Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

The American Old West has a reputation of being a dangerous and hard time in history. Compared to our lives today, it was a very hard life for those people who chose to live on the frontier. It also was a dangerous time, with outlaws and thieves terrorizing ranchers and townsfolk alike. But some of the stories we know today didn't exactly happen as we think they did. Most of that misinformation comes from books and then films and television shows.

One of the most famous stories from the Old West is about the gunfight, on October 26, 1881, at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. The myth of this event has grown larger than the actual event itself (although it was a big deal at the time). The fact, that the Earp brothers faced off against the Clanton brothers, is not in dispute. However, the reasons for and the magnitude of the fighting are.

Wyatt Earp

The Earp brothers (Wyatt, Virgil, James and Morgan) were a part of a family that had been wandering around for years. In 1879 the brothers ended up in Tombstone where they hoped to establish themselves as businessmen. James opened a saloon and Virgil hoped to be a silver prospector. Morgan and Wyatt, however, were looking to make money through the burgeoning gambling houses. Virgil was sidetracked from his goal when he was offered the position of city marshal. Also joining them in Tombstone was Wyatt's good friend John "Doc" Holliday.

The Clanton brothers, on the other hand were ranchers who were also cattle rustlers and stage coach robbers. The Clanton family had been in Arizona for almost 10 years by 1881 and their ranch was doing well due to the growth of government contracts and the mining camps nearby. Even though the Clantons had been in Tombstone longer than many others, they, and other "country" people were quickly becoming the outsiders.

There was bad blood between the two almost from the very beginning. There were accusations, on both sides, of robbery and thievery, including the theft of Wyatt Earp's horse. A failed stage robbery seemed to be the final straw. Holliday, the Earp's friend, had been arrested by the county sheriff, a crony of the Clanton's, for the attempt. Even worse, the Earps were accused of being the masterminds behind the robbery. Holliday was released but the Earps did not forget, especially Wyatt.

Tombstone, AZ 1891

A few months later, the feud came to a head. On October 25, 1881 Ike Clanton, along with Tom McLaury (another family feuding with the Earps) arrived in Tombstone to spend the night visiting the many saloons in town. After a brief, but angry encounter with Holliday, Ike Clanton headed off to an all night poker game. The next morning, lacking sleep, Ike, still fuming about the previous evening was itching for a fight with the Earps.

At that point, Virgil, the city marshal, arrested Ike for carrying firearms. The anger on all sides did not subside then, they only escalated. By the time Ike's guns were confiscated and he paid his fine, more Clanton and McLaury brothers had arrived in town. As the day wore on, Ike became more determined to have it out with the Earps.

Finally, the Earps and the Clantons had their showdown. Whether they were just planning on arresting the gang or not is a little uncertain. The Earps were all armed, but not all of the Clanton gang were. The Earps approached their rivals and had them backed into a corner. In just minutes, three men were dead and three were wounded. The dead were Tom and Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton.

The Earps were charged with murder, but the judge decided that they were justified. But the Clantons were not done with their form of justice. In December of 1881, Virgil Wyatt was seriously wounded after an ambush and in March of 1882 Morgan Earp was killed in the local billiards parlor. Wyatt Earp, then sought his own justice killing four cowboys before leaving Arizona for good.

O.K. Corral 1882

The myth of this event has different sides. Some people think that the Earps were representing law enforcement and trying to tame the ever-increasing lawlessness of the frontier. Others saw the Clantons as victims of cold-blooded murder. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Also, most of the action took place on the main street of town, not at the O.K. Corral.

While the story made headlines across the country, Wyatt Earp also contributed to this myth many years later. Late in his life he worked with a young journalist name Stuart N. Lake. Lake wrote Earp's biography, Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal which was published in 1931, two years after Earp's death. It made Earp out to be an heroic lawman of the frontier. This book was then used as the basis for the 1939 film Frontier Marshal.

The myth would be continued through numerous films and television shows for the next sixty years. Two of the most well known films are My Darling Clementine (1946) and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957). The story has even made an appearance in two of televisions most famous science fiction shows - Doctor Who (1966) and Star Trek (1968). The most recent depictions were Tombstone (1993) and Wyatt Earp (1994).

Maybe it's time for another re-telling!

-- Post by Tracy

The New West

We admit -- we're not, personally, much into Westerns. But this classic, quintessentially American genre remains a favorite of many fans of novels, film, and television. The "Old West" has been a romanticized version of our country's history, while still emphasizing the hardships and challenges of new settlers facing a harsh reality.

So in honor of the January 31 anniversary of Zane Grey's birthday, let's take a look at some of the more "modern" Old Westerns to appear in the last few decades:


Films


-- The Quick and the Dead (1995)

A rare western starring a female lead, The Quick and the Dead stars Sharon Stone as the "mysterious gunslinger" who comes to the town of Redemption. She's looking to exact revenge upon the town's leader, John Harod (played by Gene Hackman), by challenging him to one of the town's gunfight competitions. With Russell Crowe as a local reverend (and Leonardo DiCaprio as "the Kid," one of his earlier screen roles), this unique film is not to be missed.

-- Shanghai Noon (2000)

A Hong Kong native, Jackie Chan was famous across Asia for his skills as an actor and a stuntman -- long before movies like Rumble in the Bronx (1995) and Rush Hour (1998) brought him to the attention of American audiences. Known for his quirky fight scenes and incredible stunts, the comedy of Chan's physical routines made the actor a great fit for Shanghai Noon, in which he stars as a Chinese native who finds himself as the proverbial fish-out-of-water when he journeys to the old west. Cast alongside Chan is Owen Wilson, playing an unsuccessful train robber (whose quirky line delivery borders on the anachronistic). It's a great comedy -- even if you don't generally enjoy westerns.

-- 3:10 to Yuma (2007)

This is a remake of the 1957 version (starring Glenn Ford and Van Heflin). It’s the story of two men -- one an outlaw, the other a Civil War veteran who is struggling to maintain his ranch in Arizona. The rancher, played by Christian Bale, agrees to take the outlaw, Russell Crowe, to Yuma. The psychological games played by both men lead to the action-packed ending.

-- True Grit (2010)

Here is another remake of a classic Western. The original starred John Wayne, in one of his most famous roles, as Rooster Cogburn. In the new version, Jeff Bridges takes on this iconic character. True Grit tells the story of a young girl who is determined to track down her father’s killer, and she is also determined that only Cogburn can help her.


-- Rango (2011)

The first animated feature to be produced by special effects company Industrial Light and Magic, this unusual film tells the story of Rango, a house-pet chameleon who abruptly finds himself lost and forgotten in the backwoods town of Dirt. The motley band of animals that make up the citizenry of Dirt are in desperate need of water and a new sheriff, in that order -- and Rango is quick to pass himself off as a tough-enough guy to fit the role of law enforcer. Unfortunately, no illusion lasts forever!  This unique animated movie features the voices of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Ned Beatty, Bill Nighy, and Timothy Olyphant (of the TV show Deadwood and Justified) as the mysterious Spirit of the Old West.


-- Django Unchained (2012)

Currently up for several Academy Awards -- including Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (for Christoph Waltz), and Best Picture -- Django Unchained is director Quentin Tarantino's controversial nod to spaghetti Westerns. The film takes place in the pre-Civil War South, and stars Jamie Foxx as a freed slave who is out to rescue his still-enslaved wife. The film costars Waltz as a German bounty hunter, who helps Django find his wife still trapped by brutal plantation owner Calvin Candie (played in appropriately sinister fashion by Leonardo DiCaprio).



Television

-- Firefly (2002)

This quickly-cancelled but much-loved show is a classic example of a Space Western. Star Wars is one of the best creations of this genre, and Firefly is the most recent example to appear on television.  It is set 500 years in the future, when humans have had to leave Earth and attempt to resettle on new planets. An Alliance is formed that is very repressive, which leads to a rebellion -- quickly crushed by the Alliance. Mal Reynolds, who served with the Rebellion, is now the captain of Serenity (a Firefly-class spaceship). Its motley crew travels across space, usually one step ahead of the Alliance, taking on any job they can -- be it legal or not. Firefly had become such a cult favorite that they made a feature film, Serenity, in 2005.

-- Deadwood (2004-2006)

Created by David Milch (the co-creator of NYPD Blue), this HBO series is set in 1870s Deadwood, South Dakota. It ran for three seasons, detailing Deadwood's transformation from camp settlement to true town, and featured a wide variety of historical figures on the show -- including Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Wyatt Earp, and others. While some of the plot details were, of course, fictionalized, Milch did his homework, and many of the events and character inspirations were taken from actual diaries and newspapers of the time.

-- Justified (2010 -)

This modern Western is a critically acclaimed FX show that is based on a character created by Elmore Leonard (the first episode is based on Leonard's short story “Fire in the Hole”). U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens takes care of justice, with his old-school style, in his hometown in Eastern Kentucky. (Interesting fact: the pilot was shot in Western Pennsylvania).

Books

Appaloosa by Robert B. Parker

The first in a series by Parker, the book follows the lives of two lawmen, Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch, in a small 19th century town. Robert Knott has continued the series with Ironhorse after Parker’s death in 2010.

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King

"Go then, there are other worlds than these." King may be known as the Master of Horror, but this eight-book series (seven original books, plus one "midquel") is one of his many works that fall outside of that genre. While reading mostly like a mixture of science fiction and high fantasy epic, the Dark Tower series also has a strong Western elements. Main character Roland is both knight errant and gunslinger (the first book, in fact, is called The Gunslinger); the first book opens with Roland crossing through Old-West styled towns on his way to take up his eventual quest to find the Tower.

The Border trilogy by Cormac McCarthy

Set in a more modern Western era, McCarthy's trilogy takes place in New Mexico and Mexico in the 1940s and 50s. All the Pretty Horses tells the story of John Grady Cole, fleeing to Mexico after the death of his grandfather. The Crossing focuses on 16-year-old Billy Parham, who must catch a lone wolf hunting his father's cattle, only to find himself journeying into the mountains to set it free (rather than kill it). The third and final volume, Cities of the Plain, centers on the friendship between Cole and Parham, after the two meet working as cowboys on a New Mexico ranch.

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

This book, first published in 1985, led to a successful television mini-series that spawned numerous televised sequels. It tells the story of Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call, two former Texas Rangers, and the cattle drive to Montana that they attempt to make. McMurtry also wrote one sequel (Streets of Laredo) and two prequels (Dead Man's Walk and Comanche Moon).

-- Post by Tracy and Ms. B