Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957 film)
Encyclopedia
The film was based on a real event which took place on October 26, 1881. It was directed by John Sturges
and featuring a screenplay written by novelist Leon Uris
, and the movie's supporting cast included Rhonda Fleming
, John Ireland
, Jo Van Fleet
, Martin Milner
, Dennis Hopper
, Jack Elam
, Lee Van Cleef
, DeForest Kelley
, Earl Holliman
and Charles Herbert
.
was already a deputy U.S. Marshal when he arrived in Tombstone, while Wyatt had little, if any, legal authority. Wyatt came to Tombstone with a common-law wife, whom he later sent away to stay with his family—in order to get her away from opiates. His brothers were also married at the time. The fight bears no resemblance to the actual battle, which was a 30 second long, face to face affair. Johnny Ringo
(John Ireland
) was not present at the OK Corral gunfight. He later killed himself. Ike Clanton brought murder charges against the Earps and Doc Holliday
. The Cowboys claimed the Earps had killed the outlaws as they attempted to surrender. During the Spicer hearing the coroner and witnesses presented conflicting evidence about whether the Cowboys had their hands in the air or guns in their hands or were trying to draw their weapon when the fighting started. Morgan and Virgil Earp were wounded and Holliday was grazed by a bullet. Wyatt was unhurt. Judge Wells Spicer ruled that the lawmen acted within their authority.
... Marshal Wyatt Earp
Kirk Douglas
... Doc Holliday
Rhonda Fleming
... Laura Denbow
Jo Van Fleet
... Kate Fisher
(Doc's woman)
John Ireland
... Johnny Ringo
(Clanton's hired gun)
Lyle Bettger
... Ike Clanton
Frank Faylen
... Cotton Wilson (county sheriff, Griffin, Texas)
Earl Holliman
... Deputy Sheriff Charlie Bassett
Ted de Corsia
... Shanghai Pierce (cattleman)
Dennis Hopper
... Billy Clanton
Whit Bissell
... John P. Clum (editor, 'Tombstone Epitaph' / Head of Citizens Council)
George Mathews
... John Shanssey
(Griffin saloon owner)
John Hudson ... Virgil Earp
DeForest Kelley
... Morgan Earp
Martin Milner
... James 'Jimmy' Earp
Lee Van Cleef
... Ed Bailey
Jack Elam
... Tom McLowery
.
John Sturges
John Eliot Sturges was an American film director. His movies include Bad Day at Black Rock , Gunfight at the O.K. Corral , The Magnificent Seven , The Great Escape and Ice Station Zebra .-Career:He started his career in Hollywood as an editor in 1932...
and featuring a screenplay written by novelist Leon Uris
Leon Uris
Leon Marcus Uris was an American novelist, known for his historical fiction and the deep research that went into his novels. His two bestselling books were Exodus, published in 1958, and Trinity, in 1976.-Life:...
, and the movie's supporting cast included Rhonda Fleming
Rhonda Fleming
Rhonda Fleming , is an American film and television actress.She acted in more than 40 films, mostly in the 1940s and 1950s, and became renowned as one of the most beautiful and glamorous actresses of her day...
, John Ireland
John Ireland (actor)
John Benjamin Ireland was an actor and film director.-Biography:Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, he was raised in New York City from the age of 18. He started out in minor stage roles on Broadway...
, Jo Van Fleet
Jo Van Fleet
Jo Van Fleet was an American theatre and film actress.-Career:Van Fleet established herself as a notable dramatic actress on Broadway over several years, winning a Tony Award in 1954 for her skill in a difficult role, playing an unsympathetic, even abusive character, in Horton Foote's The Trip to...
, Martin Milner
Martin Milner
Martin Sam Milner is an American actor best known for his performances in two popular television series, Adam-12 and Route 66....
, Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
, Jack Elam
Jack Elam
William Scott "Jack" Elam was an American film actor best known for his numerous roles as villains in Western films and, later in his career, comedies .-Early life:...
, Lee Van Cleef
Lee Van Cleef
Lee Van Cleef was an American film actor who appeared mostly in Western and action pictures. His sharp features and piercing eyes led to his being cast as a villain in scores of films such as High Noon, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and The Good The Bad and the Ugly.-Early life:Van Cleef was...
, DeForest Kelley
DeForest Kelley
Jackson DeForest Kelley was an American actor known for his iconic roles in Westerns and as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy of the USS Enterprise in the television and film series Star Trek.-Early life:...
, Earl Holliman
Earl Holliman
-Early life:Earl Holliman was born at Delhi in Richland Parish of northeastern Louisiana. Holliman’s biological father died before he was born, and his biological mother, living in poverty with several other children, gave him up for adoption at birth...
and Charles Herbert
Charles Herbert
Charles Herbert is a former American child actor of the 1950s and 1960s. Before reaching his teens, Herbert was renowned by a generation of moviegoers for an on-screen broody, mature style and wit that enabled him to go one-on-one with some of the biggest names in the industry, and his appearances...
.
Historical inaccuracies
The film is a loose Hollywood retelling of the gunfight and makes no pretense at historical accuracy. Virgil EarpVirgil Earp
Virgil Walter Earp fought in the Civil War. He was U.S. Deputy Marshal for south-eastern Arizona and Tombstone City Marshal at the time of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in the Arizona Territory. Two months after the shootout in Tombstone, outlaw Cowboys ambushed Virgil on the streets of...
was already a deputy U.S. Marshal when he arrived in Tombstone, while Wyatt had little, if any, legal authority. Wyatt came to Tombstone with a common-law wife, whom he later sent away to stay with his family—in order to get her away from opiates. His brothers were also married at the time. The fight bears no resemblance to the actual battle, which was a 30 second long, face to face affair. Johnny Ringo
Johnny Ringo
John Peters "Johnny" Ringo was an outlaw Cowboy of the American Old West who was affiliated with Ike Clanton and Frank Stilwell in Cochise County, Arizona Territory during 1881-1882.-Early life:...
(John Ireland
John Ireland (actor)
John Benjamin Ireland was an actor and film director.-Biography:Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, he was raised in New York City from the age of 18. He started out in minor stage roles on Broadway...
) was not present at the OK Corral gunfight. He later killed himself. Ike Clanton brought murder charges against the Earps and Doc Holliday
Doc Holliday
John Henry "Doc" Holliday was an American gambler, gunfighter and dentist of the American Old West, who is usually remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...
. The Cowboys claimed the Earps had killed the outlaws as they attempted to surrender. During the Spicer hearing the coroner and witnesses presented conflicting evidence about whether the Cowboys had their hands in the air or guns in their hands or were trying to draw their weapon when the fighting started. Morgan and Virgil Earp were wounded and Holliday was grazed by a bullet. Wyatt was unhurt. Judge Wells Spicer ruled that the lawmen acted within their authority.
Cast
Burt LancasterBurt Lancaster
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
... Marshal Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas is an American stage and film actor, film producer and author. His popular films include Out of the Past , Champion , Ace in the Hole , The Bad and the Beautiful , Lust for Life , Paths of Glory , Gunfight at the O.K...
... Doc Holliday
Doc Holliday
John Henry "Doc" Holliday was an American gambler, gunfighter and dentist of the American Old West, who is usually remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...
Rhonda Fleming
Rhonda Fleming
Rhonda Fleming , is an American film and television actress.She acted in more than 40 films, mostly in the 1940s and 1950s, and became renowned as one of the most beautiful and glamorous actresses of her day...
... Laura Denbow
Jo Van Fleet
Jo Van Fleet
Jo Van Fleet was an American theatre and film actress.-Career:Van Fleet established herself as a notable dramatic actress on Broadway over several years, winning a Tony Award in 1954 for her skill in a difficult role, playing an unsympathetic, even abusive character, in Horton Foote's The Trip to...
... Kate Fisher
Big Nose Kate
Mary Katherine Horony Cummings , known as Big Nose Kate, was the Hungarian-born long-time companion and common-law wife of fabled gambler and gunfighter Doc Holliday in the American Old West....
(Doc's woman)
John Ireland
John Ireland (actor)
John Benjamin Ireland was an actor and film director.-Biography:Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, he was raised in New York City from the age of 18. He started out in minor stage roles on Broadway...
... Johnny Ringo
Johnny Ringo
John Peters "Johnny" Ringo was an outlaw Cowboy of the American Old West who was affiliated with Ike Clanton and Frank Stilwell in Cochise County, Arizona Territory during 1881-1882.-Early life:...
(Clanton's hired gun)
Lyle Bettger
Lyle Bettger
Lyle S. Bettger was a character actor known most for his Hollywood roles from the 1950s, typically portraying villains...
... Ike Clanton
Ike Clanton
Joseph Isaac Clanton was born in Callaway County, Missouri. He is best known for being a member of group of outlaw Cowboys that had ongoing conflicts with lawmen Wyatt, Virgil, Morgan Earp and Wyatt's friend Doc Holliday. The Clantons repeatedly threatened the Earps because they interfered with...
Frank Faylen
Frank Faylen
Frank Faylen was an American movie and television actor.Born Frank Ruf in St. Louis, Missouri, he began his acting career as an infant appearing with his vaudeville performing parents on stage...
... Cotton Wilson (county sheriff, Griffin, Texas)
Earl Holliman
Earl Holliman
-Early life:Earl Holliman was born at Delhi in Richland Parish of northeastern Louisiana. Holliman’s biological father died before he was born, and his biological mother, living in poverty with several other children, gave him up for adoption at birth...
... Deputy Sheriff Charlie Bassett
Ted de Corsia
Ted de Corsia
Ted de Corsia was a radio and movie actor.He is probably best remembered for his role as a gangster turned state's evidence in The Enforcer...
... Shanghai Pierce (cattleman)
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
... Billy Clanton
Whit Bissell
Whit Bissell
Whitner Nutting Bissell , better known as Whit Bissell, was an American actor.-Early life:Born in New York City, Bissell was the son of prominent surgeon Dr. J. Dougal Bissell. He trained with the Carolina Playmakers, a theatrical organization associated with the University of North Carolina at...
... John P. Clum (editor, 'Tombstone Epitaph' / Head of Citizens Council)
George Mathews
George Mathews (actor)
George Mathews was an American actor whose career stretched from an uncredited appearance in Stage Door Canteen in 1943 to Going Home in 1971. Burly, heavy-featured, and tall he had an extensive career on stage which began in the early 1930's, when he failed to get a job with the U.S. Mail. He...
... John Shanssey
John Shanssey
John Shanssey was an American boxer, gambler, saloon owner, and Mayor of Yuma, Arizona, most known for introducing legendary lawman Wyatt Earp to gambler and gunman Doc Holliday.-References:*...
(Griffin saloon owner)
John Hudson ... Virgil Earp
Virgil Earp
Virgil Walter Earp fought in the Civil War. He was U.S. Deputy Marshal for south-eastern Arizona and Tombstone City Marshal at the time of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in the Arizona Territory. Two months after the shootout in Tombstone, outlaw Cowboys ambushed Virgil on the streets of...
DeForest Kelley
DeForest Kelley
Jackson DeForest Kelley was an American actor known for his iconic roles in Westerns and as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy of the USS Enterprise in the television and film series Star Trek.-Early life:...
... Morgan Earp
Morgan Earp
Morgan Seth Earp was the younger brother of Deputy U.S. Marshals Virgil and Wyatt Earp. Morgan was a deputy of Virgil's and all three men were the target of repeated death threats made by outlaw Cowboys who were upset by the Earps' interference in their illegal activities. This conflict eventually...
Martin Milner
Martin Milner
Martin Sam Milner is an American actor best known for his performances in two popular television series, Adam-12 and Route 66....
... James 'Jimmy' Earp
Lee Van Cleef
Lee Van Cleef
Lee Van Cleef was an American film actor who appeared mostly in Western and action pictures. His sharp features and piercing eyes led to his being cast as a villain in scores of films such as High Noon, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and The Good The Bad and the Ugly.-Early life:Van Cleef was...
... Ed Bailey
Jack Elam
Jack Elam
William Scott "Jack" Elam was an American film actor best known for his numerous roles as villains in Western films and, later in his career, comedies .-Early life:...
... Tom McLowery
Awards
The film was nominated for two Academy AwardsAcademy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
.
- Film Editing
- Sound Recording (George DuttonGeorge DuttonGeorge Dutton was an American sound engineer. He was nominated for five Academy Awards; three in the category Best Effects and two for Sound Recording.-Selected filmography:Best Effects* So Proudly We Hail!...
)