Strongly prefer Myron Healy to Douglas Fowley as Doc Holiday

Douglas Fowley (1911 - 1998) played Doc Fabrique in the Wichita episodes of the series. He was a very accomplished character actor, but he was not ideally cast as Doc Holiday. By the time Holiday makes his debut in the series in 1957, Fowley was in his mid 40's. The real Holiday was dead by the time he was 36. Granted the show is heavily fictionalized, but Fowley's age works against him as the character. As Douglas Fowley plays the character, Holiday emerges a morose, misanthropic alcoholic who is deeply cynical & bitterly sardonic. It's hard to believe that Fowley's Holiday would be friends with Hugh O'Brian's version of Wyatt Earp. The simple fact is that this Doc Holiday is not much fun.

Douglas Fowley had a conflict at the end of the 3rd Season & most of the 4th Season (he directed MACUMBA LOVE with the stupendous June Wilkinson). Myron Healy (1923 -2005) assumed the role of Doc Holiday, with excellent results. As Healy played Holiday, the character emerges as the archetype of the gentleman rogue. He was still cynical, sardonic & misanthropic, but Healy's performance was leavened by some wry wit; a dash of refinement & elegance; & a positive enjoyment of being a rogue & a scoundrel. This Doc Holiday may be a man whose days are numbered, but he seems to be living a fuller life. Furthermore, his scenes with Hugh O'Brian were simply more fun. No matter how conflicted the characters became, it was easier to imagine Myron Healy's Doc Holiday & Hugh O'Brian's Wyatt Earp as friends.

No disrespect to Douglas Fowley, but it's too bad that Myron Healy couldn't have played Doc Holiday for the entire run off the show.