LRR

In the film Gunfight at the OK Corral, there is potential for multiple alpha male cowboys. This film presents the role of a sidekick for the obvious alpha male cowboy. Played by Burt Lancaster, Wyatt Earp is the marshal in town, being tormented by cattle drivers and cowboys after a man named Doc Holiday. Like Wyatt, Holiday was a legend himself, known for being one of the best gamblers around and being extremely useful with his firearm. Although at first Wyatt does not take kindly to Holiday because he is quick to kill and cause trouble in his town, he realizes that Holiday can be of use to him.

In this film the sidekick is not treated as the “other” and possesses the same ability as Wyatt although his motive is different. Wyatt serves for the purpose of his town and his honor while Holiday is in it for his own personal gain which is derived from his gambling. Regardless of motive both of these cowboys need each other in order to survive and it is not clear in every situation who is the sidekick. If it was not for Wyatt, Holiday would have been hanged after he killed the man in the saloon over a gambling dispute. If it was not for Holiday, Wyatt would have been overmatched by Shanghai Pierce and his gang of cattle drivers.

It is often that the alpha male cowboy rides alone and is able to take care of his business without depending on anyone else to fulfill the duty, but Wyatt is mature to realize that Holiday is his most valuable asset. In 1957, the release of this film, America was involved in conflict with Vietnam. This was a war fought on unfamiliar territory and a war that only the US was willing to fight. America took on the role of Wyatt Earp and was willing to fight for what the US believed in, but they entered the conflict alone as the alpha male cowboy. The US felt that they could easily win the conflict because Vietnam was such a small country, but the Guerrilla warfare was overwhelming and the US soon realized that it was not going to be as easy as planned. The US should have realized that they could not win the war without a strong “sidekick” like Doc Holiday, but continued on fighting alone and suffered bitter defeat.