The Life and Legend of Hugh O’Brian
An outrageous interview with the actor who is almost as legendary as the man he portrayed.
By: Henry Cabot Beck 06/01/2009
Stuart Lake, the official chronicler of Wyatt Earp, is credited on the series. Did you spend much time talking to Lake?
Oh yeah. A lotta time. I think one of the reasons I got the role was because of Stuart’s push for that. He knew I was a marine, and he was a marine, and I think that had a lot to do with how I was selected.
Prior to the series, you were already getting work with top shelf directors and working with actors like Spencer Tracy. Things seemed to be working out for you.
Quite frankly it was a major decision as to whether I wanted to do a series. The reason I did it was certainly not for the money. The reason I did it was because I felt this could become, if we really went for reality, could become the first adult Western. And it was. The stories were actual; they were about people who lived. We did everything we could to make it authentic. I had to fight for that in many ways.... I went into Western Costume, and they [would have] the total opposite of what we’d talked about in terms of an outfit. They just didn’t wear polka dot shirts back then [laughs].
The wardrobe [they had picked out] for most of the shots when I was in Tombstone—the frock coat, the string bow-tie, the vest, that’s what the mayor wore, that’s what the judge wore, and that’s what the guy who owned the Longbranch Saloon wore. I just went in there and picked out everything I thought would look right, and I damn near lost the role for that. They were not too happy with it, and Stuart stepped in and said, “God----it, the kid’s right. This is the kind of stuff [Wyatt] would have worn.” There weren’t any uniforms for the job, so he wore what the other city officials wore. I saw pictures of him with a flat black hat, and that became a symbol of that character. Visually, the Wyatt Earp character is one of the reasons the show became a success.
And the Buntline Special. I practiced the quick draw for maybe 500 hours. I would be in the mirror, cocking and firing, and I finally got so fast I could beat the guy in the mirror [laughs].
When Wyatt was walking around [Tombstone], he usually carried his rifle, but he was a peaceful guy. It’s just that he let it be known to anybody, and everybody knew it, you don’t want to f--- up in this town; otherwise you’re going to come up against Wyatt.
Comments (5)
Adam,
Hugh O'Brian is extremely accessible to his fans, and he is known to personally autograph every item. If you have a photograph of Wyatt Earp that you would like Hugh O'Brian to sign, I believe he charges $20.00 for that. You can contact him, and find out more information about his merchandise, on his website: http://hughobrian.me
Cheers,
Meghan Saar
Managing Editor
True West Magazine
Would Hugh O'Brian ever sign Wyatt Earp's name on a photo or take a photo having Earp's signature next to it?
Hey: Great interview. Brings back memories of the days I watched it on the t.v I was always trying to make my own version of the Buntline out of wood scrapes
Great to see such an icon interviewed. When is the Earp series going to be properly released so we can see it again?
Hey good interview & honest responses
by Hough. Enjoyed it immensely!
Post A Comment