30 Years After Its Release, Tombstone Remains A Classic in the Western Genre, But Was It Accurate?
Widely regarded as a classic among "Modern Westerns" the 1993 film brings to life the events surrounding the shootout at the O.K. Corral. Join us as we separate fact from fiction
Background
The 1993 film Tombstone, starring Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer, was a major success and is largely regarded as one of the best “Modern Westerns.” The film depicts the lead-up to the infamous shootout at the O.K. Corral, the shootout itself, and the aftermath. Today, we will explore what Hollywood got right, and what they got wrong, as well as dive into the backgrounds of the major players involved.
The scene: Tombstone Arizona, the early 1880’s. A lawless land filled with names that resonate through history – the Earp Brothers, “Curly Bill” Brocius, Johnny Ringo, The McLaury and Clanton Brothers. Doc Holliday.
Many of them got more than their fifteen minutes of fame during the infamous shooting at the O.K. Corral. But who were these men and how did they fit into a loose band of outlaws known as the “Cochise County Cowboys?” What led up to the fabled thirty-second shootout?
The Players Involved
The Earp Brothers:
No history of the West is complete without a mention of the famous or infamous Earp Brothers. The most well-known is Wyatt. While upheld as a lawman and hero, the truth was Wyatt Earp was half good guy, half outlaw.
Throughout most of his life, he traveled between boom towns, often helping his common-law wife run a brothel. In Wichita, Kansas, he was appointed a police officer but later fired. In 1879, he moved with brothers, James and Virgil to Tombstone.
A silver boom was underway in Tombstone and older brother, Virgil Earp, was acting as town Marshall. Eventually another brother, Morgan, arrived to join the others. Virgil was the Deputy U.S. Marshal and City Marshal after the death of Fred White.
He quickly deputized the others to help keep law and order. Right from the start, the Earps clashed with a loosely bound group of outlaws known as the “Cowboys” or “Cochise County Cowboys.”
The Cowboys:
One name woven throughout the clash with the Earps was “Curly Bill” Brocius. Born around 1845 near Crawfordsville, Indiana, little is known about his early life. With a head of curly black hair, he gained a reputation as a man with a hair-trigger temper and a thirst for hard drinking.