Hour of the Gun

Hour of the Gun is considered a kind of sequel to director John Sturges's own Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), with Edward Anhalt's script based on Douglas D. Martin's book "Tombstone's Epitaph." Sturges had never been satisfied with producer Hal B. Wallis's interference in the 1957 film's script, and here he carries Ike Clanton (Robert Ryan), who survives the OK Corral shootout, forward as the story's main villain. Cinematography is by Lucien Ballard and the score by Jerry Goldsmith; the film opened on November 1, 1967. Who it's for: anyone curious about the same director's two takes on the OK Corral gunfight a decade apart, especially set against the 1957 film. Who it's not for: viewers wanting a classic, heroic Wyatt Earp narrative, since this one foregrounds the darker side of a revenge cycle.