Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)

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  • GUNFIGHT AT O.K. CORRAL


    DIRECTED BY JOHN STURGES
    PRODUCED BY HAL B. WALLIS
    PARAMOUNT PICTURES


    Photo with the courtesy of lasbugas


    Information from IMDb


    Plot Summary
    After the long career of lawman that made him a legend,
    Wyatt Earp deciedes to quit and join his brothers in Tombstone, Arizona.
    There he would see them in feud with Clantons, local clan of thugs and cattle thieves.
    When the showdown becomes inevitable, the help will come from Doc Holliday,
    terminally-ill gambler who happens to be another Wild West legend.
    Written by Dragan Antulov


    Full Cast
    Burt Lancaster ... Marshal Wyatt Earp
    Kirk Douglas ... Dr. John 'Doc' Holliday
    Rhonda Fleming ... Laura Denbow
    Jo Van Fleet ... Kate Fisher
    John Ireland ... Johnny Ringo
    Lyle Bettger ... Ike Clanton
    Frank Faylen ... Sheriff Cotton Wilson
    Earl Holliman ... Deputy Sheriff Charles 'Charlie' Bassett
    Ted de Corsia ... Shanghai Pierce - Cattleman
    Dennis Hopper ... Billy Clanton
    Whit Bissell ... John P. Clum - 'Tombstone Epitaph' Editor
    George Mathews ... John Shanssey - Griffin Saloonkeeper
    John Hudson ... Virgil Earp
    DeForest Kelley ... Morgan Earp
    Martin Milner ... James 'Jimmy' Earp
    Kenneth Tobey ... Bat Masterson
    Lee Van Cleef ... Ed Bailey
    Joan Camden ... Betty Earp - Virgil's Wife
    Olive Carey ... Mrs. Clanton
    Brian G. Hutton ... Rick (as Brian Hutton)
    Nelson Leigh ... Dodge City Mayor Kelly
    Jack Elam ... Tom McLowery
    Don Castle ... Drunk Cowboy in Longbranch Saloon
    Dorothy Abbott ... Girl (uncredited)
    Tom Arnold ... Barrel-Rolling Boy (uncredited)
    William Bailey ... (uncredited)
    John Benson ... Rig Driver (uncredited)
    Frank Carter ... Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
    Roger Creed ... Deputy / Killer / Townsman (uncredited)
    James Davies ... Card Player (uncredited)
    Franklyn Farnum ... Gambling Extra in Saloon (uncredited)
    Joseph Forte ... Tombstone Card Player (uncredited)
    Paul Gary ... Killer (uncredited)
    Frank Hagney ... Bartender (uncredited)
    Len Hendry ... Cowboy (uncredited)
    Charles Herbert ... Tommy Earp - Virgil's Son (uncredited)
    Edward Ingram ... Deputy (uncredited)
    Anthony Jochim ... Old Man (uncredited)
    Kenner G. Kemp ... Gamgling Croupier in Saloon (uncredited)
    Ethan Laidlaw ... Bartender (uncredited)
    Morgan Lane ... Killer (uncredited)
    Gregg Martell ... Cowboy (uncredited)
    John Maxwell ... Merchant at Dance (uncredited)
    William Meigs ... Wayne (uncredited)
    Harry B. Mendoza ... Frank Loving - Dealer (uncredited)
    Walter Merrill ... Mario - Dodge City Barber (uncredited)
    Dennis Moore ... Cowboy (uncredited)
    Max Power ... Card Player (uncredited)
    Richard Reeves ... Pierce's Foreman (uncredited)
    Lee Roberts ... Finn Clanton (uncredited)
    Bing Russell ... Harry - Griffin Bartender (uncredited)
    Court Shepard ... Card Player (uncredited)
    Mickey Simpson ... Frank McLowery (uncredited)
    Bert Stevens ... Man at Dance (uncredited)
    Glenn Strange ... Pierce Henchman in Saloon (uncredited)
    Robert Swan ... Shaugnessy Man (uncredited)
    Arthur Tovey ... Saloon Extra at Bar (uncredited)
    Henry Wills ... Alby (uncredited)
    Trude Wyler ... Social Hall Guest (uncredited)


    Writing Credits
    Leon Uris (screenplay)
    George Scullin (article "The Killer")


    Produced
    Joseph H. Hazen .... executive producer
    Paul Nathan .... associate producer
    Hal B. Wallis .... producer (as Hal Wallis)


    Original Music
    Dimitri Tiomkin


    Cinematography
    Charles Lang (director of photography) (as Charles B. Lang Jr.)


    Trivia
    Much of this film was shot at the famous "Old Tucson" facility, not far from the real Tombstone.
    However, its "town street" set was used surprisingly as Fort Griffin, Texas, in the opening reels,
    while later Tombstone street scenes were shot in southern California,
    on the same Paramount Ranch set that was later used as Virginia City, Nevada, on TV's "Bonanza" (1959).


    Dennis Hopper, who plays Billy Clanton, was born and raised in
    Dodge City, Kansas, where Wyatt Earp was once sheriff.


    The actual gunfight took place on 26 October 1881 and lasted a mere 30 seconds,
    resulting in three dead men after an exchange of 34 bullets.
    Compared to this adaptation, the movie gunfight took 4 days to film
    and produced an on-screen bloodbath that lasted 5 minutes.


    In July 1957, this film was released to many drive-in theaters
    on a double bill with Destination 60,000 (1957).


    Second of seven films that Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster made together.


    Dennis Hopper and Earl Holliman appeared a year before this film in Giant (1956) .
    The scores of Giant (1956) and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) were both composed by Dimitri Tiomkin .


    Additional scenes were filmed on July 24, 1956.


    According to a news piece, in January 1955 Hal B. Wallis was "hoping to" cast
    Burt Lancaster and Humphrey Bogart in the leads and in February 1955 Barbara Stanwyck
    was mentioned as one possible female star of the film.


    Burt Lancaster agreed to do this film if he could star in The Rainmaker (1956), also produced by Hal B. Wallis.


    Goofs
    * Factual errors: This film depicts "Jimmy Earp" as the youngest Earp brother,
    and gunned down by the Clanton gang prior to the titular event. In historical reality,
    James Earp was the oldest, and none of them was killed in advance of the famous showdown.


    * Factual errors: John Behan was the sheriff of Cochise County at the time of the gunfight.


    * Revealing mistakes: Doc Holiday is at the bar seemingly empty handed before he kills Ed Bailey with a knife.
    If you watch his right hand you see him pick up the knife from the bar rail
    and then raise it to his collar as if that's where he had it concealed.


    * Factual errors: When Wyatt meets Sheriff Cotton at Cotton's office in Texas,
    Wyatt tells Cotton that ten years ago, Wyatt had observed Cotton shooting
    it out with the criminal element in an Oklahoma City saloon.
    The gunfight took place in 1881 - Oklahoma City was not founded until 1889.


    * Revealing mistakes: Doc Holiday gets shot in the arm in the OK Corral. In later shots,
    there is no blood on his arm, and he is holding it downward as if he hasn't been shot all along.


    * Crew or equipment visible: During the gunfight when Wyatt asks Virgil to cover him,
    he runs around the back of the wall. As he peeks around the wall he is shot at and the wall is hit.
    You then see the wires and charge used to create the effect fall and dangle from the wall.


    * Factual errors: The real Gunfight took place at about 3 O'Clock in the afternoon,
    yet the film contains a scene where the doomed Billy Clanton informs
    Wyatt Earp that he and his brothers are expected to be at the O.K Corral at sun-up.


    * Factual errors: The gunfight scene shows Doc Holliday killing Johnny Ringo, when in reality,
    Ringo was not even at the O.K Corral that day. Ringo wasn't killed until July 1882
    ten months after this gunfight and even then his death was ruled as suicide.


    * Factual errors: Ike "Old Man" Clanton is shown as being at the gunfight,
    when in reality he had been shot and killed by a rival gang of Mexican horse
    thieves prior to the actual gunfight.


    * Factual errors: The film has Wyatt drinking whiskey.
    In reality Wyatt very rarely drank alcohol according to his wife of nearly 50 years.


    * Continuity: When Wyatt Earp rides in to town, dismounts and walks toward Cotton Wilson's office,
    his holstered gun is clearly outside his jacket on the right hand side. But when he enters the sheriff's office,
    just one step later, his gun is not visible.


    * Factual errors: The actual shootout took about 30 seconds but in the movie it takes about 8 minutes.


    Filming Locations
    Agoura Ranch, Agoura, California, USA
    Agoura, California, USA
    Arizona, USA
    California, USA
    Elgin, Arizona, USA
    Old Tucson - 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona, USA
    (O.K. Corral)
    Paramount Ranch - 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California, USA
    Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    (studio)
    Phoenix, Arizona, USA
    Tucson, Arizona, USA


    Memorable Quotes


    Movie Trailer


    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 10 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is a 1957 American western 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 shootout was couched in the movie as a heavily-armed firefight
    that took place at medium range.
    The historical event itself lasted only about 30 seconds,
    and was fought at close range with only a few firearms.



    A few Duke 'Pals' in the movie, besides Kirk Douglas
    it includes Earl Holliman, Jack Elam, Olive Carey,
    Dennis Hopper, Henry Wills, and a fine performance
    by John Ireland.


    Out of all the O.K. Corral movies. this one is my second favourite, to Tombstone.
    A classic western, among the best.


    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 9 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • I loved the ballad (music by Tiomkin) that appeared throughout the movie. As you say, of all the OK Corral related movies, this one is only outdone by "Tombstone" - the shootout itself is more accurately portrayed in "Tombstone" since history tells us that that incident lasted barely thirty seconds. "Gunfight ..." portrayed the showdown as being much longer in time (as did "My Darling Clementine").

    Cheers - Jay:beer:
    "Not hardly!!!"

  • Sturges used this set up again later in "The Magnificent Seven". In Seven, Brynner walks toward a dying Wallach with a wounded McQueen leaning against the door jam.

  • "Gunfight At The O.K. Corral" (1957)
    -Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas


    Phantoms Review: Highly entertaining, if historically inaccurate retelling of the legendary gunfight. Plenty of action, and some fine acting from the entire cast. A really good movie, just don't write your history report from it :)

    They'd never forget the day,the stranger rode into town