American Experience: Wyatt Earp

Wyatt Earp has been portrayed in countless movies and television shows, but these popular fictions belie the complexities and flaws of a man whose life is a lens on politics, justice, and economic opportunity on the American frontier. As a young man, Wyatt was a caricature of the Western lawman, spending his days drinking, gambling, and visiting brothels. After his death in 1929, distressed Americans down on their luck transformed him into a folk hero. Wyatt Earp examines how he became the legend that lives on today.