in fort griffin texas ed bailey lee van cleef comes looking to avenge the death of his brother at the hands of gunslinger john h "doc" holliday kirk douglas seeing him in a bar hollidays girl kate fisher jo van fleet returns to hollidays room where the two argue—while holliday throws knives at the wall—once she brings up hollidays once-prominent family at the same time well-known marshal wyatt earp burt lancaster arrives in fort griffin thinking he will take outlaws ike clanton lyle bettger and johnny ringo john ireland into custody but instead finds out that the local sheriff cotton wilson frank faylen released them despite the outstanding warrants for their arrest holliday refuses to help the lawman holding a grudge against wyatts brother morgan deforest kelley holliday kills bailey with a knife-throw when bailey attempts to shoot him in the back holliday is arrested for murder though wyatt and kate allow him to escape from a lynch mob