Review of My Darling Clementine

Introduction

Starring Henry Fonda and Victor Mature this is another film version of the gunfight at OK Corral. Heavily fictionalised it creates a romance between Doc Holliday and a girl from back east, the Clementine of the title. Incorporated in this, is the death of James Earp which causes Wyatt Earp to become temporary Marshall of Tombstone as he hopes to prove it is the Clanton brothers who are responsible.

Made in 1946 it was produced by the legendary Darryl Zanuck who substantially influenced the final cut that was sent out to theatres after the director John Ford had moved on to his next project.

Video

The pre-release version has been restored and looks as good as is possible. I cannot comment on the theatrical version as the disc was not supplied to me.

Audio

I can only comment on the sound on the second disc. It has been well reproduced with no problems.

Features

On disc one there is a commentary by Wyatt Earp III- a descendant of the original. He can presumably establish how much of this really took place. I haven`t had access to this and cannot comment on it but these commentaries have proved to be high quality on other sets from this studio.

Disc Two
This has a full version of the original preview version of the film. Although the first reel has been lost this is closest to the version presented by John Ford before he left the picture. The final version is about 10 minutes shorter and included on the disc an essay by Bob Gitt, Head of Preservation at the UCLA archive. He explains the difference and the work he has performed to allow this version to make sense. It is an intriguing insight into the detective process and the technical complexities of reconstruction.

Also included are a trailer and a stills gallery.

A strong point here is this essay and the availability of full scene selection and full subtitles on this version of the film.

Conclusion

This is another film that has received the full 5* star treatment from the studios. It is certainly another classic but this is no gun toting macho exercise. Although the end takes place at the OK Corral this is not a Western that focuses overmuch on the violence. Ford is looking at the process of change as the Frontier is civilised by the building of a church, the arrival of a school teacher and the addition of law and order. Earp is caught between two worlds as he demands revenge but utilises the law to bring about an ordered conclusion.

Notable for the against type casting of Victor Mature as the consumptive gambler Doc Holliday this is drama also looks at the nature of male friendship and how women change the dynamics of the relationships. Henry Fonda is probably the sort of actor you either love or hate with a specific and intense acting style.

Overall, though, I found the film disappointing. It is heavily fictionalized and the commentary on disc one from Earp`s descendant may well set the record straight. The narrative seemed to wander about though it may be that the shorter theatrical version is tighter than the preview version I saw. Every point seems overly laboured and Linda Darnell as the Mexican saloon singer is pretty awful.

Looking at this film as a historical document it can be seen on two levels. First this was the preferred version of the heroic Old west before the revisionists went and spoilt it all and second it is a piece of history itself. Featuring some of the best know characters actors and Monument Valley where it is said they picked up enough post nuclear test radiation to ensure many of them died of cancer this is part of the history of Hollywood and the United States.

Wit the added materials and despite my reservations about the film this is an excellent package and there are more to come.