Although John Wayne was a great admirer of Wyatt Earp, he was strangely overlooked for his role in the western classic My dear Clementina. There have been many, many retellings of the Wyatt Earp story in movies and TV. By James Garner Gun Time for the famous Tombstone against Wyatt Earp box office rivalry of the 1990s, the lawman's story has been retold often. Even though John Wayne helmed 80 Westerns over the course of his career, it's strange in hindsight that he never got his own Wyatt Earp movie off the ground.
After breaking with 1939 DiligenceWayne became one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Despite this and his known love of Earp, whenever studio projects like 1957 OK Corral shooting moved into production, he was forgotten. Easily the best Earp film produced during the height of Wayne's stardom was My dear Clementinadirected by his old friend John Ford. Although Wayne and Ford made 14 films together, he was not approached about My dear Clementina.
John Wayne Missed His Best Chance to Play Wyatt Earp in My Darling Clementine
This 1946 Western is one of John Ford's best films
In fact, Ford met Earp early in his career, with the retired police officer serving as a consultant on several film productions in the 1920s. My dear Clementine protagonist Henry Fonda (via Life in 1800), Ford recalled a day when Earp sketched the gunfight at the OK Corral and showed him how it all happened.. This is what sparked Ford's desire to dramatize the event, but instead of his leader, Wayne – who by this point had already led Diligence and They were expendable for the director – he chose Fonda.
Of course, Fonda himself was also a genre star, thanks to previously appearing in Clint Eastwood's favorite Western film. The Boi-Arco Incident. Fonda is perfect as the soft-spoken Earp, who conveys more with his expressions than other actors achieve with reams of dialogue. Ford directed many films considered masterpieces, from The researchers to The man who shot Liberty Valancebut My dear Clementina remains at the top of film critics and admirers of the director's work.
John Wayne was no doubt jealous that he wasn't the one playing Wyatt Earp when he finally saw the film…
It looks incredible, the characters are well developed and there is a poetic and mythological aspect that has become a staple in Ford's work. John Wayne was no doubt jealous that he didn't get to play Earp when he finally saw the 1946 Western, too. It may be true that Wayne was labeled as a certain type of macho and arrogant figure, but would later prove it with Red River or Ford The researchers that he could bring great depth for their performances too.
It's strange that John Ford surpassed John Wayne as Wyatt Earp
My Darling Clementine felt like a perfect reunion for Ford and Wayne
When the time comes My dear Clementina was released, Ford and Wayne worked together on three films. The Wyatt Earp film was also Ford's first Western since the success of DiligenceSo, on paper, it seemed obvious that Wayne would be Ford's first choice. Instead of, It appears the director never considered Wayne for My dear Clementina and that Fonda was always the actor he had in mind.
This may be due to the fact that Ford personally knew Wyatt Earp and had a sense of who he was. Fonda's Earp is a man of few words who only pulls out a gun as a last resort, and it's hard to see Wayne getting the same kind of internal performance. Without considering, there are reports that Wayne felt slighted by Ford for not even being approached about My dear Clementina. Given the filmmaker's fearsome reputation and the fact that they've worked together so many times, it's doubtful Wayne would hold a grudge over losing.
John Wayne was a big fan of Wyatt Earp
Wayne literally walked and talked like Wyatt Earp
There are stories that Wayne met the elderly Earp while working as a crew member on several films early in his career, but whether they actually met is up for debate. Some stories even claim that Wayne became such good friends with the retired police officer that he was a pallbearer at Earp's funeral – this is demonstrably false. What is true is that Wayne based on his full-screen persona in Earpwith quote attributed to the star (via American Heroes Channel) explaining the characteristics he took from him.
Earp was the man who actually did the things in his life that I was trying to do in a movie. I imitated his walk; I imitated his talk.
Wayne's famous slow, deliberate drawl and unique way of walking helped make him a star. Wayne's son, Ethan, also confirmed that his father told them that whenever he had to play a sheriff or leader, he would “Walk in like you're Wyatt Earp.” In this way, It can be argued that Wayne played Wyatt Earp dozens of times throughout his career by imitationbut it's still strange that he never played the role. Presumably a studio would be happy to finance a Wyatt Earp Western that featured Wayne on the poster, but there is no evidence that he ever pushed to star in one.
John Wayne would have been miscast in My Darling Clementine
Henry Fonda was the right choice for the 1946 classic
Wayne often played variations of the same character, especially when it came to Westerns. He was a star who wanted to give the audience what they expected; which, in his case, meant playing tough, fast-firing men of action. Wayne was perfectly fine with his own typography, although he branched out into different types of parties and genres throughout his career. That being said, Wayne was completely wrong for My dear Clementine face Wyatt Earp.
There is a very insightful quote from Roger Ebert reviewwhere he speculates on why Ford snubbed his favorite protagonist: “Perhaps Ford saw Wayne as the personification of the Wild West, and the gentle Fonda as one of the new men who would tame the wild..” There have been more overtly masculine takes on Earp – including Kurt Russell's version in Tombstone — but Fonda's performance doesn't concern itself with such things.
The film is partly about law and order coming to the Old West, with Fonda's Earp being the embodiment of this. He wants to resolve things legally and peacefully and only really resorts to violence with the shooting at the OK Corral. It's hard to see Wayne being able to pull off what could be seen as a more passive protagonist. Wayne and Fonda had very different rhythms as artists and Ford uses his protagonist's talent as a weapon in My dear Clementina.
If Wayne had led My Darling Clementine, it might have been considered a great western of its time, but with the wrong lead, as opposed to a perennial favorite of the genre.
Wayne did more discreet work towards the end of his career, such as in his last film The shooter. During the height of his career, it's hard to see him living up to Ford's portrayal of Earp. Once again, the director really knew Earp and clearly decided that Fonda's stoicism was the way to approach the role. If Wayne had led My dear Clementinacould be considered a great Western of its time, but with the wrong lead, as opposed to a perennial genre favorite.
Source: YouTube/Life in the 1800s, American Heroes YouTube Channel, Roger Ebert