Originally Posted by Frazod:
I liked Wyatt Earp a lot, as much if not a bit more than Tombstone. Tombstone is a straight up good v. evil action movie with strong villains, while Wyatt Earp is more of an epic character study, where the villains were purely secondary characters. Quaid delivered perhaps the best performance of his career as the doomed Doc Holladay, easily delivering the most historically accurate portrayal of the real man. He starved himself to the point where actually looked like him, as opposed to Kilmer, who, despite some facial makeup and lines in the script describing him as a "skinny lunger," looked neither skinny or unhealthy. But Kilmer's mostly fictional Doc was witty and cool and upbeat, while Quaid's realistic Doc was nasty and angry, as a slowly dying man would be.
None of the Earps were particularly noble, and Wyatt wasn't particularly pleasant. Also, Doc and Wyatt weren't nearly as close as Tombstone would lead one to believe. They actually had a big falling not long after the events depicted in the films, parted ways and never saw each other again. The scene in Tombstone where Wyatt visits Doc at the sanatorium is pure Hollywood horseshit.
Wyatt Earp lived long enough, and spent enough time in Hollywood during the movie industry's infancy, to help create the fictionalized heroic legend that has been accepted as fact for a century.
Another interesting fact about Earp - he befriended a young actor named Marion Morrison, who adopted Earp's mannerisms and speech patterns throughout his long career. Morrison was better known by his professional name, John Wayne.
That is an urban legend. There is always a possibility that they crossed paths at some point on a set but, there is no evidence that they actually knew one another, let alone were ever friends. Earp did know John Ford and most of whatever Duke knew of Earp likely came second hand from Ford. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Raiderhader:
That is an urban legend. There is always a possibility that they crossed paths at some point on a set but, there is no evidence that they actually knew one another, let alone were ever friends. Earp did know John Ford and most of whatever Duke knew of Earp likely came second hand from Ford.
I've seen that in more than one place.
But you're far more of a JW fan than I am, so I'll take your word for it.
Sure would be cool if it was true, though. [Reply]
Originally Posted by srvy:
I still think Open Range was Costners best part he and Duval meshed in that western.
If we can get back on topic for a moment...
yes indeed, Wyatt Earp is an overlooked movie... much more historically accurate than Tombstone ever was. And Tombstone was another movie that damn near never was. Huge issues in the early days of production basically creating a mutiny with the crew, actors and director. Kurt Russell won't get credit, but he basically directed Tombstone.
And while Kilmer's depiction of Doc Holliday, to go with his relationship with Earp, was so much fiction, it is a performance that will test time. Nobody can say Val Kilmer "mailed it in" on Tombstone. His performance in that film is on point. But I would say Dennis Quaid's portrayal is every bit as good and totally underrated and overlooked in Wyatt Earp. Damn shame the films overlapped.
That said, Robert Duvall is awesome. Gene Hackman is awesome. And those old boys won't be around much longer. Nobody can replace them. They are both happily retired, but boy do I miss seeing their mugs on the screen.
Also... Waterworld is a good movie! Practical effects! And vintage Dennis Hopper as the ridiculous villain! [Reply]
Originally Posted by GabyKeepsMeWarm:
If we can get back on topic for a moment...
yes indeed, Wyatt Earp is an overlooked movie... much more historically accurate than Tombstone ever was. And Tombstone was another movie that damn near never was. Huge issues in the early days of production basically creating a mutiny with the crew, actors and director. Kurt Russell won't get credit, but he basically directed Tombstone.
And while Kilmer's depiction of Doc Holliday, to go with his relationship with Earp, was so much fiction, it is a performance that will test time. Nobody can say Val Kilmer "mailed it in" on Tombstone. His performance in that film is on point. But I would say Dennis Quaid's portrayal is every bit as good and totally underrated and overlooked in Wyatt Earp. Damn shame the films overlapped.
That said, Robert Duvall is awesome. Gene Hackman is awesome. And those old boys won't be around much longer. Nobody can replace them. They are both happily retired, but boy do I miss seeing their mugs on the screen.
Also... Waterworld is a good movie! Practical effects! And vintage Dennis Hopper as the ridiculous villain!
Yea, the story has been out there for years that Kurt Russell ‘ghost directed’ Tombstone