Tombstoneis a fantastic Western movie that depicts the adventures of the infamous lawman Wyatt Earp as he travels to a small town in Arizona and quickly finds the place overrun by criminals and Cowboys, but it was not the first film to do so. Starring Kurt Russell as the iconic figure,Tombstoneis the most famous and critically acclaimed movie to tell Wyatt Earp’s story - but it certainly isn’t the first. There have been severalfilms about Wyatt Earp, and they all take completely different approaches to their storytelling.
Perhaps what’s so engaging about Earp’s story is how effectively and succinctly it embodies the themes of revenge, violence, and masculinity that were prevalent throughout the American Wild West. It’s the kind of story that speaks volumes about society at the time but remains relevant today with its characters who have since become icons. However,this famous story has understandably been diluted and transformed over the years, and thetrue tale of Wyatt Earp and Doc Hollidayisn’t as well known.
Wyatt Earp’s Role In Wild Bill Hickok Explained
The Iconic Figure Made A Brief Appearance In Clifford Smith’s Movie
Wild Bill Hickokwas first released in 1923, several years before Westerns even reached their peak popularity among American audiences. The silent film was directed by Clifford Smith and details the adventures of another Wild West hero called Wild Bill, who brought law and order to his new home of Dodge City when it found itself at the behest of a group of outlaws. Today,the film is primarily remembered for being the first on-screen depiction of Wyatt Earp- and the only version of his story filmed while the real-life figure was still alive.
The One Wyatt Earp Scene That Kevin Costner Did Better Than Kurt Russell’s Tombstone Character
Kurt Russell’s Tombstone might be the better Western, but there’s a key scene that Kevin Costner’s Wyatt Earp pulls off better than its rival.
Earp’s role inWild Bill Hickockis only small, and he appears as a friend of Hickcok’s who’s employed to help the lawman drive the criminals out of Dodge City. The film is supposedly based on a true story, and while it’s hard to prove whether the details fully line up with other accounts of Earp’s adventures, it is widely believed that Earp and Hickcok met each other at least once. They weren’tfriends like Earp and Hollidaywere, but his appearance inWild Bill Hickoksuggests that their paths crossed.
Wyatt Earp Was A Western Legend Long Before Tombstone
Tombstone Wasn’t The First Movie To Tell His Story
AlthoughWild Bill Hickockwas the first movie to depict Wyatt Earp, the figure was already a hugely important name in American history. His adventures had been infamous long before he appeared in Smith’s film, and it was even longer before his own story was depicted in movies likeThe Life & Legend of Wyatt Earp. However, his name was well-known throughout the USA as the ripples of his exploits continued to spread across the country in the forms of folklore and urban myths.
Wild Bill was also depicted in 1995’s Wild Bill movie starring Jeff Bridges.
The reason thatWyatt Earp is so firmly ingrained in American historyis the same reason that people are still making films about his life today; Hembodied everything that it meant to be an outlaw in the Wild West, including both the bad and the good. He was an extremely controversial figure, but his adventures were filled with drama and intrigue that undeniably makes for a great story. The fact thatTombstonewas released 70 years afterWild Bill Hickock, the first film depicting Wyatt Earp, puts into perspective how influential his story was.
Tombstone Is The Defining Movie About Wyatt Earp
His Adventures Don’t Get More Exciting Than Russell’s Movie
AlthoughTombstonedeserves some fact-checking, there’s a strong argument to be made that it’s the most entertaining and somewhat educational depiction of Earp’s life to date.The story takes place during Earp’s early years in Tombstone, Arizona, as he’s joined by his friend Doc Holliday to drive the Cowboys out of town. What ensues is a dramatic, blood-soaked depiction of the “Earp vendetta ride” - an unrelenting search led by Earp for the criminals that killed his brother and close friends.
Tombstonemay be somewhat sensationalized and its depiction of the vendettas may be a little glamorous for some, but it’s a fundamentally entertaining movie that takes everything audiences loved about the Western genre and pushes it into the future with fresh, dynamic storytelling and complex characters that subvert conventions. The lead performances from Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer have gone down in history as the definitive iterations of these historical figures, and the film does a great job of explaining why Earp and Holliday became the notorious figures that they ultimately did.
Tombstone
Cast
Tombstone chronicles legendary marshal Wyatt Earp and his brothers as they seek fortune in a prosperous mining town. Forced to confront a gang threatening the community, Earp joins forces with the infamous Doc Holliday, highlighting a tense battle between lawmen and outlaws in the American West.
