Wyatt earp is a 1994 american biographical western film directed, produced, and cowritten by. I like costner as an actor, but he just cant keep it straight. Billy bob thornton completely adlibbed his scene stealing. He found it touching that his childhood hero, tom mix, wept at wyatt earps death. The details of the actual gunfight arent all that exciting, at least compared to what modern audiences usually expect in such films. Wyatt earp plays as if they took tombstone and pumped it full of hot air. The grandiose kevin costner biopic came out 20 years ago today, and immediately drew comparisons to the other movie about wyatt earp tombstone.
The undead earp is a fifthgeneration cousin of the tombstone sheriff. Virgil earp, brother of wyatt and a tombstone marshal. Corral and the earp vendetta ride, during the 1880s. Aug 3, 2015 the actors and real life figures from one of my favorite movies, tombstone. Which of these three films on wyatt earp and the o. According to legend, wyatt earp singlehandedly held off a mob of tombstone miners attempting to string up a gambler. Wyatt earp is good, as is hour of the gun, but tombstone is the best, in my opinion. Wyatt earp cowboy hat best price online, sizes up to 3xl, from the movie tombstone. Finally getting around to watching kevin costners wyatt earp it has taken a couple sittings to make it thru this movie.
Wyatt did marry josephine marcus in later life and they moved to hollywood where earp. This version is the widely known theatrical version of wyatt earp. Take a look below for 27 more interesting and fascinating facts about tombstone. The op is basically right that costners wyatt earp is the most historically accurate recounting of the gunfight at the ok corral as far as we can know. You need to separate wyatt earp the reallife man from wyatt earp the character in tombstone.
The movie is based on events in tombstone, arizona, including the gunfight at the o. Tombstone was much better, but i think wyatt earp did a better job telling the overall story. It depicts the shootout in the context of the towns cultural and political factions rather than being just obsessed with wyatt earp. The story of wyatt earp as he interacts and battles other famous figures of the wild west era. Tombstone depicts a number of western outlaws and lawmen, such as wyatt earp, william brocius, johnny ringo and doc. Wyatt earp 1994 was literally upstaged by tombstone which came out six months earlier, i saw the premiere in tempe on december 20, 1993 and even though it had great promotion, wyatt earp was too late in the cycle and got beat up over the comparisons. Based on real events, this movie is about a man named wyatt earp, played by kurt russel, who is a retired officer that settles in a town called tombstone with his two brothers. Wyatt earp was another one of costners movies, like the untouchables, where he starts with a true event, then screws it up. Doc is already sick as the movie begins but he manages to stay in the game to the very end, more. Its a rambling, unfocused biography of wyatt earp kevin costner, starting when hes a kid and following his development from an awkward wouldbe lawyer into a slick gunslinger. Wyatt earp is an old west lawman who became immortalized after the firefight at the o.
Then, mere months later, wyatt earp rode into movie. Wyatt earp was a prostituteloving con man and not the. Tombstone was a movie about the period of time in wyatt earp s life when he was in tombstone, at. Its not as historically accurate as wyatt earp, but is the most exciting, and has better actors in the roles. There have been a lot of movies made about wyatt earp and the famous gunfight at the ok corral. He did not learn of hollidays death until seven years later.
Tombstone kurt russell, val kilmer, sam elliot, bill paxton, powers boothe, michael biehn, stephen lang, bill paxton, dana delany, billy zane, john tenney, harry carey, jr. Sporting ridiculous gingerish hair and retaining his chicago toughguy cadence in the few lines the script sees fit to give him, madsen is also clearly younger than the actor meant to be his younger brother. Seriously, what i loved about tombstone besides kilmers oneliners and witty dialogue was the friendship between holliday and earp. Tombstone is one of those movies that you rewatch on cable and everyone. The earp vendetta ride was a deadly search by a federal posse led by deputy u. Why tombstone and wyatt earp were released six months. Each is a historical action film centering around an iconic lawman of legendary proportions eliot ness wyatt earp who finds himself on a mission to bring justice to a town chicago, illinois tombstone, arizona living under the heel of a powerful gang the chicago outfitthe cochise county cowboys led by a charismatic but ruthless boss. Wyatt and doc actually parted ways only months after the events in tombstone. How tombstone outdueled wyatt earp ultimate classic rock. Wyatt earp was more of a biography about wyatt earp.
Robert mitchum provides narration for the film, but he was meant to be old man clanton. Tombstone 1993 vs wyatt earp 1994 discussion in mayberry lounge started by guestx, aug 5. Wyatt earp 18481929 was a wild west frontiersmen best known for his participation in a notorious gunfight at the o. Growing up on a farm in iowa, earp tries to run away to join the union army in the civil war, but he is turned away because of his youth. However, the relationship with earp and doc holliday dennis quaid is still pretty strong and authentic. Tombstone 1993 wyatt earp moved to tombstone with his brothers morgan and virgil earp. See more ideas about old west, wyatt earp and old west photos. A successful lawmans plans to retire anonymously in tombstone, arizona are disrupted by the kind of. Arizona resident and historian probably the best book on earp is casey tefertillers wyatt earp.
It involves many of the same characters and much of the same story, but little of the tension and drama. Here in seattle, the former movie critic of the seattle postintelligencer newspaper came up with a list back in 1999 of the 10 most underrated movies of the 90s. Veteran character actor sam elliott brings some oldschool western authenticity to tombstone s virgil earp, but michael madsen is severely miscast and wasted as wyatt earp s virgil. Al caponecurly bill brocius a mission during which. A 30second gunfight at the ok corral in 1881 propelled sometimelawman wyatt earp to legendary status as one of the wests toughest badges, but it wasnt until the early days of the clinton administration that two films both took aim at each other at high noon to tell the modern version of his story. As hardened as holliday was, he was fiercely loyal to earp because. Morgan earp is killed and virgil earp wounded on the same night in every single earp movie ever made. Wyatt earp is a far different beast, telling a bigger and more bloated story than tombstone, making it more of a biopic than a western. Wyatt earp 1994 fullhd movies, wyatt earp 1994 fullhd movies, wyatt earp 1994 fullhd movies. Trouble was, it wasnt build until a year after the earps left town for good. Wyatt earp s cousin, wyatt earp, appeared in the movie as billy claiborne. In the battle of the western biopics, does tombstone or wyatt earp emerge victorious.
The picture portrayed by burt lancaster in 1957s gunfight at the ok corral, the abc tv show between 1955 and 1961, 1993s tombstone with kurt russell and 1994s wyatt earp starring kevin. Hopefully some of you will agree with me that wyatt earp is the superior to tombstone and with the superior performances. I knew someone would come along who would back wyatt earp. Wyatt earp is a 1994 american biographical western film directed, produced, and cowritten by lawrence kasdan, with dan gordon. Wyatt earp, two westerns released six months apart, both of which hinged. Directed by lawrence kasdan, this epic version of the legendary western sheriffgunslingers life story stars kevin costner as earp, who lived from 1848 to 1929. I would agree tombstone is a better movie and val is a. One of these films includes tombstone which was released in the year 1993. Contrary to tombstone, that came out at the same time, or literary pieces like john fords my darling clementine or john sturges gunfight at the ok corral kasdans film stays close to the facts conveyed by wyatt earp himself, published in 1931 by stuart lake in the. But i agree with poster thbryn, why are we getting bogged down on this subject. Wyatt earp, released six months after tombstone, was the less successful of the two films.
With kurt russell, val kilmer, sam elliott, bill paxton. It stars kevin costner in the title role as the lawman of the same name, and features an ensemble cast that includes gene hackman, mark harmon, michael madsen, bill pullman, dennis quaid, isabella rossellini, tom sizemore, jobeth williams, mare winningham and jim. Then, mere months later, wyatt earp rode into movie theaters throughout north america. Tombstone is definitely more of a pop western than wyatt earp is, but honestly, i think thats why i like it more. Most historically accurate film about ok corral gunfight. Tombstone and wyatt earp were two bigbudget western biopics released within six months of each other, but which movie is the best. When you have heart in a movie, thats what counts, cosmatos said. I dont think the movie is supposed to be a commentary or biography on the reallife man.
Wyatt earp, two westerns released six months apart, both of which hinged around the gunfight at the o. The two earp brothers had been attacked in retaliation for the deaths of three cowboys in the gunfight at the o. Tombstone was the best movie, and had the best actors. During shooting, mitchum fell from his horse and was relegated to voiceonly in the movie. Tombstone is just one of the best movies ever made. With kevin costner, dennis quaid, gene hackman, david andrews. A successful lawmans plans to retire anonymously in tombstone, arizona are disrupted by the kind of outlaws he was famous for eliminating. I enjoyed tombstone, it was a fixture of my young adulthood. The characters in tombstone where much more interesting and entertaining. The tombstone and wyatt earp movies opened within six months of each other in 19934. Marshal wyatt earp for a loose confederation of outlaw cowboys they believed had ambushed his brothers virgil and morgan earp, maiming the former and killing the latter.
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