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Probably top 3-5 for my favorite movies...top 10-15 for sure. Some of these are interesting, and I didn't know.
10. It is based on historical events and depicts real-life lawmen and outlaws
Tombstone is based on historical events that took place in Tombstone, Arizona during the 1880s, including the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, which was a 30-second shootout between lawmen and a group of outlaws.
The film also depicts a number of real-life outlaws and the lawmen that pursued them, including Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and William Brocius.
9. Willem Dafoe and Mickey Rourke almost starred
Willem Dafoe was first choice to take on Val Kilmer’s role of Doc Holliday, but reports suggested that Buena Vista Pictures decided not to hire him after the controversy surrounding Martin Scorsese’s film The Last Temptation of Christ, in which Dafoe played the lead role.
Mickey Rourke was also said to have turned down the part of Johnny Ringo, a role that eventually went to Aliens star Michael Biehn.
8. Kurt Russell secretly directed the film after the original director was fired on-set
The credits tell us that Tombstone was directed by Rambo: First Blood Part II director George P. Cosmatos, after he himself was hired to replace Kevin Jarre (who also wrote the film), but the truth is that the film ended up being directed by its star Kurt Russell.
It was Russell who had actually been asked to take over directorial duties after Jarre was sacked, which he agreed to so long as it wasn’t his name on the credits. So Cosmatos was hired to be what has become known in the industry as a ‘ghost director.’
7. Russell cut a number of his own scenes from the shooting script to win his actors’ trust
In order to gain the trust and respect of the actors he was directing, Kurt Russell cut out 20 pages from the film’s original script, which included removing several of his own lines and scenes.
“There’s only one way I’m going to get the trust of these actors,” Russell was quoted as saying, “and that is to cut myself out of this goddamn movie and make some changes.”
6. Val Kilmer had an extremely fast quick-draw speed
Val Kilmer devoted a lot of time to making his performance as gambler, gunfighter and dentist Doc Holliday as realistic as possible.
This meant practicing his quick-draw speed until it was impressively fast, and working for a long time on his Southern aristocratic accent.
5. All of the moustaches in the movie are absolutely genuine
Many films feature actors sporting obviously fake facial hair, but Tombstone went against the grain, with every single moustache in the movie being absolutely genuine.
This was mainly down to filmmakers wanting the film to be as authentic as possible, which meant that a lot of time was devoted to making the scenery, props and costumes as historically accurate as possible.
4. Billy Bob Thornton improvised every single one of his lines
You may remember Billy Bob Thornton playing a bully by the name of Johnny Tyler, but did you know that he improvised every single one of his lines?
Thornton was simply told to “be a bully” during his scene with Kurt Russell’s Wyatt Earp, and we suspect you’ll agree with us in thinking that he did rather a good job!
3. Val Kilmer really can roll a coin across his knuckles
It looks good enough as it is, but Val Kilmer’s Doc Holliday rolling a coin across his knuckles is even more impressive when you consider that the actor was doing it for real without any camera tricks to assist him.
The eagle-eyed 80s film fans among you will also know that it’s not the first time that Kilmer has performed this particular action in his films, having done the same with two coins in the 1985 film Real Genius, and with a pen in Top Gun.
2. Ike Clanton actor Stephen Lang is genuinely drunk in all of his scenes
Actor Stephen Lang did his best to provide authenticity when filming his scenes as the drunk Ike Clanton.
The Avatar star later revealed that he didn’t have to act much at all, seeing that he genuinely was extremely drunk throughout the entire shoot!
1. Only two actors have played both Doc Holliday and Batman
Val Kilmer has of course played both Doc Holliday and Batman (in Batman Forever), but can you name the other actor who has also taken on both characters?
The answer is Adam West, who as well as donning Batman’s cowl in the classic TV series, played Doc Holliday in three different episodes of three different TV shows, they being Colt 45, Lawmen and Sugarfoot.
10. It is based on historical events and depicts real-life lawmen and outlaws
Tombstone is based on historical events that took place in Tombstone, Arizona during the 1880s, including the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, which was a 30-second shootout between lawmen and a group of outlaws.
The film also depicts a number of real-life outlaws and the lawmen that pursued them, including Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and William Brocius.
9. Willem Dafoe and Mickey Rourke almost starred
Willem Dafoe was first choice to take on Val Kilmer’s role of Doc Holliday, but reports suggested that Buena Vista Pictures decided not to hire him after the controversy surrounding Martin Scorsese’s film The Last Temptation of Christ, in which Dafoe played the lead role.
Mickey Rourke was also said to have turned down the part of Johnny Ringo, a role that eventually went to Aliens star Michael Biehn.
8. Kurt Russell secretly directed the film after the original director was fired on-set
The credits tell us that Tombstone was directed by Rambo: First Blood Part II director George P. Cosmatos, after he himself was hired to replace Kevin Jarre (who also wrote the film), but the truth is that the film ended up being directed by its star Kurt Russell.
It was Russell who had actually been asked to take over directorial duties after Jarre was sacked, which he agreed to so long as it wasn’t his name on the credits. So Cosmatos was hired to be what has become known in the industry as a ‘ghost director.’
7. Russell cut a number of his own scenes from the shooting script to win his actors’ trust
In order to gain the trust and respect of the actors he was directing, Kurt Russell cut out 20 pages from the film’s original script, which included removing several of his own lines and scenes.
“There’s only one way I’m going to get the trust of these actors,” Russell was quoted as saying, “and that is to cut myself out of this goddamn movie and make some changes.”
6. Val Kilmer had an extremely fast quick-draw speed
Val Kilmer devoted a lot of time to making his performance as gambler, gunfighter and dentist Doc Holliday as realistic as possible.
This meant practicing his quick-draw speed until it was impressively fast, and working for a long time on his Southern aristocratic accent.
5. All of the moustaches in the movie are absolutely genuine
Many films feature actors sporting obviously fake facial hair, but Tombstone went against the grain, with every single moustache in the movie being absolutely genuine.
This was mainly down to filmmakers wanting the film to be as authentic as possible, which meant that a lot of time was devoted to making the scenery, props and costumes as historically accurate as possible.
4. Billy Bob Thornton improvised every single one of his lines
You may remember Billy Bob Thornton playing a bully by the name of Johnny Tyler, but did you know that he improvised every single one of his lines?
Thornton was simply told to “be a bully” during his scene with Kurt Russell’s Wyatt Earp, and we suspect you’ll agree with us in thinking that he did rather a good job!
3. Val Kilmer really can roll a coin across his knuckles
It looks good enough as it is, but Val Kilmer’s Doc Holliday rolling a coin across his knuckles is even more impressive when you consider that the actor was doing it for real without any camera tricks to assist him.
The eagle-eyed 80s film fans among you will also know that it’s not the first time that Kilmer has performed this particular action in his films, having done the same with two coins in the 1985 film Real Genius, and with a pen in Top Gun.
2. Ike Clanton actor Stephen Lang is genuinely drunk in all of his scenes
Actor Stephen Lang did his best to provide authenticity when filming his scenes as the drunk Ike Clanton.
The Avatar star later revealed that he didn’t have to act much at all, seeing that he genuinely was extremely drunk throughout the entire shoot!
1. Only two actors have played both Doc Holliday and Batman
Val Kilmer has of course played both Doc Holliday and Batman (in Batman Forever), but can you name the other actor who has also taken on both characters?
The answer is Adam West, who as well as donning Batman’s cowl in the classic TV series, played Doc Holliday in three different episodes of three different TV shows, they being Colt 45, Lawmen and Sugarfoot.
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