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My Darling Clementine

Play trailer Poster for My Darling Clementine 1946 1h 37m Western Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 34 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
In the middle of a long cattle drive, Wyatt Earp and his brothers stop off for a night in the town of Tombstone. The next morning they find their cattle stolen, and one of the brothers is dead. Earp suspects the Clanton family, owners of the O.K. Corral, but wants his revenge to be legal. He becomes sheriff of Tombstone and forges a rough peace with an alcoholic gambler, Doc Holliday. Earp also takes a liking to Holiday's former girlfriend, Clementine.
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My Darling Clementine

My Darling Clementine

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Critics Consensus

Canny and coolly confident, My Darling Clementine is a definitive dramatization of the Wyatt Earp legend that shoots from the hip and hits its target in breezy style.

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Critics Reviews

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Scott Tobias The Dissolve Oct 13, 2014
4.5/5
Ford the mythmaker was at the height of his powers in 1946's My Darling Clementine, but it's a remarkably relaxed and assured piece of work. Go to Full Review Joshua Rothkopf Time Out Jan 21, 2014
5/5
If ever there was a gateway drug to the happy addiction of Hollywood oaters, this is it. Go to Full Review Matthew Connolly Slant Magazine Jan 21, 2014
4/4
The film subtly complicates viewer expectations early on, eschewing clear-cut character rivalries in favor of more complex emotional and social configurations. Go to Full Review Michael J. Casey Michael J. Cinema Jan 14, 2026
5/5
A magnificent movie, filled with poetry and conflicting ideals about the need for law and order, and the ease with which it corrupts. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Nov 11, 2025
4/4
The best Western John Ford ever made without John Wayne on board. Go to Full Review Daniel Barnes Dare Daniel Oct 28, 2025
5/5
Arguably the least factual yet most definitive take on the Wyatt Earp/OK Corral legend, Ford's masterful western about men becoming legend gets an additional, almost supernatural layer of mystery and mythos from its Monument Valley setting. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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bruce F @bruce999 Aug 15, 2026 just a great western. slow paced. see again and again. well done. See more Ernie K @ErnieK Apr 25, 2026 Masterwork of film making; at once sharply written, achingly pensive, wonderfully acted, and beautifully filmed. Henry Fonda is perfect as Earp, and is deftly supported by Victor Mature as Holliday and Walter Brennan as Clanton. It manages to be simultaneously wistful, action-packed, romantic, and heartbreaking within it's compelling characterizations. Deserves to be on everyone's short list of the best westerns ever made. See more Chris B @Papa13070 Apr 16, 2026 John Fords subtle re-telling of the most famous gunfight of the old west,holds the viewers attention from start to finish. Fondas Wyatt Earp,Matures Doc Holliday and Walter Brennan's murderous old man Clanton,form three distinct outlines of the old west. Tim Holt and Ward Bond are great. When Wyatt(Fonda) walks "Clementine" to church it is simply one of the finest sequences ever put on film. Although the movie is not historically accurate,it is still a movie to put it simply,enjoyed time after time. Fords other westerns up to this point were all pretty good. But "MY DARLING CLEMENTINE" is quite simply poetry!!! See more Per S @RT83737705 Nov 17, 2025 An overrated western drama based on historical events, but so totally fictionalized it's annoyingly non factual. See more Daniel D @RT16938577 Nov 15, 2025 Up there amongst the greatest of all movies. Ford’s westerns are always enjoyable but this along with The Searchers are tue movie masterpieces in any genre. A true gem for any movie lover. See more RICHARD S @RT70538590 May 12, 2025 All Fonda fans, don't miss this classic! He is excellent, as ever, and the overall production values of the film darn good. Linda Darnell has never been more lovely in a slightly awkward role. The teaming of Fonda and Mature is a rare, but inspired one. Enjoy! See more Read all reviews
My Darling Clementine

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Cast & Crew

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John Ford

Director

Henry Fonda

Wyatt Earp

Linda Darnell

Chihuahua

Victor Mature

Dr. John 'Doc' Holliday

Cathy Downs

Clementine Carter

Walter Brennan

Old Man Clanton

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My Darling Clementine

My Darling Clementine (1946) My Darling Clementine (1946) My Darling Clementine (1946) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In the middle of a long cattle drive, Wyatt Earp and his brothers stop off for a night in the town of Tombstone. The next morning they find their cattle stolen, and one of the brothers is dead. Earp suspects the Clanton family, owners of the O.K. Corral, but wants his revenge to be legal. He becomes sheriff of Tombstone and forges a rough peace with an alcoholic gambler, Doc Holliday. Earp also takes a liking to Holiday's former girlfriend, Clementine.
Director
John Ford
Producer
Samuel G. Engel
Screenwriter
Sam Hellman, Stuart N. Lake, Winston Miller
Distributor
Key Video, 20th Century Fox
Production Co
20th Century Fox
Genre
Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 3, 1946, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 8, 2015
Runtime
1h 37m
Sound Mix
Mono
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