The Life and Legend
of Wyatt Earp
- Hold it, Earp!
I said hold it!
You dirty,
double-crossing snake!
You told Ringo
and Brocius, didn't ya?
- Go on to bed, Ike.
You're drunk.
- Yeah, I'm drunk,
but I'll be sober tomorrow.
You know where you'll be,
you and all your brothers?
You'll be dead!
You better
start prayin'!
All you Earps'll
be dead tomorrow!
- What's that
all about?
- Too much
liquor, Morgan!
- I don't know.
Somebody did tell
Brocius and Ringo
where we were
goin' and when.
Shouldn't we
explain to Ike?
- No, the harm's
already been done.
As for tomorrow, Ike's the
biggest coward I know.
I don't plan on any
of us bein' dead.
- You hear me, Earp?
Tomorrow's the day!
♪♪ Oh, Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp ♪
♪ Brave, courageous and bold ♪
♪ Long live his fame
and long live his glory ♪
♪ And long may
his story be told ♪♪
- The Life and Legend of Wyatt
Earp, starring Hugh O'Brian!
The long struggle for
law and order in Arizona,
which exploded in seconds
of deadly g*nf*re
at the O.K. Corral,
placed Wyatt Earp
among the great marshals
of the Western Frontier.
But that famous
gunfight has been
a matter of controversy
ever since .
Witnesses from
the outlaw element
contradicted one other
on so many vital points
that no reputable historian has
taken their version seriously.
Marshal Wyatt Earp's
story of the fight
was told under oath and
transcribed verbatim.
This is Wyatt's
own official testimony
of what happened that
bloody day in Tombstone.
- Do you swear to tell the
truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the
truth, so help you God?
- I do.
- Be seated,
please.
Now, Marshal, the court has
heard numerous witnesses
to the O.K.
Corral affair.
They have testified one
by one, behind locked doors
or in a cleared courtroom,
as you are about to do now.
- Yes, sir.
- Now, this court would
like to hear your own story
of events leading
up to the gunfight
and your description
of the fight itself.
Now, this being a preliminary
hearing and not a trial,
the court may only warn you
that you and your brothers
and Dr. Holliday
have been accused of m*rder.
Now, it is your right not
to testify at this time.
But if you do testify,
the court must state
that it cannot divulge by its
questions or in any manner
the nature of testimony
given by previous witnesses.
- I understand, sir.
The reason I'm testifying
is that I have nothing
to fear from the truth.
- Very well.
Proceed.
- My brothers and I
tried to avoid this fight.
The night before
the fight took place,
Ike Clanton threatened
us by saying
that he, the McLowerys
and the other Clanton outlaws
would g*n us down
the next day.
The morning of the fight,
Virgil and Morgan
walked into my office.
- Ike Clanton's back
in town this morning.
- He's cold sober.
- He's still
makin' fight talk.
He says the McLowerys
and several other g*ns
are on their way into town.
- Where's Doc?
- Still asleep
at the hotel.
- Let him sleep.
- We're not gonna fight?
- Not if we can
cool things down.
Now, there's some coffee
over there, if you want it.
- I think it's a good idea to
try to cool things down. How?
- Ike knows that
Ringo and Brocius
suspect him of squealin' for
the reward in that stage holdup.
He's gotta pick
a fight with ya!
It's the only way
he can square himself.
- That's just the point, Morg.
- What is?
- Men pickin' a fight usually
talk and drink a lot,
workin' themselves
up to it.
And while they do,
we may have a chance
to arrest them and
disarm them, one by one.
- Our best bet.
- Fast g*ns like Tom
and Frank McLowery?
- Morg, we're not exactly
easy marks ourselves.
Oh, I think the McLowerys'll
take a few minutes to decide,
maybe even an hour.
- Wyatt's right.
If we can play for time,
they might cool off.
[ Door opening ]
- All right, now you
just hold on there!
Wyatt, the vigilantes are
gonna take care of this.
- Thanks, but
no thanks, Mr. Mayor.
- Now, you can't fight
dozen gunslingers.
I've got men armed
and ready to go.
- We're not aimin'
to fight, John.
- You're not?
- They might think better of it.
- Think?
Why, man, Ike Clanton
is standin' down there
at th and Allen, armed
with a r*fle and . 's.
He says he's gonna
sh**t the Earps on sight.
And what's more,
I believe him!
- Ike alone?
- Right now he is.
The others must
be on their way.
- Virgil, you and Morgan
go and arrest him.
Disarm him and take him
to the City Court.
- Now, wait a minute!
Wyatt, this is su1c1de!
You and your brothers
can't handle this alone!
- Mr. Mayor, the only
su1c1de for a John Law
is when he lets the
vigilantes do his duty for him.
- But dozen armed outlaws!
- There won't be that many,
or at the most.
Now, you keep your
men out of sight.
How long do you think
my brothers and I
could hold this town
if word got out
that we were hidin'
behind the vigilantes?
- Wyatt! Wyatt, will
you listen to me?
- No, you listen to me!
You hired us to do a job,
now let us do it!
- Doc! Doc!
Doc Goodfellow!
You, uh, you
see any Earps?
- Not this morning.
- Yeah, well, I guess
they're hidin' out
or maybe they run out.
- Run out?
Of what?
- Listen, I want to
tell you somethin', Doc.
They can't hide out
or run far enough.
I promised them they'd all be
dead today, and I meant it!
- I'm sure the of
them are big enough
to take care
of themselves.
And I can't waste time
here like this. Good day!
- Doc, ya don't
believe me, do ya?
Well, you'll see!
You'll see!
- Good day, Ike!
- Lookin' for
the Earps?
Morgan!
Morgan!
Turn him over
to City Court!
- That's all
we have, huh?
Better order
more bales.
- Mornin', John!
- Howdy, boys!
Well, I guess Ike wasn't
just talkin', was he?
- We're gonna
get the Earps!
- All right, but don't
do any sh**t' here.
I own this place! Move over to
the O.K. Corral, will ya?
- What are you
scared of, Johnny?
- No, he's right, Tom.
Wouldn't look good to set up
in a sheriff's own property.
We'll move.
- Thanks, boys.
- That'll be $
in costs, Mr. Clanton!
You're the city's Chief
of Police, Mr. Earp.
I think you'd better
keep these g*ns
until Mr. Clanton
leaves town.
- Yes, sir.
- You can keep
the change!
I'll get you for this, Earp!
I'll get all of you for it!
I'd do it right here
and now if I had my g*ns!
- You talk too much
for a fightin' man, Ike.
- You wanna scrap,
Ike, take this!
I'll use my fists!
- Morgan!
Five of Ike's army just
rode into the O.K. Corral.
- Only ? Shouldn't
we disarm them?
- No, we'll just wait
until they scatter.
- Well, that won't
do you any good,
you double-crossin'
squealer!
- You keep him here
until he cools down.
I gotta go find
Johnny Behan.
- You lookin'
for trouble?
- I didn't see
ya, McLowery.
- You're a liar!
- You're wearin'
a g*n, go for it!
Here! Take the g*ns
on over to the hotel.
And you and Morgan meet
me at Hafford's Saloon.
I have an idea
I'll find Behan there.
- Tom and Ike can
buy more g*ns.
- We're just tryin'
to discourage 'em.
If we can buffalo Frank
McLowery and Billy Clanton,
they all may quit.
- I don't quite follow
your reasoning, Marshal.
Why didn't you arrest him?
The court has always understood
that Frank and Tom McLowery
were the fastest
g*ns among the outlaws.
Well, wasn't
buffaloing Tom McLowery
an incitement
to angry reprisal?
- Well, sir, it usually
doesn't work that way.
- Well, the court
is still puzzled.
- Well, sir, a man's life
is the most important
thing in the world to him.
I had slapped Tom's face
and invited him to draw.
He went for his g*n,
but I b*at him to the draw
and knocked him unconscious.
I thought he would realize
that in a sh**t with me
he might get k*lled.
And by not arresting him, I gave
him a chance to leave town,
which is what I was
hoping they would all do.
- I see. Then why
did the outlaws
persist in
forcing this fight?
- Well, sir, the first
talk I had that day
with Sheriff Behan
would explain.
You see, sir, Johnny...
Sheriff Behan has worked hand
in glove with the outlaws.
And that morning
at Hafford's Saloon...
- Morning, Earp!
- Hello, Johnny.
- I couldn't
talk 'em out of it.
- Did you try?
- Look, Earp, you don't like
me and I don't like you.
You and your
brothers wear stars.
I--I told Frank McLowery
it was plain dumb
to try a sh**t
with a John Law,
and especially
you Earps.
[ Shuffling cards ]
- What'd Frank say?
- Nothin', but you and
I know how he's thinkin'.
- How's that?
- This is no time
to play innocent!
Everybody thinks Ike
squealed on some pals to you.
And you told Ringo and
Brocius about the deal!
- I didn't tell how I found out
where those men were hidin'
and I didn't tell anybody
that Ike made a deal with me.
- No difference.
Ike's gotta risk a sh**t
with you Earps,
or get sh*t in the back
by Brocius or Ringo.
[ Shuffling ]
- Look, I told Ike,
and I'm willing to tell the
McLowerys and anybody else,
that I don't know who it was
that told Brocius and Ringo.
It wasn't me.
- They won't believe you, Earp,
because they can
stop the rumor
by proving they
hate your insides.
I've gotta get
back to the office.
- Not so fast,
Johnny.
Does he know that
armed men are waiting
at the O.K. Corral
to g*n us?
- I'm sorry, there's
nothing I can do about it.
- You're the Sheriff
of Cochise County.
I'm calling on you to go
with me and arrest that bunch.
- That's your
job, not mine.
You're City Police,
I'm County.
Right now, they're
in the city.
- What're we
waitin' for?
[ Shuffling ]
- I think we better
move on them, Wyatt.
- Plenty of time.
They can still
change their minds.
- He knows we're gonna have
to sh**t to k*ll them.
- That the trouble?
- Virgil and Morgan
were partly right.
I'd been in
to gunfights,
but I'd only
k*lled one man...
by accident in Dodge.
But mostly I was thinking
about my brothers.
I couldn't ask them to run.
At the same time,
I wanted to give Frank
and Tom McLowery more time.
They and Billy Clanton would
be very dangerous in a fight.
When my brothers and I
moved to the sidewalk
in front of Hafford's,
I was still hoping that
we could avoid a showdown.
- There goes Ike
and Tom, Wyatt.
- Tom.
- Spangenberg's. They
must be buyin' new g*ns.
- Looks like it.
- Wyatt!
Wyatt, you've gotta let
the vigilantes handle this.
- Thanks for the offer, Mr.
Mayor, but it wouldn't work.
- Look, Wyatt,
we're all armed.
We can surround the O.K.
Corral and disarm the outlaws.
- The McLowerys have
got a lot of friends.
They'd just ride into town.
There'd be killings
on every street.
- They made me bring ya
a couple of messages, Wyatt!
- All right,
let's have 'em.
- Frank and Ike said if you
don't come fight it out,
they'll pick you
off in the street.
- What's the other
message, Mr. Coleman?
- They told me to tell ya
if you leave town,
they won't harm
your brothers.
- Well...
- No, you don't!
We're fighting!
- Let's get it over with.
- All right.
- Wyatt, will you listen
to reason, man--
- I told you
it was our job!
- Wyatt!
- Doc! Doc, will you try to
talk some sense into them?
- Talk? I'm goin'
with 'em!
The time for
talkin' is past!
- That's right, Doc.
- I misjudged Ike
Clanton once today.
I'm not doing
that again!
- None of us are, sir.
But we may need you alive.
Men are gonna get hurt.
Doctorin' is your business.
You let us do the fighting.
Now, let me have that g*n.
- Well, all right.
[ Bells ringing ]
- Wyatt?
Wait a minute!
Where you goin'?
- Down the street
to make a fight.
- I'll go
along with you.
- This is our trouble.
You stay out of it.
- That's the wrong
thing to say to me.
- I know, Doc, but this
is gonna be a tough one.
- The kind I like.
- All right.
- Here, Doc.
You tote this.
You don't look too
sturdy this morning.
With a buckshot you'll
be able to hit more.
- I'm steadier than
any of you.
I had whiskey
for breakfast.
Who we fightin'?
- The McLowerys,
Ike and Billy Clanton
and Billy Claiborne.
- Good. Where's
it to be?
- O.K. Corral.
- Earp!
It's all right, boys.
I disarmed them.
- Did you
arrest them?
- No, but I will.
- Then come on.
- Don't go
any farther!
Earp, I order you not
to go any farther!
I'm the Sheriff and
I'll do the arresting!
- You said that
was Virgil's job.
- Earp, don't go
in that corral.
You're gonna
be k*lled!
- Tom, Frank, well,
they're comin'!
- How many?
- Doc Holliday
and the Earps.
- All right,
spread out.
- Now, Marshal Earp, the
court wants you to describe
just what happened
at the O.K. Corral.
- Well, sir, Johnny
Behan had lied to us.
When we walked in
to the corral,
we saw that Sheriff Behan
had not disarmed the outlaws.
They let us move in, single
file, with Virgil in the lead.
I was watching Frank McLowery.
If they went for their g*ns,
I wanted to drop Frank first.
I had to let them
make the first move.
Then I heard Virgil give them
one last chance
to stop the fight.
- You men are
under arrest!
Throw up
your hands!
- Why, you--
- Now, hold it!
We don't want that!
- Sir, so many things
happened in the next seconds
that I'd like to try
and tell you about it
slowly and in detail.
When Virgil said:
"You men are under arrest!"
Frank had a belly wound.
I turned to sh**t
at his brother, Tom.
[ Horse neighing ]
[ No audio ]
[ Horses neighing ]
I saw Doc covering Tom McLowery,
so I turned toward Virgil.
- Wyatt!
Wait! Wait!
Don't sh**t, Wyatt!
Don't k*ll me!
I didn't even sh**t!
- The fighting's
commenced.
Now, start sh**t'
or get out!
[ Horse neighing ]
- Doc thought he had missed
and went for his . .
I fired once at Tom McLowery.
As Tom fell on the road, I heard
a crash of glass behind me.
I yelled: "Look out, boys!
You're gettin' it in the back!"
- You're goin' with me, Doc.
- Not today.
- Virg thought Billy Clanton
had been hurt enough.
But Billy heaved to his feet.
I saw him fire and Virg
stagger, hit in the leg.
Billy started forward,
f*ring again.
Virg and I fired at him.
Billy slows down.
Hold it, Virg!
He's had enough.
[ g*n clicking ]
- Drop him, Wyatt!
Why'd you let Ike get away?
- He wouldn't draw.
We had k*lled outlaws.
Two had run away:
Ike and Billy Claiborne.
Virg and Morg were sh*t
in the leg and shoulder,
and Doc was bleeding from a
b*llet crease along his rib.
Then all of a sudden,
I heard cheering.
[ Men cheering ]
The vigilantes, well,
they were glad we'd survived.
I was too.
But I didn't do
any cheering.
I felt thirsty, but I
knew I couldn't swallow.
I felt scared, but
I couldn't show it.
The sweat ran down my body.
For the first time,
I deliberately sh*t
at men to k*ll them.
I think we were justified
in doing our duty
as officers of the law,
but I'm sorry for
the McLowerys and Billy Clanton.
- Marshal Earp has
finished his testimony.
The court will recess.
We'll talk
in chambers, Wyatt.
- Yes, sir.
- It's a wretched business.
The Clantons are holding
a big funeral tomorrow
for the McLowerys
and Billy.
I hope your brothers
are well guarded.
- Well, we moved 'em into a
hotel room at the Cosmopolitan.
Doc and I have rooms
on either side.
- Vigilantes
patrolling the streets?
- Yeah.
- Well, let's
hope for the best.
- Judge Spicer, the real
trouble is just starting.
[ Inaudible ]
[ Knocking on door ]
- Wyatt?
- The bonny
blue flag, Doc.
- Bad news,
Wyatt?
- What'd the
coroner's jury say?
- Well, they
exonerated us, but--
- But what?
- The whole town's
ready to explode.
Vigilantes with r*fles
patrolling the street.
Ike Clanton and Sheriff Behan
have gone to the grand jury.
- Cheer up, Wyatt!
Isn't Spicer a friend of ours?
- He always has been,
and he don't scare easy.
- No, but they're
gonna pressure him hard,
and I don't know
what legal tricks
Behan and his lawyers
are gonna try and pull.
Doc, Brocius and Ringo
are top dogs now,
and they just moved into the
roomin' house across the street.
You think they'll
talk to ya?
- They'd cuss me
but they'd talk.
- Well, I'm gonna visit
with Virg and Morg.
Why don't you go over
and get Brocius to brag
about what plans they
have for the Earps?
- We k*lled outlaws, and here
we are holed up in a hotel room
as if we were to blame!
If I had a prayin' acquaintance
with the good Lord,
I'd ask him whose
side he's on!
♪♪ Cleaned up the country ♪
♪ The old Wild West country ♪
♪ He made law
and order prevail ♪
♪ And none can deny it,
the legend of Wyatt ♪
♪ Forever will live
on the trail ♪
♪ Oh, Wyatt Earp,
Wyatt Earp ♪
♪ Brave, courageous and bold ♪
♪ Long live his fame
and long live his glory ♪
♪ And long may
his story be told ♪
♪ Long may his story ♪
♪ Be ♪
♪ Told ♪
♪ Hmm ♪♪