Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)

82% of critics liked it
(11 reviews)
63% of users liked it
(6,416 ratings)

Of the many filmed versions of the October 26, 1881, O.K. Corral shootout in Tombstone, Arizona, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral was one of the most elaborate and star-studded. Burt Lancaster plays Wyatt Earp, the renowned lawman, while Kirk Douglas is consumptive gambler (and gunfighter) Doc Holliday… More Of the many filmed versions of the October 26, 1881, O.K. Corral shootout in Tombstone, Arizona, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral was one of the most elaborate and star-studded. Burt Lancaster plays Wyatt Earp, the renowned lawman, while Kirk Douglas is consumptive gambler (and gunfighter) Doc Holliday -- the two meet in difficult circumstances, as Earp discovers that Holiday, for whom he initially feels little but loathing, is being held on a trumped up murder charge and being set up for a lynching, and intercedes on his behalf. The action shifts to Dodge City, Kansas, where Earp is marshal and Holiday, hardly grateful for the good turn, shows up right in the middle of all kinds of trouble, this time mostly on Earp's side of the ledger. And, finally, the two turn up in Tombstone, Arizona, where Wyatt's brother Virgil is city marshal, and where Wyatt finally gets to confront the Clanton/McLowery outlaw gang (led by Lyle Bettger as Ike Clanton). Since the time-span of the actual gunfight was at most 90 seconds, the bulk of the film concerns the tensions across many months leading up to the famous battle. As scripted by Leon Uris (from a magazine story by George Scullin), the story involves two unrelated but parallel plot-lines -- a long-standing vendetta against Holliday and the efforts of Earp to bring the Clanton/McLowery gang to justice -- that are eventually drawn together on the streets of Tombstone. Woven into these proceedings are Earp's and Holliday's romantic dalliances with lady gambler Laura Denbow (Rhonda Fleming) and Kate Fisher (Jo Van Fleet), whose switch in affections from Holiday to outlaw fast-gun Johnny Ringo (John Ireland) only rachets up gambler's rage and the reasons behind the bloody climax. There are plenty of bribery attempts, terse dialogue exchanges and "Mexican standoffs" before the inevitable gunfight takes place. Director John Sturges takes some dramatic license with this confrontation, as well, stretching things out to nearly six minutes, but this is after all an "A" production, and a minute-and-a-half of gunfire just wouldn't cut it. The huge cast of western veterans includes Earl Holliman as Charles Bassett, Dennis Hopper as Billy Clanton, Kenneth Tobey as Bat Masterson, Lee Van Cleef as Ed Bailey, Jack Elam as Tom McLowery, and John Hudson, DeForest Kelley and Martin Milner as Virgil, Morgan, and James Earp, respectively. And there's that Dimitri Tiomkin score, pushing the movie's momentum as relentlessly as the two driven heroes, complete with a song (sung by Frankie Laine) underscoring the major transitions of scenes that's impossible to forget, once heard. Sturges himself would produce and direct a more fact-based and realistic version of the story -- focusing mostly on its aftermath -- a decade later, entitled Hour of the Gun, starring James Garner, Jason Robards, Jr., and Robert Ryan, which wasn't nearly as attractive or successful. But after Gunfight At The OK Corral, there would not be so impressive a lineup of talent at the OK Corral again until the twin Earp biopics of 1994, Wyatt Earp and Tombstone. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr.
Directed By: John Sturges
Written By: Leon Uris
Genres: Western, Classics

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1957 Wide
On DVD: Apr 22, 2003
Studio: Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Handsome production based on oft-told Wyatt Earp confrontation...Lancaster and Douglas are outstanding.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
At best an effective Western.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Dean M

The Wyatt Earp-Doc Holliday legend got another going-over in this rather good Western. Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas portray these larger-than-life gunfighters, who shoot it out with the nefarious Clanton family in 1881 Tombstone. The movie effectively builds up its tension until… More
The Wyatt Earp-Doc Holliday legend got another going-over in this rather good Western. Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas portray these larger-than-life gunfighters, who shoot it out with the nefarious Clanton family in 1881 Tombstone. The movie effectively builds up its tension until the climactic gunfight. Believe me in this story is half fictional because of the wife of Wyatt Earp and the battle of O.K. Corral.
First L

Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas make an okay movie great. Burt Lancaster is the agressively moral lawman, Wyatt Earp. Kirk Douglas is Doc Holliday, a man whom trouble "just seems to follow" as he goes about from town to town and saloon to saloon, gambling and drinking… More
Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas make an okay movie great. Burt Lancaster is the agressively moral lawman, Wyatt Earp. Kirk Douglas is Doc Holliday, a man whom trouble "just seems to follow" as he goes about from town to town and saloon to saloon, gambling and drinking himself to an early grave (he was in fact dying of Tuberculosis). His woman Kate (Jo Van Fleet) has a vicious love/hate affair with him (she loves him, he hates her), that will eventually lead him to the famous gun battle at the O.K. Corral. Historically accurate or not, the film packs quite an entertaining wallup, with even the ensemble cast (a young Dennis Hopper and a young DeForest "Dr. Bones McCoy" Kelley) giving excellent performances. There's the grandeur of an epic here, even if the film itself doesn't live up to it. And as the famous gun battle draws closer, the film stumbles over itself trying to justify the battle taking place at all, falling down to a basic revenge scenario. It's a great battle none-the-less. The most odd thing about the film is the Frankie Laine title ballad, which is so incongruous to the atmosphere of the film it's almost laughable. And yet, I can't get the damn song out of my head. "Ok... Corral..."
Ken S

Entertaining enough western shot in beautiful Vista vision. It's no My Darling Clementine...but it will do in a pinch
xGary X

One of the original "buddy" partnerships, Lancaster and Douglas were always great together. One of the best tellings of the Earp story, but nowhere near as good as My Darling Clementine
Jeffrey M

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is a very effective western, featuring great chemistry between Lancaster and the legendary Kirk Douglas, with a good minor role by a young Dennis Hooper. While it has dubious historical value as a representation of the actual gunfight, the script is… More
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is a very effective western, featuring great chemistry between Lancaster and the legendary Kirk Douglas, with a good minor role by a young Dennis Hooper. While it has dubious historical value as a representation of the actual gunfight, the script is surprisingly smart, full of classic western lines. Also made the more charming by a great score and original song. Solid late 50s western.
Jim W

In this classic Western with an all star cast, Wyatt Earp (Burt Lancaster) learns to trust Doc Holiday (Kirk Douglas), a sick drunk that's also a dangerous killer. When a gang threatens Marshal Earp and his deputy brothers for not letting them carry guns into town, will a sick… More
In this classic Western with an all star cast, Wyatt Earp (Burt Lancaster) learns to trust Doc Holiday (Kirk Douglas), a sick drunk that's also a dangerous killer. When a gang threatens Marshal Earp and his deputy brothers for not letting them carry guns into town, will a sick and dieing Doc be able to help ? I consider Tombstone a classic and before seeing this film, I was thinking that it was the best film about Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday. I do still love Val Kilmer's great over the top work as Doc Holiday, but Kirk Douglas is just as good in the role. Douglas' Holiday is just as fun of a performance, but it's kind of better since he doesn't try as hard to appear drunk and disorderly. While Burt Lancaster is also one of the best Wyatt Earp's I have seen. If you liked Tombstone, then give Gunfight at the O.K. Corral a chance as well.
Ivan D

Many versions were made about the infamous gunfight, but this is the first variation of the story that I have seen. Wyatt Earp, although a real-life western figure, was a generic clean-cut hero, and is played by Burt Lancaster with the standard hero persona. But Doc Holiday, one of… More
Many versions were made about the infamous gunfight, but this is the first variation of the story that I have seen. Wyatt Earp, although a real-life western figure, was a generic clean-cut hero, and is played by Burt Lancaster with the standard hero persona. But Doc Holiday, one of the grittiest western characters ever, was the trickier of the two to portray, and putting Kirk Douglas, a very talented actor, in the role was a very great move, as he has done justice to the gambling-addicted ally of Earp. Of course, many people watched the film solely for witnessing the eponymous set piece, and I have to say, it was a great build-up to the anticipated climax. The said shoot-out was directed by John Sturges without any music to let viewers feel the raw ferocity of the ricochets and gunshot sounds. Another high point of the film is its theme song, which is although corny-sounding today(I bet even back then), does not fail to accompany all our LS syndrome, with me ending up humming a tune or two.
Jonny C

OK Western. Lancaster and Douglas are a great partnership, and both give strong performances as Earp and Holliday. But the storytelling is very dull, and the gunfight was an anticlimax. I prefer Tombstone any day.
Barry L

I am a huge western fan. Great film.

Read all 9 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp

            Kirk Douglas as John H. "Doc" Holliday

            Rhonda Fleming as Laura Denbow

            Jo Van Fleet as Kate Fisher

            John Ireland as Johnny Ringo

            Lyle Bettger as Ike Clanton

            Frank Faylen as Cotton Wilson

            Earl Holliman as Charles Bassett

            Ted de Corsia as Abel Head "Shanghai Pierce"

            Dennis Hopper as Billy Clanton

            Whit Bissell as John P. Clum

            George Mathews as John Shanssey

            John Hudson as Virgil Earp

            DeForest Kelley as Morgan Earp

            Martin Milner as James Earp

            Lee Van Cleef as Ed Bailey

            Joan Camden as Betty Earp

            Olive Carey as Mrs. Clanton

            Brian G. Hutton as Rick

            Nelson Leigh as Mayor Kelley

            Jack Elam as Tom McLowery

            Dorothy Abbott as Girl

            William Norton Bailey
            
            John Benson as Rig Driver

            Don Castle as Drunken Cowboy

            Joe Forte
            
            Frank S. Hagney as Bartender

            Len Hendry as Cowboy

            Charles Herbert as Tommy Earp

            Edward Ingram as Deputy

            Anthony Jochim as Old Man

            Ethan Laidlaw
            
            Gregg Martell
            
            Tony Merrill as Barber

            Dennis Moore
            
            Richard Reeves as Foreman

            Lee Roberts as Finn Clanton

            Bing Russell as Bartender

            Mickey Simpson as Frank McLowery

            Robert Swan as Shaugnessy Man

            Kenneth Tobey as Bat Masterson

            Bill Williams as Stuntman

            Henry Wills as Alby

            Trude Wyler as Social Hall Guest

            Jim Davies
            
            John Maxwell as Merchant

            Roger Creed as Deputy

            Courtland Shepard as Card Player

            Morgan Lane
            
            Max Power
            
            Harry B. Mendoza as Frank Loving
See full cast