Rating: 
Summary: John Ford's Poetic View of the West
Review: If you're looking for a straight-forward, factual presentation of the events leading up to the 'Gunfight at the O.K. Corral', please buy 'Wyatt Earp', or 'Tombstone' from Amazon.com...But if you prefer your history more spiritual, and want to see a master storyteller paint a visual canvas of a West that may never have existed, but SHOULD have, then this film will be a treasured part of your video collection!John Ford knew Wyatt Earp, personally, and was familiar with the events surrounding the Tombstone shootout, but one of his greatest assets as a director was his ability to look beyond simple facts, and focus on legend. 'My Darling Clementine' is a story of icons, of the Loner, battling his own weaknesses, and creating something lasting, then walking away, to allow Civilization to grow. It's a classic theme in Ford's work (he would return to it in 'The Searchers', and 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'), as well as in many other directors' westerns ('Shane', 'A Fistful of Dollars', 'The Wild Bunch'). While Wyatt Earp (wonderfully portrayed by Henry Fonda) is surrounded by his brothers in the film, he has an aloofness that makes his character both complex, and enigmatic at the same time. At the film's start, he's a cowpuncher, who had walked away from the responsibilities of being a lawman, finding satisfaction in the hard work and solitary life of the range. When the Clantons (led by Walter Brennan, in one of his greatest roles), first approach the brothers, while Wyatt accepts an invitation to get a taste of city life, it's clear that it will be a brief stay, before he moves on, and he brushes aside any overtures of friendship. His lack of desire to commit to a larger community is stressed after he barehandedly captures a drunken Indian (based on an actual event in Earp's life), then turns down the Marshal's badge. Only after a brother is murdered do the Earp brothers agree to help clean up the town. In counterpoint to Earp is Doc Holliday (sensitively portrayed by Victor Mature), an intellectual who fled the South, and had found his own solitude by virtue of his guns, his gambling, and his illness. While Earp is a true 'Man of the West', however, Holliday is a fish out of water, truly comfortable only in a crowded bar. He is doomed, more by his own shrinking world, than by the disease that forces him to cough into his handkerchief. The scenes of Earp in the town are wonderful, as Civilization builds around an uncomfortable stranger. Yet Earp toys with the idea of settling into this world, through his politely formal relationship with Doc's lost love, Clementine. The scene at the church dance, where the stiffy formal Earp dances against the vista of a West being 'boarded in' is symbolic of what his own life was becoming, and is classic Ford! The climactic shootout is powerful and raw, ultimately freeing Earp from the constraints of a life that would have been unnatural for him, and ending the downward spiral of Holliday's life, in an heroic gesture. It's often asked why Earp leaves, afterwards, when Clementine and the Tombstone are so attractive...The answer is simple, really; his work is finished, and their future will be constrained into a world of wood and 'progress'. The Loner, the 'Man of the West' would have no place there. Like Ethan, or Shane, he must return to the solitary vistas that are his true home. What a story! What a film!
Rating:
Summary: A Gorgeous Moment between The Worlds
Review: It's not often that everything comes together in a movie. John Ford's elegy to frontier America, "My Darling Clementine" is one of those movies, where script, acting, photography and directing make art. Many reviewers point out that the west of "My Darling Clementine" is a west of myth, where the characters, story and scenery are larger than life. But are they? If one could be transported back to the Western frontier and walk into a saloon in the 1880's, I think you'd see just the kind of characters that appear in the movie. The same glassy, emotionless stare of men who've been drinking heavily. The dark, low-ceilinged saloon that could be gay one minute and deathly the next fits the descriptions that I've read of the era; that combination of 100-proof whiskey, Colt's Army revolver, and little to do except gamble.
The icy look in Henry Fonda's eyes when he confronts Doc Holiday or the Clantons - if you didn't have that look in the old west, how could you possibly be a lawman? This is the frontier, before the rule of law. Earp's declaration that he wants Tombstone to be a place where "decent folk can live" in a town that is still frontier - ie., lawless, ie., anything can happen. That's why we're fascinated. I'm speaking as a male, of course, and, as Freud has said, civilization does have it's discontents.
And that's why the church dance scene is so riveting. The church is not built yet, only a foundation exists. It's the gorgeous moment between the worlds. The unformed and the formed, frontier and settled. When the church is completed and the school opens; it won't be a frontier. The movie exists in that moment between the worlds. When the Clantons are killed, civilization has won; the movie ends.
But there have been hundreds of western movies with a similar premise. Why is this a classic, instead of a formula? The photography for one reason. Each scene is a balanced, well crafted composition. The landscape is a character in this movie. It dominates, we're not in the city here, folks, and we know it. Acting. Probably Henry Fonda's greatest movie. Fonda's Wyatt Earp has a moral and a physical center, a gravity that draws you in. In short, he's a man. Who today has that gravity? Leonardo di Caprio? Brad Pitt? Gimme a break.
Walter Brennan is great as the Clanton father. He's a great actor whose work has not been recognized. See him also in "The Westerner" as judge Roy Bean. All the supporting actors are great, even Cathy Downs as Clementine, whom I never thought was given recognition that she should have. The one exception is Victor Mature as Doc Holiday. He just looks out of place in this movie. Maybe it's his Italian good looks.
And finally, there's all those small "bits" that seem to breathe life into what could have been just another western. Fonda's "dance" on the porch post, the bit with the barber, the Shakesperean actor, the champaign scene, the poker game. Yes, this is a 1940's era movie, so Linda Darnell sings a couple of songs. There some fake saguaro cacti in a few shots, the opening credits are laughable. But this is a movie where one forgives. It has a largeness of spirit that's hard to find today.
Rating:
Summary: Perfection on Celluloid
Review: It's unfortunate for all of us that the people who probably decide on which movies at the major studios are to be converted to DVD are either ignorant of what the public wants or their inability to sit still and watch a black and white movie. In 1977, a series of films were released to theaters across America entitled, "That's Hollywood". In it, some careful explanations were shown to viewers about what made some films so technically perfect and John Ford's films stole center stage when Hollywood Westerns were profiled. Red River, The Searchers, My Darling Clementine and the Magnificent Seven are not only the best of the best, they are also the most enjoyable. The scene where Henry Fonda is sitting on a chair on the porch with his feet propped up against the awning post was an impromptu idea from Fonda and Ford liked it so much that he had Fonda bouncing from one foot and then the other, much like a kid who was trying to figure out what to do on a sunny day. Ward Bond's donkey laugh and Linda Darnell's tossed pitcher of milk were also something that Ford couldn't resist inserting into the film. The cast, direction, story, and location were perfect. Would someone please wake up the folks at TCF and get them to "DVDize" this magnificent film, please?
Rating: 
Summary: A Misstep from a Master
Review: John Ford is one of the finest and most influential directors in Hollywood history. Films such as 'The Searchers', 'Grapes of Wrath', and 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance' are just some of his enduring classics. Directors as diverse as Kurosawa, Scorsese, and Bertolucci (to name a few) have cited him as a major influence on their own work. That being said, 'My Darling Clementine' does not measure up to Ford's typical work. Only Henry Fonda's performance still resonates by today's standards, with the resolve and quiet dignity he brings to the role of Wyatt Earp. The rest of the film is incredibly clunky. The slapstick interludes are disruptive. The supporting players are not as good as they usually are in Ford movies. Most importantly, Victor Mature's Doc Holliday is mediocre at best. Moreover, the relationship between Earp and Holliday is never really explored. To me, this is at the heart of the OK Corral story. Ford himself hints at this when a Shakespearan performer insightfully remarks, "Two souls by instinct to each other turn, demand allegiance and in friendship burn." In this regard (and others) 'Gunfight at the OK Corral' and 'Tombstone' are superior treatments of the same subject matter. Still 20th Century FOX should be praised for its efforts in putting these older films from its vault onto dvd. The treatment they give their STUDIO CLASSICS series is top notch -- much better than Paramount, Columbia or Universal. In that regard, 'My Darling Clementine' is no exception. However, those interested in the early westerns of John Ford should check out 'Stagecoach'.
Rating:
Summary: Classic American folklore.
Review: John Ford's distinctive style that blends action, idealism, humor, and romance elevates this movie into the realm of American folklore. "Folklore" is the correct term because the movie's historic integrity doesn't stand up under scrutiny. Ford asserted in an interview once that Wyatt Earp (who lived until 1929) personally told him the story of the gunfight at O.K. Corral. Either Ford's recollection was faulty or Wyatt did an effective job of pulling the director's leg. The intentional use of a passing stagecoach to create a smokescreen of dust is good story telling, but bad history. Yes, the Earp brothers fought the Clanton bunch at the O.K. Corral, but history tells a different story. For the purposes of this movie, call it artistic license and move on. Exalting the American spirit and bringing civilization to the West is the main theme of the film. Arguably, this reflects the victorious, patriotic post-WWII spirit of the country in 1946, the year this movie was made. The soul of the movie is the scene on a fine Sunday morning showing families gathering for the church dedication service and the subsequent celebration. The unfinished church structure, its steeple framework off to one side, is used as a dance floor. Wyatt Earp (Henry Fonda) escorts the refined Clementine (Cathy Downs) to church. The ensuing musical interlude shows volumes of images of the American frontier, including prominently displayed American flags flapping in the the breeze. The sprirtual life and civic life of the community blend together in a wholesome manner. This is filmmaking at its most visually descriptive. The effect is visceral rather than mental. There is very little intrusive dialogue during this segment. After the celebration ends, the good folks gather for Sunday dinner, and Wyatt does the carving. Zane Grey meets Norman Rockwell. The film has a remarkable eye-appealing quality that is unusual in a B&W movie. The big sky country is abundantly on display. Many of the outdoor scenes show towering clouds draping the horizon. The broad scope of Utah's Monument Valley, pretending to be Arizona Territory, is vividly on display. Victor Mature as Doc Holliday coughs into a large handkerchief and laments the passing of his better days. Linda Darnell is Doc Holliday's low rent girl friend, and the catalyst that sets some of the critical plot developments in motion as she consorts with Billy Clanton (John Ireland). Ward Bond, Tim Holt, Walter Brennan, and a host of familiar character actors round out the cast. That is motherly Jane Darwell in an amusing role against type as the local Madame. J. Farrell MacDonald is hilariously deadpan as Mac the barman. When Wyatt asks Mac if he has ever been in love, Mac dryly replies, "No, I've been a bartender all my life." Gather the family around, make the popcorn, and enjoy the experience.
Rating:
Summary: This DVD is a winner all the way
Review: Kudos to Fox for another outstanding job in their studio classics series. This DVD has glorious transfers of two versions of the film. The pre-release version is about 7 minutes longer, and has less music than the final version. Most of the added footage does not really make a great difference to the film, but I found that the same scenes without the music played better than they do with it -- more naturalistic and less "Hollywood." A nice little documentary shows the differences, using memos from Daryl Zanuck to explain some of what happened and why. Apparently, Ford's original version was about 30 minutes longer, but those other 20 odd minutes have been lost. The final release version includes an informative commentary by a John Ford expert and by Wyatt Earp III. This is truly one of the great westerns, and a definite must-have for anyone who likes the genre, likes John Ford, and/or is a Henry Fonda fan.
Rating:
Summary: One of John Ford's best
Review: Landscape plays a large role in My Darling Clementine. Without the backdrop of Monument Valley to locate Tomestone it would have been a different film. Not only is it essential to the film but also to the myth of the West. Ford uses it like a genius. As for cinematography, there are shots in this film that have become legendary. Even simple ones like Fonda checking his face in the barber's mirror or kicked back on the porch are framed so beautifully they've become film legend. This has a terrific cast, from Henry Fonda playing Wyatt Earp to Walter Brennan as the father of the Clanton clan. One of the central themes is the relationship between Doc Holiday (Victor Mature) and Wyatt Earp. Doc is a troubled character haunted by demons of some sort and sick. Brennan is fantastic and plays his role as an evil patriarch to the hilt. There is a corollary love interest theme that slows the story down a bit, but these moments contain some of the most beautifully shot scenes as well. This is a wonderful film that shows John Ford at his finest.
Rating:
Summary: A Really Good Movie
Review: MY DARLING CLEMENTINE There has been a number of movies made about the gunfight at OK Corral, however this one happens to be my favorite.
I personally enjoy classic black and white movies and I am an avid fan of Victor Mature, who plays Doc Holliday in this movie.
One thing that makes this movie especially interesting is the development of the characters, for example, Wyatt Earp's misgivings about the town, the apparent conflict between Chihuahua (Doc Hollidays's girlfriend, played by Linda Darnell) and Wyatt Earp (played by Henry Fonda) and the conflict between Doc Holliday and Clementine (played by Cathy Downs), all of which add a human element to this film.
I highly recommend adding this film to your collection.
Rating:
Summary: All-time favorite
Review: Never mind what you've read in my other reviews (not like you care, admit it). Every movie is my favorite in some way, at some time, but this really is my favorite movie of all time. Really. It's beautiful, low-key, has excellent vignettes, and features my favorite movie star: Henry Fonda. Light years beyond every other version of the story. And, no, it has nothing to do with reality. Jesus, you people who complain about its accuracy are like the pissants who think that "Nosferatu" is a horrible film because it doesn't follow Bram Stoker's original text of "Dracula." Art is not neccessarily life, my friends. And the Earp family were all criminals, same as the Clantons. Who wants to hear about that? Here's to optimism!
(I should point out that if it weren't for this movie, no one would have any interest in the O.K. corral at all because they never would have heard of it.)
Rating:
Summary: A Really Good Movie
Review: Of the many movies that I love and own, this is one of the DVDs I would grab if the house was on fire. My Darling Clementine is fundamentally about the shootout at the OK Corral, arguably the most famous 30 seconds in American history. But in John Ford's loving hands, the story takes its time getting there and, in the process, becomes as graceful and easily beautiful a piece of film-making as you will ever see. In this age when movie goers prize realism, sheer violence, and de-mythology, Ford has become something of a whipping boy for those who point out the glaring historical inaccuracies present in Hollywood's traditional portrayal of the American West. These folks miss the larger picture and are the poorer for their narrow, fashionable view. In this archetypal story of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, and the Clanton family, Ford was not interested in historical detail. He was creating legends, not historical accounts for the archives. Ford was a film maker. When a movie lover approaches a Ford film, it becomes necessary to give oneself over to the power of film. Once one does that, tremendous pleasures await. Such as: the townspeople of Tombstone having a dance around the skeletal frame of a half-built church while the huge, flat buttes of Monument Valley tower in the background; or Henry Fonda as Earp watching with great sympathy as Victor Mature (Doc Holiday) recites Hamlet's suicide soliloquy in a barroom (as hokey as this sounds, it is Fonda's expression that will move you, I guarantee).
Other images worth mentioning: Fonda/Earp walking alone through the rain of Tombstone at night; or the final shot of Clementine (meaningless in the film other than as a perfect symbol of all the things men love but can never have) standing framed against the Arizona sky and a picket fence - or the way Walter Brennan as Old Man Clanton, flashes through his scenes like a rattler's hiss.
Loving a John Ford Western is a bit like believing in a religion: it requires a leap of faith - a belief in something that might not be tangible reality, but is instead an ideal no less worthy of love.
This DVD is an absolute must for Ford fans, Western fans, or movie lovers. As an extra bonus, the special feature commentary by Ford biographer, Scott Eyman, is absolutely superb. Mr. Eyman's concise and rich commentary is nearly as enjoyable as the film itself. All in all, a real treasure for John Ford fans. -Mykal Banta
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