My Darling Clementine (1946 John Ford)

First, there was the shootout, on October 26 1881 in Tombstone, Arizona, then it was publicised by Stuart Lake's 1931 autobiography 'Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshall'. This was the basis of Sam Hellman's story, which was then screenwritten by Samuel G Engel & Winston Miller. Ford's simple direction is often silent.

Henry Fonda (good), Ward Bond (older brother), Tim Holt and Don Garner (uncredited) are the Earps - you wonder why the camera holds so long on the latter, until later. Victor Mature, Linda Darnell, Cathy Downs, Walter Brennan, Alan Mowbray (pissed actor), John Ireland.

Great photography by Joe MacDonald especially in night scenes, great Monument Valley landscapes. Gunfight is well coordinated, good rapport between Fonda and Mature, film amuses, fondly observes, drifts, leaps into action. What happened to the rustled cattle? "I sure do like that name Clementine."

First saw it on 27 January 1981 and liked it. 20th Century Fox. Edited by Dorothy Spencer. It's a classic.