Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

benbrae76 The producers of "Hour of the Gun" proudly portray after the credits that "THIS PICTURE IS BASED ON FACTS. THIS IS THE WAY IT HAPPENED." But it's very far from being how things happened.Sheriff Johan Behan's name was changed to Jimmy Bryan for some reason unknown to me. The dialogue in Wyatt's hearing (Judge Wells W. Spicer) was pure nonsense (I have the transcript of the Spicer hearing). There was no reference of the deal Wyatt Earp made to Ike Clanton to betray the Cowboys. The transcript is online for anyone to read.The shootout wasn't at the OK Corral as shown, but in a side street on the other side of the block. (Doc Holliday was still in Freemont St.) The bodies in the coffin window were placed wrongly.Doc Holliday played by a far too old Jason Robards (Doc was only 36 when he died) wasn't a killer either by reputation or profession as inferred, he was a dentist. The shootout wasn't even made famous until 1913.Morgan Earp didn't die on a pool table, he hit the ground as soon as he was shot.Pete Spence wasn't shot dead by Earp at a desert railroad stop, but died in 1914 and is buried in the Globe, Arizona cemetery, in an unmarked plot next to Phin Clanton. (In June 1883, Spence was working as a deputy sheriff in Georgetown, New Mexico, when he severely pistol-whipped Rodney O'Hara, killing him. He was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to a 5-year term in the Yuma Arizona Territorial Penitentiary'. Less than 18 months later he was granted a full pardon by the territorial governor. He operated a goat ranch south of Globe, Arizona near the Galiuro Mountains with his old friend, Phin Clanton, and ran mule teams that were used to bring supplies into the Globe area. Phin Clanton died in 1906, and Spence married Phin's widow four years later on April 2, 1910, using his real name of Elliot Larkin Ferguson.) Curly Bill Brocious was not shot outside a saloon but at a Cowboy encampment way out of town. The Earps were surprised when they came across it.After the killing of Brocious, the "vendetta ride" was over, and Earp killed no more. Billy Claiborne was killed in an argument by "Buckskin" Frank Leslie who was tending bar at the Oriental Saloon on November 14, 1882 when Claiborne, who was very drunk, began using insulting and abusive language. Claiborne left the bar. A short time later Leslie also left the saloon at which time Claiborne raised his rifle and fired, missing Leslie. Leslie returned fire and hit Claiborne in the chest. Ike Clanton and his brother Phineas were charged with cattle-rustling and pursued by detective Jonas V. Brighton. On June 1, 1887, at Jim Wilson's Ranch on Eagle Creek, south of Springerville, Arizona, Phin Clanton surrendered, but Ike resisted and was shot dead. But certainly not by Wyatt Earp. There are many other errors in the movie, but the above should be enough to suggest that this movie was most definitely NOT the way it happened.But then by using the magic words "based on", the movie-makers can get away with anything.

classicsoncall I get the biggest kick out of the brief summary of this movie on it's IMDb title page - 'Marshal Wyatt Earp kills a couple of men of the Clanton-gang in a fight'. Really - a fight? Come on - it was the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral!!! Let's give it a little more credit.Well director John Sturges picked up somewhat where he left off with 1957's "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral". That picture did a pretty good job of defining the relationship between Wyatt Earp and his friend Doc Holliday, a case of a square deal as defined by the lawman. That relationship continues here though not without it's abrasive moments. I liked the idea of Jason Robards portraying Holliday even though he was almost a decade older than his real life counterpart at the time. He seemed to have the right amount of ego and attitude to mirror Holliday's temperament.The problem I get into with these films is that I tend to focus in on the historical inaccuracies and this one seemed to have it's fair share. Perhaps the biggest one that could have been easily rectified by simply checking was in the spelling of the name 'McLaury'. When the dead men from the Gunfight are put on display, the names of Frank and Tom are spelled 'McLowery'. Virtually any reference source one could look up uses the 'McLaury' spelling.There are others of course. Students of the Old West will know that Wyatt Earp didn't shoot Ike Clanton in a final showdown; he was killed resisting arrest for cattle rustling some six years following the infamous gunfight. As far as the historical Ike Clanton goes, I don't think you'd have ever caught him wearing a business suit. As a leader of the cowboy faction in the vicinity of Tombstone and along the border to Mexico, Clanton plied his trade of cattle rustling as a rough and tumble outlaw instead of a well spoken citizen.The main idea the story got right, and one that most film treatments never go into, is that the Earp dominance of Tombstone ended following the events of the O.K. Corral. Wyatt stood trial for murder and was exonerated, while brother Virgil was wounded a couple months later, followed by Morgan's murder in March of 1882. Thus came to be what historians call the 'Earp Vendetta Ride', a term curiously not referred to in the story.In general though, this movie is a pretty good Western and James Garner does an admirable job as Wyatt Earp, a characterization that's a lot more grim than that of Bret Maverick. I also refer the reader to one of Jon Voight's early screen appearances as Clanton associate Curly Bill Brocius, particularly to an opening scene when he's shown leaning against the wall of the train station. From a different angle it almost looks like the pose he used for the theatrical poster for "Midnight Cowboy".

SnoopyStyle It's Oct 26, 1881 Tombstone, Territory of Arizona. Wyatt Earp (James Garner)'s group fight Ike Clanton (Robert Ryan)'s group at the O.K. Corral. Ike survives and Wyatt is brought up on charges with the help of the corrupt local sheriff. Wyatt is cleared. His brother Virgil runs for sheriff and is severely injured in an ambush. His other brother Morgan is elected and promptly killed. He sends his family to California. He gets appointed as a new federal marshal for Arizona. With the help of friend Doc Holliday (Jason Robards) and his supporters, he takes on Clanton and his gang.It's interesting to start the movie where most Tombstone movies end. Supposedly, this is based more on the real events. John Sturges directs this with his steady hands. Most of it rests on James Garner's solid performance. His character is restrained by the law and circumstances. He suppresses what must be overwhelming anger. I would prefer a bit more action to intensify the traditional western and more anger to show Wyatt's emotions. Nevertheless, it's compelling to see this part of the story done well.

Jeff (actionrating.com) Skip it – There have been many westerns made about Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and the gunfight at the OK Corral. According to the opening credits, this is the "true" story. What sets this story apart, other than the fact that Wyatt Earp is played by James Garner instead of Kurt Russel or Burt Lancaster, is that the movie starts at the OK Corral and recounts the events that follow. Usually the OK Corral is at the end. The action in this one is about average for a western, and Robert Ryan is about average as the "bad guy." Nothing really stands out about this movie. It's not bad, but it ranks behind other Wyatt Earp movies such as "Tombstone," "The Gunfight at the OK Corral," and "My Darling Clementine." So I'd only watch it if you were interested in the events beyond the OK Corral.