Director Sturges, having filmed the highly popular "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral", but also having been chided for it's historical inaccuracy, followed it up about a decade later with this sequel. Here, the tone is different (along with all the cast) and it purports, in a title card during the credits, to portray all the facts as they happened. Though he did strive for a more realistic tone and stuck closer to the truth this time, the film (like virtually all films!) is still not completely accurate. Garner plays Wyatt Earp, Marshall of Tombstone, Arizona, who is enmeshed in the legendary gunfight (recreated here) and then forced to stand trial for inappropriately killing the men involved. When his is proved innocent, Ike Clanton (Ryan) vows revenge and starts trying to pick off Garner and his two brothers. Garner then, along with old pal Doc Holiday (Robards), begins tracking down and exterminating Ryan's gang, desperately trying to settle the score, even at the expense of his own peace of mind, as Robards concurrently dwindles from consumption. This is a deliberately paced movie and a rather bleak one. There is no room for much humor of any sort (though there are a couple of colorfully named characters such as Texas Jack and Turkey Creek) and there are no significant women in the film at all. Garner gives a solid performance as the rather oppressed lawman, torn between justice and procedure. A lot of his fans may have been disappointed in seeing him so dour and without showing his greatest attribute which is sarcastic vulnerability blended with easygoing charm, but it's likely that he welcomed the opportunity to stretch and play a more serious role. Robards is fine as well, establishing a nice chemistry with Garner and getting the chance to engage in some meaty dialogue. Ryan doesn't appear on screen as much as one would like, but his presence adds gravity to his role and he's always worth watching. A large number of established and up-and-coming actors appear in supporting roles. Windom gives a colorful performance in a brief role and it's fun to see Voight near the start of his career. Bull and Swenson would later co-star on the long-running series "Little House on the Prairie". Nice scenery and good music add to the film, though it can be a bit tiresome in spots. Sometimes it feels as if it's just a series of drab scenes interrupted by bursts of violence every so often. The script occasionally seems under-baked also. One sequence involves Robards and Garner recruiting several guns to aid them in their mission (ala "The Magnificent Seven") but this leads nowhere in the end. The large cast tends to be either underutilized or killed off with haste. Western fans will likely have a higher tolerance for the film than others. Garner's fans will either embrace the change of pace or be disappointed by it.
Review of Hour of the Gun
