I'm working on an article about the many
Wyatt Earp films and I watched
Hour of the Gun (1967) for the first time. I liked
James Garner's hardboiled performance as Wyatt and found the overall film quite entertaining. Though for a movie that opens with "This Picture Is Based On Fact. This Is The Way It Happened," goofs in a very big way by portraying the legendary marshal catching up with
Ike Clanton (the superb
Robert Ryan) in Mexico. And there are many other inaccuracies but as a Western it's quite well done. I recommend
Hour of the Gun to anyone who may have missed this
John Sturges classic.
I never knew Garner played Earp before appearing as the legendary lawman in Blake Edward's Sunset with Bruce Willis. Makes that movie even cooler now.
ReplyDeleteI'll be watching Sunset again for this article that I'm working on for Criminal Element. Haven't seen it since the 80's. Hope it holds after all this time.
ReplyDeleteI liked this film a whole lot more than I thought I would. Garner's Earp is believable, and the idea of stacking all the Earps together for side-by-side comparison is a little like doing a police line-up. It would make a great book about the western.
ReplyDeleteSUNRISE is fun, and Bruce Willis is perfect for Tom Mix.
My article may not be that thorough, Ron. But, true, the Western is tied very close with the Earp legend. Hell, he was in Hollywood at the start to mold it with Tom Mix and William S. Hart among others.
ReplyDeleteHow are you doing old friend? I hope your family is doing well. I tried to contact through your email.
ReplyDelete"Every wall is a door"
All the best,
Amigo
Sent you an e-mail back.
ReplyDelete