Reviews
John Chard

John Chard

May 4, 2017
9.0
If you are going to kill like me, you might as well drink like me. Hour of the Gun is directed by John Sturges and adapted to screenplay by Edward Anhalt from Douglas D. Martin's novel Tombstone's Epitaph. It stars James Garner, Jason Robards and Robert Ryan. Music is by Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography is by Lucien Ballard. Story begins with the shootout at the O.K. Corral and tells of the aftermath involving the major players. Although John Sturges' Gunfight at the O.K. Corall ten years previously proved to be popular, the director was never happy with the finished project, due in no small part to the fact that Hal B. Wallis controlled the script. Here Sturges takes control and crafts what in essence is a sequel to the 57 movie. Leaning more towards a character study with a dark edge, Hour of the Gun is refreshing in giving the Wyatt Earp/Doc Holliday characters a different story than the one we normally see on the screen; one that actually attempts historical accuracy where possible. Viewing it now it's easy to see why the film was received coldly back on release. The Western movie was just about creaking along as a viable cinematic genre as it was, but with Sturges and Anhalt portraying one of America's folklore heroes in moral decline, it's unsurprising that it found itself out of sync with the times. However, time has been very kind to it, where over decades the re-evaluation of many a psychological Western has seen it viewed as one of the more bolder and cynical tinted oaters from the 60s. With a fine script from Anhalt to work from, who also features as a player in the film as Holliday's whiskey smuggling carer, the cast work well. Ryan files in for villain duties as Ike Clanton and Garner as Earp and Robards as Holliday make for a suitably sombre pairing. There's also some quality in the support ranks where Albert Salmi, John Voight, Jorge Russeck and Karl Swenson leave good impressions. With Goldsmith tonally aware for the scoring and master photographer Ballard utilising the Panavision on offer for the Durango locations, it's an all round well put together production. Some fat could have done with being trimmed off it to get it 10 minutes shorter; for the story starts to feel over long entering the last quarter. But Hour of the Gun is not only a better than your average 60s Western, it's also one of the better Wyatt Earp movies available to those interested in the subject. 7.5/10

Recommendation Movies

6.3
Western
View
6.3
Duel at Diablo
Duel at Diablo1966
6.4
Western
View
6.4
Angel and the Badman
Angel and the Badman1947
6.6
Western
View
6.6
God Forgives... I Don't!
God Forgives... I Don't!1967
5.3
Fantasy
View
5.3
Black Magic
Black Magic1975
6.8
Western
View
6.8
Big Jake
Big Jake1971
5.9
Adventure
View
5.9
Halls of Montezuma
Halls of Montezuma1951
5.5
Family
View
5.5
Clara and the Secret of the Bears
Clara and the Secret of the Bears2013
5.9
Thriller
View
5.9
A Black Veil for Lisa
A Black Veil for Lisa1968
5.5
War
View
5.5
Commando's
Commando's2020
7.2
Drama
View
7.2
Dead Man
Dead Man1995
7.8
Drama
View
7.8
The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Bridge on the River Kwai1957
7.6
Western
View
7.6
Tombstone
Tombstone1993
6.2
Adventure
View
6.2
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 12011
6.3
Action
View
6.3
Insurgent
Insurgent2015
5.1
Fantasy
View
5.1
Jack Frost
Jack Frost1997
7.5
Action
View
7.5
Kingdom III: The Flame of Destiny
Kingdom III: The Flame of Destiny2023
6.8
Action
View
6.8
Gladiator II
Gladiator II2024
6
Thriller
View
6
Another 48 Hrs.
Another 48 Hrs.1990
6.4
Action
View
6.4
Back in Action
Back in Action2025
7.7
Science Fiction
View
7.7
Dune
Dune2021
© 2025 MoovieTime. All rights reserved.Made with Nuxt