Kurt Russell’s Tombstone might be the better movie, but there’s one moment that Kevin Costner’s Wyatt Earp pulls off far better than its rival. The Tombstone vs Wyatt Earp movie battle was well-documented in the early 1990s, with the two biopics recounting the legendary lawman’s life. Despite Costner trying to sabotage Tombstone before and during its production, the film was released first to great reviews and healthy box office. A key problem with Costner’s film was that it tried to cover the entirety of Earp’s life, resulting in a story that felt both meandering and rushed.
The film is arguably the worst of Kevin Costner’s Western movies, but it shouldn’t be considered a total loss. Wyatt Earp has a great cast (Gene Hackman, Dennis Quaid, Catherine O’Hara, etc) and it looks incredible, but it lacks the wit or warmth of Tombstone. It’s also fascinating to watch both films back to back and see how they cover the same historical events differently. The most mythic moment from Earp’s battle with the Cowboys and their leader “Curly” Bill also results in the 1994 movie’s best scene.
The Death Of Curly Bill In Kevin Costner’s Wyatt Earp Is Better Staged Than Tombstone’s
Tombstone fumbled the ball on this key sequence
Tombstone outshines Wyatt Earp in most departments, from Kurt Russell’s Wyatt being a far more engaging character to the shootout at the O.K. Corral. One of the more disappointing sequences involves the final showdown between Earp and The Cowboys leader Curly Bill (Powers Boothe). This sequence sees Earp and his men trade shots with the Cowboys before Earp matches across the river – somehow dodging every shot fired at him – before emptying his shotgun into Bill. It’s not a terrible scene by any means, but the staging feels sloppy, while Russell’s slow-motion “Noooooooooo!” before shooting Bill is real cheesy.
The moment Kevin Costner’s Earp retrieves his double barrel and almost casually walks up to a panicked Curly Bill just underlines the surrealness of the whole moment.
Costner’s Wyatt Earp stages the death of Curly Bill in a more epic manner, where the lawman is ambushed but calmly stands his ground as he shoots back. The use of slo-mo during this shootout brings audiences inside Earp’s perspective while highlighting how his coat is being shredded by bullets. The moment Earp retrieves his double barrel and almost casually walks up to a panicked Curly Bill (Lewis Smith) just underlines the surrealness of the whole moment.
While Tombstone fumbles the ball somewhat with its Curly Bill sequence, Costner’s version fully captures what became a key part of Wyatt Earp lore. By all accounts, the vengeful lawman should have been gunned down during this encounter, only to emerge without a scratch. Naturally, the biopic adds some gloss to the real event and is intended to be a big movie star moment for its leading – but it still totally works.
Wyatt Earp’s Killing Of Curly Bill Is Close To Reality
Wyatt Earp needed a new coat after this battle
It’s worth noting that the account of William Brocius/”Curly Bill’s” demise came largely from Earp and his men, and was disputed by some of the surviving Cowboys (via True West Magazine). There were even claims Bill escaped this gunfight and lived out his days in Mexico – but the lack of evidence for this suggests he truly did die at Earp’s hands. Both Tombstone and Wyatt Earp take creative liberties with the Curly Bill battle too; it wasn’t an ambush at all, with Earp and his people accidentally happening upon Bill at a watering hole.
Instead of sticking by his side, members of Earp’s posse like McMaster attempted to retreat, only to get shot for his trouble. However, Earp’s killing of Curly Bill is lifted straight from real-life accounts, with the Cowboys leader somehow missing Earp at close range before being cut down by a shotgun. Earp even claimed Bill was practically cut in half by the force of the blasts. After trading further shots with the other Cowboys, Wyatt and his men pulled back, with Earp’s coat found to be riddled with bullet holes in the aftermath.
Why Tombstone Is So Superior To Wyatt Earp
Costner probably should have stuck with Tombstone
It’s a well-known piece of trivia that Costner was originally attached to Tombstone. The star exited the project as he wanted a film that covered Earp’s entire life and not just his time in Tombstone. He may have regretted that call when Russell’s biopic arrived first to great reviews, while his film was a critical and financial bomb. The issue is that Kevin Jarre’s Tombstone screenplay was an exceptional piece of work, filled with great dialogue and sequences.
That’s how the movie attracted such an incredible cast, and while it suffered from behind-the-scenes woes and budget issues, the quality of the writing and acting shone through. Focusing on Earp’s time in the titular lawless town and his conflict with the Cowboys also gave the Western a narrative focus; by contrast, Wyatt Earp was too sprawling and unwieldy, while being quite dour and self-serious.
For all of its excellent one-liners and setpieces, that is a fundamental warmth and humanity to Tombstone (especially thanks to Earp’s friendship with Val Kilmer’s Doc Holliday) while Wyatt Earp never fully makes viewers care about its main characters. It’s a real shame because Costner’s film is hardly lacking in ambition or passion – it just had no chance against Jarre’s stellar writing.