Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is an agreeable, if certainly fictional; take on the friendship between Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday and their shootout with the Clanton gang.

Rather than focus on historical accuracy, director John Sturges lets his two larger than life stars—Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp and Kirk Douglas as Doc Holliday—carry the picture, which they do with ease.

Lancaster is great as a stoic Earp, and Douglas (who wisely eschews any kind of deep southern accent) is every bit his match in terms of screen presence. Credit also goes to Douglas for pulling off Holliday’s wheezing cough with frightening realism.

If Gunfight at the O.K. Corral has one weak spot it’s the theme song which, while catchy, is also pretty hokey and undercuts the film’s dramatic impact.

Director John Sturges would later direct a psuedo-sequel, Hour of the Gun starring James Garner as Wyatt Earp and Jason Robards as Doc Holliday.