My Darling Clementine

John Ford's exquisite film about marshall of Tombstone, Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday and their incredible gunfight against the Clantons at the O.K.Corral. Dramatic and wonderfully brooding, Ford employs it all here; perfect lighting, superb photography and as always, a fabulous and unmatched use of the camera. Many other films have been made on this subject, but you need look no further than this cinematic masterpiece.

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).

Absolute perfection. Without a doubt, `My Darling Clementine' has secured its place in film immortality, resting proudly at the top of the list of the finest westerns ever made. It represents the genre at its peak and the career high point of all involved, including director John Ford and star Henry Fonda. `Clementine' achieves the difficult blend of drama, action, romance and occasional comic relief necessary to appeal to all viewers. This is the kind of film at which Ford excelled - straightforward and powerful, sentimental but never maudlin. It is needless to say that this is the definitive portrayal of Wyatt Earp and the gunfight at the OK Corral. It may not be the grittiest, most penetrating or historically accurate rendition, but it mixes just the right quantities of realism, legend and Hollywood magic. Its characterizations leave no room for improvement. Henry Fonda was born to play Earp. His folksy, unpretentious demeanor, coupled with the hard edge of a man who must occasionally deal out justice through the barrel of his gun, produce a multidimensional performance that others approaching the role could only dream of. With his portrayal of the tubercular Doc Holliday, Victor Mature forever shed his light image and began a series of solid dramatic roles. Other actors have played Holliday as flamboyant and eccentric, but Mature is effective in approaching him as a fatalist who has relinquished his aspirations of greatness and now lives life one day at a time. He forms an alliance with Earp because he has nothing better to do, and nothing else to live for. Walter Brennan's Old Man Clanton is a study in evil personified, and will certainly shock viewers who know him only as the crotchety but lovable grandfather he played on so many occasions. The rest of the cast is uniformly fine, featuring many members of Ford's `stock company' which followed him throughout his career. Ford's direction is strong and sure-footed. Although this was familiar territory for him, he was careful to instill each scene with a certain degree of uniqueness so the film would never appear routine. In this he was entirely successful, and a brief glance at his filmography confirms that this holds true throughout his body of work. The cinematography is breathtaking. Vast outdoor imagery and intimate gatherings of people are conveyed in an equally compelling manner. Earp's soliloquy at his brother's gravestone, a church dance sequence and the gunfight itself are among the film's many highlights. Only so much praise can be given in a review such as this; it must be seen to be appreciated.

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.

On M*A*S*H Colonel Potter says this movie is great because it has "horses, cowboys and horses". That's a funny joke but "My Darling Clementine" is great because a lot more reasons than that. It's a beautiful movie to look at. It's funny, sad, suspenseful. It's a surprisingly quiet film. John Ford strikes the perfect balance between all of those elements. The cast is great, although I wish Ward Bond had more to do. I haven't watched "My Darling Clementine" in quite a while. Shame on me. I won't let that happen again.