Dreadfully Boring

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

The producers of "Hour of the Gun" proudly portray after the credits that "THIS PICTURE IS BASED ON FACTS. THIS IS THE WAY IT HAPPENED." But it's very far from being how things happened.Sheriff Johan Behan's name was changed to Jimmy Bryan for some reason unknown to me. The dialogue in Wyatt's hearing (Judge Wells W. Spicer) was pure nonsense (I have the transcript of the Spicer hearing). There was no reference of the deal Wyatt Earp made to Ike Clanton to betray the Cowboys. The transcript is online for anyone to read.The shootout wasn't at the OK Corral as shown, but in a side street on the other side of the block. (Doc Holliday was still in Freemont St.) The bodies in the coffin window were placed wrongly.Doc Holliday played by a far too old Jason Robards (Doc was only 36 when he died) wasn't a killer either by reputation or profession as inferred, he was a dentist. The shootout wasn't even made famous until 1913.Morgan Earp didn't die on a pool table, he hit the ground as soon as he was shot.Pete Spence wasn't shot dead by Earp at a desert railroad stop, but died in 1914 and is buried in the Globe, Arizona cemetery, in an unmarked plot next to Phin Clanton. (In June 1883, Spence was working as a deputy sheriff in Georgetown, New Mexico, when he severely pistol-whipped Rodney O'Hara, killing him. He was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to a 5-year term in the Yuma Arizona Territorial Penitentiary'. Less than 18 months later he was granted a full pardon by the territorial governor. He operated a goat ranch south of Globe, Arizona near the Galiuro Mountains with his old friend, Phin Clanton, and ran mule teams that were used to bring supplies into the Globe area. Phin Clanton died in 1906, and Spence married Phin's widow four years later on April 2, 1910, using his real name of Elliot Larkin Ferguson.) Curly Bill Brocious was not shot outside a saloon but at a Cowboy encampment way out of town. The Earps were surprised when they came across it.After the killing of Brocious, the "vendetta ride" was over, and Earp killed no more. Billy Claiborne was killed in an argument by "Buckskin" Frank Leslie who was tending bar at the Oriental Saloon on November 14, 1882 when Claiborne, who was very drunk, began using insulting and abusive language. Claiborne left the bar. A short time later Leslie also left the saloon at which time Claiborne raised his rifle and fired, missing Leslie. Leslie returned fire and hit Claiborne in the chest. Ike Clanton and his brother Phineas were charged with cattle-rustling and pursued by detective Jonas V. Brighton. On June 1, 1887, at Jim Wilson's Ranch on Eagle Creek, south of Springerville, Arizona, Phin Clanton surrendered, but Ike resisted and was shot dead. But certainly not by Wyatt Earp. There are many other errors in the movie, but the above should be enough to suggest that this movie was most definitely NOT the way it happened.But then by using the magic words "based on", the movie-makers can get away with anything.

There must have been 20 actors or more playing Wyatt Earp. The first one I saw was Richard Dix "Tombstone, the town too tough to Die", then Randolph Scott Frontier Marshal, and many to follow. A lot of recent movies indicate that Virgil and Morgan were shot the same night, when actually Virgil was December 1881, and Morgan killed three months later in March. In this movie with James Garner, I noticed there was no mention of Sheriff Johnny Behan, a large character in the true story. Also Wyatt did not kill Ike Clanton and it showed at the end of the movie. From my info Ike was killed rustling cattle years later after Wyatt had left Tombstone for good. The character Doc and Wyatt were alway played by older men, actually Wyatt was 33 at the time and Doc was about 35. The best one was Bruce Boxleitner "I married Whatt Earp". Also there was no mention of any women, Mattie Earp, Josephine Marcus Earp, Allie Earp (Virgil's wife) or Big Nose Kate Elder. A lot was left out.

Hour of the Gun is directed by John Sturges and adapted to screenplay by Edward Anhalt from Douglas D. Martin's novel Tombstone's Epitaph. It stars James Garner, Jason Robards and Robert Ryan. Music is by Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography is by Lucien Ballard. Story begins with the shootout at the O.K. Corral and tells of the aftermath involving the major players.Although John Sturges' Gunfight at the O.K. Corall ten years previously proved to be popular, the director was never happy with the finished project, due in no small part to the fact that Hal B. Wallis controlled the script. Here Sturges takes control and crafts what in essence is a sequel to the 57 movie. Leaning more towards a character study with a dark edge, Hour of the Gun is refreshing in giving the Wyatt Earp/Doc Holliday characters a different story than the one we normally see on the screen; one that actually attempts historical accuracy where possible.Viewing it now it's easy to see why the film was received coldly back on release. The Western movie was just about creaking along as a viable cinematic genre as it was, but with Sturges and Anhalt portraying one of America's folklore heroes in moral decline, it's unsurprising that it found itself out of sync with the times. However, time has been very kind to it, where over decades the re-evaluation of many a psychological Western has seen it viewed as one of the more bolder and cynical tinted oaters from the 60s.With a fine script from Anhalt to work from, who also features as a player in the film as Holliday's whiskey smuggling carer, the cast work well. Ryan files in for villain duties as Ike Clanton and Garner as Earp and Robards as Holliday make for a suitably sombre pairing. There's also some quality in the support ranks where Albert Salmi, John Voight, Jorge Russeck and Karl Swenson leave good impressions. With Goldsmith tonally aware for the scoring and master photographer Ballard utilising the Panavision on offer for the Durango locations, it's an all round well put together production. Some fat could have done with being trimmed off it to get it 10 minutes shorter; for the story starts to feel over long entering the last quarter. But Hour of the Gun is not only a better than your average 60s Western, it's also one of the better Wyatt Earp movies available to those interested in the subject. 7.5/10

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.