Wyatt Earp – A Biography of the Legend

by Lee A. Silva

I’ve been avoiding getting into the Earp books because there is so much of Wyatt Earp everywhere you look when it comes to the old west, and particularly historical research, but my want to get this book mentioned and put up on the blog caused me to finally start into the Earp section of the ol’ personal western library.

Lee Silva’s biography is far and away the best resource for studying Wyatt Earp. I’m going to go ahead and just start with that as my jumping off point. It’s true. Unfortunately most people haven’t read it because it’s out of print and most used copies start at around 250.00 on amazon. Though I did see one the other day going for 95, and I considered getting a second just as back-up at that price. But, to stay on course, let me back up my claims.

Finding a good, I mean really good, biography of Wyatt can be challenging since his life is so enigmatic to so many people. This is generally why there are so many biographies of the man; everyone has an angle to indulge. Thus we get half a dozen books just on whether or not he spent the winter of 1878 in Texas with his brother, saying nothing of the dozens of books covering his time in Tombstone and whether he was a good guy or not. But this is indicative of why Lee Silva’s biography could be safely rounded up to one-thousand pages, or in simpler terms, seven pounds. That’s a heavy book.

Mr. Silva took the time to do more than just collect the newspaper articles, or peruse the many statements of those living in Earp’s general breathing space; he does all that, and then he really weighs things out and breaks things down, comparing this note to that, and generally painting a picture that no other biographer of Wyatt Earp has done. And in the end, the result is that his first volume only covers up until Wyatt leaves Dodge City for Arizona.

So to clarify, volume one is around 900 pages and only covers up until the end of his time in Dodge City.

Take for example the debate over whether or not Wyatt stood down a mob of cow-boys in Wichita. Silva breaks down each move, and then provides a plethora of evidence and remembrances, and slowly structures all the information to make a real solid case for what actually happened. I’m, of course, not going to attempt to recount all this insightful information here, but these sorts of investigations are what make his book so amazing.

Another product of his excessively thorough research is that he presents a refreshed picture of Stuart Lake, proving that he was not the tall-tale-teller that so many have claimed he was. Silva extensively examines Lake’s notes and communications and often proves an indefatigable effort towards finding the truth. Perhaps Lake’s publishers had a hand in intentional mis-information, but when one fully considers all of Lake’s efforts it becomes clear that it is unfair to call the man a hack.

Towards the back of the book there is probably the best investigation of the Buntline Special in an appendix that trumps Shillingbergs’ book The Buntline Special Myth. But this is just another example of why this biography is so invaluable.

I’ll stop giving examples of why I think this book is so wonderful; I’m sure some people might be ready to accuse me of wanting to take the bible’s title of Good Book and appropriate it to this Earp biography, but fear not, I still believe the bible holds the number one spot. Buuuut….if we were talking strictly Earp history I might say it’s earned the title!

Ok, enough hyperbole.

I’ll wrap up with this: in the debate over who is the preeminent Wyatt Earp author and sage; is it Glenn Boyer with his history with the family, or Casey Tefertiller with his journalistic contributions and investigations, or one of the other qualified biographers? The answer is clear: Lee Silva is the main to attain to, and his biography is the one to read. Others are great, and ultimately shorter reads, but this is one heck of a “must” for the Study of Wyatt Earp.

Earp’s Last Frontier

Earp’s Last Frontier is a great little book that covers time spent in Nevada by any of the Earp family, though focusing primarily on Wyatt, and secondarily on Virgil. Jeffrey Kintop and Guy Rocha do a great job of painting the Nevada picture without being overly blustery or trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill. For the casual fan who is rabidly eating up history books covering the gunfight in Tombstone may be underwhelmed, but for the in-depth enthusiast, this book really gives a good insight to the years after Alaska and before the California wind down.

The authors provide dates and sources for what is provable, and offer thoughts on the various anecdotes that always abound in the wake of Wyatt’s stroll. One of the things I appreciated was the books thoroughness when it came to these musings. As I always say, I can’t stand when an author merely states that a false story circulated here or there, and then without recounting, just dismisses it. Kintop and Rocha mention the asides, fill you in on what was said, and then offer the origins of these stories, while offering thoughts their swaying towards the veracity of each item. This treats the reader with a little more intelligence, allowing them to digest everything there is and  to ponder it themselves, as opposed to the patronizing practice of saying things like “Someone said a gunfight happened here, but we (the authors) disagree, so we won’t include it.”

There were a couple moments where I felt that their chronology jumped around and I had to glance back to see where in the timeline we were, but this was probably the biggest of issues I had with the book, and it’s a pretty minor one at that.

Last Frontier doesn’t just focus on the mining years. Though done briefly, the times previous to the mining years of 1902-1905 are also covered, such as the boxing match in Carson, or of the stop-over in Austin, though there could have been a little more time given to these occasions.

It’s a short read, but if you’re trying to put together a library that covers Wyatt’s life in full, then pick this one up and add it to your shelf.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

Starring Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne, this is one of John Ford’s later masterpieces.  I love Ford because he brilliantly crafts stories, characters and cinematography in such a way that I come away not quite able to explain why I liked the movie so much.  His craftsmanship is more subtle than Alfred Hitchcock’s and his movies not quite as epic as William Wyler’s.  In an effort to understand why I like Ford movies so much I’ve actually started learning more about film.  Not that I’m in danger of becoming a lofty film critic.

But back to The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.  The story opens with Senator Ransom Stoddard (Jimmy Stewart) returning to the town of Shinbone as an older man.  It’s revealed he is there for the funeral of an old friend, Tom Doniphon (we later find played by John Wayne), who no one there seems to remember.  Most of the movie is a flashback as Rance tells the story of him and Doniphon.

John Wayne is the tough, individualistic cowboy who carries justice on his hip, but is mostly content to live his own life while the weak are at the mercy of stronger men. Jimmy Stewart is the young lawyer recently come from the east to bring law to the uncivilized West.  Stewart is almost contemptible in his physical weakness against the gun-toting outlaws, but admirable in his raw courage and tenacity.  I could write quite a bit about how these avatars of their ideals play out in the movie and how the power (and love interest) shifts, but I won’t spoil it.  Suffice to say, it’s beautifully done.

Even though we’re classifying this movie in the Classic Era, I think it’s what a revisionist film should be.  It explores the genre deeply and movingly.  It’s employs allegory to comment on, and even deconstruct, the western mythos and the movie genre that Ford helped create, though in a reverent – not careless – way.  Neither main character is -as we see above – your typical western hero.  The film was shot in beautiful black and white, even though color had all but taken over by 1962, but almost completely using sets, in contrast to Ford’s earlier sprawling epics.  Much of the film even takes place in the crowded-feeling kitchen of a restaurant among dirty dishes rather than the typical western settings, such as the saloon-brothel.  But it works.

Although I like the art on this Italian poster, it’s completely inaccurate, as Stewart only briefly used a gun (dinky compared to Wayne’s), and he never wore a cowboy hat.

I recently watched The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence a second time and was able to appreciate it even more.  I didn’t get much deep meaning the first time I watched it (and I also know there’s still more to be appreciated if I watch it a third), but I still loved it that first time because it’s a just plain entertaining western.  John Wayne is the epitome of coolness, authority, and presence.  This is the John Wayne image I always had in my head – even before seeing this movie – from his cowboy duds, bandana, and low-hanging gun-belt to the way he calls Stewart’s character “Pilgrim”.  Jimmy Stewart is his stereotypical self as he passionately rants for the ideals of law by the book and civil responsibility. One complaint I’ve read since is both actors were too old for their roles, but, though I myself had the thought initially, I quickly forgot it in the watching, as they are too perfect for what Ford is doing here.

The supporting characters are some of the most entertaining I’ve ever seen, with Lee Marvin as the cruel menace Liberty Valance himself, Vera Miles as the beautiful (but not seductive) love interest, Andy Devine as the cowardly marshal, Edmond O’Brien as the drunk but eloquent newspaper-man, Valance’s two polar-opposite henchmen played by Lee Van Cleef and Strother Martin, and many others.  I love Ford’s cinematography as usual, from the amazing showdown in the street to my favorite shot of John Wayne standing completely in shadows until his brooding face is briefly illuminated as he lights a cigarette.

I think there’s something here for everyone, because it brilliantly balances the old and the new and treats them with respect.  It is multi-layered, but offers just plain good entertainment.

McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

McCabe & Mrs. Miller is high on most lists of the greatest westerns of all time, especially as a prime example of the so-called revisionist western.  As a fan of western movies, I would be remiss if I didn’t experience it.  In honesty I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as the sprawling, adventurous westerns that tend to be my favorites, but I had an open mind.  My resulting experience was actually much more disappointing than expected.  In its favor it is well-made and well-acted.  On the other hand, there’s nothing at all to actually like about the film, at least for me.

Setting: a Pacific Northwest mining town in the wet, dark Pacific Northwest winter.  Characters: McCabe is a selfish, amoral idiot who thinks he’s a smooth business-man and Mrs. Miller is a self-important prostitute.  The rest of the characters are solely concerned with drinking and whoring, are whores themselves, or are greedy businessmen.  There is nothing in the story, characters, or environment that strikes me as worthy to be put to screen.  Leonard Cohen’s score would be nice if it were applied to a different movie.  His earthy, slice-of-life songs bring to mind a poetically sympathetic every-man who is perhaps on the path to tragedy.  It is true that the characters are on the path to tragedy, but there is nothing poetic or sympathetic about them.

Out of curiosity I’ve read many reviews in an effort to understand what people are enjoying about this movie.  What are they getting out of it?  I gather that it mainly boils down to this: it eviscerates the western genre, as if the traditional western was pathetic and low-brow, out-moded and needing to be taken to the glue factory.  For instance, McCabe & Mrs. Miller tops Timeout London’s top westerns of all time at #1, and they put it this way: “By the early 1970s, the western had boxed itself into a canyon…. It was only by breaking the western down and reassembling it bit by bit that it could break new ground.”  I disagree, but you gathered that already.  It later goes on, “It’s also an extraordinarily beautiful film. Altman offers a portrait of the west that’s dingy, grimy, hazy, stinky and chilled to the bone.”  However, to me those last two juxtaposed sentences don’t mesh with each other at all.

Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy some revisionist westerns, but McCabe and Mrs. Miller takes revisionism to the extreme.  Wide expanses and beautiful scenery?  Substitute a dark, cold, wet, miserable environment.  Characters who have – or grow to have – nobility or responsibility?  Substitute characters with nothing redeemable or attractive.  A story with meaning or morals?  Substitute a story with nothing to be drawn to, appreciated, or learned from.  Truth is, I have a hard time seeing this as a western at all.

I can understand not enjoying traditional westerns, for whatever reason.  Perhaps many can be seen as formulaic or sappy.  But I feel that to enjoy McCabe & Mrs. Miller requires an active hate for Westerns, which fuels one to sit through two hours of ugliness.  I’m sure this isn’t true, but it’s the only way my tiny brain can rationalize it at the moment.

 

Red Dead Redemption (2010)

For those who are unaware, there is a sequel coming this fall to the greatest game ever made. Red Dead Redemption 2 is anticipated for release late this year, and so it makes me think that perhaps it’s time I start adding some game commentaries to this site. So why not start with Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption? For those who are already aware, this may all be familiar ground, so I write with my thoughts geared towards the western fan who may not be the most video game savvy.

Red Dead Redemption is just about everything a fan of the old west, and especially fans of the wild gunplay, could ask for in a video game. One doesn’t have to be an expert game player to have a good time with this game. Right from the start you are immersed into a western world with varied settings and surroundings, as well as different types of people and animals you’ll come into contact with that all fairly represent the frontier realities. It’s done in a style that is called “open world” and this means that you are not obligated to move along a predetermined path at the mercy of the computer system. Beyond the fact that this makes for fun gameplay, it’s most valuable quality is that it let’s the player enjoy this frontier world on their own terms.

Right off the bat you are given objectives to complete, but you can do these when you want to. If you desire, you can simply mount a horse and explore; this can take up all your time on it’s own. Completing objectives are important for gaining improved resources, such as better guns and better horses, but you won’t be stopped from simply tumbling along with the tumbleweeds, if one so desires.

Let me paint you a picture, first, so that you can understand the canvas on which you exist. There are many different areas, and each with it’s own topography, all evoking classic western feels. There is America, and there is Mexico, divided by a river that emulates the Rio Grande. In Mexico you have red rock desert and small villages, as well as white stone terrain and Spanish style missions. North of the river you have a couple of towns, one a classic western locale with a saloon, hotel, bank, train station, etc. The other town is a bit bigger and more developed, representing a place such as Denver, though not nearly as big. It has multi-storied building of 3 or 4 floors, a cobblestone street, and even a theater you can frequent.

Each of these places is connected by riding trails as well as by railroad. This in itself is a wonderful plus to your time playing; you can ride your horse anywhere you want to go, or if you’re feeling nostalgic, just hop on the train and let it take you to your destination while you watch the scenery pass by. Not to be forgotten, of course, is the stagecoach. As long as you have the small amount charged for a ride, you can take the stage to any location accessible by a trail. If the trail doesn’t take you to your exact location, it’ll drop you as close as possible along the nearest trail spot.

So you can imagine that if this much detail is put into creating the world for you to run around in, that the actual gameplay and gunfighting must be pretty good, too. That would be correct. As mentioned, there are preset objectives you can work your way through, as well as side stories, and even random events to engage in. You may be out for an evening perambulation when suddenly you hear a cry for help, or perhaps you hear startling gunfire. You have the choice to get involved or not. It may be travelers being robbed by evil highway robbers, or it may be a local lawman trying to catch an escaped outlaw. You have the choice to help out or keep to yourself.

The gunfights are fantastic, especially once you collect a good sized arsenal. Whether you’re defending a fort or raiding a bad-guys’ hideout, the gunfights are arguably the best element of this game. The more time you spend playing, the better your accuracy will get, making it easier to gun down the bad-guys before they plug you. You’ll even get a slow-mo mode that allows you a brief time to super-focus and aim with great accuracy and deadly precision.

There’s plenty more that could be said about this game, but at this point it’s safe to say that if you haven’t played it yet, then you probably should. And if you have played it but didn’t get very far, then I’d also suggest giving it enough time to become a deadly gunfighter and really take out those gangs! And nothing beats strolling across the street when suddenly a gang of cow-boys arrives on horseback, firing their pistols and hurrahing the locals, then quickly drawing your six-shooter or rifle and taking control of the situation, immediately restoring order to the town.

It does have a few drawbacks, though not many. The horse steering when riding at a full gallop can be a bit touchy, but with a little bit of time at it you can quickly get the hang of the maneuvering. Also, the story takes place in 1911, but this makes it a bit anachronistic. It’s a slight item that never really becomes noticeable in the actual experience of the game, and my suspicion is that the developers just didn’t realize the small nuanced differences in the times. The game projects a feel of probably between 1875 & 1882, but, like I say, the purported date is not noticeable or impactful.

You can pick up the game for probably around ten dollars used, and even xbox 360’s are pretty cheap now-a-days, so if you don’t have any other reason or interest in video games, you could justify a purchase just for this game.

The Ropin’ Fool (1922)

The Ropin’ Fool is a 20-minute silent comedy short starring American cultural icon Will Rogers.  I had heard of the man because of his fame as a comedian and a political satirist, but was amazed to see – upon watching this short – that he was also a world-class roper.  In fact, as I learned, his extraordinary lariat skills were what brought him to fame on vaudeville in the first place.

Ropin’ Fool is little more than an excuse to show off these skills, but what skills they are!  This video just oozes with fun as he ropes everything from hats to cats, and especially horses, riders and, of course, the bad guy at the end.  Add to that the incredible slo-mo photography which was extremely innovative for the time (and still looks amazing today) and you have something worthy of the time of any western fan.  There’s even a monkey.

As my first contribution to “Making Sense of the West” I felt like a 20-minute silent short might be an odd choice.  I might not be exactly hitting the ground running.  But in many ways it exemplifies the fun that we find in westerns.  Moreover, it brings to the forefront another of the tools of the old west.  In the vast majority of westerns the revolver is the primary tool of the hero’s (and villain’s) trade, and being a fan of these movies and TV shows I have no beef with this.  But it’s kind of refreshing to see The Ropin’ Fool, a film with no guns, and the all-but-forgotten lasso as our man’s instrument.

Do yourself a favor and treat yourself.  You can watch it on Archive.org at the link below.

https://archive.org/details/theropinfool

Will Rogers was born in 1879 and worked as a cowboy.  He was as close to the old west as any actor we’re likely to see.