The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp

I was a big fan of this show back when it was popular; I thought Wyatt Earp was 'the thing'. There was always plenty of action from Wyatt and Doc, and when they weren't taking care of business, Shotgun Gibbs could be counted on for some good gunplay. Two of my favorite western actors were in this one which was another reason for my interest - Myron Healy and Morgan Woodward, 2 of tinseltown's primo bad guys [who did stoop to playing good guys every now and then]. To see these two actors now I must watch some old western that might pop up on tv from time to time. I'll wager the real Wyatt wasn't a handsome, flashy dresser like O'Brien: more like an unwashed thug. Ah, Hollywood.

While there's plenty of myth mixed in with the facts, this chronological series actually provides more historical accuracy in many of its episodes than most media treatments of Earp, excepting only the movies "Tombstone" and the 1994 "Wyatt Earp." That is especially true when it comes to specific, historical episodes in the series, such as the shooting of Dora Hand and the gunfight at the OK Corral. Hugh O'Brien is good in the title role, reflecting what many of his contemporaries described as Earp's taciturn nature. John Wayne, who met the real Wyatt while working as a set hand for John Ford, told O'Brien that he "had nailed Earp," based on his own interactions with the real lawman. There are plenty of fanciful things included as well, but given the era this series earns its reputation as one of the better early, adult westerns.

My parents remember this show when they were teenagers, and so we decided as a family to watch the series together.

Wow! What a treat! The writing in a lot of episodes is excellent, and many episodes could make a movie all it's own, enough to put modern tv series to shame. Many characters are woven into the series and once in a while make reappearances.

The acting is phenomenal. Hugh O'Brien is perfect for this role. His range of acting can range from comical to sheer wrath.

We have a friend that talks about the Gibb-slap, a reference to the TV series NCIS. Now we have a running joke: the Earp-slap! There are scenes where O'Brien surprises real genuine slaps so suddenly! No mere acting here!

Buried in the credits of The Life And Legend Of Wyatt Earp is the one that lists Stuart N. Lake as the consultant. That makes it an official Earp project.

Wyatt Earp had the distinct advantage that he lived long enough to have outlived most of his contemporaries and then at the very end of his life in 1929 commissioned his memoirs. Writer Stuart N. Lake did a series of interviews with Wyatt before he died and it was on that basis that a fine biography was published about him. Of course it was strictly from the Earp point of view.

When Earp died, Lake became custodian of the legend. Most of the films subsequently made concerning Earp if you'll look at the credits are based on Lake's book. And of course Wyatt is a cowboy hero. It took the recent films by Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell to kind of put Earp and his accomplishments in perspective.

To deal with towns like the frontier Wichita, Dodge City, and Tombstone you couldn't be a Boy Scout. Wyatt Earp was certainly not that and neither were his brothers Virgil and Morgan. Still this show preserves the legend as it would since it was based on the book of the legend maker.

I don't think any real person has been so blessed as Wyatt Earp to have had the variety of people playing him. Tom Mix, Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea, Henry Fonda, Burt Lancaster, James Stewart, James Garner as well as Russell and Costner, I can't think of anyone who's been better preserved for posterity by Hollywood.

Add to the list Hugh O'Brian who got his career role in this series and never was ever really able to shake loose from the casting. He's as good a cowboy hero as they come.

Many of the stories from the series came from Lake's book. I urge you to read it if you can find a copy. There have been a number of attempts to debunk the Earp legend, but his fame and glory will live long, just as the series theme tells us.

The corruption of politics, woman's roles, the pain, pride and conflict following the civil war, a non-drinking Marshall who thinks before he shoots - this is a gem from the 50's.

I also enjoy so many of the faces that briefly appear that also came into their own fame in coming years.

Very impressed with the scriptwriters of the show.

This review is based on the first 13 shows of the first season.