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Gunfight at the O.K. Corral 
Actors : Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming, Jo Van Fleet, John Ireland
Director : John Sturges
Studio : Paramount
by Paramount
Release Date : 2003-04-22
Publisher : Paramount
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780792172703
UPC : 097360621846
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 36 reviews)
List Price : $9.98
Our Price : $4.48
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Americancivilwar.com essential video |
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Novelist Leon Uris wrote the script for this Western directed by John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven) and based on the life and times of Wyatt Earp (Burt Lancaster) and his sickly companion, Doc Holliday (Kirk Douglas). The action inevitably leads to the legendary battle between the two heroes and the villainous Clanton gang, but the film is also very much about the conflicts each man faces with women, with one another, and with their own destinies. Lancaster is terrific as the downbeat Earp, and Douglas has one of his best roles as the consumptive Holliday. The thoughtfulness of the tale is matched by Sturges's captivating way with the dramatic duel. All in all, the film appeals both as a solid action piece and as a fascinating, two-character study. --Tom Keogh |
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A REMAKE |
This movie hit the theaters on May 30 1957 starring Burt Lancaster as Marshal Wyatt Earp, Kirk Douglas as Doctor John Holliday and Rhonda Fleming as Laura Denbow. This movie was bad because it was a remake of My Darling Clementine and wasn't you seeing the plot the first time you don't want to see it again. Sure, this movie was the 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). 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. I give this movie 1 weasel star because it was a remake and no one likes remakes.
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Yawn |
Gunfight at the OK Corral is not only a silly retelling of the Earp legend, it is a yawner. It barely makes it as a "good western." Burt Lancaster is horribly cast as Wyatt Earp. We must remember that while Burt is good when type cast as the super cool good guy, he is horribly miscast as Wyatt Earp, he would have been better to have played a bartender in this film. Kirk Douglas is no better as Doc Holliday. This film may have been considered good during the McCarthy years in Hollywood, but since the early 90's we have seen what can be presented as a western, and OK Corral is no Tombstone.
This story travels far from the truth, only mixing some of the original stories to come up with a lame plot. No mention of Bat Masterson, no mention of Big Nosed Kate, no mention of Sheriff John Benham. In fact, this film would have us believe that Earp is hunting for Ike Clanton in Texas. Then we are blessed with the same set as used in Rio Bravo. It's just lame. Don't bother buying this film, and I only recommend watching it if you are bored stiff, and you want to see how horribly Hollywood can butcher a great story. |
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Gunfight at OK corral |
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I saw this film when I was a teenager and liked it a lot; however, after having grown up and seen Wyatt Earp and Tombstone, Gunfight at OK Corral is definitely outdated. The production design, customs, etc., belong to the 1950s Hollywood. Burt Lancaster has a modern haircut and no mustache, and the rest of the characters are somewhat robotic with clean clothes most of the time. The best thing about this film is Dimitri Tiomkin's score, who gets most of my three stars. |
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Still a Classic Movie Western |
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Though historical innaccurate Gunfight At The OK Coral is still one of the great western movies fifty-plus years after it's initial release. This is pure entertainment --- forget the inaccuracies. Forget that the actors look nothing like their real-life counterparts. Just enjoy a gem. No cursing, no nudity, just class. And enjoy the acting, from the stars such as Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas to the character actors such as DeForrest Kelley and Frank Faylen. FrankieLaine's title song who haunt you, maybe even drive you nuts, but even the song adds to the class of this film. And the DVD quality is about as great as one could ask for. They just don't make them like this anymore. |
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VERY subtle in comparison to "Tombstone" or "Wyatt Earp," but still solid |
If you've seen and enjoyed "Tombstone" or "Wyatt Earp" before watching "Gunfight At The OK Corral," I'm not sure what you'll think of it. "Tombstone" was like a raw nerve stretched out over a couple of hours and featured career-best performances from Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer and Powers Boothe.
In "Gunfight," Burt Lancaster's Wyatt Earp is less complex and not as tightly defined. Kirk Douglas approaches Holiday from the standpoint of a man who knows he's dying, and...despite his outward apathy toward most things other than a hand of poker...probably cares more about justice than Earp himself.
The gunfight itself...especially in comparison to the Armageddon of "Tombstone"...is a standard 1950s Western movie gunfight.
The end...no spoilers here...is nowhere near as satisfying and there's not the same sense of closure as you saw in "Tombstone."
A "good"...not "great" Western for your Saturday afternoon home matinee. If you like this one you should also check out "My Darling Clementine"...yet another OK Corral film...with Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp and Walter Brennan as "Old Man Clanton." It's worth watching just to good-guy Brennan play against type. |
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