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Doctor Who story number 24
With a title like this, you just know what's going to happen, don't you?
The standard Doctor Who historical story happens again, with a focus on popular perception of events and having a farcical runaround. Like The Myth Makers it builds up from fun and silliness to a lot of the characters getting killed, and given that it's by the same writer it's not surprising. This story takes some big liberties with the events, like having Johnny Ringo at the O.K. Corral, and as one person puts it: The characterisation of the historical characters also owes more to Hollywood than to history."
The story itself is rooted in the movies High Noon and Gunfight At The O.K. Corral, with Carry On Cowboy probably inspiring the comedy western aspect. Kate is apparently played in the style of Mae West. Oscar Wilde's Impressions of America is listed as a possible source, but it's probably a loose connection.
The scripts that were turned in were not exactly the greatest, so it was decided to mix it up a little. Donald Cotton had written a saloon ballad for the first episode and so the director, Rex Tucker, added verses and they used it as not only as part of events in the saloon but as narration to the other scenes. The music, by Tristram Cary, was used instead of normal incidental music, which changes the whole way the story feels. Sheena Marshe, playing Doc Holliday's girlfriend, was to sing the song but the opinion was that she was too young. Lynda Baron was the singer, and reportedly had trouble with the melody.
There was an attempt to get American actors to play major roles - American in the broad sense is accurate here, they wanted Donald Sutherland to play Wyatt Earp. The other option was to get British actors capable of doing a decent accent into the production, for example Johnny Ringo was to be played by someone called Patrick Troughton.... Unfortunately both of them were unavailable, and so it was generic British actors - Apologies to people from the US all round....
One interesting fact that hasn't been touched on is that it had been decided not to set historical stories any more recently than 1600, yet they made this one anyway, making The Gunfighters the historical story set closest to contemporary times for many years. This story was also poorly received by the audience: it's not the lowest rated story, but it's certainly one people didn't like. Apparently the people who did like it liked the cheesy TV Western genre anyway, so that's no guide. The comedy aspects of the script certainly feel out of place when you know real events, but the real problem is this: The events surrounding The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral already have plenty of characters, adding three more just makes it too clumsy. The failure of this story would be a factor in the eventual dropping of the historical format.
The whole story was filmed on studio sets, but they did bring in some real horses and it all looks great for a low budget show. There's a slew of historical inaccuracies, they seem to have made up some characters, Doc Holliday looks a little older than he really was (30) but from memory I think they got one thing right - the shootout takes place in the alley like it's supposed to. The Doctor makes an interesting comment at the end that offsets the mistakes, and we have to conclude that the events in this story don't have such an impact on the general public of the Doctor Who universe in later years as in the real world - the Doctor is keen to stop the gunfight and save lives, but that wouldn't inspire movies. It might be a bad story by comparison with real facts but it's still worth watching for the comedy aspects - I wonder what it would have been like if the director had been able to watch some spaghetti westerns?
The story is available as part of The First Doctor Box Set
For a more accurate idea of what was going on read Wyatt Earp for a detailed breakdown of what led to the gunfight, then go and read The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral to find out how the shootout probably went.
Writer
Donald Cotton, Rex Tucker (parts of the ballad)
Episodes
This story has episodes 4 with individual titles:
- A Holiday For The Doctor
- Don't Shoot The Pianist
- Johnny Ringo
- The O.K. Corral
Plot Overview
At the end of The Celestial Toymaker the Doctor hurt one of his teeth on a boiled sweet, and so he needs a dentist to get the tooth pulled. The TARDIS materializes in a stable and Steven and Dodo are really pleased to be in the wild west and promptly go and dress for the occasion (think Doc Brown's idea of old west clothing from Back to the Future III). The Doctor compares them unfavourably to Tom Mix - for once the Doctor is the only one dressed appropriately. Wyatt Earp turns up just as Steven decides to call himself "Dead-Eye Steve" and waves around a revolver from the Doctor's collection, and so Earp herds them off. Well, at least they turned up in a town with a dentist - Tombstone, Arizona.
Over in the Last Chance Saloon Billy and Phineas Clanton meet with Seth Harper and discuss finding Doc Holliday to kill him for murdering their brother. They don't know what he looks like, but Harper can offer a vague description, along the lines of: dapper, white hair, wears a long black coat and fancy vest. But why bother looking for him, he'll turn up there sooner or later for something to drink.... The singer, Kate, heads off and meets up with Holliday and tells him there's people after him, and he is outraged that they want to gun him down (See: Double Standard). Oh and Bat Masterson is the sheriff of Tombstone. What the hell? He was not! I want my money back! Masterson then runs into Earp and the time travellers, and the Doctor makes up some new names and occupations: Dodo Dupont, pianist, Steven Regret, tenor, and himself.... Doctor Caligari (sheer scripting brilliance). They get directions to Holliday, and the Doctor is keen to get out of town - so is Steven, otherwise he might have to sing.
The Doctor doesn't want to go to the dentist, but Dodo and Seven pack him off, Dodo well aware that there's no such thing as anesthetic here. The Doctor finds Holliday and Kate fooling around out the back, and gets forced into the chair by the pair. Holliday offers alcohol or unconsciousness, but the Doctor wants neither and so he has to endure the pain.... Steven and Dodo wind up in the saloon, where the barman is trying to keep the Clantons and Harper under control. After booking three rooms and going up stairs the Clantons and Harper check the guestbook and decide that this "Doctor" must be Doc Holliday. Phineas is sent upstairs to bring them back down while Harper heads to Holliday's surgery, where he finds the Doctor, who completely messes up the encounter and gets invited to the saloon. Holliday and Kate overhear and decide to send the Doctor along, with Holliday's guns. Back at the saloon Seven is forced to sing at gunpoint, the most horrific moment in television history is at hand!
Steven has to sing the Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon, badly, and the Clantons actually expect him to keep going, ugh. Kate heads back to the saloon for some reason, and gets there before the Doctor (well, he is old). Kate then shoves Dodo off the piano, makes Steven play instead and sings, and while the Clantons don't notice the Doctor coming in they notice when he applauds. When Harper introduces the Clantons the Doctor finally clicks as to what's going on, but Holliday has sneaked in the back and is.... upstairs? The Doctor can't get out of his fix, as the guns he was given have Holliday's name on them, but when he draws one to try and explain what's going on Harper's gun is shot from his hand by Holliday. Kate has a gun as well, and Steven disarms the men. Then Earp and Masterson turn up - and Earp, realising what's happened, goes along with the premise that the Doctor is Holliday and arrests him, the idea being that the Clantons will do nothing to the rest of the town while thinking Holliday is locked up.
Doc Holliday is now holding Dodo prisoner in her room along with Kate, while Steven has said he wants to break out the Doctor - naturally the Clantons are happy with this plan. Holliday heads back to his surgery for whiskey, where Earp tells him to clear off for now, as he wants to take down the Clantons, who are cattle rustlers (actually true), but he has to wait until his brothers get there. Meanwhile the dumbest plan ever has been hatched - slip a gun to the Doctor through the window so he can force his way out. How did Steven get sucked into this? He hasn't, he just wants to get the Doctor out, he is aware they are lying - the Doctor is enjoying his time in the cell though, so when he gets the gun he calls Earp over, gives him the gun and tells him the plan! Ike Clanton has come up with another idea, he's rabble rousing and calling for "Holliday" to be strung up, and if they can't hang him they'll hang Steven instead to force the Doctor to come to them. Holliday decides to leave the saloon and runs into Harper on the stairs and guns him down, then insists it's time to get the hell out of Dodge. I mean Tombstone. Dodo will come along for her own safety.
Earp gets Masterson to keep Billy Clanton busy, sneaks around and knocks out Phineas Clanton, and the two lawmen disperse the crowd. Charlie the barman runs up and tells everyone that the real Doc Holliday just killed Seth Harper, and the Clantons aren't too happy. Earp locks up the unconscious Phineas and the other three Clantons go back to the saloon and Pa Clanton tells them to find Johnny Ringo. They leave and the Doctor and Steven turn up looking for Dodo, and are told by Charlie that Holliday and Kate took her away. Those three turn out to be in the next town over, Holliday doesn't want to get too far away in case he has to hurry back to help Earp out with the Clantons.
Johnny Ringo turns up in Tombstone and is wanting to kill Holliday anyway, and shoots Charlie when he thinks Charlie is going to tell the law he's there. Over in Generic Town B (it's never named) Dodo pulls Doc's gun on him and he thinks this is amusing - until he realises she is prepared to gun him down unless he helps her to get back to Tombstone. He agrees and she gives him the gun, and he is still prepared to go through with it. In Tombstone the Doctor and Steven come downstairs in the morning to find a dead barman and Johnny Ringo saying it must have been Holliday who killed Charlie. The Doctor knows who Johnny Ringo is from his wanted poster, but tries to enlist his help in finding Holliday - he just wants to get Dodo and get out. Steven goes with Ringo to find Holliday, while the Doctor goes to see the local constabulary. Earp is not pleased to learn Johnny Ringo is in town, and he, Masterson and the Doctor go off to clear up the corpse in the saloon, leaving Warren Earp to guard Phineas Clanton - of course he gets shot when the other Clantons come to break out their kin.
In the saloon the Doctor gets deputized, and given yet another gun, based on the fact that he's no friend of the Clanton's and he's a fancy gunslinger - even Earp's been sucked in by Holliday's trick. Virgil Earp turns up, and the Earps and Masterson leave the Doctor with the body. Meanwhile Steven and Ringo have found Kate, and Ringo and Kate have a history - she's the reason he wants Holliday dead. They end up back at the Clanton's house, waiting for them to return. When the brothers come in and tell their father they killed Earps brother he hits the roof - now they're going to have to square off against Wyatt.
Bat Masterson says he'll arrest he Clantons, but Wyatt wants to deal with it in lead and sends his brother to the Clanton's house to tell them to meet at dawn. Steven isn't allowed to leave however, and Johnny Ringo has a plan - he's going to get the Clanton's to pin the Earps down and sneak up and shoot them in the back - sensible I guess.... Back at the sheriff's office the Doctor is kicking up a fuss over the impending gunfight but they think it's because he doesn't want to take part. Virgil returns, and then Doc Holliday turns up, Virgil doesn't want him involved but when he hears the Clantons have Kate he decides to show up anyway. Later that night Masterson deputizes the Doctor again and sends him to the Clantons to try and talk them out of facing the Earps, but they've already left.
So, the sun comes up on October 26, 1881 and the Earp brothers walk down to the O.K. Corral, and get pinned down by gunfire. Doc Holliday is walking along the covered walks in front of the shops, and Johnny Ringo is sneaking up on him, but Dodo tries to push him out of the way before he can shoot Holliday. Naturally Ringo just uses her as a human shield, and orders Doc to throw away his gun - which he does, but shoots Ringo with a derringer when he goes for Holliday's weapon. Holliday then joins the Earps, Billy Clanton tries to shoot him but he gets taken down, and Phineas Clanton tries to charge them and gets shot. Ike runs up an outside staircase and gets gunned down, doing the classic staircase tumble. Not exactly a true account.
Later in the day Holliday and Kate walk with the time travellers to the stable. Holliday has to leave town, as Masterson has issued a warrant for Holliday's arrest - he passes the wanted poster to the Doctor as a souvenir and he and Kate leave. Dodo is feeling all romantic and saying she will miss the old west, and the Doctor curtly says she's just soaked up "every cliché-ridden convention in the American West" (we noticed) and shoos her into the TARDIS, which dematerialises.
Main Cast
Cast
William Hurndell - Ike Clanton
Maurice Good - Phineas Clanton
David Cole - Billy Clanton
Sheena Marshe - Kate
Shane Rimmer - Seth Harper
David Graham - Charlie
John Alderson - Wyatt Earp
Anthony Jacobs - Doc Holliday
Richard Beale - Bat Masterson (Not present in real life)
Reed de Rouen - Pa Clanton (Made up)
Laurence Payne - Johnny Ringo
Martyn Huntley - Warren Earp (Made up - there was a Morgan Earp)
Victor Carin - Virgil Earp
Notes
- David Grahan, playing Charlie, is responsible for Dalek voices in Doctor Who - and Brains in Thunderbirds. Shane Rimmer (Seth Harper) is also Scott Tracey. F.A.B!
- This is the last story to have individual episode titles
- Though funny, the Doctor's line of "All these people are giving me guns, I do wish they wouldn't" begs the question "Why does he have a collection of firearms?"
- Seth Harper gets mad when referred to by his nickname of "Snake Eyes" - kind of like Buford Tannen
- This story contains the earliest instance of the "Doctor Who?" joke I know of.
"You can't walk into the middle of a Western town and say you've come from outer space! Good gracious me. You would be arrested on a vagrancy charge!" - The Doctor
The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon
Written by Donald Cotton and Rex Tucker
Sung by Lynda Barron
Music Composed by Tristram Carey
Piano by Tom McCall
The names indicate a change of writer for a section of the song. Remember, Donald Cotton wrote the song to be part of the action and Tucker added bits later to narrate the story, so if it doesn't make sense you know why - the last block of Tucker-written lyrics is most definitely meant for the narration of events, the earlier verses would have just added flavour over a scene.
Cotton
So fill up your glasses
And join in the song
The Law's right behind you
And it won't take long.
So come, you coyotes,
And howl at the moon
Till there's blood upon the sawdust
In "The Last Chance" Saloon.
Tucker
On your way then you cowboys
The time will be soon
When there's blood on the sawdust
In "The Last Chance" Saloon.
Cotton
It's your last chance of cussing
At a gunfighter's doom
It's your last chance of nothing
At "The Last Chance" Saloon.
With rings on their fingers
And bells on their toes
The girls come to Tombstone
In their high-silk hose.
They'll dance on the tables
Or sing you a tune
For what's in your wallet
At "The Last Chance" Saloon.
Tucker
On your way then you cowboys
The time will be soon
When there's blood on the sawdust
In "The Last Chance" Saloon.
Cotton
It's your last chance of boozing
Where there's no-one to mind
It's your last chance of losing
And the first place you find.
It's your last chance for givin'
It's your last chance of rye.
It's "The Last Chance" for Livin'
And the last place to die.
There's gamblers from Denver
There's guns from the South
And many a cowboy
With a dry, dry mouth.
There's a ragtime piano
And a small back room
For to sleep off your troubles
In "The Last Chance" Saloon.
Four Days ride from the Station
And you're leaving at noon
Then your one consolation
Is "The Last Chance" Saloon.
You've a good chance of swinging
It's your last chance to hide
And your last chance of singing
Till your last long ride.
It's your last chance of cussing
At your hard-earned doom
It's your last chance of nothing
At "The Last Chance" Saloon.
Tucker
So pick him up gentle
And carry him slow
He's gone kind of mental
under Earp's heavy blow.
It's your last chance of earning
Your gunfighter's fee
The pay is in dollars
But the bullets are free.
So it's curtains for Charlie
That barman of fame
He met Johnny Ringo
And he knew Johnny's name.
He knew Johnny's name
And he spoke it out loud
Now Charlie the barman
Has gotten a shroud.
Johnny Ringo has found her
Johnny Ringo's found Kate
The gunslinger's got her
Now what is her fate?
Johnny Ringo has seen her
She's coming his way
Johnny Ringo and Katie
Were lovers, they say.
It's curtains for Warren
They gunned the kid down
And them bad cruel outlaws
Are heading for town
So the Earps and the Clantons
Are aimin' to meet
At the OK Corral near
Calamity Street.
It's the OK Corral, boys
Of gun-fightin' fame
Where the Earps and the Clantons
They played out their game.
They played out their game and
We nevermore shall
Hear a story the like of
The OK Corral.
So the cards they are drawn and
The chips they are down
Them outlaws and lawmen
Are headin' for town.
So them bad cruel outlaws
Are meeting up soon
And they've had their last drink in
"The Last Chance" Saloon.
So it's curtains for Ike and
For Billy and Phin.
Them bad cruel out laws
Has paid for their sin.
They paid for their sin and
They lost on the draw.
For the Earps they was faster
And they was the law.
So beware all you cowboys
Who's a-yearning' to sin
If the Earps is the lawmen
You ain't gonna win.
I was asked about the sources for this, and I was going to finish all the episodes and put a list of sources in a metanode along with links to every story, but here you go:
- Doctor Who: The Sixties by David J Howe, Mark Stammers and Stephen James Walker (pictures, information not elsewhere)
- Doctor Who Programme Guide (1994) by Jean-Marc Lofficier (cast)
- The DisContinuity Guide by Paul Cornell, Martin Day and Keith Topping (general mistakes, roots of story)
- A Brief History of Time (Travel) - http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/drwho.html (filming/scripting background)
- Episode Guide on the BBC page - http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/ (audience impressions)
- Doctor Who Reference Guide - http://www.drwhoguide.com/who.htm (proper order of events)
- "The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon" from www.temporal-orbit.co.uk/high/lcs.htm (if you're lucky you might be able to hear it)
- Everything2 Writeups: Wyatt Earp and The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (to make sure I knew what happened and what was made up)