Review of My Darling Clementine (1946) by Augustine H — 28 Apr 2014
Directed by John Ford, who made such great westerns like Stagecoach (1939), 3 Godfathers (1948), She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1949) and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). This western is a telling of the story of Wyatt Earp and the infamous Gunfight at the O.
K. Corral. It's got some lovely cinematography and it's a great version of that true story, done with heart and a good sense of panache. In 1881, the Earp brothers Wyatt (Henry Fonda), Morgan (Ward Bond), Virgil (Tim Holt) and James (Don Garner), coming to the town of Tombstone, Arizona, which is lawless, and deaths are frequent.
Wyatt is the only man who is determined to take on the lawless men who give Tombstone a bad name. But when James is killed while protecting cattle, enough is enough, and Wyatt takes on the job of Town Marshal, and along with Doc Holliday (Victor Mature), intend to bring law to the town.
Meanwhile, Clementine Carter (Cathy Downs) comes into Tombstone from Boston, and she's staying in the same hotel as Wyatt and Doc. Which causes a love triangle. It's a classic old western, made with love and attention, but Ford's original cut was brutally re-cut by Fox chief Darryl F.
Zanuck, to tighten up the pacing and move the story along, however, Ford's version has been mostly restored. It's blessed with a good cast, good dialogue and some lovely location cinematography.
This review of My Darling Clementine (1946) was written by Augustine H on 28 Apr 2014.
My Darling Clementine has generally received very positive reviews.
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