evidence about whether the Cowboys had their hands in the air or guns in their hands or were trying to draw their weapon when the fighting started. Morgan and Virgil Earp were wounded and Holliday was grazed by a bullet. Wyatt was unhurt. Judge Wells Spicer ruled that the lawmen acted within their authority.

Cast [edit]

Reception [edit]

The film was a big hit and earned $4.7 million on its first run and $6 million on re-release.[1]

Sequel [edit]

Sturges revisited the same material when he later directed a more historically accurate sequel of sorts, Hour of the Gun, starring James Garner as Earp, Jason Robards as Holliday, and Robert Ryan as Ike Clanton. That film begins with a more accurate version of the O.K. Corral gun battle then moves forward into the aftermath for the balance of the movie.

Notes [edit]

Lancaster and Douglas made several films together over the decades, including I Walk Alone (1948), The Devil's Disciple (1959), Seven Days in May (1964), and Tough Guys (1986).

Sturges directed a number of Westerns, including The Magnificent Seven a few years later.

Awards [edit]

The film was nominated for two Academy Awards.[2]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c Glenn Lovell, Escape Artist: The Life and Films of John Sturges, University of Wisconsin Press, 2008 p151-153
  2. ^ "The 30th Academy Awards (1958) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-08-21. 

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (film)
Films directed by John Sturges
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gunfight_at_the_O.K._Corral_(film)&oldid=553947096"