Western movies are often based on real-life characters and incidents that filmmakers alter to accommodate their narrative agenda. One of the most infamous Old West feuds occurred between Wyatt Earp and Ike Clanton and culminated in their showdown at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone. Several films have depicted this contentious relationship, typically casting the Earps and Doc Holiday as the heroes and the Clantons as the villains. "Frontier Marshall," "My Darling Clementine," and "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" are the best known oaters that celebrated the virtuosity of the Earps and Doc Holiday and vilified the wicked Clantons. "Magnificent Seven" director John Sturges changed everything with his revisionist spin of the legend in 1967 with "Hour of the Gun" as Wyatt Earp found himself not only hampered by the legal system in dealing with Clanton, but also discovered that he had little use for the legal procedure. He killed his enemies when he should have brought them in for trial. James Garner's Wyatt Earp became a quasi-villain. "David and Lisa" director Frank Perry and journalist Pete Hamill have gone far beyond "Hour of the Gun" with "Doc" to turn Wyatt Earp into an opportunistic villain. Unfortunately, "Doc" qualifies as a heavy-handed sagebrusher that simplifies history, reducing it to basics that distort history while delivering what constitutes a below average western. Strong performances by Stacy Keach, Harris Yulin, and Faye Dunaway, incomparable cinematography by "Fail Safe" lenser Gerald Hirschfeld, stupendous production design by Gene Callahan of "Hurry Sundown" fame cannot compensate for this lackluster shoot'em up. Anybody who knows anything about the feud between the Earps and the Clantons will be disappointed by this shallow, sketchy western made by people who had no business making a frontier fracas.
"Doc" is different from other Wyatt Earp melodramas because Perry and Hamill filter their recreation of those momentous events through the perspective of Earp's best friend Doc Holiday. Doc (Stacy Keach of "The New Centurions") is riding to Tombstone when he gets caught in a blinding sand storm and takes momentary refuge in a cantina. Talk about stereotypes. The fat, lazy, whining, good-for-nothing Hispanic bartender (Marshall Efron of "THX-1138") who runs the miserable little cantina in the middle of nowhere has cold beer. Clearly, "Doc" had to have been made in Spain because Mexican authorities were still reeling from the racist depiction of their country since the 1953 western "Vera Cruz" and had imposed censors on "The Magnificent Seven" set to make the natives look majestic in their poverty. Anyway, Doc meets grubby Ike Clanton (Michael Witney of "Darling Lili") while he is pawing Kate (Faye Dunaway of "Bonnie & Clyde") as the Kid (Denver John Collins of "Death by Invitation") sits by quietly. Doc challenges Ike to a card of poker for Kate. Initially, Ike doesn't want to bet Kate against Doc's horse because he is in love with her. Ike doesn't have any high regard for Doc and refers to him contemptuously as 'dude.' Not only does Doc beat Ike at cards but he also palms a derringer faster than Ike can empty his holster. Later, after Ike and the Kid have left, Doc and Kate wash up and ride off to Tombstone. They suffer in route because the fat, slimy Mexican has given them a canteen of vinegar rather than water.
Of course, Doc has gone to Tombstone to join his old Dodge City pal Wyatt Earp (Harris Yulin of "Scarface") who is currently serving as a U.S. Marshal but who wants to be sheriff. Wyatt sees Tombstone has a gold mine that Doc and he can get rich mining. Wyatt is not the generous hero that either Henry Fonda or Burt Lancaster played. He is a dastard who would as soon pistol whip you than smile. Doc notices his abrasive attitude, especially after he befriends the Kid. The relationship between the Kid and Doc is reminiscent of a similar relationship between Billy Clanton and Wyatt Earp in "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral." The Kid worships Doc, particularly after Doc teaches him how to handle a six-shooter. When Wyatt lets his hate for Ike extend to the Kid, Doc takes objection. It seems that the stagecoach has been robbed of $80-thousand in gold. Wyatt suspects that Johnny Ringo (Fred Dennis of "Raging Bull") robbed it. With the upcoming sheriff's election, Wyatt wants to make a deal with his dreaded enemy Ike. If Ike will give up Ringo, Wyatt will give Ike the $20-thousand reward and take credit for capturing Ringo. Unfortunately, The Kid shoots a man in a dispute and lands in jail. Wyatt wants to use this as a way to blackmail Ike into helping him. Doc upsets his plans when he bails the Kid out. Not surprisingly, Ike backs out of his deal with Wyatt. This disagreement sparks the final confrontation at the O.K. Corral. Ironically, during the eventful shoot-out, Doc shoots the Kid in cold blood after the youth holsters his own revolver.
"Doc" is a drag. Perry and Hammill must have been venting their spleen against Nixon and the horrors of Vietnam. They seemed determined to debunk western history while at the same time skewering good entertainment. They make the Earps into first-class ruffians who see Tombstone as something to exploit. The Clantons are cattlemen, but they are never portrayed as big businessmen involved in cattle rustling. Indeed, they look like poor cattlemen, living as they do in a shack. Ike doesn't even pose a challenge as a villain. Mind you, all the movies made about the feud have taken liberties with history in some respect. "Doc" strays farther than any, to the point of neglecting several important events that could have heightened the enmity between Wyatt and Ike. Doc emerges as a tragic hero, and Kate is left to languish in the last quarter-hour. The rugged, picturesque landscape around Almería in southeastern Spain looks gorgeous. This is truly a disappointing western, memorable only for its departure from the norm.
"Doc" is different from other Wyatt Earp melodramas because Perry and Hamill filter their recreation of those momentous events through the perspective of Earp's best friend Doc Holiday. Doc (Stacy Keach of "The New Centurions") is riding to Tombstone when he gets caught in a blinding sand storm and takes momentary refuge in a cantina. Talk about stereotypes. The fat, lazy, whining, good-for-nothing Hispanic bartender (Marshall Efron of "THX-1138") who runs the miserable little cantina in the middle of nowhere has cold beer. Clearly, "Doc" had to have been made in Spain because Mexican authorities were still reeling from the racist depiction of their country since the 1953 western "Vera Cruz" and had imposed censors on "The Magnificent Seven" set to make the natives look majestic in their poverty. Anyway, Doc meets grubby Ike Clanton (Michael Witney of "Darling Lili") while he is pawing Kate (Faye Dunaway of "Bonnie & Clyde") as the Kid (Denver John Collins of "Death by Invitation") sits by quietly. Doc challenges Ike to a card of poker for Kate. Initially, Ike doesn't want to bet Kate against Doc's horse because he is in love with her. Ike doesn't have any high regard for Doc and refers to him contemptuously as 'dude.' Not only does Doc beat Ike at cards but he also palms a derringer faster than Ike can empty his holster. Later, after Ike and the Kid have left, Doc and Kate wash up and ride off to Tombstone. They suffer in route because the fat, slimy Mexican has given them a canteen of vinegar rather than water.
Of course, Doc has gone to Tombstone to join his old Dodge City pal Wyatt Earp (Harris Yulin of "Scarface") who is currently serving as a U.S. Marshal but who wants to be sheriff. Wyatt sees Tombstone has a gold mine that Doc and he can get rich mining. Wyatt is not the generous hero that either Henry Fonda or Burt Lancaster played. He is a dastard who would as soon pistol whip you than smile. Doc notices his abrasive attitude, especially after he befriends the Kid. The relationship between the Kid and Doc is reminiscent of a similar relationship between Billy Clanton and Wyatt Earp in "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral." The Kid worships Doc, particularly after Doc teaches him how to handle a six-shooter. When Wyatt lets his hate for Ike extend to the Kid, Doc takes objection. It seems that the stagecoach has been robbed of $80-thousand in gold. Wyatt suspects that Johnny Ringo (Fred Dennis of "Raging Bull") robbed it. With the upcoming sheriff's election, Wyatt wants to make a deal with his dreaded enemy Ike. If Ike will give up Ringo, Wyatt will give Ike the $20-thousand reward and take credit for capturing Ringo. Unfortunately, The Kid shoots a man in a dispute and lands in jail. Wyatt wants to use this as a way to blackmail Ike into helping him. Doc upsets his plans when he bails the Kid out. Not surprisingly, Ike backs out of his deal with Wyatt. This disagreement sparks the final confrontation at the O.K. Corral. Ironically, during the eventful shoot-out, Doc shoots the Kid in cold blood after the youth holsters his own revolver.
"Doc" is a drag. Perry and Hammill must have been venting their spleen against Nixon and the horrors of Vietnam. They seemed determined to debunk western history while at the same time skewering good entertainment. They make the Earps into first-class ruffians who see Tombstone as something to exploit. The Clantons are cattlemen, but they are never portrayed as big businessmen involved in cattle rustling. Indeed, they look like poor cattlemen, living as they do in a shack. Ike doesn't even pose a challenge as a villain. Mind you, all the movies made about the feud have taken liberties with history in some respect. "Doc" strays farther than any, to the point of neglecting several important events that could have heightened the enmity between Wyatt and Ike. Doc emerges as a tragic hero, and Kate is left to languish in the last quarter-hour. The rugged, picturesque landscape around Almería in southeastern Spain looks gorgeous. This is truly a disappointing western, memorable only for its departure from the norm.