1874 Wyatt Earp arrives in Wichita, where he wants to settle down and start a small business. He meets a young newspaperman, Bath Masterson, and prevents a bank robbery. He is offered the position of sheriff, but refuses. But soon, circumstances lead to the fact that he still dresses the sheriff's star.
Another variation on the life of the legendary Wyatt Earp. Only this time without the famous shootout in O. K. Corral, and we are talking about the early steps of Earp in the field of establishing legality in the Wild West. Of course, this has little to do with reality. Although in addition to the famous sheriff in the picture there is a young Bath Masterson and there is a case when two of his brothers are hired to kill Earp, which actually had a case.
Genre star 50-year-old Joel McCree, of course, is not suitable for the role of a young Earp, who in 1874 was not even 30. But he plays thoroughly and confidently, a real gunfighter of the Wild West. Confusing, however, his twofold age difference with Vera Miles, whose heroine he cares for, but this is a frequent phenomenon in Hollywood cinema of the time.
In the background, there are notable genre actors of those years (Bridges, Bakanen, Ford). Not bad young Bath Masterson performed by a little-known actor Keith Larsen (by the way, in the life of Vera’s husband Miles).
Jacques Turner has built a dramatic narrative, built more on psychology and the clash of characters than on action (although there are many shootouts and fights in the film). Moreover, the antagonists of Earp are not bandits, but local businessmen dissatisfied with his methods in restoring order.
One of the best westerns featuring McCree with good supporting. Not a masterpiece of the genre, but definitely a good western of the classical type.
7 out of 10