A top-rated Western from John Ford even though it is from before the Fifties – in fact was released in 1946. I wish that this had been in Technicolor – however it is possible to get the colorized version on DVD and to me that is the one to see

The acting contains a number of career-best performance from two top actors — Victor Mature and Walter Brennan. Victor Mature takes the Doc Holliday role which has tended to be the one most sought after and he gives the most moving and arguably the finest of all interpretations.

In fact in the film there is a Shakespeare scene where Victor Mature performs the great Hamlet soliloquy from Hamlet, ‘To be or not to be’.

The character Doc Holliday (Victor Mature) completes the soliloquy when the actor falters. The inclusion of this scene is seen as a meditation on America’s transformation from wilderness into civilisation.

Famous actor Alec Baldwin describes this as ‘the most beautiful Shakespeare recitation you’ve ever heard in your life.’

Walter Brennan plays the dark and vengeful Ike Clanton – very much against the type of parts he had before or after this one

ABOVE – Victor Mature

ABOVE – Henry Fonda looks very dated in this shot

Walter Brennan above – as Ike Clanton – a very different part to the ones that we are used to seeing him in.

He looks a lot younger here – which of course he was.