Hour of the Gun

For years I'd been looking forward to seeing Hour of the Gun (1967), John Sturges's revisionist take on the Wyatt Earp legend. Perhaps that's the reason why I found it a bit underwhelming.

After the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral, Tombstone lawmen Wyatt Earp (James Garner) and Doc Holiday (Jason Robards) are placed on trial for murder at the behest of Ike Clanton (Robert Ryan), Tombstone crime boss and Earp's business rival. After the Earps are acquitted, Clanton's henchmen cripple Wyatt's brother Virgil (Frank Converse) and kill Morgan (Sam Melville). Wyatt is appointed US Marshal and with a posse including Doc, tracks Clanton's gang throughout Arizona Territory and beyond, less resembling a manhunt than a vendetta.

John Sturges had previously directed Gunfight at the OK Corral (1957), perhaps the most unabashedly romantic Wyatt Earp film. Hour of the Gun functions as both a sequel and a rebuke to his earlier film: by starting the film with the infamous gunfight, the film becomes a study in moral ambiguity, culminating in Earp's murderous vendetta ride against the Cowboys.

Hour of the Gun is the first Earp film to move beyond frontier romanticism of My Darling Clementine. In this version, Earp and Clanton are merely opponents in a nasty turf war, representing competing political and economic interests. This Ike Clanton is a shrewd, callous businessman, willing to bend any rule or sacrifice anyone (even his brother) to further his ends. Wyatt Earp is painted in decidedly dark tones, no longer a good-hearted lawman but a vengeful killer who tricks and traps opponents into unfair duels. It doesn't go as far as Doc or Wyatt Earp in tearing Earp down, but Hour's measured revisionism makes for interesting viewing.

Unfortunately, Hour of the Gun is let down by some bogus dramaturgy. Edward Anhalt's long dialogue scenes and heavy use of interiors give the movie the feel and rhythm of a TV show. Lucien Ballard's outdoor photography is gorgeous but we don't see enough of it amidst all the talk. Wyatt's belated meeting with Eastern businessmen throws the narrative off-balance, and the final duel with Clanton is a damp squib. For a movie that boldly proclaims "this is the way it happened," it has several gaffes that fall into Public Enemies territory: altering history to something less interesting.

James Garner tones down his usual swagger, but his stoicism makes for one of the blander screen Earps. Jason Robards plays Doc Holiday with the perfect wistful melancholy, which he'd revive in Once Upon a Time in the West the following year. Robert Ryan (The Wild Bunch) gives an intelligent performance, making Ike a shrewd businessman rather than feral prairie scum. The supporting cast features some interesting names: Steven Ihnat (The Chase), Jorge Russek, Albert Salmi (The Bravados) and a young Jon Voight as Clanton's henchmen, Larry Gates (The Sand Pebbles) and Karl Swenson (Major Dundee) as townspeople.

Hour of the Gun was a probably a victim of my unreasonably-high expectations. It's a fine oater with an interesting take on the Wyatt Earp legend, but it's far from the best version of the story.