George P. Costamos’ Tombstone is a Western classic and a cinematic legend. It’s a sprawling and meticulously detailed homage to America’s Wild West, and it’s earned plenty of praise since its 1993 debut. Audiences have always been enchanted by its dusty vistas and exacting gunfights. But there’s also one thing that viewers often point out about this masterpiece.
While it’s not entirely unusual for Western films to feature sweaty foreheads — it’s a genre staple, after all — Val Kilmer’s version of Doc Holliday’s perspiration is particularly prolific. Some even claim it detracts from an otherwise spotless performance.
However, it’s too early to start daubing foreheads and loosening those bolo ties. There’s an in-universe explanation for Kilmer’s sweaty swagger. Of course, there’s also a behind-the-scenes explanation. Both are perfectly reasonable options, but it’s worth knowing that this particular detail has an unintentionally useful implication.
George P. Costamos’ Tombstone Is an Iconic 90s Hit
- Costamos was famously picky about perfecting the film’s historical details.
- Most of the film was fittingly shot on location in Arizona.
- The film’s soundtrack was performed by the Sinfonia of London orchestra.
For anyone unaware, Tombstone is one of many films about the gunfight at the OK Corral. While others focused on individuals, Tombstone offered audiences a larger look at the events leading to and following the infamous shootout.
But that’s not to say the film had no definitive protagonist. Tombstone primarily revolves around the divisive renegade lawman Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell). It uses Earp as its lens and casts the action through his mind. Even the setup, which frames the Cowboys as the ultimate evil, is drawn straight from Earp’s recollections.
Considering these facts, it’s no surprise that the film’s primary heroes are well-known faces of the Western genre. Wyatt’s posse of rebel crimefighters includes both his brothers — Virgil (Sam Elliott) and Morgan Earpp (Bill Paxton) — alongside legendary names like “Curly Bill” Brocius (Powers Boothe), Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn), and Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer).
The Doc Holliday Sweating Problem
- Giles Tippette wrote the film’s novelization.
- The Making of Tombstone, a behind-the-scenes book about the film’s creation, was published over two decades after the film’s 1993 release.
- Tombstone placed third on its opening night, landing behind Mrs. Doubtfire and The Pelican Brief.
Now, knowing these details, it’s easy to correctly deduce that Kilmer’s character isn’t the film’s primary focus. Despite his remarkable performance, Kilmer’s role is primarily limited to colloquial plot fodder. Holliday isn’t the hero of Tombstone; that title goes to Earp. Nonetheless, the legendary “Doc” still has top billing. His role defines the narrative and adds that necessary astringent flavor to the Costamos’ Western classic.
More relevantly, it’s the source of some pointed perspiration. And, again, that’s not exactly unusual. Filming in the desert isn’t exactly easy. Fortunately, esteemed actors like Kilmer are dedicated to their craft, and they often endure harsh and unforgiving conditions to bring audiences cinematic joy.
Ask anyone who lives in Arizona, where the bulk of Tombstone’s content was filmed, how hot it can get. Temperatures regularly inch above 100° Fahrenheit (37° Celsius), and Tombstone’s crew started filming in May. More precisely, the crew worked through May 1993, when daytime temperatures frequently rose 105° Fahrenheit (40° Celsius) on multiple days. Anyone would sweat under these conditions, even the great Val Kilmer. However, this fact of life coincidentally parallels the film’s events.
The Tuberculosis Answer
- Billy Bob Thornton ad-libbed his lines during his character’s confrontation with Russell’s Wyatt Earp.
- Only Jon Tenney sported a fake mustache; the rest were all-natural.
- The film was meant to be Kevin Jarre’s directorial debut, but he was quickly overwhelmed by Tombstone’s scope.
Considering Costamos’ dedication to detail, it shouldn’t be surprising to learn that Tombstone’s plot closely mirrors historical facts. Despite his legendary status, the real Doc Holliday was as mortal as any other man; he died in 1887, at the young age of 36. Despite his legendary status, Holliday ultimately faced the same early demise as the rest of Earp’s vendetta crew.
By the time of his death, Holliday’s hair was prematurely graying. He also suffered from tuberculosis, a disease known for its brutal respiratory effects and fevers — two symptoms that would increase perspiration. Obviously, being 1887, there were no easy cures. Most tuberculosis patients fled to dry regions for relief or sequestered themselves in sanitariums. As shown in Tombstone, Doc opted to flee and ultimately die in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Thus, Val Kilmer’s natural sweat doubles as a poetic nod to Holliday’s fate.
And there’s particular emphasis on the word “poetic.” While Holliday did, indeed, die of tuberculosis, the disease rarely took a decade to kill its sufferers. The primary events in Tombstone, including the gunfights, occurred in the 1870s, ten years before Doc Holliday succumbed to tuberculosis. So, most of Holliday’s prodigious perspiration is unlikely to have been directly caused by the disease. But it certainly adds to the film’s overall mood and framing.
That’s not to diminish the Costamos’ film. Tombstone remains one of the best examples of lovingly curated Western cinema. Its artistic license is rarely used, but those few instances have massive impacts. Val Kilmer’s sweaty portrayal of Holliday is a great retrospective homage to his character’s fate, but it still has an obvious root cause.
The Production Crew’s Answer
- Despite an outpouring of praise for Val Kilmer’s version of Doc Holliday, he did not win an Oscar for his performance.
- Jarre’s original script was heavily edited and shortened, as its original form covered an improbably massive amount of material.
- Tombstone is the sixteenth highest-grossing film in the Western genre.
Val Kilmer was, quite simply, hot — in both the literal and suggestive sense. As noted, the film crew faced absolutely horrendous conditions. Only a handful of days in May 1993 fell below 80° Fahrenheit (26° Celsius), yet the dedicated actors wore heavy period-accurate costumes.
And that’s not an inaccuracy, either. Even now, the biggest problem in a desert is the sun. Preventing sunburn is secondary to feeling hot under the collar, and long-sleeved outfits are still a must for those blistering midday duels. Fortunately, the crew used period-accurate materials — natural wools, cotton, and linens — that promote airflow and ward off that sticky, sweaty feeling. But that doesn’t mean it was necessarily easy to perform in shadeless 105° heat. One particularly terrible day pushed the on-set thermometer to 134° Fahrenheit (56° Celsius).
Beyond the immediate conditions, the film set required absolute immersion. The “town” of Tombstone was the quintessential Wild West façade. Hot whiskey, constant dust, and layers of sandy grime were just part of the filming experience. Everyone was at least a little uncomfortable, although most of the crew attributes their remarkable performances to that very same discomfort.
Consider, too, that all those cowboys are wearing genuine hats. All the headwear used authentic leather, and the most iconic hats were a mix of rabbit and beaver. The results were and still are visually and functionally astounding. The heavy leather excels at warding off the sun’s harsh rays, but it’s also relentlessly heavy. Even the best linings can only absorb so much sweat, and few people can claim that they could withstand Kilmer’s filming conditions without breaking a sweat.
Whether or not the resultant glisten on Kilmer’s brow was entirely intentional is known only to the crew. Certainly, it adds to the film’s dogged accuracy. It adds depth to Kilmer’s portrayal of Holliday as an ailing humanist and emphasizes the brutality of the Wild West. That sweat may have been a happy coincidence, but it’s yet another layer to Costamos’ iconic Western classic.