Hugh O'Brian was seventy years old when he made this picture and though it was good to see him once again, he looked almost out of place revisiting the scene of Western history's most famous gunfight. I like to remember him as the strapping Western hero Wyatt Earp of the Late Fifties TV show. Segments from that series are put to good use here, colorized for a modern day audience that would find it hard to appreciate the days of glorious black and white. But you have to admit, the acting from those days was pretty wooden and the villains didn't seem to be all that menacing. The way the story plays out here tends to be confusing at times with the back and forth blame game between the Clanton's, McLaury's, Johnny Ringo and Curly Bill Brocius. In fact, the latter two weren't directly involved in the historical events leading up to the OK Corral, so their inclusion in the story was one more question mark for viewers to consider.
Interestingly, most of the actual gunfight as presented in the reworked TV footage comes as close to historical accuracy as possible. The real deal only lasted about thirty seconds with about thirty shots fired between both factions. Knowing this I kept track of the shots fired in the picture and I came up with twenty three, but I certainly could have missed a few. If I ever get this on DVD, I'll be certain to replay it for more accuracy.
The outcome of the battle was also historically correct. The McLaury brothers and Billy Clanton died in the fight, while Ike Clanton and Billy Claiborne ran away. Morgan and Virgil Earp, along with Doc Holliday were wounded, while Wyatt Earp came out without a scratch. This undoubtedly further fueled his reputation as a feared gunfighter.
Old time fans like myself will get a kick out of seeing the original players from the TV show - John Anderson, Trevor Bardette and Paul Brinegar to name a few, along with the highly unusual casting of dandy Don Meredith as a bartender in one of the 1914 'modern' segments. The story itself however does plod along at times, and trying to keep up with events in the second half might glaze your eyes over. But it's worth your while to get another take on the famous Gunfight, one that's about as close as you'll get to the real thing.
Interestingly, most of the actual gunfight as presented in the reworked TV footage comes as close to historical accuracy as possible. The real deal only lasted about thirty seconds with about thirty shots fired between both factions. Knowing this I kept track of the shots fired in the picture and I came up with twenty three, but I certainly could have missed a few. If I ever get this on DVD, I'll be certain to replay it for more accuracy.
The outcome of the battle was also historically correct. The McLaury brothers and Billy Clanton died in the fight, while Ike Clanton and Billy Claiborne ran away. Morgan and Virgil Earp, along with Doc Holliday were wounded, while Wyatt Earp came out without a scratch. This undoubtedly further fueled his reputation as a feared gunfighter.
Old time fans like myself will get a kick out of seeing the original players from the TV show - John Anderson, Trevor Bardette and Paul Brinegar to name a few, along with the highly unusual casting of dandy Don Meredith as a bartender in one of the 1914 'modern' segments. The story itself however does plod along at times, and trying to keep up with events in the second half might glaze your eyes over. But it's worth your while to get another take on the famous Gunfight, one that's about as close as you'll get to the real thing.