Hour of the Gun (1967)

Instead of telling the familiar Wyatt Earp - Doc Holliday story as it leads up to the shootout at the OK Corral, this film actually *begins* with the shootout and shows us all that came after (it purports to be based on fact). Earp (James Garner) and Doc (Jason Robards) are targeted by ruthless businessman Ike Clanton (Robert Ryan) and his minions. Earp, similarly, is motivated to strike back at Clanton and company when they target his brothers Morgan and Virgil.Once again, director John Sturges ("Bad Day at Black Rock", "The Magnificent Seven") is right at home in this genre, but the script by Edward Anhalt isn't terribly inspired. Ultimately, this plays like a pretty standard revenge saga, but it's helped by efficient filmmaking and a typically nice Jerry Goldsmith music score. There are certainly good moments throughout, especially in scenes with Garner and Robards, who are believable as friends, loyal to each other through thick and thin. Especially potent is when Doc has figured out Earps' agenda. Earp claims that the mission to go after Clantons' men is all mandated by the law, but Doc can see otherwise.The cast is stocked with highly recognizable faces (Albert Salmi, Charles Aidman, William Schallert, William Windom, Lonny Chapman, etc.), including a future star in the form of Jon Voight (cast as Curly Bill Brocius), who was two years away from "Midnight Cowboy" at this time. Garner and especially Robards are wonderful, although you won't ever see Garners' Earp show a lot of emotion. Ryan is excellent as always in one of his trademark villain roles. But it's the moving relationship between Earp and Doc that is the heart of the film.Not a great, or especially memorable experience, but it does entertain in solid enough fashion.Seven out of 10.

It's Oct 26, 1881 Tombstone, Territory of Arizona. Wyatt Earp (James Garner)'s group fight Ike Clanton (Robert Ryan)'s group at the O.K. Corral. Ike survives and Wyatt is brought up on charges with the help of the corrupt local sheriff. Wyatt is cleared. His brother Virgil runs for sheriff and is severely injured in an ambush. His other brother Morgan is elected and promptly killed. He sends his family to California. He gets appointed as a new federal marshal for Arizona. With the help of friend Doc Holliday (Jason Robards) and his supporters, he takes on Clanton and his gang.It's interesting to start the movie where most Tombstone movies end. Supposedly, this is based more on the real events. John Sturges directs this with his steady hands. Most of it rests on James Garner's solid performance. His character is restrained by the law and circumstances. He suppresses what must be overwhelming anger. I would prefer a bit more action to intensify the traditional western and more anger to show Wyatt's emotions. Nevertheless, it's compelling to see this part of the story done well.

Reportedly the John Sturges-directed, ponderous Hour of the Gun that came some ten years after the high-profile flourished Gunfight at the OK Corral, was a much more appreciated film. Mostly the admiration came form the director who was dismayed at the bending of historical facts to fit into a palpable Hollywood vehicle.Writing kudos to Edward Anhalt who takes the gnarly legal situations of the film and makes them gripping as scenes are set up to examine the way in which Wyatt Earp uses the instruments of the law-enforcement system to bring the Clanton Brothers to trial for their wide-ranging activity of robbery and assassinations. Moreover the film highlights well how the character of Wyatt Earp disintegrates to the level of avenger in order to force justice.It's a thinking man's film. These gunslingers talk a lot about their reasons for doing what they do. The deadly gunfight at the OK Corral happens very early in the movie, and the nullifying affect it has on the balance of power between law-abiding citizens and the outlaws becomes a social pivot point in how the film defines success. This is a period of change in the West, a time in which laws were supposed to supersede gun violence, and the script makes note to repeat the efforts of Earp to utilize this new rule of the land.The performances of James Garner as Wyatt Earp, Jason Robards as Doc Holliday, and Robert Ryan as Ike Clanton anchor the film one three distinct personas. Each represents a defined viewpoint of how civilization is proceeding, and each argues as well with words as he shoots his gun.There is some slight bending of historical accuracy as when Garner's Earp finally tracks down Ryan's Ike Clanton and the confrontation is one of those classical Hollywood standoffs. This only seems slightly self-indulgent for the filmmakers. This is still a classically-structured movie and we already know the story, but seeing how Hour of the Gun reaffirms the myth of the West will have you thinking more about how America developed such a respectful admiration of guns.

The gunfight at the O.K. Corral is just over. Bodies lie in the dust. Now the killing really begins. Please note that elements of the plot are discussed, but first, a civics lesson. Ike Clanton (Robert Ryan) is determined to buy or shoot his way into power in Arizona. The territory sooner or later will be a state. Clanton knows all those "Easterners" are moving in with their own ideas of law, order and who should be in control. Standing in his way is Wyatt Earp (James Garner). Earp is a no-nonsense lawman who'll take down anyone who breaks the law. He's fast enough with a gun and ready enough to use it that he keeps getting in Clanton's way. If that doesn't frustrate Clanton enough, Earp has his two brothers to back him up, along with his good friend, Doc Holliday (Jason Robards). Clanton makes his play to eliminate the Earps with the shootout at the corral. By now the movie is only ten minutes over. The gunfight itself takes 30 seconds, just as it did in real life. Hour of the Gun tells us what happened next. Clanton brings charges of murder against Earp and Holliday. They are narrowly acquitted. Clanton follows up with back shootings of Earp's brothers, leaving Virgil crippled and Morgan dead. Earp is not going to back down and now the grudge is personal. Holliday will stick with Earp. Clanton is going to use the law as well as his gang to run Earp out of the Territory or see him dead. Earp is going to legally go after the men he suspects attacked his brothers. Legally, he has warrants for their arrest. Legally, Doc Holliday points out to Earp, "Those aren't warrants you have there...those are hunting licenses." That's exactly how Earp sees things. There may be a legal posse set up by Clanton to run down Earp, but Earp is on a hunt of his own, aided by Holliday and a small group of "deputies." Hour of the Gun is just as linear as that. It's also one of the grimmest and best directed Westerns most people have never seen. Too bad, because James Garner may have given the best performances of his career. He plays a man of deadly commitment to the law, and doesn't hesitate to use the law to justify his own brand of capital punishment before trial. Robards almost seems to recognize the weight of the role and what Garner is doing with it. There's no competition from Robards, just masterly support. As far as Robert Ryan goes, we don't see much of him, but when he's on he gives a lot of authority to Ike Clanton. Ryan provides the believable ruthlessness that leads to what turns out to be Earp's Vendetta Ride, the hunting down and killing of those who attacked his brothers. Yet toward the end of the movie when Earp is determined to bring retribution directly to Clanton one way or another, Hour of the Gun slips down a notch on the old gun belt. Earp has given up any pretense of enforcing the law. With Clanton in Mexico, Earp is just going to kill him. It depends on Doc Holliday, of all people, to provide a bit of law-abiding morality. "The whole thing's hypocrisy," Doc tells Earp. "The rules they tack on say unless you're wearing that badge or a soldier's uniform, you can't kill. But they're the only rules there are. They're more important to you than you think. Play it that way, Wyatt, or you'll destroy yourself. I know you. You can't live like me." Wyatt Earp shows that he can. This is a good movie that just happens to be a western. John Sturges directed it ten years after he turned out the Lancaster/Douglas big hit, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. As a lean, mean piece of movie making, Hour of the Gun puts the earlier film in the shade. Even so, Hour of the Gun was a flop. It is unrelentingly grim. There is no romance and almost no females, just lots of tension, a number of quick gunfights, several great line deliveries from Robards and Garner's performance. I think it's a better movie.