re: Why Tombstone is better than Wyatt Earp...

Because of this thread I watched WE last night for the first time. What a slog to get through. Just found it to be a bore fest the whole way through - and I'm a Costner fan. Like others mentioned, it was apparent this was a mini-series chopped down to movie size. Even the cinematography felt and looked "TVish" to me (maybe because I knew this before watching so I could have been prejudiced). While we all know Tombstone is a Hollywoodized version of events, the movie had a lot of rakish charm. And, I disagree with most on here. Didn't like Quaid's Doc at all. Thought it was badly overacted. There was nothing in the whole viewing that grabbed me.

My impression is that this production was always going to suffer comparisons. If it has remained a series, it would have paled in comparison to Lonesome Dove. As a theatrical release, it's always been the "other" OK Corral movie.

i like Tombstone fine for what it is, but i've always thought of it as a 90s action flick with a western mask on.

Wyatt Earp seems more like a true western

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But at least now you can say you gave it a shot.

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Yup. Reading the remarks about it on here made me look it up on Netflix and give it a whirl.

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I think where it was less accurate is in taming down the Earps and Doc. They made them more kind than they really were, and they didn’t show the more scandalous happenings of their lives

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That’s what I was referring to. Wyatt Earp is a hero in American lore simply because he told us he was. He was the American West’s Prime Time.

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He moved to Wyatt Earp (because he felt the focus should be on the lead character, not an ensemble like in Tombstone)

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When you say lead character, you mean he wanted the focus on him. That was kind of the start of where his arrogance took him off the rails. This was right before Waterworld and The Postman, for reference.

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He was actually fired during filming due to all the chaos and lack of organization he had. Kurt Russel too over directing and did most of the movie as well as post production. He didn’t want the credit for it though, so he had the producers keep the original directors name on it. What I’ve read is that the cast have a great appreciation of what he did, because he saved the movie and was incredibly humble about it.

Much respect!

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Maybe I'm mistaken, but it was always my understanding that Russell took over directing duties mid-shoot but couldn't receive an official credit for directing due to the Eastwood Rule.

The Eastwood Rule was put into place in 1972 after Clint Eastwood got director Philip Kaufman fired from the set of The Outlaw Josey Wales and took over directing duties for himself. After that the Directors Guild of America put forth a provision that a director fired after production started couldn't be replaced by someone already working in some other capacity on the film (actor, writer, producer, etc.).

Midget Death Squad Yea!

Like having Sarah Marcus working as an actress, when at the time she was called Josephine Behan.

Sarah left home at the age of 14 with a maid, going under the name of Sadie Mansfield in Prescott, Arizona, she worked as a lady of the evening. The maid gives this away.

She met Behan in Prescott and went back home when Behan ask to marry her, and he then went to SF to ask the family to marry her.

She then moved to Tombstone, and was known as Josephine Behan around town, Behan found another girl and left Sarah, this was near the time the Earps came to town.

Sarah was never an actress, still was a lady of the evening after shacking up with Wyatt.


The town has five factions, the Earps are in the hard-core republican faction and have distant connects to Lew Wallace (of the Ben Hur fame).

The Clanton's are middle of the road democrats, and Ike is in a land deal with Lew Wallace.

The Earps are into a mess, namely the business of lady of the evenings, even at one time had one girl as young as 13 working for one of the brothers. Gambling, law enforcement is a business in those days as you could make money per arrest.

The fight is all about a cover up as Ike was going to turn in 3 cowboys for the stagecoach robbery, and that robbery is why you end up with a gun fight. The democrats point a finger at Doc and the Earps behind the robbery. The Earps are trying to pin it on 3 cowboys and are pressing Ike to turn state witness.

Ike is found out by the cowboys by rumor he is turning 3 of them in to the law for that robbery, this is when Ike goes to town and makes huge scene of naming Doc and drinking all night, the gunfight is the next day.

Morgan and Doc are overhead on the way to the gunfire about ending this today, as they passed by a bar and were heard by many saying this. Virgil when he said this is not what I want comment, was aimed at Morgan and Doc

Val Kilmer makes Tombstone what it is IMO

Val Kilmore's acting as Doc Holiday to me is what makes Tombstone so special. Lots of other big names in it though. Billy Bob Thorton, Jason Presely just playing smaller roles. Just an over all great film.