Tombstone (1993)

A successful lawman's plans to retire anonymously in Tombstone, Arizona are disrupted by the kind of outlaws he was famous for eliminating.

Directors:

George P. Cosmatos, Kevin Jarre (uncredited)

Writer:

Kevin Jarre

Stars:

Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kurt Russell	...	Wyatt Earp
Val Kilmer	...	Doc Holliday
Sam Elliott	...	Virgil Earp
Bill Paxton	...	Morgan Earp
Powers Boothe	...	Curly Bill Brocius
Michael Biehn	...	Johnny Ringo
Charlton Heston	...	Henry Hooker
Jason Priestley	...	Billy Breckinridge
Jon Tenney	...	Behan
Stephen Lang	...	Ike Clanton
Thomas Haden Church	...	Billy Clanton
Dana Delany	...	Josephine Marcus
Paula Malcomson	...	Allie Earp
Lisa Collins	...	Louisa Earp
Dana Wheeler-Nicholson	...	Mattie Earp

Storyline

After success cleaning up Dodge City, Wyatt Earp moves to Tombstone, Arizona, and wishes to get rich in obscurity. He meets his brothers there, as well as his old friend Doc Holliday. A band of outlaws that call themselves The Cowboys are causing problems in the region with various acts of random violence, and inevitably come into confrontation with Holliday and the Earps, which leads to a shoot-out at the O.K. Corral.

---

Plot Keywords:

wyatt earp character | two gun holster | double gun holster | tucson arizona | benson arizona | 

---

Taglines:

I'm your huckleberry!

---

Genres:

Action | Biography | Drama | History | Western

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Val Kilmer played Doc Holliday, a role previously played in three different 1959 television productions by Adam West, who later became Batman (1966). It was upon seeing this film that Joel Schumacher was inspired to cast Kilmer in Batman Forever (1995).

---

Goofs

When Wyatt first arrives in Tombstone in 1879, the Bird Cage Theatre is in the background. The Bird Cage was not built until 1881.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: 1879 - the Civil War is over, and the resulting economic explosion spurs the great migration west. Farmers, ranchers, prospectors, killers, and thieves seek their fortune. Cattle growers turn cow towns into armed camps, with murder rates higher than than those of modern day New York or Los Angeles. Out of this chaos comes legendary lawman Wyatt Earp, retiring his badge and gun to start a peaceful life for his family. Earp's friend, John, Doc Holliday, a southern gentlemen turned ...

---

Crazy Credits

For Birgitta C.

---

Alternate Versions

A "Vista Series" director's cut was released in February 2002. Just under five minutes of never-before-seen footage were restored. The most noticeable are:

• a scene showing the depths of Mattie's addiction to laudanum and her jealousy over Josephine;
• a somber soliloquy by Doc quoting Kublai Khan;
• a scene explaining Kate's sudden disappearance from the film, with Doc stressing the importance of friendship;
• a scene with McMasters and the Cowboys meeting one last time. A small scene showing the graphic result of that meeting has been re-inserted, with the line "They got McMasters!" being moved into this small insert.

---

Connections

Featured in Joe Bob's Drive-In Theater: More Girls with Big Guns (1995)

---

Soundtracks

Red River Valley
Written by James Kerrigen
Performed by Dana Delany

User Reviews

For Val, a role of a lifetime

I wont review the film here as it has all been said before. I did want to praise Val Kilmer's portrayal of "Doc" Holiday. Throughout the entire film, his acting and character embellishments are so nuanced and well done that by movies end, we feel his loss in a very personal way. Credit must also go out the the costumers and make-up artists for their contribution to the overall effect of his role. All the way through the film, he looks sickly, pale and world-weary. His mannerisms and intensity of gaze profoundly establish this character as a focal point in this production. But as for what I started this off with, I consider this role as probably the very best for Val Kilmer. It required subtlety and careful restraint and made the viewer believe that we weren't watching an actor merely regurgitating lines and hitting their foot-marks. I, for one, was entranced by the carefully studied body language and facial expressions...the sweaty desperation of a man who sensed his own mortality but strove to enact his own justice for justices sake. This was just very well done!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Latin

Release Date:

25 December 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tombstone

Filming Locations:

Patagonia, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,454,752, 26 December 1993

Gross USA:

$56,505,065

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$56,505,065

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hollywood Pictures, Cinergi Pictures Entertainment, Alphaville Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min 134 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1