RE: The More Authentic Westerns...My Darling Clementine...historically accurate?

[Deej]

BoyScoutKevin wrote:

> This is for Scott and anybody else who like their westerns
> authentic, including "Tombstone." That may not be the best
> portrayal of the events that occurred, that would probably be
> John Ford's "My Darling Clementine," .

My Darling Clementine is a kick ass western, but not even close to being an accurate depiction of the events that occured. Most "true story" type films of that period weren't. Here are just some of the things "Clementine" got wrong.

Firstly, the movie is set in 1882, according to James' headstone. The OK corral gunfight occured in October 1881.

In the movie, the Earps start off as cattlemen, they weren't in real life. Although Wyatt was a horsethief in his youth, that's as close as they came to being cowboys.

In the movie, the feud starts because the Clantons kill the youngest Earp, James. In reality, James wasn't killed and he wasn't the youngest Earp Brother. He was the oldest or second oldest.

In the movie, both  Virgil Earp and Billy Clanton are killed BEFORE the OK corral gunfight. In reality, Billy died IN the gunfight, Virgil was wounded and was murdered after. The movie also has Doc dying in the shootout, he was only slightly wounded and died a few years later from TB. Ike Clanton also dies in the film, in real life...he scarpered.

In the film Doc and Wyatt meet in Tombstone, in reality, they'd known each other for years.

The movie has Old Man Clanton as a partcipant in the shootout, he actually was killed a few months earlier in Mexico, in retaliation for some murders he commited there.

I don't think the discrepencies take away from the movie at all. It's still one of the top westerns ever made, just not accurate. Most early Wyatt Earp films were based on a book by Stuart N. Lake that was for years taken as gospel. It's good reading, but mostly fiction. Also, Hollywood in the 30's and 40's wasn't big on letting the facts ruin a good "historical" movie.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Thank-you for the information, Deej. It just goes to prove that you do not need to make an accurate western to make a good western. Of course, my preference is for "Tombstone."

How odd. Or, maybe not. In the March, 2004, issue of "True West" magazine there is an article about "Old Man" Clanton, if anybody is interested in finding out more information about the man.

[Deej]

BoyScoutKevin wrote:

> How odd. Or, maybe not. In the March, 2004, issue of "True
> West" magazine there is an article about "Old Man" Clanton, if
> anybody is interested in finding out more information about the
> man.
>

From what've I've read on the Old Man, he'd be a much better subject for a movie than Ike. A far more evil and formidable villain. My Dalring Clementine is the only Earp-Clanton movie, I've seen, that even makes mention of him.

I also prefer Tombstone.



Post Edited (02-11-04 17:12)

[Scott]

Went to Tombstone last year and they have the old board side walks on the main street and the original site of the OK Corral and the graveyard of those who died in the gunfight. There is also a neat diarama of the town of Tomestone were Vincent Price narrates the history of Tombstone "The Town to Tough to Die" also the Bird Cage Theater were you can see the bullit holes from the time, you can visit were Doc Holiday stayed, and visit the print shop of the Epitaph were they give you a free reprint copy to the paper that reported the story of the Gunfight at OK Corral. Here are a couple photos:



My wife standing were they fell that day.

[BoyScoutKevin]

It's a small world isn't it. I, too, have been to Tombstone once. I usually by-passed it, as it was not on the freeway between where I once lived and where I lived, but, this time I turned off the freeway and took a sidetrip there. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to listen to Price's narration. I did have enough time to visit Boothill or the cemetery in Tombstone. What I do remember was one of the tombstones, which read: "Les Moore. 4 slugs from a .44. No less. No more." I also remembered that Tombstone claimed to have the largest rosebush in the world.

[Deej]

I went to Tombstone when I was 12, with my family. I have a picture somewhere, of me in front of The Birdcage Theater with a friggin' cowboy hat on. must find and destroy that picture!!