There is, however, a shortage of historical accuracy.
Ford's retelling of the Earp brothers' triumph over the odious Clanton gang in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral features compelling characters, beautifully framed scenes, myth-making power and storytelling grace. But Ford's cinematic achievement has always been vulnerable to one drawback: the story is loaded with historical flaws.
Earp Brothers in Tombstone
The opening sequence in the film shows the Earps driving cattle outside the frontier town of Tombstone, Arizona. At the end of a day's work, the older brothers -- Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan -- make a trek into the town for a shave and a shot, leaving 18-year-old James behind, on his own. Soon, cattle rustlers accost James and kill him before stealing the livestock.
In addition to the fact that Wyatt Earp did not raise cattle, his younger brother's name was Warren. James Earp was their oldest brother and did not die a violent death. He lived to be 85, in fact.
Let's get this one out of the way too: there was no Clementine. Earp was involved with a woman named Mattie when he was in Tombstone, according to Wild and Woolly: An Encyclopedia of the Old West by Denis McLoughlin. Clementine provides a civilizing influence on Wyatt (Henry Fonda) in the film, befitting the theme of taming the Wild West town.
Clanton Gang
One of the most flagrant creative liberties taken in the film was the presence of Old Man Clanton, played by Walter Brennan. The real-life elder Clanton was shot dead in a revenge killing a few months before the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, McLoughlin's book explains. In the movie, Wyatt intended to punish Old Man Clanton by forcing him to live on after his sons were gunned down at the corral. When Clanton refused to accept this sentence and made a move for his gun, he was promptly shot to death by Morgan Earp.
On screen, Virgil Earp and Billy Clanton are killed before the showdown, establishing a revenge motive for both sides. In real life, Virgil survived a gunshot wound in the famous shootout (on Oct. 26, 1881), and Billy died at the corral.
In the aftermath of the film fight, four Clanton sons -- Ike, Sam, Phin and Billy -- are left lying in the dust. Sam Clanton was fictional; Phin (for Phineas), while a real Clanton brother, wasn't in Tombstone when the shooting happened. On the other side, Doc Holliday (Victor Mature) takes a bullet and dies in a classic death scene.
Billy Clanton, McLaury Brothers Killed
In the real shootout, Billy Clanton and two other brothers, Frank and Tom McLaury, died from gunshot wounds. Ike Clanton and another friend, Billy Claiborne, ran for their lives. Doc, Morgan and Virgil all suffered wounds but survived. Holliday died of tuberculosis in 1887 -- six years after the gunfight -- in a Colorado sanatorium.
Some of this fudging of the facts can be attributed on Stuart N. Lake, author of a book called Frontier Marshall. Lake's book does a better job of embellishing the romantic legend of Wyatt Earp than documenting his actual deeds, according to AMC's filmsite.org.
Still, none of the artistic liberties in My Darling Clementine strip the film of its excellence. It remains, along with The Searchers, one of John Ford's most effective and admired westerns.
Ford's retelling of the Earp brothers' triumph over the odious Clanton gang in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral features compelling characters, beautifully framed scenes, myth-making power and storytelling grace. But Ford's cinematic achievement has always been vulnerable to one drawback: the story is loaded with historical flaws.
Earp Brothers in Tombstone
The opening sequence in the film shows the Earps driving cattle outside the frontier town of Tombstone, Arizona. At the end of a day's work, the older brothers -- Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan -- make a trek into the town for a shave and a shot, leaving 18-year-old James behind, on his own. Soon, cattle rustlers accost James and kill him before stealing the livestock.
In addition to the fact that Wyatt Earp did not raise cattle, his younger brother's name was Warren. James Earp was their oldest brother and did not die a violent death. He lived to be 85, in fact.
Let's get this one out of the way too: there was no Clementine. Earp was involved with a woman named Mattie when he was in Tombstone, according to Wild and Woolly: An Encyclopedia of the Old West by Denis McLoughlin. Clementine provides a civilizing influence on Wyatt (Henry Fonda) in the film, befitting the theme of taming the Wild West town.
Clanton Gang
One of the most flagrant creative liberties taken in the film was the presence of Old Man Clanton, played by Walter Brennan. The real-life elder Clanton was shot dead in a revenge killing a few months before the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, McLoughlin's book explains. In the movie, Wyatt intended to punish Old Man Clanton by forcing him to live on after his sons were gunned down at the corral. When Clanton refused to accept this sentence and made a move for his gun, he was promptly shot to death by Morgan Earp.
On screen, Virgil Earp and Billy Clanton are killed before the showdown, establishing a revenge motive for both sides. In real life, Virgil survived a gunshot wound in the famous shootout (on Oct. 26, 1881), and Billy died at the corral.
In the aftermath of the film fight, four Clanton sons -- Ike, Sam, Phin and Billy -- are left lying in the dust. Sam Clanton was fictional; Phin (for Phineas), while a real Clanton brother, wasn't in Tombstone when the shooting happened. On the other side, Doc Holliday (Victor Mature) takes a bullet and dies in a classic death scene.
Billy Clanton, McLaury Brothers Killed
In the real shootout, Billy Clanton and two other brothers, Frank and Tom McLaury, died from gunshot wounds. Ike Clanton and another friend, Billy Claiborne, ran for their lives. Doc, Morgan and Virgil all suffered wounds but survived. Holliday died of tuberculosis in 1887 -- six years after the gunfight -- in a Colorado sanatorium.
Some of this fudging of the facts can be attributed on Stuart N. Lake, author of a book called Frontier Marshall. Lake's book does a better job of embellishing the romantic legend of Wyatt Earp than documenting his actual deeds, according to AMC's filmsite.org.
Still, none of the artistic liberties in My Darling Clementine strip the film of its excellence. It remains, along with The Searchers, one of John Ford's most effective and admired westerns.
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