Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)
Genre: Western
Duration: 122 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: John Sturges
Stars: Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas and Rhonda Fleming
IMDb score:
7,1 (19.184)
Releasedate: 30 May 1957
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral plot
"The Wildest Gunfight in the History of the West!"
After a long career as a law enforcement officer, Wyatt Earp decides to retire and visit his brothers in Tombstone, Arizona. When he gets there, they find themselves at odds with the Clantons, a local gang. A showdown seems inevitable. The Earps get help from the terminally ill Doc Holliday.
Actors and actresses
Marshal Wyatt Earp
Dr. John 'Doc' Holliday
Kate Fisher
Laura Denbow
Johnny Ringo
Ike Clanton
Sheriff Cotton Wilson
Deputy Sheriff Charles 'Charlie' Bassett
Shanghai Pierce
Billy Clanton
Reviews & comments
Barfly
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- 1898 messages
- 1753 votes
This movie has the western vibe that I love. With Douglas as Doc Holliday perfectly cast. Burt Lancaster is a great actor, but I find him a bit flat here.
It is not a bad thing that historically (the fight at the OK Corral) it is not entirely according to the truth. The film does deliver a worthy finale because the shoot-out is fairly extensive and beautifully portrayed.
Fortunately, the majority of the cast acts properly so that the film actually has no disturbing elements.
Dennis Hopper I did not recognize. I have seen Lee van Cleef.
The film does not have to rely on the music, because it is much too slickly laughable (it would almost become a cult of camp). Secretly I had a vision of a big hefty guy on a rocking horse with John Cleese and Eric Idle behind them with a bunch of half coconuts).
3.5 all in all
Translated from Dutch · View original
mrklm
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- 12860 messages
- 10708 votes
The personification of integrity and one of the most flamboyant, explosive actors are ideal as the righteous Wyatt Earp [Burt Lancaster] and the unpredictable Doc Holliday [Kirk Douglas]. Wyatt comes to Tombstone to support his brother Virgil [John Hudson] in a conflict that ends in one of the most legendary shootings of the 19th century. Lancaster and Douglas dominate the film, but Jo van Fleet also impresses as the fiery woman with whom Doc Holliday has a love-hate relationship. A young Dennis Hopper (as in his previous films 'Rebel Without a Cause' and 'Giant') shows how well he can hold his own among veteran movie stars and we also see DeForest Kelley in his most famous film before making history as ' Bones' McCoy in Star Trek. Here he plays Morgan Earp, one of Wyatt's other brothers who was also involved with OK Corrall. The finale is not a barrage of bullets, but a surprisingly intelligent confrontation and a worthy end to this highly entertaining western classic.
Translated from Dutch · View original
frolunda
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- 1115 messages
- 4614 votes
If I counted correctly, the ninth film about Western hero Wyatt Earp and his entourage, although I don't know if they are all about the shoot-out in Tombstone. Several more would follow after this Gunfight at the OK Corral from 1957, of which the successful Tombstone (1993) with Kurt Russell as Earp and the almost simultaneously recorded Wyatt Earp (1994) with Kevin Costner, among others, are best known.
Incidentally, the director of this film, John Sturges, would again tackle the same subject ten years later with Hour of the Gun. Whether he can stand in the shadow of his first version, that is something for later, remains to be seen.
Back to Gunfight at the OK Corral with a somewhat stiff and not entirely convincing Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp, although he is certainly not bad. Other than that, this film has everything of a classic Western, with the main attraction being a really great Kirk Douglas as the drinking and gambling gunslinger Doc Holliday. His role provides a substantial injection of quality and easily takes the movie to four stars.
The action scenes may seem a bit dated to some viewers by today's standards, had no problems with it themselves, but that's the fate of many westerns from that time.
What remains is the good (true) story, the beautiful images and the excellent direction of the sometimes underestimated Sturges. Two years earlier he was responsible for the equally strong Bad Day at Black Rock, and as far as westerns are concerned, the Magnificent seven and Last Train from Gun Hill (with Kirk Douglas again) are of course also worth mentioning.
Conclusion; excellent, very entertaining and atmospheric film.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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