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Frontier Marshal (1939 film)

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This article is about the 1939 film produced by Sol M. Wurtzel. For the 1934 film, see Frontier Marshal (1934 film). For the book on which both films are based, see Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal. For other uses, see Wyatt Earp (disambiguation).

Frontier Marshal
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAllan Dwan
Screenplay bySam Hellman
Based onWyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal
1931 novel
by Stuart N. Lake
Produced bySol M. Wurtzel
StarringRandolph Scott
Nancy Kelly
CinematographyCharles G. Clarke
Edited byFred Allen
Color processBlack and white
Production
company
20th Century Fox
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • July 28, 1939 (1939-07-28)
Running time
71 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Frontier Marshal is a 1939 American Western film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Randolph Scott as Wyatt Earp. The film is the second produced by Sol M. Wurtzel based on Stuart N. Lake's biography of Earp Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal (later found to be largely fictionalized). An earlier version was Wurtzel's Frontier Marshal, filmed in 1934. The film was remade by John Ford in 1946 as My Darling Clementine, including whole scenes reshot from the 1939 film.

Frontier Marshal costars Nancy Kelly, Cesar Romero as "Doc Halliday" (the name was changed for the film from the original "Holliday" because of fear of a lawsuit from Holliday's family), John Carradine and Lon Chaney Jr. Ward Bond appears as the town marshal; Bond was also in the 1934 version, and later appears as Morgan Earp in Ford's film. Eddie Foy Jr. plays the large supporting role of his father, entertainer Eddie Foy, in this as well as three other feature films.

Plot

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In Tombstone, Arizona, the sheriff is unwilling to stop Indian Charlie from shooting up the saloon owned by Ben Carter, so new arrival Wyatt Earp does. Earp is beaten by some of Carter's hired men for taking the law into his own hands.

Dance hall girl Jerry is upset with Earp, so when her sweetheart Doc Halliday gets to town, a showdown seems imminent. Earp and Doc instead become friends. Earp takes over as the town's lawman. Doc's former sweetheart Sarah Allen, arrives in town. Believing that he is no good for her, Doc estranges himself from Sarah, but Earp convinces that her relationship with Doc can be rekindled.

The two men work together after visiting entertainer Eddie Foy is kidnapped, and also when Jerry joins forces with Carter to plan the robbery of a gold shipment. Earp and Doc foil the robbery and escape with their lives. Later, Doc is forced to perform surgery to save a life, then is ambushed and fatally shot by Carter. Earp avenges his friend's death and Jerry, remorseful and distraught over her part in the robbery, picks up a gun and finishes off the last of the gang. Sarah chooses to stay in Tombstone to remain close to Doc, and Jerry leaves town.

Cast

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Eddie Foy, Sr.

Origins

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The film was based on Stuart Lake's book Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal, published two years after Earp's death in 1929. Prior to his death, Earp and his wife Josephine ("Sadie") went to great lengths to keep Josephine's name out of the book, and she threatened litigation to prevent her name from being used in the film.[1]: 101  In 1934, she had successfully forced the producers to excise her husband's name from the first film. In 1939, she sued 20th Century Fox for $50,000 to prevent it from producing the remake of Frontier Marshal. After agreeing to remove Wyatt Earp's name from the title and settling with Josephine Earp for $5,000,[2] Fox released the film as Frontier Marshal.[3]

In Los Angeles, Josephine Earp befriended many celebrities, including Cecil B. DeMille and Gary Cooper. She received part of the money earned by sales of Lake's book about her husband as well as royalties from the film.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Rosa, Joseph G. (1979) [1969]. The Gunfighter: Man or Myth? (illustrated, revised ed.). Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0-8061-1561-0. LCCN 68-31378.
  2. ^ Faragher, John Mack (1996). Carnes, Marck C. (ed.). Past Imperfect: History According to the Movies. New York: Heny Holt. ISBN 9780805037593. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b Hutton, Paul (Summer 1995). "Showdown at the Hollywood Corral, Wyatt Earp and the Movies". Montana: The Magazine of Western History. 45 (3): 2–31.
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