Faustrecht der Prärie

Exciting classy Western with plenty of tension , thrills , shoot'em up , high body-count and it has now become accepted as a classic of the genre .This is a vigorous recounting of a familiar tale , dealing with the legendary lawman from Dodge City who moves to Tombstone , Arizona , aiming to begin a new life along with his brothers , Virgil (Tim Holt) and Morgan (Ward Bond) . This trigger-taut Western drama deals with a lawman Wyatt Earp , at the begining Wyatt is a cowboy , a nomadic savage transporting his cattle and he subsequently befriends a badman gunslinger and philosopher Southern gent who usually coughs , called Doc Holliday , (Victor Mature who excels , giving comsumptive conviction to character) , the strangest friendship this side of heaven and hell . They fought shoulder to shoulder in the wildest stand-up gunfight in the history of the West . As the fabled showdown is seen at the final way through this film . They are the strangest alliance between the West's most famous sheriff Wyatt Earp , trying to overcome outlaws and his deadliest gambling killer , Doc Holliday. It's incomparably performed by the greatest team who ever went into action , Henry Fonda portrays the large-than-life lawman , living by the old rules , driven by revenge , dueling to the death and Mature is most impressive as a gunslinger , the hellfire gambler , his only friends were his guns and his only refuge was a woman's heart , Chihuahua (Linda Darnell) . Two towering Box office actors in a huge exciting production . The film correctly builds up its suspense until a tense battle in streets of Tombstone , it is the highlight to the story .The Roaring West At Its Reckless Best! . Reckless, Riotous Frontier Adventure! . She was everything the West was - young, fiery, exciting.

This is an overwhelming Western , though too self-conscious , as the death of an intimate brother results to be the start of a small war between the revenger Earp and the baddies . As when a beloved sibling is murdered it marks the turning point of Wyatt's transition from a wandering cowboy , to bent on vendetta , settled , civilised , and the Marshall who administers the law . Based on a story by Sam Hellman from a book by Stuart N. Lake . In fact , it was the third adaptation , 1ª was : Frontier Marshal 1934 and second : 1939 Frontier Marshal by Allan Dwan . It was partially panned and by no means acclaimed in its day , but nowadays , being well considered , may be seen by some as unoriginal and cliched but is really a very fashionable outing in Earp saga and a throughly agreeable Western . The movie's enjoyability , authenticity , and greatness rests not only in the accuracy of the ending gun-play , but in the well orchestred series of incidents , such as : Earp's visit to barber shop , the dance in the unfinished church , Fonda 's poker game , the romantic scenes between Fonda and Cathy Dows , all of them give a deep meaning to this spledid picture . Decorated by import themes of camaraderie , brothership , fidelity , family and action that were to dominate Ford films for the first post-II world war decade as never before . Victor Mature coming up trumps as Holliday , he delivers a surprisingly awesome acting , stealing clearly the show , a character designed for scenary chewing , giving an attractive portrayal of the doomed dentist . Although overlong , but blessed with a high-energy level , thanks to noisy action , spectacular horse riding and rousing shooting . As the picture benefits itself from despictable villians as Walter Brennan as epitome of evil as Old Man Clanton , he is accompanied by his sons , Grant Whiters and John Ireland is again on the side of Clanton's family just like he was 10 years later in ¨Gunfight at OK Corral¨. The film focuses Tombstone , 1881 , with stimulating scenes about OK Corral gunfight between Morgan , Virgil , Wyatt Earp , Doc against the nefarious old Clanton , Ike , Billy Clanton ,and other brothers . It is good enough to form the main axis of several other sturdy western films. This main character is a historical figure , in this case the sheriff Wyatt Earp who participated the most famous duel occurred in the western town of Tombstone in 1881 that has been brought to the big screen many times as in this classic "My Darling Clementine" in 1946 directed by John Ford , in "Gunfight at O.K. Corral" (1957) with Burt Lancaster , Kirk Douglas directed by specialist John Sturges who would resume the same story in "The Hour of the Gun" (1967) ; the demystifying "Doc" (Frank Perry, 1971) with Harris Yulin and Stacy Keach or the more modern ¨Wyatt Earp¨ (Lawrence Kasdan, 1994) with Kevin Costner and Dennis Quaid and Tombstone: Wyatt Earp 's legend (1993) by George P. Cosmatos, 1993) with Kurt Russell , Bill Paxton , Thomas Haden Church , Stephen Lang , Dana Denaley , Robert Burke and Val Kilmer

This is a story enormous in scope ,unusual in concept with a mile-a-minute action on a climatic and thrill-a-minute gunfight. Packs a magnificent and marvelous cinematography in Black and White with a nice sense of period , and in overblown and amazing deep by Joe MacDonald . As well as adequate costuming and lavish production design . This thrilling film contains a spectacular and lyric musical score by Cyril Mockridge who composes a rousing soundtrack . The motion picture was compellingly directed by John Ford . This Ford's film , studded with stunning individual scenes turns out to be the definitive rendition of this great story . As Ford said: ¨I knew Earp and he told me about the fight at the OK Corral , so we did it exactly the way it had been¨.

Set amid the sweeping vistas and the towering sandstone buttes and spires of Monument Valley, this John Ford film, about Wyatt Earp (Henry Fonda) and his encounters with the Clanton gang in rowdy Tombstone, Arizona, fulfills our need to experience the Old West as mythic romanticism. The visuals are striking. El Greco skies oppress a majestic and lonesome landscape of rock, dirt, dust, and cattle. Ghostly human figures confront death in heavy rain. Indoors, small, overhead lanterns emit soft light in tough barrooms. The B&W cinematography conveys a somber, moody, idealized vision of the nineteenth century American frontier.

But the film's romanticism is not just the product of adroit cinematography. The relaxed narrative weaves multiple, seemingly insignificant plot lines into a unified whole, and thus depicts the Old West as a place and time of humor, wit, religious faith, amiable conflict, even poetry and philosophy.

And so, in his heartfelt soliloquy of "the undiscovered country", Granville Thorndyke (Alan Mowbray), that congenial thespian rogue who quotes Shakespeare and who seems so out of place, adds texture and soul to the script, as a precursor to violence and death. This is after all ... Tombstone.

Inspired by the real life gunfight at the OK Corral, the story is less factual than suggestive. It's not just the film's fanciful portrayal of the shootout that abets credulity. It's the setting ... Tombstone is nowhere near Monument Valley.

But this is not a textbook. It is a romanticized cinematic interpretation of a long-ago culture, using a textbook incident as a premise. The film's theme centers on the nobility of outcasts and the basic goodness and humanism of frontier people. It's a broad-brush character study of historical figures like Doc Holliday (Victor Mature), Old Man Clanton (Walter Brennan), the Clanton sons, and of course Wyatt Earp and his sons. Although one could argue that Fonda lacks the tough guy strength and roughness that we would expect for a frontier legend, the casting and the acting are overall quite good. Editing, costumes, and production design also enhance the film's credibility.

Understated and meditative in tone, "My Darling Clementine" is a different kind of Hollywood western, one that conveys a humanistic theme with emotional depth. Characters are multi-dimensional, unvarnished, and as striking and memorable as the stately buttes and spires of Monument Valley.

It's 1882. Wyatt Earp (Henry Fonda) and his brothers are driving cattle to California when they encounter Old Man Clanton who tries to buy their cattle with a low-ball offer. Wyatt kindly rejects the offer. The Earps stop at Tombstone to find a lawless town. Their cattle gets stolen and Wyatt's youngest brother James is murdered by unknown assailants. Wyatt suspects the Clantons and takes the job of town marshal. Volatile gambler Doc Holliday (Victor Mature) returns to town. Doc's past Clementine Carter (Cathy Downs) tracks him down all the way from Boston despite his refusal for her help. Doc's present day friend Chihuahua (Linda Darnell) is not happy with her presence.

I really love the start and Henry Fonda can do no wrong especially as a stoic heroic lead. I have a bit of an issue with Victor Mature. I can't forget Val Kilmer playing the role who is so much more fun. Mature is more angry than sickly. As for the iconic shootout, again I really love the start. Monument Valley looks epic in the background. I love the slow walk up to the OK Corral. Then the action isn't quite as epic. Director John Ford would say that he extended it from a 30 seconds fight but it doesn't really measure up to modern action scenes. All in all, this is a classic for its time.

MY DARLING CLEMENTINE ( rating, * * * * ½ out of 5 )

Adapted from the book 'Wyatt Earp, Frontier Marshal' by Stuart N. Lake, writers Samuel G. Engel, Winston Miller and Sam Hellman, and the great director himself John Ford, offer this most atmospheric depiction of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and the most famous of shootouts in Western folk-lore.

The story basically covers the period when Wyatt Earp cleaned up Tombstone and wiped out the Clanton gang at the OK Coral. This is time-honored stuff. Nostalgic dramatizations that romanticized the Wild West while creating unforgettable heroes and notorious villains.

John Ford's handling of this motion picture is done with great care and obvious affection. Significant endeavor and attention to detail has gone into the period's reconstruction and the result is what can only be described as lyrical. A synchronous composition of sight and sound that produces a mesmerizing effect which in turn forces any viewer to fall instantly in love with this film.

Henry Fonda's portrayal of Wyatt Earp is without doubt the best that has ever been attempted and Victor Mature's Doc Holliday has him in rare form. Add cast members Walter Brennan, Linda Darnell, Ward Bond and John Ireland, and this film just crackles along.

There is one interesting irony I have noted. In John Ford's celebrated history as a director, particularly in the days when he was making silent films, the real Wyatt Earp acted as Ford's technical adviser bringing a new level of authenticity to gun play that Hollywood in the past had only guessed at. But in 'My Darling Clementine', the final shootout although well done, has a fantasy-like quality about it that avoids a sense of violent realism and adopts a surreal quality - as if seen through a dream.

Because John Ford knew all too well how to make a gunfight look believable, maybe this film allowed him to go beyond what was expected and to produce something a little special, and maybe it was shot in the way that Wyatt Earp wished it could have really happened. To successfully bend the rules, it really helps to have written them in the first place.

'My Darling Clementine' is a joy to behold. Sure, there are a few moments when minor cracks appear, but for pure entertainment value, it is unsurpassed. This movie is what going to the pictures on a Saturday afternoon was all about - those delightful matinee sessions when you'd load your arms up with confectionery, scramble for the best seats in the back row and experience the escapism that made growing up in the suburbs almost tolerable.

Director John Ford takes extensive liberties with the facts in this version of the events that led to the infamous 'gunfight at the OK corral'. This is evident from the opening scenes, in which Tombstone is seen nestled amongst the unmistakable buttes of Monument Valley (which is 500 miles north of the actual town) and young James Earp is murdered (he actually died 35 years later of natural causes), to the final scenes, the shooting of a character who in fact died several months before the gunfight. Despite these, and other glaring inaccuracies, the film is a well-acted and entertaining A-list western. Fonda is as good as always as Wyatt Earp, as is the usually avuncular Walter Brennen as the murderous "Old Man" Clanton, but I didn't find Victor Mature to make a particularly convincing 'Doc' Holiday. The rest of the cast, which includes a lot of well-known character actors and some of Ford's usual players (such as Ward Bond (who plays Morgan Earp), Jane Darnell and Russel Simpson), are fine. The main story of the mounting hostility between the Earps and the Clantons is great but I didn't find the secondary story, a love triangle involving Doc Holiday (who was a dentist, not a surgeon), the titular Clementine (a bland Cathy Downs), and saloon singer Chihuahua (a clichéd Linda Darnell) to be very interesting. Although apparently not the easiest person to work for, Ford was an excellent filmmaker: the black and white desert cinematography is striking and the climactic gun-fight is dramatic and realistic (as movie gunfights go). While I would not rank "My Darling Clementine" amongst the director's best oaters (such as Stagecoach (1939), the cavalry trilogy (1948-50), or The Searchers (1956)), it is a fine western (but not much of a history lesson).