Western films are often packed with gunslinging action, and, though rooted in reality, these films frequently take plenty of creative liberties. That’s not necessarily bad; these factual tweaks are usually necessary to amplify the work’s drama and narrative cohesion. However, one of the best Westerns of all time is famously fickle about its historical accuracy. George P. Cosmatos’ Tombstone is as much a dramatic masterpiece as it is a reflection of the past. Everything is a painstaking replica of a bygone America. Everything — from the flickering candlelight to the wool wardrobe — is carefully chosen to immerse the audience in America’s wild frontier. Even its dialog is often pulled from historical records.
Val Kilmer’s dedication to his acting was (and still is) legendary, and his words often flow directly from the mouth of a man who’s been dead for over a century. While some of Doc’s witty one-liners may seem like modern inventions, most are actual quotes from the man himself. So, fans may be surprised to learn that one of the film’s most famous lines isn’t entirely accurate.
How Accurate Is Tombstone?
On the surface, Cosmatos’ film is the ultimate love letter to classic Western films. Its roughly two-hour runtime is packed with nods to the genre’s most iconic moments. Tombstone’s dedication to its roots is apparent from the start. Its opening is directly taken from The Great Train Robbery, one of the world’s first Western films. Its eye-popping shootouts are carefully choreographed to recall similarly dramatic conflicts of the past.
But Cosmatos also wanted his film to reflect reality. Both he and Kurt Russell directed a sprawling historical epic. Even the smallest details saw intense scrutiny. On a practical level, this obsessive devotion to authenticity further strained an already exhausting production schedule. Everyone worked in sweltering heat, and the actors suffered beneath layers of period-accurate wool clothes.
Rest assured that some of Tombstone’s most intense moments are bolstered by the grueling filming conditions. Kilmer, especially, was beyond eager to please. His deathbed shivers were more than impeccable acting. He demanded that the production team fill the bed with ice to make him as uncomfortable as possible.
On a historical level, Tombstone is somewhat comparable to James Cameron’s Titanic. Both films are a balance of fact and fiction. For the most part, the contents are painstaking recreations of the past. Cosmatos brings a long-gone world to life and fully immerses audiences in the rugged individualism of the Wild West. He uses as many facts as possible, often quoting historical recollections of the film’s events.
That’s not to say it’s a perfect one-to-one recreation. It has all the charm and richness of classics like Gunsmoke, and it shares the series’ dramatic flair. Edits are made as needed. The gorgeous Bird Cage Theater has a prominent place in the film, though it wasn’t founded until after the Earp Vendetta Ride. And the climactic gunfight actually took place near — not at — the O. K. Corrall.
Even so, most of the film’s most beloved lines are built upon a solid historical base. Its most iconic scenes may be loving homages to its cinematic predecessors, but they, too, are packed with heaps of thoroughly researched details. But one of the film’s most iconic and quotable lines is merely close to the truth.
Doc Holliday Uttered One of the Greatest Quotes in Western History
Amidst Tombstone’s heart-pounding shootout, the suave Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) corners a wounded outlaw. His opponent, Frank McLaury (Robert John Burke), knows he faces certain death. In a fit of anger, McLaury threatens Holliday, saying, “I’ve got you now.” Of course, it’s an empty promise.
Even so, Holliday does what he does best. He taunts his opponent. As he approaches, he pretends to fire his empty revolver at McLaury. Then, after hearing the threat, he responds with a coy grin. With the utmost confidence, he then utters one of the film’s most quotable lines, “You’re a daisy if you do!”
It’s yet another witty one-liner from the inimitable Doc Holliday. Val Kilmer’s delivery elevates the iconic saying even further. His affable Southern accent and genteel charm give the words an immense sense of haughty confidence. It’s as much a taunt as it is a challenge. Holliday knows he has the upper hand. But it’s not a direct quote.
What Did Doc Holliday Really Say?
While the conflict was undeniably escalated by Holliday’s taunts, his true words were slightly different. (However, McLeary’s words are correct.) After he was threatened by McLaury, Holliday reportedly declared, “Fire away! You’re a daisy if you have!” It’s an odd phrasing that may have made sense at the time, but it sounds clunky in modern English.
So, Kilmer used some cinematic magic. He changed Holliday’s words to better reflect the situation. Holliday’s real words are weighed down by a mix of grammatical precision and passiveness. His actual words imply that he is waiting for McLaury to shoot. He posits that the wounded outlaw “has him” in a prime position; thus, he should “have” his shot.
Kilmer’s edit adds an active punch to the line. He demands action on his own behalf, not McLaury’s. He takes the outlaw’s fate into his own hands and imbues his words with a sense of unwavering confidence. “You’re a daisy if you do” gives McLaury little credit. It implies he has nothing. McLaury may “have him,” but he won’t act. Yet again, Kilmer shows his knack for improvisation and wordplay.
On a casual level, it’s also more pleasing to hear. While telling McLaury to “have” his shot is grammatically correct, the actual phrasing is beyond clunky. You can never appease everyone, so this bit of modernization can be a sore spot for Western enthusiasts. Nonetheless, it adds an immense amount of charm and cohesion to an already astounding scene.
As far as accuracy goes, there’s no way to definitively say what happened near the O. K. Corral. Truly intelligible sound recording — particularly of human voices — had yet to emerge in the 1880s. Nonetheless, written records attest to both McLaury’s and Holliday’s verbal showdown. Witnesses echoed Doc’s words, and the Tombstone Nugget printed the same quote in the newspaper the day after the famed gunfight.
Even official accounts contain a record of Doc’s witty one-liner. Witnesses spoke the same quote a few days after the shootout. Notably, these witnesses were under oath. They were attending a legal trial, and they had little reason to lie. While their collective recollections were certainly colored by what they may have read, their final verdict was fairly cohesive. Doc said, “You’re a daisy if you have.”
But that doesn’t diminish the impact of Kilmer’s theatrical brilliance. His performance as Holliday has become a staple of the Western genre, and his smooth-talking persona is now a hard-coded part of cowboy cinema. It’s impossible to ignore his impact and influence, and his continued praise is well-deserved. His talent is one of the biggest factors behind Tombstone’s success, and the film’s enduring legacy is one of the brightest highlights of his esteemed career.