my darling clementine

THE FLICK: Few actors defined a role so unassumingly as Henry Fonda did as the legendary Wyatt Earp in “My Darling Clementine.” And few directors could have shaped the by now predictable ricochets from the gunfight at the O.K. Corral as expertly as John Ford, whose collaborations with Fonda always brought out the humanist in both of them. Playing fast and loose with history (despite Ford’s claim to have gotten the true facts from Earp himself), “Clementine” re-stages the famous shootout as little more than an footnote to the everyday challenges of life on the frontier and the constant struggle between savagery and civilization. After the Earp’s cattle are rustled and youngest brother killed by members of the Clanton clan, Wyatt sticks around Tombstone as the new Marshall until he can bring the killers to justice. His role as lawman also puts him at odds with Doc Holiday, the quick draw artist who runs the local gambling hall. And their relationship becomes even more strained when Holiday’s old flame, Clementine Carter, rolls in on the stage and sets the town talking. More softhearted than Ford’s work with John Wayne, “Clementine” is an optimistic ode to the Old West that revels in the ties that bind a community together. Much like the feel-good nostalgia of Capra’s “It’s A Wonderful Life,” the town of Tombstone is populated by cheerfully distinct characters with good hearts and high aspirations. Bad seeds like the Clantons – and even men of means like the Earps – find themselves ill suited for the new-look frontier where churches and barbershops are built in place of whorehouses and saloons. There’s a simplistic poetry here that Ford never replicated – it’s in the long shadows, low-brimmed hats, and smoky barroom backdrops. And most importantly, in the cold eyes and stoic stance of Fonda whose stiff disposition and folksy humor were never put to better use. Even “The Searchers” – Ford’s other masterpiece – doesn’t achieve the naturalistic grace or poetic vision put on screen by “Clementine.” THE FEATURES: A top-notch commentary by film historian Scott Eyman (with additional insights from Wyatt Earp III) gives a condensed biography of Ford and his work habits along with some of the facts behind the fiction. Well-prepared and consistently on topic, this is not only worth a listen, but a big selling point for anyone who considers themselves a fan of Ford or Westerns in general. On the flip side of the disc is the pre-release version of the film (about 10 minutes longer) that includes some extra bits of dialogue and scene extensions. The most significant change comes during Wyatt’s farewell to Clementine at the end of the film – in the pre-release version she gets only a handshake, but producers demanded a peck on the cheek for the print that hit theaters. The transfer itself is quite sharp, although still showing some lines and speckles. Ford’s fabulous photography holds up very well with nice contrast levels between overblown light and deep shadows. FINAL SCORE: For my money “Clementine” is the best Western ever made. And as the latest edition in the Fox Studio Classics DVD collection proves, it still looks as good as ever.