Wyatt Earp (Burt Lancaster) is riding through Texas on the trail of Ike Clanton. He drops in to see an old friend, Cotton Wilson, and discovers that Cotton let Ike ride through unhindered. Once a tough as nails lawman, Cotton is now interested in feathering his nest. Earp leaves unhappy. At the hotel, he finds Ed Bailey (Lee Van Cleef) lying in wait for Doc Holliday (Kirk Douglas). Though he doesn't know Holliday, he still feels obliged to warn him. Warned, Holliday kills Bailey in a duel and flees a lynching with Earp's reluctant help.
Back in Dodge City, Earp is irritated when Holliday shows up. He tries to drive the gambler out of town but finally agrees to let him stay provided 'No guns, no knives, no killing.' Holliday has a reputation. In the ensuing days, Holliday helps Wyatt on a few occasions and a friendship develops. Also, Wyatt falls in love with Laura Denbow (Rhonda Fleming) and plans to give up his badge in order to marry her. Then word comes from his brother Virgil in Tombstone: Ike Clanton is making trouble. Reluctantly leaving Laura, he rides to Tombstone.
After some preliminaries that result in the death of James Earp (Martin Milner), Billy Clanton (an astonishingly young Dennis Hopper) meets with Wyatt to schedule the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan (played by DeForrest Kelly, better know as Doctor McCoy from Star Trek) are joined by Doc Holliday. The gunfight is more like a military skirmish that lasts five minutes rather than the historical 30 seconds. In the end, every Clanton and McLaurey is killed, as are Johnny Ringo, and Cotton Wilson.
Though entertaining, it is far from historical. Rather than Wyatt being Charlie Basset's deputy, this has it the other way around. Burt's Wyatt is clean shaven, as are all of his brothers. The Earps are known for their full handlebar mustaches. Ike Clanton survived the O.K. Corral and Ringo wasn't even there. The only fatalities were the McLaury brothers (Tom and Frank) and Billy Clanton. Tombstone (1993) does a far better job with the history though it too has its faults.
Kirk Douglas makes for a good Doc Holliday. By contrast, Lancaster plays Wyatt Earp as some proto-Boy Scout, which is far from the mark. A clear product of the 50s, it is nonetheless fun.
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