There are some historical characters who  turn up in Hollywood films and TV shows time and time again.

The popularity of westerns meant that people like Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Jesse James, Bill Hickok, the Daltons – and Doc Holliday were portrayed many times over the years.

I’ve never looked for, or expected  historical accuracy from Hollywood. So I just accepted whatever character a scriptwriter and actor would give Doc Holliday .

Here are some of the actors who played Doc Holliday. Mostly he was the man in black  who was handy with cards and guns.

 

 

In “Frontier Marshall”, Doc Holliday doesn’t even make it to the OK Corral. He is killed earlier and Wyatt Earp goes alone to the Corral and kills the entire gang!

 

 

Myron Healy in several episodes of “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.”

 

Douglas Fowley , also in the Wyatt Earp TV series.

The episode of this TV series (starring  Hugh O’Brien as Earp), does a good job of telling the OK Corral story, with Wyatt explaining to a judge in flashback the events.

The episode is on You  Tube.

 

Walter Huston as Holliday, here on the set of THE OUTLAW, with Thomas Mitchell.

 

Two rare photos I found  recently of Walter Huston on the set of “The Outlaw”, with the film’s producer, Howard Hughes

 

 

James Griffith was good as Holliday in “Masterson of Kansas.”

 

Gerald Mohr in MAVERICK

 

Warren Stevens in “Death Valley Days.”

 

Adam West played Holliday in three different TV westerns – COLT 45,  LAWMAN, SUGARFOOT.

 

Dewey Martin in ZANE GREY THEATRE.

 

Kent Taylor in TOMBSTONE, THE TOWN TOO TOUGH TO DIE.

 

Martin Landau in TALES OF WELLS FARGO.

 

Don Beddoe in PISTOLS AND PETTICOATS.

 

MAVERICK.

 

Henry Silva In WAGON TRAIN.

 

Jack Kelly in THE HIGH CHAPARRAL.

 

Arthur  Kennedy in CHEYENNE  AUTUMN, with James Stewart.

 

Robert Lansing in THE TALL MAN.

 

Jason Robards in HOUR OF THE GUN.

Holliday has also been played by Stacey Keach and Val Kilmer and Dennis Quaid.

 

And my favourite.

Kirk Douglas is excellent as the consumptive Holliday who knows his time is limited.

I’d love to see all the TV  versions  of Doc Holliday. Can anyone comment on a favourite ‘Doc’?

Are there any other Doc Holliday portrayals I’ve missed?

 

The real John  Henry Holliday. He was a trained dentist, not a doctor as portrayed in some films. He died at the age of 36 from tuberculosis. He was a gambler and handy with a gun. He and Wyatt Earp were friends.

At one time, he took an ad out in a local paper, saying:

“J.H.Holliday, dentist, very respectfully offers his professional services to the citizens of Dodge City……where satisfaction is not given, money will be refunded.”

(information from tombstonetimes.com).

 

 

According to records, the famous fight in 1881 only lasted 30 seconds, and did not take place in the corral, but nearby.

Political opponents of Wyatt Earp put him on trial for the deaths of three of the outlaws at the Corral. He was cleared.

A useful site for Earp/Holliday information – bewaretheblog.com.

 

EXTRA: My thanks to Corey for pointing out that the photo of Doc Holliday which I used above is not the famous dentist. It is in fact John Escapule who settled in Tombstone.

 

 

 

David Farrar, Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews. DUEL IN THE JUNGLE.

 

 

 

 

Scott Brady, Jane Russell.  GENTLEMEN MARRY BRUNETTES.

 

Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, Joan Bennett. THERE’S ALWAYS TOMORROW.

 

Jeffrey Hunter, Fred MacMurray, Dean Stockwell. GUN FOR A COWARD.

 

Leslie  Banks, Fay Wray, Joel McCrea.THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME.

Fay looks as if she’s seen Kong!

 

Dan Duryea, Edward G. Robinson . SCARLET STREET.

 

John Loder, Dennis O’Keefe, Hedy Lamar, William Lundigan. DISHONORED LADY.

 

 

 

Sorry to hear of the death of TAB HUNTER on July 8th, 2018 , aged 86.

Tab’s  career was on an upward trajectory through the 1950s , but when he bought out his contract with  Warner Brothers , the good parts just disappeared.

Tab was a star from his second film, SATURDAY ISLAND(1952) aka “Island of Desire”, in which his costar was Linda Darnell. Warners marketed him as a ‘teen idol’, he was on the cover of many film magazines and even had a number one record with ‘Young Love’ in 1957.

 

Tab had his own TV show, “The Tab Hunter Show” which ran for one season in 1960.

 

 

 

 

 

Tab’s role as the hot headed son of Van Heflin in “Gunman’s Walk” was a change from his previous roles, but after leaving Warner Brothers, no other studio took him on. Which is surprising since other studios borrowed him from Warners several times in the 50s.

 

 

 

Tab and Natalie Wood made two films, THE BURNING HILLS and THE GIRL HE LEFT BEHIND, both in 1956 and were often seen together on the town.

 

 

 

When the film offers dried up, Tab did a lot of stage plays on the so called ‘Dinner circuit’.

He had some renewed success in the 1980s, costarring with drag queen Divine in “Polyester” and  western spoof, “Lust in the Dust”.

 

Tab loved horses from a young age and became a champion jumper and judge at horse shows.

He was also a figure skater  and starred in a TV movie,”Hans Brinker” in 1958.

 

 

Being gay in the 1950s was something stars had to keep secret. It could be career-ending.

Tab had a relationship with Anthony Perkins for a couple of years.

Tab got good reviews for a live TV production of “Fears Strikes Out” and he hoped Warner Brothers  would buy the film rights for him. Instead, Paramount made the film and starred his friend, Anthony Perkins.

As of 2018, a film ,provisionally called “Tab and Tony” , is in development for Paramount .

 

Tab and his partner of 30 years, Allan Glaser who produced the recent documentary, TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL.

 

Tab found happiness in his later years, living on his ranch and looking after his horses.

Written and produced by Douglas Fairbanks Jr., “The Exile” , set in  1660, has Fairbanks as Charles the Second in exile in Holland after Oliver Cromwell and his Roundheads have killed his father and banished the Monarchy in England.

Charles has a few loyal friends who have come with him to Holland including Nigel Bruce, his elderly advisor.

The monarch seems to be enjoying himself , leaving behind the chains of office. He takes a job in an Inn run by the lovely Paule Croset (aka Rita Corday) and they fall in love.

The first half of the film is relatively slow paced and with a light tone.

Especially when Robert Coote turns up at the Inn  claiming to be Charles Stuart, the King. He’s actually an out of work actor looking for free food and board. Coote doesn’t seem deterred by the fact that there is a reward of £5,000 for the King’s capture.

Billed as Paule Croset, the Swiss actress had made several Hollywood films prior to The Exile under the name Rita Corday, including several Falcon  films. She was active till 1955 and was sometimes credited as Paula Corday. Confusing.

 

 

Life gets serious for the King when Henry Daniell (looking like Darth Vader!) is assigned to go to Europe and capture Charles. Unfortunately Daniell gets very little to do.

We finally get some Fairbanks stunts  and fencing in the last 20 minutes of the film . The Fairbanks /Daniell sword fight takes place in a shadowy windmill and is  well filmed, reminiscent of  “Foreign Correspondent”.

The film’s top billed star, Maria Montez has about 15 minutes of screen time as a French countess who comes to tell Charles that his cousin, King Louis the 14th. supports him.

The Montez role is really superfluous  but she looks ravishing ,playfully flirting with  Charles.

Apparently Maria had it in her Universal contract that she would always get top billing in any film. Fairbanks had to agree, though later advertising for the film always had his name first.

The film was made by The Fairbanks Company and Universal. I could only find one other Fairbanks Company film, again jointly with Universal, “The Fighting O’Flynn” (1949).

 

 

There’s a Prisoner Of Zenda  ending. A lovesick Charles has to return to England alone.

The Exile was the first of the few Hollywood films directed by German emigre Max Ophuls(1902-1957). Ophuls is remembered for “Caught”, “Letter from an Unknown Woman “ and “ The Reckless Moment”.

Presumably to save money, scenes seemed to be all filmed on quite lavish sound stages  but location  filming ( and an improved  script) would have helped. Fairbanks carries the film. He captures the lighthearted memory of his father, though I wonder  why he felt the need to repeat what his father had been famous for.

Historically, Fairbanks uses little except the basic exile of the King and his eventual return to power.

 

 

Only  swordplay is in the final action scenes .

 

 

 

James Mason revealed in his autobiography, (“Before I Forget)) that he had declined the role that Robert Ryan played in “Caught” because he wanted to “smash his villainous image.”

But in doing so, surely James gave up the better role of the obsessed, mysterious Howard Hughes type figure that Ryan got to play.

 

James called EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE, “weak and old fashioned.” 

Ah well, I like it a lot.

 

He admired Edmond O’Brien’s performance as ‘Casca’ in JULIUS CAESAR (1953).

Apparently Joseph Mankiewicz wanted Richard Burton to play Marc Anthony, but Burton was under contract to the Old Vic in London.

Marlon Brando got the role and an Oscar nomination. He is pretty amazing with an almost flawless British accent. This MGM film was full of well known faces including Mason – in a sympathetic role as ‘Brutus ‘, John Gielgud as Cassius, Louis Calhern as Caesar, Greer Garson as Caesar’s wife, Deborah Kerr as Brutus’s wife.

Must watch it again.

 

 

Another lovely portrait by Morr Kusnet.

(Louis Calhern as Caesar and Greer Garson as Calpurnia, Brando as Marc Anthony.)

 

Always a good villain, and despite his reservations, James listed how he died in various films:

BOTANY BAY: Speared!

 

PRINCE VALIANT: Broadsword!

 

THE DESERT FOX: Suicide by poison.

 

20 THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA: Shot and drowned. 

 

 

A friend shared with me a note that he received from James Mason in 1984. James refers to touring half a dozen American cities with the newly lengthened version of “A Star Is Born”.

Mason died in July,1984.

 

 

Love this shot of Judy, James and George Cukor on   the set of “A Star Is Born.”

If it’s true that Cary Grant and Humphrey Bogart were offered the role of ‘Norman Maine’, I’m glad they turned it down.  Mason is perfect.

 

I think James as ‘Norman Maine’ was one of his best roles. Although Oscar nominated, it was his Julius Caesar costar, Marlon Brando who took the Best Actor Oscar for “On The Waterfront.”

(Mason was Oscar nominated in two other decades. For “Georgie Girl “ in 1966 and “The Verdict” in 1982.)

 

Fencing master Jean Heremans, James Mason, Stewart Granger on the set of THE PRISONER OF ZENDA. Love that severe Mason haircut! And yet another villain.

 

As Phillip VanDamm in NORTH BY NORTHWEST. James really was a superb  villain.

Impressive painting of GLORIA  SWANSON by Boris Chaliapin (1904-1979) who did 400 covers for TIME magazine from 1942 to 1970.

Time Magazine had asked Chaliapin to do a cover portrait of Gloria Swanson who was expected to win the Oscar for “Sunset Boulevard”.

When Judy Holliday won, they got him to do a cover portrait of Broadway actress, Barbara Bel Geddes instead. Barbara was starring in “The Moon  is Blue”.

Chaliapin ‘s  watercolour of Gloria from 1951 is now in the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution. The painting was gifted to the Smithsonian by Boris Chaliapin’s  widow.

I wonder if Time considered a cover for Judy Holliday.

All the portraits at the Smithsonian can be seen at http://npg.si.edu

 

The portrait of Barbara Bel Geddes which made the cover of Time magazine in 1951 instead of Gloria Swanson. The original is also in the Smithsonian, courtesy of Mrs. Chaliapin.

 

CARY GRANT, under his real name ,Archie Leach, played Athos in a musical version of “The Three Musketeers” in 1931 at the Muny ( The Municipal Opera Association of St.Louis,Missouri.

(The musketeers’ s hats in the  photo below look as if someone stepped on them!

The Muny ,which is 100 years old  in 2018,  is the biggest outdoor musical theatre in America , with a capacity of 11,000.

It operates solely in the summer from June to August and  usually stages 7 Broadway – standard musicals each year during this period.

 

The 1931 calendar of shows has ‘Archie Leach’ in 7 of them, from “Rio Rita” to “Irene” and “The Three Musketeers”.

In 1931, Archie/Cary was under contract to the Broadway producers the Shuberts who sent him to St.Louis for the summer musical season. Not long  afterwards, the star would leave for Hollywood and change his name to Cary Grant.

 

Hearing Cary briefly sing ‘Did I Remember’ to Jean Harlow in  “Suzy”  makes you wonder why he didn’t do some musicals in his career. He did of course play Cole Porter and sang a beautiful Porter song, ‘’An Old Fashioned Garden’ in “Night And Day”.

 

 

The Muny arena in 1940.

Over the decades many Hollywood stars have appeared at the Muny. In the 1926 season IRENE DUNNE played in “Babes in Toyland”, “The Red Mill” and “Sweethearts”.

In later years ANN BLYTH did “The Desert Song”, “Kiss Me Kate”, “Brigadoon” and “The King and I” in the 1960s and 70s.

In 1978, JANE POWELL and HOWARD KEEL starred in “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”. Howard also did “South Pacific” (1992) and “My Fair Lady” (1996).

CYD CHARISSE played ‘Lola’ in  “Damn Yankees” in 1969.

ANN MILLER starred in “Anything Goes” in 1972.

LAUREN BACALL top billed “Wonderful Town” in 1973. ROBERT PRESTON reprised his Broadway hit, “Mack and Mabel”,  and JOHN PAYNE did “Good News” (which he had starred in on Broadway with Alice Faye) in 1973.

BOB HOPE had his first big Broadway hit in “Roberta” in 1933. Bob came to the Muny in 1958 and reprised his role of bandleader Huck Haines .  He also did the show  on TV in 1958, with Howard Keel, Janis Paige and Anna Maria Alberghetti.

(Fred Astaire played the bandleader in the film version of Roberta.)

Bob was inducted into the Muny Hall of Fame in 1984.

 

MARGARET HAMILTON played ‘Parthy’ in Show Boat in 1953.

 

MARY WICKES played in “Meet Me in  St. Louis” in 1960. Mary was born in St.Louis – as was Betty Grable, Virginia Mayo,Agnes Moorehead, Vincent Price and Shelley Winters.

 

DOLORES GRAY, DONALD O’CONNOR, ALEXIS SMITH , EVE ARDEN, DEBBIE REYNOLDS and BETTY GRABLE have also appeared at the Muny.

 

Irene Dunne, Ann Miller and Alexis Smith