Frontier Marshal (1939)

Randolph Scott is Wyatt Earp, who arrives in Tombstone to start a stagecoach line, but takes over the job as marshal.

He finds his hands full, thanks largely to the antics of an outlaw named Curley Bill and his gang.

He also finds a surprising ally in Doc Halliday (Cesar Romero). But then Doc’s former love, Sarah Allen (Nancy Kelly), shows up, sending Halliday on a path of self-destruction.

He’s a sick man, and doesn’t want to saddle the love of his life with someone who doesn’t have long to live.

Binnie Barnes is Jenny, the other woman in love with Doc. She wants nothing more than to see Earp in a grave and Sarah leave town.

But her attempt to get Wyatt out of the way backfires when she unintentionally puts Doc in danger as well.

And, of course, everything leads to a showdown at the O.K. Corral.

Randolph Scott as Wyatt Earp, about to deal with Indian Charlie in Frontier Marshal (1939)

Cesar Romero as Doc Holliday, shocked by former love Sarah Allen’s arrival in Tombstone in Frontier Marshal (1939)

Review:

Except the strange thing is, there’s no Clanton gang in this film and Wyatt makes the march to the O.K. Corral alone. In fact, his brothers are no where to be found in this film.

The end result: This isn’t nearly as good as some of the later versions of the same story, but it’s certainly watchable with Scott and Romero in the leads and Barnes turning in a spirited performance.

Ward Bond has a bit role as the ineffective marshal who preceded Wyatt; comedian Eddie Foy plays himself.

Some of the scenes were very closely repeated in John Ford’s “My Darling Clementine,” including Jerry helping a gambler cheat at cards and getting dumped in a water trough by Wyatt.

Binnie Barnes as Jerry, tipping off Ben Carter to another poker player’s hand in Frontier Marshal (1939)

Nancy Kelly as Sarah Allen, Doc’s gal from back East, being urged to stay in Tombstone by Wyatt Earp in Frontier Marshal (1939)

Directed by:
Allan Dwan

Cast:
Randolph Scott … Wyatt Earp
Nancy Kelly … Sarah Allen
Cesar Romero … “Doc” Halliday
Binnie Barnes … Jerry
John Carradine … Ben Carter
Edward Norris … Dan Blackmore
Eddie Foy … Eddie Foy
Ward Bond … Town Marshal
Lon Chaney Jr. … Pringle
Chris-Pin Martin … Pete
Joe Sawyer … Curley Bill
Dell Henderson … Dave Hall
Harry Hayden … Mayor Henderson
Ventura Ybarra … Pablo
Charles Stevens … Indian Charlie

Runtime: 71 min.

John Carradine as Ben Carterr, getting a helpful tip regarding stagecoach luggage from Jerry in Frontier Marshal (1939)

Lon Chaney Jr. as Pringle and Joe Sawyer as Curley Bill, two Tombstone trouble makers meeting Wyatt Earp in Frontier Marshal (1939)

Memorable lines:

Tombstone citizen, reading from newspaper: “Yesterday, Big Nose Jackson was buried in Boot Hill. He was shot to death by an unknown party. Joe Triblin, who officiates as coroner when not busy in the assay office, rendered the following verdict. ‘Body rich in lead, too badly punctured to hold whiskey.’ We are growing rapidly, but it is a growing question whether the city or the cemetery will be the larger.”

Wyatt to saloon gal Jerry, who been tipping off players in a card game: “You got a pretty little neck, sister, but if you don’t keep it out of card games, somebody’s going to twist it right off.”

Sarah Allen: “Why did you do it (run off to Tombstone), John?”
Doc Holliday: “What else was there to do? I couldn’t fasten a dying man onto you. I was a sick dog, and I snuck away like a sick dog.”

Jerry to Ben Carter, talking about Wyatt Earp: “The happiest day of my life will be when I can spit in his coffin.”

Jerry, watching a sign for a bank being placed where a saloon once stood: “When people start saving their money, it’s time for me to vamoose.”

Edward Norris as Dan Blackmore, a cheating gambler at the Bella Union, with Jerry’s help, in Frontier Marshal (1939)

Eddie Foy Jr. as Eddie Foy, back in Tombstone after an adventurous stagecoach ride in Frontier Marshal (1939)

Charles Stevens as Indian Charlie, the rampaging drunk Wyatt Earp is asked to subdue in Frontier Marshal (1939)

Chris-Pin Martin as Pete, bartender at the Bella Union with Pablo (Ventura Ybarra), the boy he’s raising and Wyatt Earp (Randolph Scott) in Frontier Marshal (1939)

Ward Bone as a Tombstone town marshal unwilling to risk his life against drunk Indian Charlie in Frontier Marshal (1939)

Nancy Kelly as Sarah Allen, trying to remind Doc of his life before he became a killer in Frontier Marshal (1939)

Binnie Barnes as Jerry, desperate to learn where Doc has gone in Frontier Marshal (1939)

Randolph Scott as Wyatt Earp and Cesar Romero as Doc Holliday, discussing the latter’s decision to leave Tombstone in Frontier Marshal (1939)