My Darling Clementine (1946) 10/10
Wyatt Earp (Henry Fonda) and his brothers are passing their cattle through Tombstone when Billy Earp is murdered. Wyatt accepts an offer to become Marshall, and deputizes his surviving brothers, so that he can find the killer. Directed by John Ford.
I was excited when I saw this movie was going to be on; there’s a shrinking list of really acclaimed Westerns I have yet to see, and My Darling Clementine didn’t disappoint. It was as exquisitely beautiful as you’d expect a John Ford Western to be; masterfully filmed, every frame perfection. Ford captures all the subtle and broad, clumsy and graceful movements that add up to rich characters in a beautifully made movie. I think my favorite moment is this: Wyatt Earp has taken to sitting in front of the hotel, watching the town, leaned way back in a chair with one long leg up on a post in front of him. This is so much his habit that someone runs to get his chair when he sees Earp coming (itself a lovely touch). Then, in one scene, while thinking about taking the eponymous Clementine Carter to a dance, Earp stretches out his arms and, still leaning back in the chair, does dance steps on the post.
I could talk about the themes of this movie, about trying to reach past yourself, about finding beauty, all that, but to me, I’m pretty sure what I’m going to remember is that this is the movie where Henry Fonda danced on the post; a purely visual elegance.
My Darling Clementine also makes total hash of the historical fact. I have a book I like a lot called Past Imperfect: History According to the Movies. As the title suggests, it treats a host of movies with a historical basis to a comparison with the facts. The chapter on Wyatt Earp and the shootout at the OK Corral actually encompasses seven movies (although many more could have been included). Having read this book, and seen numerous other films with these characters, I was very aware of the factual errors. I mean, all movies stretch or strain fact somewhere, and Westerns more than most, but My Darling Clementine doesn’t even try! It ignores such basics as which Clantons and Earps were even at the OK Corral, who lived, and who died.
They’re arguing over the need for historical accuracy (or lack thereof) over on the IMDb message board for this film. Does accuracy matter when the film is so great? Or at all? If you don’t intend to be accurate, why use the names of historical figures and events at all? Ford knew Wyatt Earp, who hung around Hollywood at the end of his life, and would tell people that his portrayal of the events of the OK Corral was accurate because he heard about it from Earp himself. But then, when people complained about the inaccuracies, he fell back to “Well, did you enjoy the movie?”
All these arguments are interesting, but while you’re arguing, see My Darling Clementine, because it really is amazing.
I remember it well – And you are so right – Who cares when the movie is so great.
What’s your review on? I finally saw Dreamgirls the other night. I don’t go to movies, I wait for them to come to me – so I finally saw it – I don’t know the real history of Diana Ross and the Supremes. And I really don’t care. I was blown away. Now, “blown away” is not a very articulate review and I only remember the amazing singer/actress who won the supporting award – but not her name. I thought Eddie Murphy was amazing, revealing not only a great singing talent, but remarkable acting depths.
I am still not accustomed to great actors revealing themselves as great singers— Michelle Pfeiffer, Meryl Streep, now Eddie Murphy, Johnny Depp,…
What do you mean, what’s my review on? That’s very confusing. This is my review.
If you’re looking for a specific review, there’s a search box. The Dreamgirls review is here: the actress you’re trying to think of is Jennifer Hudson.
My favorite scene in My Darling Clementine is the actual dance with Clementine (Linda Darnell, I think). I love the whole build up to it, how Fonda, with his carefully slicked-down hair, waits to ask, makes his formal bow, even the slightly goofy looking dance itself, crooking his long lead leg high as they hop around the dance floor.
I’ll have to check out the book, sounds interesting. I was about to agree with Ford’s point of view, since I never complain about the historical accuracy of a movie if I like it. But it’s odd that Michael brings up Dreamgirls, since, if you click on the link to your review, you’ll find me there, complaining about the historical accuracy. Maybe it’s a matter of how much the history means to you. I couldn’t care less about what really happened at the OK Corral, but the history of American music is a big deal to me.
Linda Darnell plays the Mexican girl; Kathy Downs plays Clementine. Yes, that dance is marvelous, and I believe is mentioned in the book and elsewhere as the most famous scene in the movie. I mentioned the scene with the post because it was so much smaller, and yet delightful. And I love Fonda’s high-stepping legs!
I’m fascinated by the interplay of mythologizing and history that is the Old West. As Unforgiven shows, the myth was being created at the very same time that the real thing was happening. And John Ford is, after all, the guy who made Liberty Valance, which I guess expressed his own opinion about history and truth.
But what’s interesting is that the movie relies on history. It makes the assumption that the story is more interesting as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday than as Joe Smith and Fred Jones.
My Darling Clementine will always and forever remind me of the great MASH episode.
Oh the surgeons in the army
they say we’re mighty bright,
we work on soldiers through the day
and nurses through the night.
Iām fascinated by the interplay of mythologizing and history that is the Old West. As Unforgiven shows, the myth was being created at the very same time that the real thing was happening. And John Ford is, after all, the guy who made Liberty Valance, which I guess expressed his own opinion about history and truth.
*nods agreement* Mythologizing seems almost inextricable from the Old West. One of the things that made Unforgiven so compelling is that, even as its intended purpose seemed to be to demythologize the old stories, at the end it felt as if it had created a new myth. It seems inevitable. something you can’t get out from under no matter how much you try. As Ford says in Liberty Valance, you always end up printing the legend.
To me, the crucial component of Unforgiven was the presence of the author. Altman tried to do something similar with Buffalo Bill and the Indians, but in this case, Eastwood exceeded him.
Oh, some guys like the army
I think that it’s a mess.
If it’s so damn terrific,
How come I wear a dress?
Oh the chaplain in the army
Wears a collar on his neck.
If you don’t listen to him,
You’ll all end up in Heck.
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