Lawman Wyatt Earp (Burt Lancaster) and gunfighter John "Doc" Holliday (Kirk Douglas) find themselves together again in Tombstone, Ariz., despite the tumultuous history between them. Earp comes to Arizona on a mission to bring the Clayton clan to justice. Meanwhile, Holliday becomes incensed with the decision of Kate Fisher (Jo Van Fleet) to turn him down in favor of another gunfighter (John Ireland), ultimately leading Holliday to join Earp's side in a confrontation with the Claytons.