Fine Cast of Characters:
Jack Russell Val Kilmer Bill Paxton Sam Elliot Dana Delany
'Wyatt Earp' 'Doc Holliday' 'Morgan Earp' 'Virgil Earp' 'Josie Marcus'
Michael Beihn Joanna Pacula Powers Boothe Billy Zane Dana Wheeler-Nicholson
'Johnny Ringo' 'Kate' 'Curly bill' 'Mr. Fabian' 'Mattie Blaylock-Earp'
Jason Priestley Stephen Lang Thomas Haden Church Paula Malcomson
'Deputy Billy Breckinridge' 'Ike Clanton' 'Billy Clanton' 'Allie Earp'
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Memorable Quotes From The Movie:
"Yes, but there's just something about him. Something around the eyes, I don't know, reminds me of... me. No. I'm sure of it, I hate him." - Doc Holliday
"It appears my hypocrisy knows no bounds." -Doc Holliday
"I'm your huckleberry." -Doc Holliday
"Yeah, I'm an oak, alright." -Wyatt Earp
"You're a daisy if you do!" -Doc Holliday
"The Cowboys are finished, you understand? I see a red sash, I kill the man wearin' it!" -Wyatt Earp
'"Why, it's the drunk piano player. You're so drunk, you can't hit nothin'. In fact, you're probably seeing double," Billy Clanton drawing knife on Doc holliday.
Doc Holliday takes out a second gun and replies, "I have two guns, one for each of ya."
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FAQ:
12/29/07
In the movie, Peter Cherayko, who played Texas Jack Vermillion, was the armorer for the movie I have spoken with him
in the past year, and got a copy of his book, on the making of Tombstone. As far as I know, he owns all the guns used in
the movie.
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Q:
Hello,
Could someone please tell me what guns/weapons Doc Holliday carried. Please include make and model and where he
carried said firearms/weapons on his person. I have been unable to find the answer to this question and it is driving me nuts.
Many thanks,
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Dear Lady Belle,
I enjoy your website and stories very much. Tombstone is one of favorite movies, and I have been reading the FAQ's. Some info posted there is incorrect, I believe. The S&W Schofield revolver was a .45 caliber.
As noted below, there was a specific .45 cartridge developed for it, called the .45 Schofield.
The 45 caliber Smith & Wesson Schofield revolver was manufactured from 1875-1878 with just under 9,000 of these big six guns being manufactured. The Ordnance Board granted Smith & Wesson a contract to outfit the
military with Schofield pistols, providing they could make the revolvers work with the 45 Colt (AKA ".45 Long Colt") ammunition already in use. Smith & Wesson instead developed their own, slightly shorter .45 caliber round [.45
S&W, AKA .45 Schofield]. When it became obvious in the field that the two cartridges would not work interchangeably in the Schofield, although they both worked in the Colt, the U.S. Government dropped the Schofield and continued with the Colt.
As for shotguns, the common gauge for shotguns of the era was the 10 gauge. With the cartridges of the day, effective range was much shorter than today. The only way to get more power was to increase bore size.
Shotguns in the 1800's were made in 2, 4, 8, and 10 gauge, as well as smaller gauges.
Colt SSA revolvers, Peacemakers, were made in many calibers, among them, .38-40, .44-40, and .45 Colt. Each of these cartridges were charged with 40 grains of black powder. The .45 Colt with a 250 grain bullet produced
velocities of 850 to 900 feet per second. This provided considerably more power than a .38 special. The .45 Schofield cartridge was charged with 28 grains of black powder with velocities in the 700-750 fps range.
Sincerely,
Les
Thanks very much, Les! Good info. ~ Lady Belle
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Q: Where is Morgan Earp buried? Are any of the Earp brothers who where involved in the OK Corral Shootout buried at the same cemetery? Thank you. Connie Stevenson.
A: Morgan Earp's body was taken by train California, where he was buried at Hermosa Cemetery in Colten, California. All three brothers are buried in seperate cemeteries. Wyatt Earp is buried at the Hills of Eternity Memorial Park in Colma, California. Virgil Earp was put to rest (as I've mentioned down below :-) at Riverview Cemetery in Portland, Oregon. ~ Lady Belle
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WHO SHOT FIRST?
According to John Behan's testimony the first shot fired came from the SECOND man from the right and from a nickel plated revolver. If taken from the view of the cowboys this would mean Wyatt Earp was the second man from the right. This is based on the fact that the Earp party was aligned as follows - Virgil,Wyatt,Morgan with Holliday in the entrance to cover the street/flank with the shotgun. This would also match Behans view the last time he spoke to the Earp party.
If taken from Behans view inside Fly's the second man from the right would have been Morgan Earp. But in NO view would Doc Holliday have been the second man from the right so by Behans own testimony Holliday did not fire the first shot from a nickel plated revolver.
As to who fired I believe that if Irishlad's comment on this webpage is correct (about Wyatt owning a nickel plated Schofield and using it at the gunfight) then Wyatt did indeed fire the first shot as he testified to and was reported in the Daily Nugget the next day. It would also explain why Behan did not testfy that he was positive that Holliday fired the revolver as he should have been able to do,Knowing all the men involved by sight.
Has anyone ever checked Schofields records to see if Wyatt or Morgan owned such a weapon At the Time of the gunfight?
Thanks for the time.
Jeb
Thank ya, Jeb. ~ Lady Belle
Q: Hi Lady Belle . I have loved Val Kilmer since seeing him in The Doors movie. I'm looking for some pictures of him. Can you suggest a good web site?
Try here the official Val Kilmer Web site, with lots of good pictures. ~ Lady Belle
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Several of you keen eye Tombstone fans have wrote in mentioning how "Doc" seems to magically gain a third bullet in his double-barreled shotgun when the shootout at O.K. Corral begins. And if you look close enough, you may also notice extra bullets seem to be spraying from other gunmen too. Ahhh, ain't Hollywood grand? ~ Lady Belle
...Al Requests Photo of Knifes in the Movie Tombstone:
"The one I'm wanting a photo of is the bowie knife with the ring at the gard. The bowie knife had bone handles. I make hand-made knifes, and would like to get some photos of this knife. If anyone
can help, also any other knife photos in the movie, please email me " Thanks, Al
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...From Nick D:
I'm still having trouble finding a DVD version of Tombstone that is NOT in letterbox form. Even the "Director's Cut" is formatted for widescreen TVs. Can anybody help? Nick D
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The following was sent in by Irishlad:
Greetings!
I thought I would bring this to the table regarding the gun Wyatt Earp used in the famous gun fight. Although we will never know for sure, there are some facts scattered throughtout written history that bring to light the possibility of a different gun, other then the accepted "Buntline".
While it is understandable that the most common gun used during this time was the Colt SA, there is evidence that on that day, Wyatt chose another gun (it is sure he owned several)!
There is one theory that when Wyatt died in 1929, he gave many of his "memorbilia" to close personal friend John H. Flood. One of the items was a nickel plated, S&W .44 caliber, engraved Schofield pistol. Flood had said that Wyatt told him it was the gun he used against the Clanton's
and the McLaurys.
Apparently this gun was presented to Wyatt by John Clum as a gift. The gun eventually ended up in the hands of John Gilchreise (sp) who displayed it in his museum until 1973. Where this gun is today is not known to me.
Wyatt would have never used a gun with a barrel as long as the "Buntline" because it would be harder to draw and aim in a timely manner, even from a coat pocket.
In Sheriff John Behan's testimony after the fight, he said he saw one of the Earp party draw a nickel plated pistol and fire at either Billy Clanton or Frank McLaury. Behan said the nickel plated pistol fired first or instantaneous with another pistol. According to Behan, the nickel plated pistol fired right after Virgil said "Throw up your hands". Behan said he was sure that the first man shot was Frank McLaury.
In Wyatt's testimony he said he had his pistol (did not say which one) in his overcoat pocket. He said that right after Virgil said "Throw up your hands", he observed Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury moving toward their pistols. He knew Frank McLaury was a better shot so he fired at
McLaury and at the same time Billy Clanton fired at Wyatt (and missed). Wyatt hit McLaury in the stomach.
This testimony mirrors Behan's as to who drew and fired the first shots, who was hit by the first shot and now we know which gun Wyatt may have used.
By the facts presented in testimony and the information from John Flood, it is possible and probable that Wyatt used the nickel plated .44 Schofield given to him by John Clum.
Just something to chew on.
Irishlad
Many thanks, Irishlad. ~ Lady Belle
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Q: Hi, I have two questions for you. Where can I find pictures from the movie Tombstone to use as backrounds and screensavers for my computer? And second, why does Doc Holliday say "This is funny" when he dies? I have heard it was because he wanted to die in a shootout or doing something dangerous instead of a slow and painful death in a bed, and despite everything dangerous he did, he still died in a bed. Or was it because he died without his boots on? Thank you.
A: It's my understanding when Doc Holliday says "This is funny" he is reflecting on the irony of dying in a bed, whereas not by a bullet and with his boots on.
Here's a neat site to try for screensavers of the movie Tombstone.
After clicking on the link, scrowl down, you can't miss the movie picture.
...GREAT PICK OF THE MONTH:
For those interested in the guns used in the movie Tombstone, I highly recommend the summer 2004 issue Guns of The Old West magazine. In the issue is an article written by Todd Lofgren with a wealth of information on "the guns of Tombstone." Check your local bookstores or drugstores ( USA $7.99) ~ Lady Belle
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A vistor recently wrote with this question:
Q:
Dear Lady Belle,
"I was wondering if anyone knew where any of the guns that Val Kilmer (DOC) used in the movieTombstone."
( If anyone knows the whereabouts, drop me a line. ~ Lady Belle )
...From Nora K:
Last Sunday I watched for the first time the HBO series Deadwood. I missed the credits but I swear "Cy" is played by Powers Booth who played Curly Bill in Tombstone. Am I right?
Right you are, Nora. Powers Booth plays suave crime boss Cy Tolliver in this fantastic series. Pssst...western fans, 'Deadwood' is one *not* to be missed. If you liked Powers Booth in Tombstone, you'll enjoy him in 'Deadwood.' Also from 'Tombstone" is Paula Malcomson who played Allie Earp. In 'Deadwood' Paula plays tough-as-nails whore Trixie. ~ Lady Belle
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From Frank Elkins:
This is in reference to a post by Darrel. ( From down below) < Does anyone know where Wyatt Earp's guns are from the time of Tombstone. If so, where? >
Apparently, it is lost. The Colt .45cal "Buntline Special" that is seen in the movie is nowhere to be found. It was given to Wyatt while he was still a 'Law-Dog' in Dodge City. Bat Masterson, Bill Tilghman, Charlie Bassett and Neil Brown were also given similar firearms (none of which can be found, either). There is much controversy in the collector's world about these weapons. Here is an interesting link for you.
Hope this helps!
Frank Elkins
Much thanks, Frank! ~ Lady Belle
...This comes from Al H.
Dear Lady Belle Outlaw:
I was just reading the Tombstone FAQ II site. This too is one of my favorate movies. I read with interest that no one had really addressed the firearms in the movie. Maybe I can be of assistance. The general portrayal of the firearms in Tombstone is very accurate and fairly represent the period. The movie principally depicts SAA Army Colt Model 1873 "Peacemaker", Winchester Model 1873 rifles, several double barrel 12 guage hammer shot guns. The existence of blued (dark colored guns) and Nickle (the white shiny guns) is quite possible in that day. Also, the gun leather is fairly accurate, along with shoulder holsters (Doc) and gun belt holsters riding fairly high on the hip.
The battle of the OK corral, as you know, took place in 1881. Probably one of the most common handguns of the day was the Colt SAA (Single Action Army) revolver, Model 1873. The first Colt SAAs were provide to the U.S. Army contract and subsequently made available to private citzens by the mid 1870s. The movie protrayal of the use of the .45 caliber or .44-40 Colt is quite authentic. One aspect of the movie that was accurate, but can't be helped is that the cartridges were modern smokeless powder. In the 1880s, all the metallic cartridges were black powder which produced volumes of smoke. The bullets used by Wyatt, Morgan, Virgal and Doc etc. woul have contained 40 grains of black powder behind a 250 grain lead bullet. The energy would approximately 250-300 foot pounds - quite deadly and on par with the modern .38 Special. The normal accurate range for these guns is between 15-25 yards, although in the hands of an very good marksman, longer shots would be possible. A three inch group at 25 yards is also quite possible. By 1896, Colt had manufactured 165,000 of these Colt SAA revolvers. There are certain details on the Colt SAA which indentifies the gun as either modern or an old black powder gun. This detail is the cylinder stop pin location. Only someone who really knows their Colts would be able to note that all the guns in Tombstone appear to be modern Colts. However, if the movie folks were using valuable originals, they'd deserve to be shot themselves!
Wyatt Earp was shown with a long barrelled custom .45 Colt SAA, a Ned Buntline special. This is long an issue, and probably highly unlikely that he would have used this gun. I've found no record of his having a presentation revolver, nor using it at the O.K. Corral. However, Wyatt Earp did enjoy being well dressed and went to the O.K. Corral gunfight wearing a brand new overcoat that had been fitted with a custom made canvas-lined wax rubbed pocket designed for a fast draw of the Colt SAA.
Doc probably owned more guns in his short 35 year life than he ever pulled teeth. Doc did own a shotgun. It was a 10-gauge sawed off Meteor double barrel with a strap that attached to his shoulder. On the top of the shotgun was a brass ring for the leather strap. This was carried under his "duster" coat and was in the style of Porter Rockwell the "Morman Avenger" and body guard of the Morman church leaders. In the movie Doc is shown with Nickle revolvers. This much is accurate. The movie depicts Doc as carrying what appears to be a nickle Colt New Model Thunderer in .41 caliber or possibly a Colt .41 Lightening. This is possible, but there is no record of it.
Doc owned a Colt Model 1851 factory converted Navy Colt caliber .38 center fire. This gun was based upon the original .36 caliber Navy Colts produced in the thousands for the Civil War. This particular gun was found in a chamois among his personal belongings at the Glenwood Hotel were he died. This gun is in the William S. Wells Gun Collection. Also in the Wells collection is a Remington Model 1880 .41 Rim Fire double barrel over and under derringer. The gun is silver and gold plated with peral grips, Serial Number 474. It is engraved, "To Doc from Kate." The 10 gauge street howiter is in the McTague Gun Collection. Heresay from the day indicates that Doc possessed Colt M1873 SAA (which could have been in .45, 44-40, .38-40, .41 or .32-20 - all common calibers for the day).
Supposedly, Doc favored the shotgun. Most reading I've done on the subject of Doc, finds that he was hardly a "prince of pistolers" or a quick-draw artist. Most old newspapers protrary Doc as a self-destructive gambler and drunk. So, the movie is corrrect on that point. Kate Fisher, Doc's girl, was known as "Big Nose Kate", and hardly the beautiful woman from the movie. She was in fact his mistress and companion during the years he was in Fort Griffin and Tombstone. On one occasion she set fire to a hotel to provide cover for her and Doc's escape after a knifing. There is truth in Doc saving Wyatt's life in Dodge City. Apparently a backshooter was after him, Wyatt did infact treat him as a close friend. At the O.K. Corral is likely that Doc dropped Tom McLowery with his 10-gauge street howitzer, instead of the 12-gauge double barrelled movie gun he received from the Earps. Additionally, Morgan and Doc were both wounded. The one Wyatt Earp gun I know of is in thte Sotheby Parke Bernet Collection, in Los Angeles. This gun is a Colt .45 SAA, which by serial number could not have been at the O.K. Corral, as it left the factory the same year. But, it supposedly was carried by him in the pursuit of Curly Bill Brocius.
Ike Clanton is shown with a Model 1873 Winchester - quite possible and quite authentic for the period. The likely caliber is .44-40 and could have potentially been the same caliber as his Colt SAA revolver. This too was very common.
The death of Marshal Fred White at the hands of "Curly Bill" Brocious is a documented fact. However, the protrayal was not quite authentic. On October 22, 1880 Curly Bill Brocious was told by Marshal Fred White to turn over his guns. Curly Bill handed them to Marshal White with the handles turned towards the Marshal, essentially butt first if you will. As the lawman reached for the Colts, Curly Bill spun them around and cocked the hammers. The Marshal foolishly grabbed the two revolvers by the barrels and attempted to pull them from Curly Bill. The guns went off, fatally wounding the marshal. The movie depicts this wrong and has Curly Bill firing the revolvers upside down. This particular trick is actually known as the "Road Agent Spin" or the "Curly Bill". Curly Bills real name waw William B. Graham. Interesting enough, Marshal White claimed from his death bed that the shooting was an accident and the Curly Bill didn't intend on shooting him. According to Stuart Lake, Wyatt's biographer, Curly Bill was killed by Wyatt in a shotgun shoot out at Iron Springs, Az - just like the movie shows.
Another very accurate aspect of the movie was the portrayal of the shotguns. All had hammers and did not have automatic ejectors - which didn't exist until after 1900, so somebody did their homework on that.
Just a note, in the movie, Val is really a little big to be Doc. In life, Doc was about 5'2" and 115lbs. All in all, this is one of the most accurate period movies and one this shooter truly enjoys. I really enjoy the movie and your site!
Cheers
Al Hemphill
Thank you kindly, Al. ~ Lady Belle
On a side note: In his biography of 'Doc' titled Doc Holliday, John Myers Myers gives this description: "...He was five-feet ten-inches tall, but his spare frame made him look taller. It was a well-adorned frame, for he was fond of good clothes."
...And this from a vistor regarding Val and John H. 'Doc' Holliday:
...According to Karen Holliday Tanner's excellent biography, Doc Holliday: A Family Portrait Doc stood 6 feet tall, which makes Val the perfect height for the role.
Also accurate, of course, is his accent, his diamond stickpin and cravat, his cough and his pale complexion.
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Who sent Johnny Ringo to his maker? Dylan has been doing more research and says from what he can tell, it was Buckskin Frank Leslie. He's updated his Tombstone FAQ page. To read more, click here Thanks very much Dylan :-) ~ Lady Belle
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Hiya y'all,
After receiving a ton of emails from folks inquirying about what type of guns were used during the shootout at the OK Corral, I've been doin' some further checkin'. Doc Holliday used his shotgun on Tom McLowery (also spelled McLaury,) dropping him with a 12 buckshot under his right arm. Doc then drew his .44 and fired in Ike Clanton's direction, who, btw, was carryig a Smith and Wesson.
There's also been questions sent to me about which type of guns were used for the movie Tombstone. Folks, while I do know some stuff about guns, I'm afraid my *expertise* is kinda limited in that area. So, if anyone out there does know which type of guns were used for the movie, hey, there are a lot of nice folks out there who'd like to know :-) ~ Lady Belle
...And this question comes from Mike G.
Did Wyatt Earp or Doc Holliday kill Johnny Ringo? Or did Johnny Ringo commit suicide? When they found him, didn't Ringo have a gun in his hand and a bullet behind his right ear? Take care, Mike
A:: Hey, Mike, Actually, as the story goes, Ringo may have been murdered and scalped (poor guy.) His body was discovered near Turkey Creek Canyon. As for the bullet being behind his right ear, weeeell, from my understanding, legend has it the location was the right temple. Could've been a murder, or could've been suicide. Some folks from back in the day insisted to the rumors that Doc could've been the killer... or Johnny Behind The Deuce... or Buckskin Frank Leslie. So, unless Ringo sends a message from his grave, he's the one who knows who pulled the trigger. ~ Lady Belle
...Deana H. fires in with this one:
Howdy Lady Belle,
Which do you think is better: Wyatt Earp or Tombstone?
A: Hiya, Deana. Both movies have some of my fave actors: Val, Michael Beihn and Dennis Quaid whom are each a lot fun to look at. I luv Val (Holliday) and Michael's (Ringo) portrayal and their gun displaying tricks in Tombstone and that scene where they're.... Oooooh, you meant which *movie* is better. Sorry, I got side-tracked there for a sec '-) In my humblest opinion, Tombstone keeps more to the facts with events. ~ Lady Belle
In regards to a question from a previous inquiry where Wyatt Earp, the descendant of Wyatt Earp, calls home. Credit Mike (from a coupla questions above).
Dear Lady Belle,
I was back at your web site tonight and saw your question about where Wyatt Earp lives. (I believe) Wyatt Earp lives in Phoenix, Arizona.
There ya have it. The valley of the sun.
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Hello,
I have a piece of old sheet music from 1913. The cover has a photo of one "Little Mary Annette Earp," a child. The music was printed in NYC but is "Dedicated to Little Mary Annette Earp, OKLAHOMA CITY" (my emphasis.) The child in the photo is two or three years old. Might this be a descendent of the legendary lawman? I'm happy to send a cover scan if anybody thinks I may have a legitimate descendent of the famed lawman. --- George. TorpidSmoke@aol.com
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Q: Hi Lady Belle. Were Wyatt Earp and Josephine Marcus legally married? Where? Thanks! Cord.
A: Hey Cord, it's my understanding Wyatt and Josephine were married on the ship while in route to Alaska where the captain performed the blessed ceremony. 'Course, I've also heard they were married 'before' leaving for Alaska. But since Josephine made mention of the former in "I Married Wyatt Earp" I'm leaning more towards what she wrote :-) Lady Belle
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Q: Did Josephine Marcus Earp write a book? Where can I get a copy?
A: There is this book, "I Married Wyatt Earp," edited by Glenn G. Boyer, however, it wasn't published until after her death. You might try your local library, Amazon.com or eBay. (Thank ya, Dylan, for the link!)
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Q: Hi Lady Belle. I've heard that one of the Earp brothers are buried in Portland, Oregon. Is this true? What were his ties to Portland, and why is he buried there?
A: The brother who rests for eternity in Portland's Riverview Cemetery is Virgil. His tie to Portland was his daughter Nellie. Virgil was a teenager when he married. Soon, the Civil War broke out and he fought on the Union side. It was reported he was killed. His wife, who had recently given birth to their baby daughter Nellie, thought she was a widow and moved on to Oregon. Obviously, Virgil was not killed, rather seriously injured, as he later took part in the most famous gunfight in history at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. After being shot in the arm on October 28, 1882, he hung up his lawman badge. He retired in California and went into the real estate business. Soon, he headed north to Oregon to visit his daughter Nellie. While there, a Portland reporter for The Oregonian interviewed him. Years later, when Virgil died of natural causes on October, 20, 1905, a message was sent to his daughter asking if she wanted the body of her father. She claimed it. And that, my friend, is the reason Virgil Earp is buried in Portland, Oregon. ~ Lady Belle
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Q: I've heard that an Earp played in the movie Tombstone. Is this correct? Which part did he play?
A: It is very much indeed correct. Wyatt Earp played Billy Claiborne.
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Questions from Darrell:
1) Are there any "Earp" descendants still living today, if so where?
A: Well, this forum Looks mighty interesting. I checked it out and there is a lot of living descendants there.
There was also a high tech mock trial held in Phoenix, AZ in June 1999 where a jury of lawyers found that Wyatt Earp was innocent and he reacted in self-defense. Wyatt Earp, the great grandnephew of the legendary lawman, portrayed his namesake in the 118-year-old case. Sheesh...talk about a long awaited trial. As for where Wyatt calls home...sorry, but I don't rightly know. Anyone else know? ~ Lady Belle
2) Are there any descendants of the outlaws that were in Tombstone, during Wyatt Earp's
days, still living today? If so, where?
3) Does anyone know where Wyatt Earp's guns are from the time of Tombstone. If so, where? Hey, pards, the answer to this is still wide-open. (Curious minds are wanting to know, so if anyone knows the whereabouts, sling it Lady Belle's way. Thank ya kindly.)
4) Does anyone know where Doc Holliday's guns are from that time of Tombstone? if so, where?
5) Does Doc Holliday have any descendants?
If you can, Please e-mail (Darrel) me with the answers to these questions, e-mail:
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Got a question or comment for the Tombstone FAQ II? Send them your hostess Lady Belle
