This is based on the 1931 Stuart Lake biography of Wyatt Earp that made him
a household name. In 1934 there was another film titled Frontier Marshal
about Earp but they changed the names to protect the innocent and their wallets.
So instead of Wyatt Earp it was Michael Wyatt and instead of Doc Holliday
it was Doc Warren. One way I guess to avoid paying Lake anything. I have
not read the biography but if this film has any resemblance to it, Lake was
making it all up. This is total fiction and you have to wonder why they bothered
to say it was from his book. Earp was a historical figure and dead so you
can make up anything. And they do. Directed by Allan Dwan like he was in
a hurry to catch a bus at 71 minutes. This film needed another 25 minutes
to flesh out the characters, the relationship between Earp and Holliday and
add some more plot. It is Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday (or Halliday in the
film to avoid a lawsuit from Holliday's family) in shorthand.
In this one Wyatt Earp is portrayed by Randolph Scott and Holliday by Cesar
Romero. Scott is broad shouldered and convincingly heroic while Romero adds
a pile of self-hate on Holliday. The first time we see Holliday he is great
- slit eyed and looking to murder someone, anyone. But mainly Earp. His girl
Jerry (Binnie Barnes) has asked for a favor - to kill Earp for throwing her
in a horse's trough of water. Killing for Holliday comes easy but instead
Earp saves his life and they become friends. Binnie is relentlessly nasty
and entertaining - you would not be surprised to see a scorpion walk out
of her mouth whistling a tune.
Earp is having trouble with a saloon run by Carter (John Carradine) who has
a side game - robbing stages. Among his men are ones played by Lon Chaney
Jr. and Joe Sawyer. An old girlfriend (Nancy Kelly) of Doc's tracks
him down to Tombstone and wants to start over. Eventually there is a shootout
at the O.K Corral but it is nothing like the real one - Earp is on his own
and the Clantons are not even in the film. I just don't get it. Why
bother? The relationship between Earp and Holliday in particular gets the
bum's rush - they meet cute - Holliday wants to kill Earp and a minute later
he is ready to kill for him. Maybe that is the way it was in the Old West.
In the film also for no reason that I can think of is Eddie Foy Jr playing
Eddie Foy Sr who shows up to put on a show. Ward Bond has a small role
in this one and was in the earlier Frontier Marshall as well. Always a pleasure
to see Bond and Chris Pin-Martin plays the Mexican bartender with the funny
accent - a role I have seen him in dozens of times.
