Doc (1971)

John "Doc" Holliday (Stacy Keach) picks up a prostitute (Faye Dunaway) on his way to Tombstone, Arizona to find his friend, Wyatt Earp (Harris Yulin). Once there, he becomes involved in Earp's ambitions to become the new sheriff of Tombstone. DOC was the first screenplay written by the journalist Pete Hamill and is an attempt to deconstruct the myth of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and the incidents leading up to the legendary gunfight at the O.K. corral. Earp is portrayed as an aggressive power hungry man who was not above bending the law to suit his own purpose and the relationship between Holliday and Kate Elder is heavily romanticized. But Hamill plays fast and loose with the facts and his attempt to decompose the legends is every bit as false as the various Hollywood versions of the story from MY DARLING CLEMENTINE to GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL. As a western, it seems weak and pointless. The film isn't helped by its two leading men, neither of whom are very interesting as actors. Dunaway gets by on her strong screen presence and that's it. As good an actress as she is, she can't do much with the vacuous script. The near non existent score is by the songwriter Jimmy Webb. Directed by Frank Perry. With Penelope Allen and Denver John Collins.