Henry Fonda and Victor Mature, My Darling Clementine
The wonderful 1946 Western My Darling Clementine (directed by the legendary John Ford) comes up A LOT in my old Hollywood conversations.
- It’s one of my top three favorite westerns.
- It’s my favorite Victor Mature role and performance.
- It’s one of my favorite Henry Fonda Roles.
- It’s my favorite Linda Darnell performance.
- It’s one of my favorite John Ford movies – in the top three.
It’s absolutely perfect and I couldn’t possibly love it any more than I do. While Fonda is perfect in the role of Wyatt Earp and Linda Darnell gives the film a lot of heart and soul as Chihuahua, I have to kind of single out Victor Mature for the job he does in bringing Doc Holliday to life. His portrayal is, in my opinion, the best – no actor can touch what he did with the role.
The cast also includes Cathy Downs as Clementine (she makes a lot out of a very small role and leaves you completely understanding Wyatt Earp’s fascination), Ward Bond, Time Holt, Jane Darwell, and Walter Brennan as most of us are unaccustomed to seeing him.. NASTY! He does a great job as a villain, even though it seems odd rooting against him instead of for him.
You can find My Darling Clementine on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.
Linda Darnell and Victor Mature, My Darling Clementine