Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday are already good friends when Val Kilmer’s iconic portrayal of Holliday steals the movie and his ride-or-die bond with Earp is the heart of the film.
When he’s introduced in Tombstone, the sweat-drenched Holliday is dying of tuberculosis and he and Earp are already long-time friends who can rely on each other. The film never goes back to show how Earp and Holliday met in a prologue or a flashback; it’s just established that they’re close friends who care about each other. It’s surprising that the story of how Earp and Holliday met and became friends wasn’t included in the movie, because it’s a fascinating tale that would’ve made for a great scene.
The Real-Life Story Behind How Wyatt Earp & Doc Holliday Met Before Tombstone
Holliday Saved Earp's Life During A Saloon Stick-Up
Earp met Holliday in 1878 when he went to Texas in search of outlaw Dave Rudabaugh, who had robbed a Santa Fe Railroad construction camp. While looking for Rudabaugh, Earp was directed to Holliday, then a gambler, who had been known to play cards with Rudabaugh. Holliday informed Earp that Rudabaugh was heading back to Kansas. When Earp returned to Dodge City and got appointed Assistant Marshal, Holliday also arrived in Dodge with his common-law wife, Big Nose Kate.
Earp credited Holliday with saving his life and the two became lifelong friends.
Ed Morrison and a couple of dozen cowboys rode into Dodge, shot up the town, and terrorized the townspeople. Earp burst into a saloon where they were harassing customers (and Holliday was playing cards in the back). Morrison’s men all had their guns drawn on Earp, but Holliday put his own gun to Morrison’s head and forced him and his men to drop their weapons (there are a few different versions of this story, but they all end the same way). Earp credited Holliday with saving his life and the two became lifelong friends.
When Tombstone Takes Place In Earp & Holliday's Respective Timelines
Tombstone Is Set In The 1880s
Tombstone starts off in 1879, but it mostly takes place in the 1880s. Since Holliday ed away on November 8, 1887 (at the age of just 36), the film covers the final stages of his life. At the end of Tombstone, Holliday is sent to a sanatorium in Colorado, where he dies from his tuberculosis, which has been gradually worsening throughout the film. Tombstone covers Earp’s return to law enforcement after his initial retirement; Earp ended up living to age 80 and didn’t die until 1929.
Tombstone
- Release Date
- December 25, 1993
- Runtime
- 130 minutes
- Director
- George P. Cosmatos
Cast
Wyatt Earp
Val KilmerDoc Holliday
WHERE TO WATCH
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 s forces with the infamous Doc Holliday, highlighting a tense battle between lawmen and outlaws in the American West.
- Writers
- Kevin Jarre
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