When his brother James is murdered and his cattle stolen, Wyatt Earp (Henry Fonda) takes on the job as Marshall of Tombstone, with his surviving kin Morgan (Ward Bond) and Virgil (Tim Holt) as deputies. Taming the town is fairly easy for the imposing and charismatic Wyatt, with the exception of the reckless Doc Holliday (Victor Mature), a tubercular misfit with a death wish. Clementine Carter (Cathy Downs) comes to see why Doc hasn't continued to practice medicine, and draws the wrath of local strumpet Chihuahua (Linda Darnell), a saloon singer with a heart of gold. His brothers and father Old Man Clanton (Walter Brennan) are the villains responsible for Wyatt's troubles and it's only a matter of time before blood is spilled at the O.K. Corral.