Tombstone: Behind the Scenes of the Modern Western

20. Anticipation Shot

The most cathartic scene of the movie is when Doc Holliday finally shoots Johnny Ringo. As audience members, we’ve been waiting for this most of the film. It’s not only an audience favorite. Sam Elliott was a fan too. “That thing was just incredible,” Elliot told American Cowboy. “They’re both so good, and you just know this moment is coming all the way through the film. You’re salivating by the time it does come.” A good scene should be a favorite on both sides of the camera, fun to play, fun to watch.

19. Not the Holliday You Love

While Val Kilmer’s portrayal of Doc Holliday is a scary, fun-loving character, the real guy was not fun at all. He was a reckless drinker and gambler like in the movie, but not the fun kind. It took courage to play at the same table as Holliday in the real world. He once sliced a man’s stomach open for breaking the rules of the table during a game. The real guy, known as the “slickest gunslinger in the west,” did, in fact, die at age 37 from tuberculosis, though. He died a free man despite his role at the OK Corral, drunk and addicted to Opium in the end.  



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